Identifying the genes and pathways that regulate self-renewal and differentiation in somatic stem cells is a central goal in stem cell and cancer biology. Here, we describe a method for RNA interference (RNAi)-based screens combined with next-generation sequencing (NGS) in primary human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). These cells are suitable targets for complex, selection-based screens using pooled lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) libraries. The screening approach presented in this chapter is a promising tool to dissect regulatory mechanisms in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and somatic stem cells in general, and may be particularly useful to identify gene targets and modifiers that can be further exploited in strategies for ex vivo stem cell expansion.
Keywords: Forward genetic screens; Functional validation; Hematopoietic stem cells; Next-generation sequencing; Positive selection; RNA interference.