Tunica interna endothelial cell kinase expression and hematopoietic and angiogenic potentials in cord blood CD34+ cells.
Tunica interna endothelial cell kinase (TEK) is expressed in both hematopoietic and endothelial cells and plays a crucial role in hematopoiesis and angiogenesis in mouse development. In humans, however, little is known about the hematopoietic and angiogenic potentials of TEK-expressing cells in umbilical cord blood (CB) cells, which originate during the human fetal period. We therefore compared the hematopoietic and angiogenic abilities of CB CD34+TEK+ and CD34+TEK- cells by using a clonogenic assay and xenotransplantation into immunodeficient NOD/SCID mice. The results showed that colony-forming cells and cells capable of repopulating in NOD/SCID mice were present in both CD34+TEK+ and CD34+TEK- cells and that the hematopoietic activities of the cell types were similar. In contrast, the potential to differentiate into endothelial cells in vivo was greater in the CD34+TEK+ cells. All NOD/SCID mice engrafted with CD34+TEK+ cells had human CD31-expressing and VE-cadherin-expressing endothelial cells in the vessels of the ischemic muscles and/ or human endothelial cells expressing CD31, kinase-insert domain-containing receptor, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in liver sinusoidal cells, whereas such endothelial cells were detected in only 3 of the 7 recipients engrafted with CD34+TEK- cells. This result has important implications in cell therapy using CB cells for treating hematopoietic disorders and vascular diseases.
Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Medical Research Center, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Mika
M
Wada
Yasuhiro
Y
Ebihara
Feng
F
Ma
Hiroshi
H
Yagasaki
Mamoru
M
Ito
Tsuneo
T
Takahashi
Hideo
H
Mugishima
Shigeru
S
Takahashi
Kohichiro
K
Tsuji
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D005312:Fetal Blood; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D000099152:Cadherin 5
D015703:Antigens, CD; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015820:Cadherins; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2; D000099152:Cadherin 5