Kyoto researchers trace blood cells to 700 million-year ancestor
The origin of human blood cells stretches far beyond the emergence of humans. Researchers at Kyoto have reconstructed the evolutionary history of blood cells over roughly 700 million years. Their work shows that immune and blood systems in modern vertebrates emerged from genetic material already present in ancient single-celled organisms that existed before the rise of multicellular life.
The study analyzed gene expression patterns across multiple species and cell lineages, including unicellular organisms. The team focused on the FOS gene, which is widely active in blood-related cells across the animal kingdom. Their results indicate that this gene can be traced back to a unicellular ancestor that lived around 700 million years ago, during the early stages of animal evolution.
Among modern human blood cells, macrophages showed the strongest similarity to unicellular organisms. This finding suggests that early blood cells likely resembled macrophage-like cells. The researchers used a comparative approach that aligned genetic activity across species to reconstruct how immune and blood cell types gradually emerged and diversified.
The evolutionary branching appears structured. Mast cells separated early from macrophage-like precursors. Later, early T cells and red blood cells diverged from mast cell-related lineages. B cells followed after additional separation from macrophage-related pathways. This stepwise pattern suggests that today’s immune system reflects layered evolutionary changes rather than sudden biological innovation.
Researchers say the findings may reshape understanding of disease origins. Because blood cell production mechanisms appear deeply rooted in ancient genetic systems, the same pathways may still influence how diseases develop today, including cancer. The comparative method used in this work may help identify how cellular dysfunction emerges from evolutionary conserved processes.
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