Journal-Based CME: Sleep Exerts Lasting Effects on Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function and Diversity

Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 10:00 AM - Sunday, September 21, 2025, 10:00 AM

This Journal-Based CME activity consists of a full-text article that is free to read, a multiple-choice question test, and an evaluation/self-assessment. Learners are tested on their comprehension of the key concepts, with the objective of enriching their clinical practice and patient care through better understanding of scientific advances and new techniques in the fields covered by Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM).

Questions for this complimentary, online-only activity have been designed by JEM editors in collaboration with the article authors. Each CME activity should take approximately 1 hour to complete.

The article selected for this activity is Sleep exerts lasting effects on hematopoietic stem cell function and diversity by Cameron S. McAlpine and Filip K. Swirski of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and colleagues.

Article Abstract

A sleepless night may feel awful in its aftermath, but sleep’s revitalizing powers are substantial, perpetuating the idea that convalescent sleep is a consequence-free physiological reset. Although recent studies have shown that catch-up sleep insufficiently neutralizes the negative effects of sleep debt, the mechanisms that control prolonged effects of sleep disruption are not understood. Here, we show that sleep interruption restructures the epigenome of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and increases their proliferation, thus reducing hematopoietic clonal diversity through accelerated genetic drift. Sleep fragmentation exerts a lasting influence on the HSPC epigenome, skewing commitment toward a myeloid fate and priming cells for exaggerated inflammatory bursts. Combining hematopoietic clonal tracking with mathematical modeling, we infer that sleep preserves clonal diversity by limiting neutral drift. In humans, sleep restriction alters the HSPC epigenome and activates hematopoiesis. These findings show that sleep slows decay of the hematopoietic system by calibrating the hematopoietic epigenome, constraining inflammatory output, and maintaining clonal diversity.

About Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) and CME Activities

JEM publishes peer-reviewed papers within the field of medical biology, providing novel conceptual insights into immunology, cancer biology, neuroscience, inflammation, vascular biology, microbial pathogenesis, and stem cell biology. These studies range from original findings on all aspects of disease pathogenesis to novel therapeutic approaches. Articles designated for Journal-Based CME have been selected by JEM editors for their clinical relevance and ability to address practice-based gaps.

Select the 'Course Content' tab at the top of this page in order to access the full article and claim CME credit.

1. Comprehend key points in the research findings outlined in the activity.
2. Differentiate between old and new concepts.
3. Learners will have the information necessary to apply the relevant points to their clinical practice.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) and Rockefeller University Press. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Recorded/Review Date: September 21, 2022 | Original Release Date: September 21, 2022 | Termination Date: September 21, 2025

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers or others are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.