技术资料

Infusion of transduced hematopoietic stem cells into nonmyeloablated hosts results in ineffective in vivo levels of transduced cells. To increase the proportion of transduced cells in vivo,selection based on P140K O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT[P140K]) gene transduction and O6-benzylguanine/1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BG/BCNU) treatment has been devised. In this study,we transduced human NOD/SCID repopulating cells (SRCs) with MGMT(P140K) using a lentiviral vector and infused them into BG/BCNU-conditioned NOD/SCID mice before rounds of BG/BCNU treatment as a model for in vivo selection. Engraftment was not observed until the second round of BG/BCNU treatment,at which time human cells emerged to compose up to 20% of the bone marrow. Furthermore,99% of human CFCs derived from NOD/SCID mice were positive for provirus as measured by PCR,compared with 35% before transplant and 11% in untreated irradiation-preconditioned mice,demonstrating selection. Bone marrow showed BG-resistant O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase (AGT) activity,and CFUs were stained intensely for AGT protein,indicating high transgene expression. Real-time PCR estimates of the number of proviral insertions in individual CFUs ranged from 3 to 22. Selection resulted in expansion of one or more SRC clones containing similar numbers of proviral copies per mouse. To our knowledge,these results provide the first evidence of potent in vivo selection of MGMT(P140K) lentivirus-transduced human SRCs following BG/BCNU treatment. View Publication

Expression of Mpl is restricted to hematopoietic cells in the megakaryocyte lineage and to undifferentiated progenitors,where it initiates critical cell survival and proliferation signals after stimulation by its ligand,thrombopoietin (TPO). As a result,a deficiency in Mpl function in patients with congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT) and in mpl(-/-) mice produces profound thrombocytopenia and a severe stem cell-repopulating defect. Gene therapy has the potential to correct the hematopoietic defects of CAMT by ectopic gene expression that restores normal Mpl receptor activity. We rescued the mpl(-/-) mouse with a transgenic vector expressing mpl from the promoter elements of the 2-kb region of DNA just proximal to the natural gene start site. Transgene rescued mice exhibit thrombocytosis but only partial correction of the stem cell defect. Furthermore,they show very low-level expression of Mpl on platelets and megakaryocytes,and the transgene-rescued megakaryocytes exhibit diminished TPO-dependent kinase phosphorylation and reduced platelet production in bone marrow chimeras. Thrombocytosis is an unexpected consequence of reduced Mpl expression and activity. However,impaired TPO homeostasis in the transgene-rescued mice produces elevated plasma TPO levels,which serves as an unchecked stimulus to drive the observed excessive megakaryocytopoiesis. View Publication

Expansion of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) ex vivo remains an important focus in fundamental and clinical research. The aim of this study was to determine whether the implementation of such expansion phase in a two-phase culture strategy prior to the induction of megakaryocyte (Mk) differentiation would increase the yield of Mks produced in cultures. Toward this end,we first characterized the functional properties of five cytokine cocktails to be tested in the expansion phase on the growth and differentiation kinetics of CD34+-enriched cells,and on their capacity to expand clonogenic progenitors in cultures. Three of these cocktails were chosen based on their reported ability to induce HPC expansion ex vivo,while the other two represented new cytokine combinations. These analyses revealed that none of the cocktails tested could prevent the differentiation of CD34+ cells and the rapid expansion of lineage-positive cells. Hence,we sought to determine the optimum length of time for the expansion phase that would lead to the best final Mk yields. Despite greater expansion of CD34+ cells and overall cell growth with a longer expansion phase,the optimal length for the expansion phase that provided greater Mk yield at near maximal purity was found to be 5 days. Under such settings,two functionally divergent cocktails were found to significantly increase the final yield of Mks. Surprisingly,these cocktails were either deprived of thrombopoietin or of stem cell factor,two cytokines known to favor megakaryopoiesis and HPC expansion,respectively. Based on these results,a short resource-efficient two-phase culture protocol for the production of Mks near purity (textgreater95%) from human CD34+ CB cells has been established. View Publication

Human B cells can be cultured ex vivo for a few weeks,following stimulation of the CD40 cell surface molecule in the presence of recombinant cytokines such as interleukin-4 (IL-4). However,attempts to produce polyclonal antigen-specific human antibodies by in vitro culture of human B cells obtained from immunized donors have not been successful. It has been shown in mice that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a potent mitogen for B cells and plays an important role in the generation of antigen-specific antibody responses. Although it has long been believed that LPS has no direct effect on human B cells,recent data indicating that IL-4-activated human B cells are induced to express Toll-like receptor-4,the main LPS receptor,prompted us to study the effects of LPS on the proliferation and antibody secretion of human B cells. Our results showed that LPS caused a reduction in the expansion of CD40-activated human B cells,accompanied by an increase in antigen-specific antibody secretion. This result suggested that some,but not all,B cells were able to differentiate into antibody-secreting cells in response to LPS. This increased differentiation could be explained by the observation that LPS-stimulated human B cells were induced to secrete higher amounts of IL-6,a pleiotropic cytokine well-known for its B-cell differentiation activity. In vivo,the effect of LPS on cytokine secretion by B cells may not only enhance B-cell differentiation but also help to sustain a local ongoing immune response to invading Gram-negative bacteria,until all pathogens have been cleared from the organism. View Publication

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a subset of bone marrow cells that are capable of self-renewal and of giving rise to all types of blood cells. However,the mechanisms involved in controlling the number and abilities of HSCs remain largely unknown. The Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signal has an essential role in inducing hematopoietic tissue during embryogenesis. We investigated the roles of the Ihh in coculture with CD34+ cells and human stromal cells. Ihh mRNA was expressed in primary and telomerized human (hTERT) stromal cells,and its receptor molecules were detected in CD34+ cells. Ihh gene transfer into hTERT stromal cells enhanced their hematopoietic supporting potential,which was elevated compared with control stromal cells,as indicated by the colony-forming units in culture (CFU-Cs) (26-fold +/- 2-fold versus 59-fold +/- 3-fold of the initial cell number; mixed colony-forming units [CFU-Mix's],63-fold +/- 37-fold versus 349-fold +/- 116-fold). Engraftments of nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency-beta2m-/- (NOD/SCID-beta2-/-) repopulating cells (RCs) expanded on Ihh stromal cells were significantly higher compared with control coculture results,and engraftment was neutralized by addition of an antihedgehog antibody. Limiting dilution analysis indicated that NOD/SCID-beta2m-/- RCs proliferated efficiently on Ihh stromal cells,compared with control stromal cells. These results indicate that Ihh gene transfer could enhance the primitive hematopoietic support ability of human stromal cells. View Publication

HOX genes,notably members of the HOXA cluster,and HOX cofactors have increasingly been linked to human leukemia. Intriguingly,HOXD13,a member of the HOXD cluster not normally expressed in hematopoietic cells,was recently identified as a partner of NUP98 in a t(2;11) translocation associated with t-AML/MDS. We have now tested directly the leukemogenic potential of the NUP98-HOXD13 t(2; 11) fusion gene in the murine hematopoietic model. NUP98-HOXD13 strongly promoted growth and impaired differentiation of early hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro; this effect was dependent on the NUP98 portion and an intact HOXD13 homeodomain. Expression of the NUP98-HOXD13 fusion gene in vivo resulted in a partial impairment of lymphopoiesis but did not induce evident hematologic disease until late after transplantation (more than 5 months),when some mice developed a myeloproliferative-like disease. In contrast,mice transplanted with bone marrow (BM) cells cotransduced with NUP98-HOXD13 and the HOX cofactor Meis1 rapidly developed lethal and transplantable acute myeloid leukemia (AML),with a median disease onset of 75 days. In summary,this study demonstrates that NUP98-HOXD13 can be directly implicated in the molecular process leading to leukemic transformation,and it supports a model in which the transforming properties of NUP98-HOXD13 are mediated through HOX-dependent pathways. View Publication

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia,an aggressive CD4(+) malignancy. Although HTLV-2 is highly homologous to HTLV-1,infection with HTLV-2 has not been associated with lymphoproliferative disorders. Lentivirus-mediated transduction of CD34(+) cells with HTLV-1 Tax (Tax1) induced G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest and resulted in the concomitant suppression of multilineage hematopoiesis in vitro. Tax1 induced transcriptional upregulation of the cdk inhibitors p21(cip1/waf1) (p21) and p27(kip1) (p27),and marked suppression of hematopoiesis in immature (CD34(+)/CD38(-)) hematopoietic progenitor cells in comparison to CD34(+)/CD38(+) cells. HTLV-1 infection of CD34(+) cells also induced p21 and p27 expression. Tax1 also protected CD34(+) cells from serum withdrawal-mediated apoptosis. In contrast,HTLV-2 Tax (Tax2) did not detectably alter p21 or p27 gene expression,failed to induce cell cycle arrest,failed to suppress hematopoiesis in CD34(+) cells,and did not protect cells from programmed cell death. A Tax2/Tax1 chimera encoding the C-terminal 53 amino acids of Tax1 fused to Tax2 (Tax(221)) displayed a phenotype in CD34(+) cells similar to that of Tax1,suggesting that unique domains encoded within the C terminus of Tax1 may account for the phenotypes displayed in human hematopoietic progenitor cells. These remarkable differences in the activities of Tax1 and Tax2 in CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells may underlie the sharp differences observed in the pathogenesis resulting from infection with HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. View Publication

Genetic modification of hematopoietic stem cells often results in the expression of foreign proteins in pluripotent progenitor cells and their progeny. However,the potential for products of foreign genes introduced into hematopoietic stem cells to induce host immune responses is not well understood. Gene marking and induction of immune responses to enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) were examined in rhesus macaques that underwent nonmyeloablative irradiation followed by infusions of CD34(+) bone marrow cells transduced with a retroviral vector expressing eGFP. CD34(+) cells were obtained from untreated animals or from animals treated with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) alone or G-CSF and recombinant human stem cell factor. Levels of eGFP-expressing cells detected by flow cytometry peaked at 0.1% to 0.5% of all leukocytes 1 to 4 weeks after transplantation. Proviral DNA was detected in 0% to 17% of bone marrow--derived colony-forming units at periods of 5 to 18 weeks after transplantation. However,5 of 6 animals studied demonstrated a vigorous eGFP-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response that was associated with a loss of genetically modified cells in peripheral blood,as demonstrated by both flow cytometry and polymerase chain reaction. The eGFP-specific CTL responses were MHC-restricted,mediated by CD8(+) lymphocytes,and directed against multiple epitopes. eGFP-specific CTLs were able to efficiently lyse autologous CD34(+) cells expressing eGFP. Antibody responses to eGFP were detected in 3 of 6 animals. These data document the potential for foreign proteins expressed in CD34(+) hematopoietic cells and their progeny to induce antibody and CTL responses in the setting of a clinically applicable transplantation protocol. (Blood. 2001;97:1951-1959) View Publication

Undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells with flexible developmental potentials are not normally found in peripheral blood. However,such cells have recently been reported to reside in the bone marrow. Herein are reported methods of inducing pluripotency in cells derived from unmobilised adult human peripheral blood. In response to the inclusion of purified CR3/43 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to well-established culture conditions,mononuclear cells (MNC) obtained from a single blood donor are converted into pluripotent haematopoietic,neuronal and cardiomyogenic progenitor stem cells or undifferentiated stem cells. The haematopoietic stem cells are CD34+,clonogenic and have been shown to repopulate non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice. The neuronal precursors transcribe the primitive stem cell markers OCT-4 and nestin,and on maturation,differentially stain positive for neuronal,glial or oligodendrocyte-specific antigens. The cardiomyogenic progenitor stem cells form large bodies of asynchronously beating cells and differentiate into mature cardiomyocytes which transcribe GATA-4. The undifferentiated stem cells do not express haematopoietic-associated markers,are negative for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II antigens,transcribe high levels of OCT-4 and form embryoid body (EB)-like structures. This induction of stem cell-like plasticity in MNC may have proceeded by a process of retrodifferentiation but,in any case,could have profound clinical and pharmacological implications. Finally,the flexibility and the speed by which a variety of stem cell classes can be generated ex vivo from donor blood could potentially transfer this novel process into a less invasive automated clinical procedure. View Publication

In a patient with refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB),a somatic mutation of mitochondrial transfer RNA(Leu(UUR)) was detected in bone marrow cells. Heteroduplex analysis indicated that 40% to 50% of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecules in the bone marrow (BM) carried the novel G3242A mutation. The proportion of mutant mtDNA was higher in CD34(+) cells than in the unfractionated sample. Surprisingly,the mutation was not detectable by heteroduplex analysis in the peripheral blood (PB). However,PB CD34(+) cells selected by immunomagnetic beads harbored the mutation with a proportion of approximately 50%. In hematopoietic colony assays,CD34(+) cells from BM and PB yielded only colonies with wild-type mtDNA. These results indicate that the mtDNA mutation in CD34(+) cells was associated with a maturation defect. Mitochondrial tRNA mutations impair mitochondrial protein synthesis,thereby causing dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. We propose that this effect contributed to ineffective hematopoiesis in our patient. View Publication

Although there is evidence that endothelial cells are important targets for human pathogenic Bartonella species,the primary niche of infection is unknown. Here we elucidated whether human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) internalize B. henselae and may serve as a potential niche of the pathogen. We showed that B. henselae does not adhere to or invade human erythrocytes. In contrast,B. henselae invades and persists in HPCs as shown by gentamicin protection assays,confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM),and electron microscopy (EM). Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of glycophorin A expression revealed that erythroid differentiation of HPCs was unaffected following infection with B. henselae. The number of intracellular B. henselae continuously increased over a 13-day period. When HPCs were infected with B. henselae immediately after isolation,intracellular bacteria were subsequently detectable in differentiated erythroid cells on day 9 and day 13 after infection,as shown by CLSM,EM,and FACS analysis. Our data provide,for the first time,evidence that a bacterial pathogen is able to infect and persist in differentiating HPCs,and suggest that HPCs might serve as a potential primary niche in Bartonella infections. View Publication

Infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum,a gram-negative,lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-negative,obligate intracellular bacterium,results in multiple peripheral blood cytopenias. We hypothesized that infection with this organism would result in decreased bone marrow (BM) function and shifts in hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and lineage-committed cells in a well-established murine model of infection. HPCs and lineage-committed progenitors were enumerated in the BM and spleen during acute infection. BM cytokine production and BM CXCL12 expression were determined. Infection resulted in peripheral blood bicytopenia,marked decreases in the number of lineage-committed HPCs in the BM along with concurrent increases in the number of lineage-committed HPCs in the spleen,and a mixed,predominantly myelosuppressive BM cytokine environment. There was significant downregulation of CXCL12 in BM cells that may have been partially responsible for changes in HPC trafficking observed. Changes occurred in the absence of direct pathogen infection of BM cells. Hematopoietic lineage assessment demonstrated that there was loss of erythrocytes and B lymphocytes from the BM along with increased granulopoiesis. These changes were accompanied by splenomegaly due to lymphoid hyperplasia and increased hematopoiesis,most notably erythropoiesis. These changes largely mimic well-described inflammation and endotoxin-mediated effects on the BM and spleen; however,the numbers of peripheral blood neutrophils appear to be independently modulated as granulocytic hyperplasia does not result in neutrophilia. Our findings highlight a well-conserved series of events that we demonstrate can be instigated by an LPS-negative pathogen in the absence of an endotoxin-mediated acute proinflammatory response. View Publication