Correction of factor IX deficiency in mice by embryonic stem cells differentiated in vitro.
Murine embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent, but significant functional engraftment does not occur when they are introduced into the liver. However, here we demonstrate that functional liver engraftment does occur if the ES cells (from strain 129 mice) are first differentiated in vitro for 7 days in the presence of FGF. Strikingly, when these differentiated cells, termed putative endodermal precursors (PEPs), were injected into their livers, two of six C57BL/6 and four of eight BALB/c factor IX (F-IX)-deficient mice survived for >7 days, even though the recipients were of a different strain and, in the case of the BALB/c recipients, had a complete MHC mismatch. F-IX was detected in all six of the PEP-injected survivors. Two mice subsequently died of causes unrelated to F-IX; the others survived until death at 38 or 115 days after the transplantation. No uninjected control F-IX-deficient mice survived for >7 days. Large confluent regions of sinusoidal PEP engraftment were demonstrated by immunofluorescence in the long-term BALB/c survivors. The PEP engraftment was not associated with detectable cell fusion, and the transplantation was accompanied with only a low incidence of teratoma formation.
Fair
Jeffrey H
JH
Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. jhfair@med.unc.edu
Cairns
Bruce A
BA
Lapaglia
Michael A
MA
Caballero
Montserrat
M
Pleasant
W Andrew
WA
Hatada
Seigo
S
Kim
Hyung-Suk
HS
Gui
Tong
T
Pevny
Larysa
L
Meyer
Anthony A
AA
Stafford
Darrel W
DW
Smithies
Oliver
O
Frelinger
Jeffrey A
JA
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002459:Cell Fusion; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D002836:Hemophilia B / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013724:Teratoma / Q000453:epidemiology