Transmigration of human CD34+ cells

A strategy for enhancing the engraftment of human hematopoietic stem cells in NOD/SCID mice

To overcome the limitations of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), we conducted a study to identify a strategy for enhancing hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) engraftment during HSCT. Co-transplantation experiments with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from adult human tissues including bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue (AT), and umbilical cord blood (CB) were conducted. We showed that AT-MSCs and CB-MSCs enhanced the engraftment of HSCs as effectively as BM-MSCs in NOD/SCID mice, suggesting that AT-MSCs and CB-MSCs can be used as alternative stem cell sources for enhancing the engraftment and homing of HSCs. CB-MSCs derived from different donors showed different degrees of efficacy in enhancing the engraftment of HSCs. The most effective CB-MSCs showed higher proliferation rates and secreted more MCP-1, RANTES, EGF, and VEGF. Our results suggest that AT-MSCs and CB-MSCs could be alternative stem cell sources for co-transplantation in HSCT. Furthermore, in terms of MSCs' heterogeneity, characteristics of each population of MSCs are considerable factors for selecting MSCs suitable for co-transplantation with HSC.

A phase 1/2 study of chemosensitization with the CXCR4 antagonist plerixafor in relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia

The interaction of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts with the leukemic microenvironment is postulated to be an important mediator of resistance to chemotherapy and disease relapse. We hypothesized that inhibition of the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis by the small molecule inhibitor, plerixafor, would disrupt the interaction of leukemic blasts with the environment and increase the sensitivity of AML blasts to chemotherapy. In this phase 1/2 study, 52 patients with relapsed or refractory AML were treated with plerixafor in combination with mitoxantrone, etoposide, and cytarabine. In phase 1, plerixafor was escalated to a maximum of 0.24 mg/kg/d without any dose-limiting toxicities. In phase 2, 46 patients were treated with plerixafor 0.24 mg/kg/d in combination with chemotherapy with an overall complete remission and complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery rate (CR + CRi) of 46%. Correlative studies demonstrated a 2-fold mobilization in leukemic blasts into the peripheral circulation. No evidence of symptomatic hyperleukocytosis or delayed count recovery was observed with the addition of plerixafor. We conclude that the addition of plerixafor to cytotoxic chemotherapy is feasible in AML, and results in encouraging rates of remission with correlative studies demonstrating in vivo evidence of disruption of the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis.

Correlation between chemokines released from umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells and engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice

Umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) enhance the engraftment of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) when they are cotransplanted in animal and human studies. However, the type of MSCs that preferentially facilitate the engraftment and homing of HSCs is largely unknown. The authors categorized UCB-MSCs as the least-effective MSCs (A) or most-effective MSCs (B) at enhancing the engraftment of HSCs, and compared the gene expression profiles of various cytokines and growth factors in the UCB-MSC populations. The most-effective UCB-MSCs (B) secreted higher levels of several factors, including chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12), regulated upon activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES), epithelial growth factor (EGF), and stem cell factor (SCF), which are required for the engraftment and homing of HSCs. By contrast, levels of growth-related oncogene (GRO), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1), and interleukin-8 (IL-8), which are associated with immune inflammation, were secreted at higher levels in UCB-MSCs (A). In addition, there were no differences between the transcripts of the 2 UCB-MSC populations after interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) stimulation, except for cyclooxygenase (COX)-1. Based on these findings, the authors propose that these chemokines may be useful for modulating these cells in a clinical setting and potentially for enhancing the effectiveness of the engraftment and homing of HSCs.

ETV5 regulates sertoli cell chemokines involved in mouse stem/progenitor spermatogonia maintenance

Spermatogonial stem cells are the only stem cells in the body that transmit genetic information to offspring. Although growth factors responsible for self-renewal of these cells are known, the factors and mechanisms that attract and physically maintain these cells within their microenvironment are poorly understood. Mice with targeted disruption of Ets variant gene 5 (Etv5) show total loss of stem/progenitor spermatogonia following the first wave of spermatogenesis, resulting in a Sertoli cell-only phenotype and aspermia. Microarray analysis of primary Sertoli cells from Etv5 knockout (Etv5(-/-)) versus wild-type (WT) mice revealed significant decreases in expression of several chemokines. Chemotaxis assays demonstrated that migration of stem/progenitor spermatogonia toward Etv5(-/-) Sertoli cells was significantly decreased compared to migration toward WT Sertoli cells. Interestingly, differentiating spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round spermatids were not chemoattracted by WT Sertoli cells, whereas stem/progenitor spermatogonia showed a high and significant chemotactic index. Rescue assays using recombinant chemokines indicated that C-C-motif ligand 9 (CCL9) facilitates Sertoli cell chemoattraction of stem/progenitor spermatogonia, which express C-C-receptor type 1 (CCR1). In addition, there is protein-DNA interaction between ETV5 and Ccl9, suggesting that ETV5 might be a direct regulator of Ccl9 expression. Taken together, our data show for the first time that Sertoli cells are chemoattractive for stem/progenitor spermatogonia, and that production of specific chemokines is regulated by ETV5. Therefore, changes in chemokine production and consequent decreases in chemoattraction by Etv5(-/-) Sertoli cells helps to explain stem/progenitor spermatogonia loss in Etv5(-/-) mice.

Endocannabinoids are expressed in bone marrow stromal niches and play a role in interactions of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with the bone marrow microenvironment

Endocannabinoids are lipid signaling molecules that act via G-coupled receptors, CB(1) and CB(2). The endocannabinoid system is capable of activation of distinct signaling pathways on demand in response to pathogenic events or stimuli, hereby enhancing cell survival and promoting tissue repair. However, the role of endocannabinoids in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and their interaction with hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) niches is not known. HSPCs are maintained in the quiescent state in bone marrow (BM) niches by intrinsic and extrinsic signaling. We report that HSPCs express the CB(1) receptors and that BM stromal cells secrete endocannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) (35 pg/10(7) cells), and 2-AG (75.2 ng/10(7) cells). In response to the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), elevated levels of AEA (75.6 pg/10(7) cells) and 2-AG (98.8 ng/10(7) cells) were secreted from BM stromal cells, resulting in migration and trafficking of HSPCs from the BM niches to the peripheral blood. Furthermore, administration of exogenous cannabinoid CB(1) agonists in vivo induced chemotaxis, migration, and mobilization of human and murine HSPCs. Cannabinoid receptor knock-out mice Cnr1(-/-) showed a decrease in side population (SP) cells, whereas fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)(-/-) mice, which have elevated levels of AEA, yielded increased colony formation as compared with WT mice. In addition, G-CSF-induced mobilization in vivo was modulated by endocannabinoids and was inhibited by specific cannabinoid antagonists as well as impaired in cannabinoid receptor knock-out mice Cnr1(-/-), as compared with WT mice. Thus, we propose a novel function of the endocannabinoid system, as a regulator of HSPC interactions with their BM niches, where endocannabinoids are expressed in HSC niches and under stress conditions, endocannabinoid expression levels are enhanced to induce HSPC migration for proper hematopoiesis.