Recombinant alpha-interferon inhibits colony formation of bone marrow fibroblast progenitor cells (CFU-F)

Transcriptional profiling of putative human epithelial stem cells

Background

Human interfollicular epidermis is sustained by the proliferation of stem cells and their progeny, transient amplifying cells. Molecular characterization of these two cell populations is essential for better understanding of self renewal, differentiation and mechanisms of skin pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to obtain gene expression profiles of alpha 6⁺/MHCI⁺, transient amplifying cells and alpha 6⁺/MHCI^-, putative stem cells, and to compare them with existing data bases of gene expression profiles of hair follicle stem cells. The expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I, previously shown to be absent in stem cells in several tissues, and alpha 6 integrin were used to isolate MHCI positive basal cells, and MHCI low/negative basal cells.

Results

Transcriptional profiles of the two cell populations were determined and comparisons made with published data for hair follicle stem cell gene expression profiles. We demonstrate that presumptive interfollicular stem cells, alpha 6⁺/MHCI^- cells, are enriched in messenger RNAs encoding surface receptors, cell adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix proteins, transcripts encoding members of IFN-alpha family proteins and components of IFN signaling, but contain lower levels of transcripts encoding proteins which take part in energy metabolism, cell cycle, ribosome biosynthesis, splicing, protein translation, degradation, DNA replication, repair, and chromosome remodeling. Furthermore, our data indicate that the cell signaling pathways Notch1 and NF-κB are downregulated/inhibited in MHC negative basal cells.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that alpha 6⁺/MHCI^- cells have additional characteristics attributed to stem cells. Moreover, the transcription profile of alpha 6⁺/MHCI^- cells shows similarities to transcription profiles of mouse hair follicle bulge cells known to be enriched for stem cells. Collectively, our data suggests that alpha 6⁺/MHCI^- cells may be enriched for stem cells. This study is the first comprehensive gene expression profile of putative human epithelial stem cells and their progeny that were isolated directly from neonatal foreskin tissue. Our study is important for understanding self renewal and differentiation of epidermal stem cells, and for elucidating signaling pathways involved in those processes. The generated data base may serve those working with other human epithelial tissue progenitors.

Interferon-α directly represses megakaryopoiesis by inhibiting thrombopoietin-induced signaling through induction of SOCS-1

Interferon (IFN)-α has proven useful for treating several clinical conditions, including chronic viral hepatitis and chronic myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disorders. In addition to its well-known antiviral effects, the cytokine exerts antiproliferative effects on many cell types, helping to explain its therapeutic usefulness in these latter conditions. However, this same property accounts for several undesirable effects, including thrombocytopenia, which can interfere with the successful clinical application of IFN-α. Unfortunately, the mechanisms responsible for the myelosuppressive effects of the cytokine are incompletely understood. The effects of IFN-α on megakaryocyte (MK) development were studied. Using several marrow cell purification techniques and quantitative culture methods, it was found that IFN-α directly inhibits thrombopoietin (TPO)-induced MK growth. Previous studies indicated that Janus kinase (JAK) and its substrates mediate the effects of TPO on cellular proliferation and survival. It was found that IFN-α directly suppresses TPO-induced phosphorylation of the JAK2 substrates c-Mpl and STAT 5 in a TPO-dependent hematopoietic cell line and of Mpl and STAT3 in primary murine MK. Moreover, IFN-α induces SOCS-1 production in these cells, which has been shown to inhibit TPO-induced cell growth. Because SOCS protein expression is induced by many cytokines and has been reported to extinguish signaling from several hematopoietic cytokine receptors, these results identify a molecular mechanism responsible for cytokine receptor cross-talk.

Interferon-α directly represses megakaryopoiesis by inhibiting thrombopoietin-induced signaling through induction of SOCS-1

Interferon (IFN)-α has proven useful for treating several clinical conditions, including chronic viral hepatitis and chronic myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disorders. In addition to its well-known antiviral effects, the cytokine exerts antiproliferative effects on many cell types, helping to explain its therapeutic usefulness in these latter conditions. However, this same property accounts for several undesirable effects, including thrombocytopenia, which can interfere with the successful clinical application of IFN-α. Unfortunately, the mechanisms responsible for the myelosuppressive effects of the cytokine are incompletely understood. The effects of IFN-α on megakaryocyte (MK) development were studied. Using several marrow cell purification techniques and quantitative culture methods, it was found that IFN-α directly inhibits thrombopoietin (TPO)-induced MK growth. Previous studies indicated that Janus kinase (JAK) and its substrates mediate the effects of TPO on cellular proliferation and survival. It was found that IFN-α directly suppresses TPO-induced phosphorylation of the JAK2 substrates c-Mpl and STAT 5 in a TPO-dependent hematopoietic cell line and of Mpl and STAT3 in primary murine MK. Moreover, IFN-α induces SOCS-1 production in these cells, which has been shown to inhibit TPO-induced cell growth. Because SOCS protein expression is induced by many cytokines and has been reported to extinguish signaling from several hematopoietic cytokine receptors, these results identify a molecular mechanism responsible for cytokine receptor cross-talk.

Establishment and characterization of conditionally immortalized stromal cell lines from a temperature-sensitive T-Ag transgenic mouse

We established bone marrow stromal cell lines from a transgenic mouse that harbors a temperature-sensitive mutant of the simian virus 40-derived large T-antigen under the control of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I promotor. These cell lines were screened for their ability to induce the formation of osteoclasts in a spleen cell/stromal cell coculture system. By means of this screen, five clones, referred to as marine bone marrow stromal clone 1 (mBMS-B1) mBMS-B2, mBMS-B14, mBMS-B18, and mBMS-B21, were selected for detailed characterization. Cell growth depends on culture conditions, i.e., cells grow at 33 degrees C in the presence of murine interferon-gamma, whereas cell proliferation ceases at 39 degrees C. The phenotype of the cells is also correlated with the culture conditions because the osteoclast inductive capacity is only seen at 39 degrees C, indicating that the cells undergo differentiation when the transforming agent is inactivated. These conditionally immortalized stromal cells can be induced to express a variety of markers that are typical for mature osteoblasts, e.g., alkaline phosphatase activity and expression of functional parathyroid hormone receptor after stimulation with soluble osteogenic protein 1 (sOP-1). mRNA analysis revealed the expression and regulation of osteopontin, osteonectin, and collagen alpha 1(I) as well as the inducibility of osteocalcin upon treatment with sOP-1. The cells have the potential to form mineralized nodules in supplemented medium. We observed expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, which is stimulated upon treatment of the cells with 1 alpha,25-dihydrocholecalciferol after 4 days, indicating the presence of the receptor for this steroid. These cell lines represent a model to study mechanisms and factors involved in osteoblast differentiation.

Immunostimulatory DNA sequences necessary for effective intradermal gene immunization

Vaccination with naked DNA elicits cellular and humoral immune responses that have a T helper cell type 1 bias. However, plasmid vectors expressing large amounts of gene product do not necessarily induce immune responses to the encoded antigens. Instead, the immunogenicity of plasmid DNA (pDNA) requires short immunostimulatory DNA sequences (ISS) that contain a CpG dinucleotide in a particular base context. Human monocytes transfected with pDNA or double-stranded oligonucleotides containing the ISS, but not those transfected with ISS-deficient pDNA or oligonucleotides, transcribed large amounts of interferon-alpha, interferon-beta, and interleukin-12. Although ISS are necessary for gene vaccination, they down-regulate gene expression and thus may interfere with gene replacement therapy by inducing proinflammatory cytokines.

The biology and application of human bone marrow stromal cell precursors

The importance of the stromal tissue of the bone marrow in regulating hemopoiesis is well documented. However, several features of marrow stromal cell biology remain poorly understood, in particular, the ontogeny and phylogeny of the various stromal elements that comprise the microenvironment of the bone marrow. In this article we review recent data concerning the immunophenotype and functional characteristics of precursor cells for marrow stromal tissue. The study of these stromal precursor cells (SPC) represents an exciting new field of research that will almost certainly expand in the future as we gain a greater understanding of the cellular and molecular events, environmental cues, and growth factors that physiologically regulate the commitment and subsequent development of SPC. Although the field of marrow SPC biology is in its infancy, we predict that future studies will result in several novel clinical applications for SPC. We, therefore, conclude this article by speculating on a number of these potential applications and, thus, view SPC and their progeny as likely vehicles for several novel and important cellular therapies, including gene therapy.