In vitro and in vivo studies of stromal niches

Lymphohematopoiesis occurs in the densely packed environment of the intramedullary spaces. Primitive lymphohematopoietic stem cells exist in close apposition to a variety of supportive cells including both hemopoietic and nonhemopoietic lineages. Using an in vitro long-term Dexter liquid culture system, we have established that a variety of cytokines are produced constitutively by such stromal cells in culture. These cytokines include Steel factor, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1). Granulocyte-CSF and granulocyte-macrophage-CSF mRNA can be detected after refeeding of cultures, although in quiescent cultures message for these factors is difficult to detect. Interleukin-3, IL-4, and IL-5 are not detectable by standard Northern blot analysis or bioassay of condition media. However, IL-3--detectable by reverse-transcriptase PCR and biologic activity--was confirmed by growth of factor-dependent cells on stromal cells with IL-3 antibody blocking of such growth. Stem cells resident on such stromal cells are mirrored by the high proliferative potential colony-forming cell assay and are responsive to a relatively large number of cytokines, with Steel factor being of central importance, appearing to be a critical component of various synergistic combinations. Steel factor allows reduced levels of other factors in such combinations and works early in a temporal sequence. Hematopoietic stem cells can engraft in normal nonmyeloablated hosts. Using a male/female BALB/c transplantation model, we have shown high rates of engraftment into normal animals, out after marrow infusion to 25 months, after marrow infusion and that post-5-fluorouracil bone marrow is quite deficient in such engraftment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)