Extrathymic T cell differentiation in vitro from human CD34+ stem cells

Although it is well established that T cells are derived from CD34+ stem cells in vivo, and that T cells can develop in the absence of a functioning thymus, it has not proven possible thus far to generate human T cells in vitro from CD34+ cells in the absence of any thymic influence. We now present a limiting dilution cloning culture system that supports the differentiation of highly purified human CD34+ cells to CD3+ T cells in vitro in the complete absence of any thymic components. The culture system features the use of a serum-free medium supplemented with a cocktail of cytokines including flt-3 ligand, interleukin-3 (IL-3), stem cell factor (SCF), and IL-2. CD4+ T cell clones capable of mitogen-stimulated proliferation and response to IL-2, and expressing a varied TCR-Vbeta repertoire were obtained under these conditions. This culture system therefore supports human T lymphopoiesis in the absence of any thymic influence and may prove useful for the evaluation of extrathymic T cell differentiation in vitro.