title: Development and functional characterization of human bone marrow mesenchymal cells immortalized by enforced expression of telomerase.
abstract: To create immortal mesenchymal cell lines, we transduced primary human bone marrow mesenchymal cells with telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). TERT+ mesenchymal cells continued to grow for > 2 years; parallel TERT- cultures underwent senescence after 15 weeks. TERT+ mesenchymal cells did not form foci in soft agar, had a normal karyotype and could differentiate into osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Their capacity to support leukaemic lymphoblasts and normal CD34+ haematopoietic cells was equal to or greater than that of primary cells; 42 TERT+ mesenchymal cell clones varied in their supporting capacity. Immortalized mesenchymal cells offer a promising tool for identifying molecules that regulate human haematopoiesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Oncology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105-2794, USA.
authors.forename: Keichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mihara
authors.forename: Chihaya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coustan-Smith
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dome
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dominici
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vanin
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase; C509187:Tert protein, mouse