Stimulation of mouse bone marrow cells with kit ligand, FLT3 ligand, and thrombopoietin leads to efficient retrovirus-mediated gene transfer to stem cells, whereas interleukin 3 and interleukin 11 reduce transduction of short- and long-term repopulating cells.
The effects of cytokine stimulation during retroviral transduction on in vivo reconstitution of mouse hematopoietic stem cells was tested in a murine competitive repopulation assay with alpha-thalassemia as a marker to distinguish donor and recipient red blood cells (RBCs) and the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) as a marker for gene transfer. After transplantation, EGFP was detected in up to 90% of circulating RBCs, platelets, and leukocytes, and in primitive progenitors in bone marrow (BM), spleen, and thymus of individual transplanted mice for observation periods of more than 6 months. Large quantitative differences in reconstitution were observed after transplantation with graded numbers (1000-30, 000) of EGFP(+) cells preconditioned with various combinations of Kit ligand (KL), FLT-3 ligand (FL), thrombopoietin (TPO), interleukin 3 (IL-3), and IL-11. Relative to nonmanipulated BM cells, repopulation of EGFP(+) cells was maintained by KL/FL/TPO stimulation, but approximately 30-fold reduced after KL/FL/TPO/IL-3, or KL/FL/IL-3/IL-11. These differences were not caused by changes in the ability of immature hematopoietic cells to home to the BM, which was only moderately reduced. In conclusion, these quantitative transplantation studies of mice demonstrate the importance of optimal ex vivo cytokine stimulation for gene transfer to stem cells with retention of their in vivo hematopoietic potential, and also emphasize that overall in vitro transduction frequency does not predict gene transfer to repopulating stem cells.
Wognum
A W
AW
Institute of Hematology, Erasmus Universiteit, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. bert@stemcell.com
Visser
T P
TP
Peters
K
K
Bierhuizen
M F
MF
Wagemaker
G
G
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D002469:Cell Separation; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D017370:Interleukin-11 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008027:Light; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D017085:alpha-Thalassemia / Q000235:genetics
D017370:Interleukin-11; D007377:Interleukin-3; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; C084881:flt3 ligand protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D013926:Thrombopoietin