Fusion of circulating blood cells with solid-organ tissue cells in clinical stem cell transplants: a potential therapeutic model?
OBJECTIVE
In female patients who have undergone sex-mismatched peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, solid-organ tissue cells have been identified that carry the Y-chromosome. How genetic material from circulating cells is acquired by solid-organ tissue cells is debated. The purpose of this study was to provide clinical evidence for cell fusion between circulating cells and solid-organ tissue cells.


METHODS
The clinical model was a male-into-female blood stem cell transplantation setting using the Y-chromosome as a blood-derived cell marker and the patient's BCR/ABL fusion gene. Endometrial cells were chosen as the target cells because of their uniquely female genotype.


RESULTS
The Y-chromosome and the BCR/ABL fusion gene were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization and were colocalized with estrogen receptor-staining endometrial cells. Both donor-derived Y-chromosome and patient-derived fusion gene were identified in the same endometrial cells, thereby indicating cell fusion as the mechanism for genetic material transfer in a clinical setting.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings contribute to our understanding of how blood-derived cells interact with solid-organ tissue cells.
Körbling
Martin
M
University of Texas, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Unit 423, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, USA. mkorblin@mdanderson.org
de Lima
Marcos J
MJ
Thomas
Elizabeth
E
Khanna
Abha
A
Najjar
Amer M
AM
Gu
Jun
J
Gelovani
Juri G
JG
Broaddus
Russell
R
D000328:Adult; D002459:Cell Fusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008954:Models, Biological; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation