ReviewFrom the bedside to the bench: new discoveries on blood cell fate and function

- Gene expression alterations underlie hematologic disease.
- Chronic inflammation modifies hematopoietic output.
- The bone marrow niche is complex and dynamic.
- Long-lived embryonic progenitors contribute to adult hematopoietic homeostasis.

Controversy and context: two words that exemplified this year's International Society for Experimental Hematology meeting. Leaders in the field of hematology from around the world gathered in San Diego in August of 2016 to discuss cutting-edge research on diverse topics such as hemoglobin switching, hematopoietic stem cell emergence, leukemogenesis, and aging. Major questions discussed included the “when, where, and how” of hematopoietic emergence, bone marrow residence, and disease origination. This meeting summary covers some of the conference highlights.