Short-term ex vivo expansion sustains the homing-related properties of umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.
OBJECTIVE
The homing of stem cells to the bone marrow microenvironment following transplantation is a specific movement eventually leading to the stem cells lodging in specialized niches of hematopoiesis. The present study was designed to develop an ex vivo expansion system capable of preserving the homing potential of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC).


METHODS
Umbilical cord blood (UCB) CD34+ cells were expanded in QBSF-60 serum-free medium with a simple early-acting combination of cytokines and were re-selected from the expanded products at different time points. The homing-related characteristics and expansion rate of CD34+ cells were simultaneously examined.


RESULTS
It was observed that the number of HSPC increased significantly under our expansion protocol. The expression of CD49d, CD44, CD11a and CD49e on expanded CD34+ cells increased or remained at the same levels as those on freshly isolated CD34+ UCB cells, while the expression of CD54 on expanded CD34+ cells was lower during the second week of culture than at the start. The spontaneous and SDF-1-induced adhesion of CD34+ cells was increased during the first 10 days of culture, with the adhesion rates reaching peak levels (62.8 12.8% and 90.5 11.7% for spontaneous and induced adhesion, respectively) on day 10. Neither spontaneous nor SDF-1-induced migration had changed significantly by day 7.


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that, although ex vivo expansion may alter cell properties, our one-week expansion protocol can preserve most of the homing-related characteristics and activities of UCB HSPC.
Zhai
Qiong Li
QL
State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Research Center of Stem Cell Engineering and Technology, Institute of Hematology & Hospital of Blood Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union of Medical College, Tianjin.
Qiu
Lu Gui
LG
Li
Qian
Q
Meng
Heng Xing
HX
Han
Jun Ling
JL
Herzig
Roger H
RH
Han
Zhong Chao
ZC
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D003470:Culture Media; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D003470:Culture Media; D005353:Fibronectins