Hemolysis-driven IFNα production impairs erythropoiesis by negatively regulating EPO signaling in sickle cell disease

Disordered erythropoiesis is a feature of many hematologic diseases including sickle cell disease (SCD). However, very little is known about erythropoiesis in SCD. Here we show that while bone marrow (BM) erythroid progenitors and erythroblasts in thalassemia mice Hbbth3/+were increased more than 2 fold, they were expanded by only ~40% in Townes sickle mice (SS). We further show that the colony forming ability of SS erythroid progenitors was decreased and EPO/EPOR signaling was impaired in …