Homing Of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Research Articles

The ACE2 Receptor for COVID-19 Entry Is Expressed on the Surface of Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells and Endothelial Progenitors As Well As Their Precursor Cells and Becomes Activated in Nlrp3 Inflammasome-Dependent Manner By Virus Spike Protein - a Potential Pathway Leading to a “Cytokine Storm”

Background. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, with its high mortality, has become an urgent clinical problem. It is well established that SARS-CoV-2 enters human cells after binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and utilizes a spike protein (S) for attachment and entry into the cells, leading to their lysis or damage. This infection damages several organs, including lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and intestines and may lead to a fatal complication known as a “cytokine storm”, which is the result of uncontrolled hyperactivation of the innate immunity-initiated response and the release of several pro-inflammatory cytokines. An important potential aspect of SARS-CoV-2 infection is damage to the stem cell compartment, which may lead to severe complications from the infection. The ACE2 receptor has been described as being expressed on the surfaces of certain types of stem cells, including specified hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). These cells could be potentially damaged and lysed after virus entry or could undergo pyroptosis due to hyperactivation of Nlrp3 inflammasomes. Supporting this possibility, we recently reported that all Nlrp3 inflammasome components are expressed in HSCs (Adamiak, M et al. Nlrp3 Inflammasome Signaling Regulates the Homing and Engraftment of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSPCs) by Enhancing Incorporation of CXCR4 Receptor into Membrane Lipid Rafts. Stem Cell Rev and Rep (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-020-10005-w). Hypothesis. We hypothesized that one of the triggers of a cytokine storm could be interaction of the ACE2 receptor with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, leading to hyperactivation of Nlrp3 inflammsomes in target cells including population of stem cells.Materials and Methods. Experiments were performed on human stem cells at different levels of specification, including very small CD34+CD133+lin-CD45- cells, which may become specified into HSCs and EPCs, as well as human CD34+Lin-CD45+ HSCs and CD34+ CD133+ KDR+ CD31+ EPCs. These cells were phenotyped for expression of ACE2 and the SARS-CoV-2 entry-facilitating transmembrane protease TMPRSS2 at the mRNA level and by FACS at the protein level. Next, we exposed these cells to the NCP-CoV (2019-nCoV) spike protein (S1+S2 ECD, expressed with a His-tag; Sino Biological) at a concentration of 10 nM. After 16 h of incubation, the cells were lysed, and total RNA was isolated for qRT-PCR analysis of Nlrp3 and essential Nlrp3 inflammasome components, including ASC, caspase 1, IL1b, and IL18. In some experiments, UCB-derived HSCs were plated into 96-well plates and stimulated with NCP-CoV (2019-nCoV) spike protein, as described above, alone or together with angiotensin 1-7 or the anti-inflammatory heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) activator CoPP. Results. First, we observed that the ACE2 receptor and SARS-CoV-2 entry-facilitating transmembrane protease TMPRSS2 are expressed by all types of stem cells evaluated in our studies. Moreover, we detected activation of Nlrp3 inflammasomes in response to viral spike protein. This activation was inhibited by exposure of the stimulated cells to angiotensin 1-7 or CoPP. Conclusions. We envision that, in addition to directly infecting target cells, virus can hyperactivate the Nlrp3 inflammasome in stem cells, which may trigger their pyroptosis. Therefore, since we still do not have an effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in hand, the results presented in our current work suggest that inhibition of the Nlrp3 inflammasome by the small-molecule inhibitor MCC950 or application of Nlrp3 inflammasome inhibitors, such as Ang (1-7) or heme oxygenase 1 activators, could find potential clinical application to prevent the onset of a cytokine storm and cell pyroptosis.DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

A Novel View of the Role of Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in Facilitating Engraftment of HSPCs By Activating the NOX2-ROS-Nlrp3 Inflammasome Axis to Incorporate the CXCR4 Receptor into Membrane Lipid Rafts

Background . It is known that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) increases the homing and engraftment of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, aside from its role in upregulation of CXCR4 receptor expression on the surface of these cells, the exact mechanism has not been proposed. We have demonstrated in the past that an important step enabling the migration of HSPCs is the incorporation of CXCR4 into membrane lipid rafts on the leading surface (leading edge, in two dimensions) of migrating cells, which facilitates its interaction with cell migration signaling pathways (Wysoczynski M et al. Incorporation of CXCR4 into membrane lipid rafts primes homing-related responses of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells to an SDF-1 gradient. Blood. 2005;105(1):40-48). Recently, we reported that Nlrp3 inflammasome-deficient HSPCs show a defect in lipid raft formation that results in defective migration of these cells in response to an SDF-1 gradient and their defective homing and engraftment after transplantation (Adamiak, M et al. Nlrp3 Inflammasome Signaling Regulates the Homing and Engraftment of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSPCs) by Enhancing Incorporation of CXCR4 Receptor into Membrane Lipid Rafts. Stem Cell Rev and Rep (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-020-10005-w). An important activator of Nlrp3 inflammasomes is reactive oxygen species (ROS). Importantly, the enzyme that generates ROS, known as NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2), is also associated with cell membrane lipid rafts. Hypothesis. Given the known roles of PGE2, membrane lipid rafts, and the Nlrp3 inflammasome in migration, homing, and engraftment of HSPCs, we hypothesized that PGE2 signaling promotes Nlrp3 inflammasome activation in a Nox2-ROS-dependent manner that results in incorporation of CXCR4 into membrane lipid rafts, which better explains the role of PGE2 in these phenomena.Materials and Methods. To test this hypothesis, murine SKL and human CD34+ cells enriched for HSPCs were stimulated with PGE2 to evaluate activation of genes of the Nlrp3 inflammasome complex at the mRNA and protein levels. Next, HSPCs from Nox2-KO mice were tested for membrane lipid raft formation in functional chemotaxis assays in response to SDF-1 gradients under conditions promoting membrane lipid raft formation. Formation of membrane lipid rafts in Nox2-KO cells was also evaluated by confocal analysis in the presence or absence of PGE2. Finally, the effect of the PGE2-Nox2-Nlrp3 inflammasome axis on the formation of membrane lipid rafts was evaluated in the presence of the ROS scavenger N-acethyl-cysteine (NAC). Results. We provide for the first time evidence that PGE2 activates Nlrp3 inflammasomes in HSPCs in a Nox2-ROS-dependent manner. This Nlrp3 inflammasome activation increases at the leading surface of migrating HSPCs with incorporation of the CXCR4 receptor into membrane lipid rafts. Formation of membrane lipid rafts was absent in Nox2-KO and Nlrp3-KO mouse HSPCs and in normal wild type cells after their exposure to NAC. Moreover, we also observed that Nox2-KO and Nlrp3-KO mice had a lower basal level of CXCR4 expression. Conclusions. Our results for the first time explain the role of PGE2 in promoting homing and migration of HSPCs, which occurs in response to PGE2 by activation of the Nox2-ROS-Nlrp3 inflammasome axis and thereby promotes incorporation of the CXCR4 receptor into membrane lipid rafts. Moreover, basal expression of the CXCR4 receptor was at a low level on the surface of HSPCs from Nlrp3-KO mice. Thus, our results provide evidence for the importance of the Nox2-ROS-Nlrp3 inflammasome axis in PGE2-mediated homing and engraftment of HSPCs and the role of PGE2-mediated lipid raft formation for optimal responsiveness of CXCR4 to SDF-1 in the BM microenvironment. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Bone Marrow Stromal Antigen 2 Is Critical for IFNy-Dependent Hematopoietic Stem Cell Activation

Bone marrow failure is a significant complication of many chronic infections, which affect a third of the world's population. The inflammatory cytokine interferon-gamma (IFNy) contributes to bone marrow failure syndromes by activating hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and impairing their self-renewal. IFNy upregulation during many chronic infections such as tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis B directly depletes hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The mechanisms by which IFNy drives the loss of quiescence and ultimate exhaustion of HSCs remain poorly understood, but may be related to changes in the interaction between HSCs and the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment, or BM niche. Current evidence suggests that quiescent HSCs reside predominantly in the vascular niche, where the production of stem cell factor (SCF) from endothelial cells and CXCL12 from perivascular CXCL12 abundant reticular (CAR) stromal cells are critical for maintaining their quiescence. The goal of our work was to determine whether IFNy signaling alters HSC interactions within the niche. We performed transcriptomic analysis of IFNy-stimulated HSCs and focused on changes in cell-surface expressed genes that may influence HSC-niche interactions. Our analysis revealed Bone Marrow Stromal Antigen 2 (BST2) as the only surface protein upregulated on HSCs upon 24-hour IFNy stimulation. To study the effects of BST2 on HSC-niche interactions, we performed intravital imaging using two reporter mouse models: CXCL12-GFP reporter mice in which CAR cells are labeled with GFP, and CXCL12-GFP Krt18-Cre LSL-tdTomato dual reporter mice in which CAR cells are labelled with GFP and HSCs are labeled with tdTomato. After exogenously labeling and transferring HSCs into CXCL12-GFP mice or endogenously labeling HSCs in the CXCL12-GFP Krt18-Cre LSL-tdTomato mice, we observed that HSCs stimulated with IFNy were significantly distanced from CAR cells compared to pre-treated controls. These findings are consistent with other reports that chemotherapeutic and inflammatory stress disrupts HSC interactions with the niche and promotes HSC migration. Conversely, we observed no change in HSC distancing from CAR cells after IFNy stimulation of IFNy-receptor deficient HSCs, suggesting that the observed HSC displacement was due to a cell autonomous mechanism. These changes were not due to a loss of CXCL12 receptor (CXCR4) expression or disrupted capacity of HSCs to migrate towards CXCL12. Interestingly, Intravital imaging using BST2-deficient HSCs revealed that BST2 KO HSCs do not re-localize from CAR cells during IFNy stimulation. Increased BST2 expression has been linked to the migration, adhesion and metastasis of various cancer cells and we explored whether it could serve a similar role in protein binding in HSCs. Using in vitro plate binding assays, we found that IFNy-treatment promoted increased HSC binding to E-selectin via BST2, as well as increased HSC homing to the bone marrow, a property that is dependent on E-selectin binding. Finally, to determine whether BST2 affects IFNy-dependent HSC activation we performed cell cycle analysis of WT and BST2 KO HSCs. We discovered that the loss of BST2 protects against HSC activation during Mycobacterium avium infection. Furthermore, HSC depletion during chronic infection was mitigated in BST2 KO mice. Our data identifies BST2 as a key protein that influences niche relocalization and activation in response to inflammatory stimulation. This study expands our understanding of factors that contribute to HSC activation and loss of quiescence. These findings could shed light on novel therapeutic interventions for patients who develop pancytopenia or bone marrow failure due to chronic inflammation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Subcutaneous Administration of AMD3100 into Mice Models of Alzheimer's Disease Ameliorated Cognitive Impairment, Reduced Neuroinflammation, and Improved Pathophysiological Markers.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the prevalent dementia in the elderly, involves many related and interdependent pathologies that manifest simultaneously, leading to cognitive impairment and death. Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain triggers the onset of AD, accompanied by neuroinflammatory response and pathological changes. The CXCR4/CXCL12 (SDF1) axis is one of the major signal transduction cascades involved in the inflammation process and regulation of homing of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) within the bone marrow niche. Inhibition of the axis with AMD3100, a reversible antagonist of CXCR4 mobilizes endogenous HSCs from the bone marrow into the periphery, facilitating the recruitment of bone marrow-derived microglia-like cells into the brain, attenuates the neuroinflammation process that involves release of excitotoxic markers such as TNFα, intracellular Ca2+, and glutamate and upregulates monocarboxylate transporter 1, the major L-lactate transporter in the brain. Herein, we investigate if administration of a combination of AMD3100 and L-lactate may have beneficial effects in the treatment of AD. We tested the feasibility of the combined treatment for short- and long-term efficacy for inducing endogenous stem cells' mobilization and attenuation of neuroinflammation in two distinct amyloid-β-induced AD mouse models. The combined treatment did not demonstrate any adverse effects on the mice, and resulted in a significant improvement in cognitive/memory functions, attenuated neuroinflammation, and alleviated AD pathologies compared to each treatment alone. This study showed AMD3100's beneficial effect in ameliorating AD pathogenesis, suggesting an alternative to the multistep procedures of transplantation of stem cells in the treatment of AD.

Altered osteo-angiogenic development of fetal endochondral bones impacts hematopoietic stem cell homing during embryogenesis and B cell production in postnatal life

Altered osteo-angiogenic development of fetal endochondral bones impacts hematopoietic stem cell homing during embryogenesis and B cell production in postnatal life

3142 – GLUCOCORTICOID-INDUCED LEUCINE ZIPPER (GILZ) INTRINSICALLY REGULATES HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL FUNCTION

The maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is linked to their quiescent state, while HSC proliferation is associated with differentiation and a loss of long-term stem cell potential. The balance between HSC quiescence and proliferation is tightly regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic cues in the bone marrow. Endogenous glucocorticoid hormones (GC) regulate HSC homing via control of CXCR4 expression. Glucocorticoid-Induced Leucine Zipper (GILZ) is a gene rapidly induced by GC. It mediates many of GC' anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects in several cell types. We found that GILZ is expressed in HSC and addressed its role in hematopoiesis using GILZ knock-out (KO) mice. At steady state, young GILZ-KO mice did not show alteration in HSC number and lineage commitment compared to WT mice. However, competitive transplantation studies revealed a significant decrease in the frequency and number of GILZ-KO compared to WT HSC, suggesting that GILZ-deficient HSC have competitive disadvantage compared to WT cells. RNAseq analysis of gene expression revealed several deregulated cellular pathways implicated in HSC function in GILZ KO compared to WT HSC. Importantly, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis showed a significant depletion of the HSC signature and an enrichment in the mTOR signalling signature in GILZ deficient HSC. Consistently, GILZ deficient HSC showed enhanced proliferation as revealed by flow cytomery analysis of Ki67 expression and DNA content. Mice transplanted with GILZ deficient cells showed significantly earlier mortality compared to WT cells-transplanted mice in 5-FU treatment experiments, demonstrating a cell-intrinsic role of GILZ in HSC function. Overall, these data identify GILZ is a novel regulator of HSCs function.

Nlrp3 Inflammasome Signaling Regulates the Homing and Engraftment of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSPCs) by Enhancing Incorporation of CXCR4 Receptor\xa0into Membrane Lipid Rafts

Fast and efficient homing and engraftment of hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) is crucial for positive clinical outcomes from transplantation. We found that this process depends on activation of the Nlrp3 inflammasome, both in the HSPCs to be transplanted and in the cells in the recipient bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. For the first time we provide evidence that functional deficiency in the Nlrp3 inflammasome in transplanted cells or in the host microenvironment leads to defective homing and engraftment. At the molecular level, functional deficiency of the Nlrp3 inflammasome in HSPCs leads to their defective migration in response to the major BM homing chemoattractant stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and to other supportive chemoattractants, including sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP). We report that activation of the Nlrp3 inflammasome increases autocrine release of eATP, which promotes incorporation of the CXCR4 receptor into membrane lipid rafts at the leading surface of migrating cells. On the other hand, a lack of Nlrp3 inflammasome expression in BM conditioned for transplantation leads to a decrease in expression of SDF-1 and danger-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs), which are responsible for activation of the complement cascade (ComC), which in turn facilitates the homing and engraftment of HSPCs.

Leukemia Stem Cell Release From the Stem Cell Niche to Treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous, complex, and deadly disease, whose treatment has hardly evolved for decades and grounds on the use of intensive chemotherapy regimens. Chemotherapy helps reduce AML bulk, but promotes relapse in the long-run by selection of chemoresistant leukemia stem cells (LSC). These may diversify and result in progression to more aggressive forms of AML. In vivo models suggest that the bone marrow stem cell niche helps LSC stay dormant and protected from chemotherapy. Here, we summarize relevant changes in stem cell niche homing and adhesion of AML LSC vs. healthy hematopoietic stem cells, and provide an overview of clinical trials aiming at targeting these processes for AML treatment and future directions within this field. Promising results with various non-mutation-targeted novel therapies directed to LSC eradication via interference with their anchoring to the stem cell niche have encouraged on-going or future advanced phase III clinical trials. In the coming years, we may see a shift in the focus of AML treatment to LSC-directed therapies if the prospect of improved cure rates holds true. In the future, AML treatment should lean toward personalized therapies using combinations of these compounds plus mutation-targeted agents and/or targeted delivery of chemotherapy, aiming at LSC eradication with reduced side effects.

Pannexin-1 channel \u201cfuels\u201d by releasing ATP from bone marrow cells a state of sterile inflammation required for optimal mobilization and homing of hematopoietic stem cells

An efficient harvest of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) after pharmacological mobilization from the bone marrow (BM) into peripheral blood (PB) and subsequent proper homing and engraftment of these cells are crucial for clinical outcomes from hematopoietic transplants. Since extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP) plays an important role in both processes as an activator of sterile inflammation in the bone marrow microenvironment, we focused on the role of Pannexin-1 channel in the secretion of ATP to trigger both egress of HSPCs out of BM into PB as well as in reverse process that is their homing to BM niches after transplantation into myeloablated recipient. We employed a specific blocking peptide against Pannexin-1 channel and noticed decreased mobilization efficiency of HSPCs as well as other types of BM-residing stem cells including mesenchymal stroma cells (MSCs), endothelial progenitors (EPCs), and very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs). To explain better a role of Pannexin-1, we report that eATP activated Nlrp3 inflammasome in Gr-1+ and CD11b+ cells enriched for granulocytes and monocytes. This led to release of danger-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) and mitochondrial DNA (miDNA) that activate complement cascade (ComC) required for optimal egress of HSPCs from BM. On the other hand, Pannexin-1 channel blockage in transplant recipient mice leads to a defect in homing and engraftment of HSPCs. Based on this, Pannexin-1 channel as a source of eATP plays an important role in HSPCs trafficking.

FtH-Mediated ROS Dysregulation Promotes CXCL12/CXCR4 Axis Activation and EMT-Like Trans-Differentiation in Erythroleukemia K562 Cells.

The cell-microenvironment communication is essential for homing of hematopoietic stem cells in stromal niches. Recent evidences support the involvement of epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) process in hematopoietic stem cell homeostasis as well as in leukemia cells invasiveness and migration capability. Here, we demonstrate that the alteration of iron homeostasis and the consequent increase of redox metabolism, mediated by the stable knock down of ferritin heavy chain (FtH), enhances the expression of CXCR4 in K562 erythroleukemia cells, thus promoting CXCL12-mediated motility. Indeed, addition of the CXCR4 receptor antagonist AMD3100 reverts this effect. Upon FtH knock down K562 cells also acquire an “EMT-like” phenotype, characterized by the increase of Snail, Slug and Vimentin with the parallel loss of E-cadherin. By using fibronectin as substrate, the cell adhesion assay further shows a reduction of cell adhesion capability in FtH-silenced K562 cells. Accordingly, confocal microscopy shows that adherent K562 control cells display a variety of protrusions while FtH-silenced K562 cells remain roundish. These phenomena are largely due to the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated up-regulation of HIF-1α/CXCR4 axis which, in turn, promotes the activation of NF-κB and the enhancement of EMT features. These data are confirmed by treatments with either N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or AMD3100 or NF-κB inhibitor IκB-alpha which revert the FtH-silenced K562 invasive phenotype. Overall, our findings demonstrate the existence of a direct relationship among iron metabolism, redox homeostasis and EMT in the hematological malignancies. The effects of FtH dysregulation on CXCR4/CXCL12-mediated K562 cell motility extend the meaning of iron homeostasis in the leukemia cell microenvironment.

Significant impact of mesenchymal stromal cell co-transplantation in a challenging hematopoietic engraftment scenario comparing two administration routes

Background & Aim Previous studies have shown that the co-infusion of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) enhances HSC engraftment in animal models and even in human transplants with a high risk of graft failure. These studies suggest that MSCs interact with HSCs and transport them towards the bone marrow. Although in conventional hematopoietic transplants HSCs are infused by the intravenous route (IV), some studies propose the intrabone route (IB) as an effective alternative procedure to improve HSCs homing. However, few studies have been published comparing the effectiveness of both alternatives in co-transplantation of HSCs with MSCs and the results are inconclusive. For that reason, the aim of this study was to go into detail about the comparison of both administration routes in order to enhance the hematopoietic engraftment. Methods, Results & Conclusion We investigated the possible beneficial effect of 500,000 human adipose tissue-derived MSCs improving the engraftment of a very limited number of human cord blood HSCs (4,000 CD34+ HSCs) in a xenogeneic transplant model in NSG mice, comparing both routes of transplant administration: IV and IB. Analyzing the percentage of human CD45+ cells in peripheral blood, bone marrow and spleen, the results revealed that co-transplantation with MSCs improved hematopoietic engraftment in NSG recipients conditioned with a submyeloablative irradiation dose, regardless of the route used for transplantation. In all instances, engrafted cells were also able to differentiate towards the lymphoid and myeloid linages. Furthermore, we showed that, in this model, the most efficient route of transplant administration is the IV route, obtaining higher levels of human hematopoietic engraftment in all the organs analyzed compared to those obtained by the IB route. Finally, we demonstrated that HSCs transplanted by IB route were not retained in the transplantation site and could migrate to the contralateral leg and also to the spleen. This observation could reveal that IB transplantation directly into the bone marrow niche is not preventing the recirculation and the systemic loss of the HSCs that occur when cells are IV transplanted. Taken together, our results demonstrate that IV co-transplantation of MSCs significantly increase the engraftment of very low numbers of HSCs, suggesting that this approach could be relevant in the clinics, particularly in gene therapy clinical trials in which a limited amount of HSCs is available. Previous studies have shown that the co-infusion of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) enhances HSC engraftment in animal models and even in human transplants with a high risk of graft failure. These studies suggest that MSCs interact with HSCs and transport them towards the bone marrow. Although in conventional hematopoietic transplants HSCs are infused by the intravenous route (IV), some studies propose the intrabone route (IB) as an effective alternative procedure to improve HSCs homing. However, few studies have been published comparing the effectiveness of both alternatives in co-transplantation of HSCs with MSCs and the results are inconclusive. For that reason, the aim of this study was to go into detail about the comparison of both administration routes in order to enhance the hematopoietic engraftment. We investigated the possible beneficial effect of 500,000 human adipose tissue-derived MSCs improving the engraftment of a very limited number of human cord blood HSCs (4,000 CD34+ HSCs) in a xenogeneic transplant model in NSG mice, comparing both routes of transplant administration: IV and IB. Analyzing the percentage of human CD45+ cells in peripheral blood, bone marrow and spleen, the results revealed that co-transplantation with MSCs improved hematopoietic engraftment in NSG recipients conditioned with a submyeloablative irradiation dose, regardless of the route used for transplantation. In all instances, engrafted cells were also able to differentiate towards the lymphoid and myeloid linages. Furthermore, we showed that, in this model, the most efficient route of transplant administration is the IV route, obtaining higher levels of human hematopoietic engraftment in all the organs analyzed compared to those obtained by the IB route. Finally, we demonstrated that HSCs transplanted by IB route were not retained in the transplantation site and could migrate to the contralateral leg and also to the spleen. This observation could reveal that IB transplantation directly into the bone marrow niche is not preventing the recirculation and the systemic loss of the HSCs that occur when cells are IV transplanted.

Thrombopoietin enhances hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell homing by impeding matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression.

We reported a novel function of recombinant human thrombopoietin (TPO) in increasing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) homing to the bone marrow (BM). Single doses of TPO treatment to the recipients immediately after BM transplantation showed significantly improved homing of HSPCs to the BM, which subsequently resulted in enhanced short‐ and long‐term engraftment of HSPCs in mice. We found that TPO could downregulate the expression and secretion of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in BM cells. As a result, SDF‐1α level was increased in the BM niche. Blocking the interaction of SDF‐1α and CXCR4 on HSPCs by using AMD3100 could significantly reverse the TPO‐enhanced HSPC homing effect. More importantly, a single dose of TPO remarkably promoted human HSPC homing and subsequent engraftment to the BM of nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency mice. We then performed a clinical trial to evaluate the effect of TPO treatment in patients receiving haploidentical BM and mobilized peripheral blood transplantation. Surprisingly, single doses of TPO treatment to patients followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation significantly improved platelet engraftment in the cohort of patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA). The mean volume of platelet and red blood cell transfusion was remarkably reduced in the cohort of patients with SAA or hematological malignancies receiving TPO treatment. Thus, our data provide a simple, feasible, and efficient approach to improve clinical outcomes in patients with allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The clinical trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry website (http://www.chictr.org.cn) as ChiCTR‐OIN‐1701083.

Restraining Lysosomal Activity Preserves Hematopoietic Stem Cell Quiescence and Potency.

Quiescence is a fundamental property that maintains hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) potency throughout life. Quiescent HSCs are thought to rely on glycolysis for their energy, but the overall metabolic properties of HSCs remain elusive. Using combined approaches, including single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we show that mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) distinguishes quiescent from cycling-primed HSCs. We found that primed, but not quiescent, HSCs relied readily on glycolysis. Notably, invivo inhibition of glycolysis enhanced the competitive repopulation ability of primed HSCs. We further show that HSC quiescence is maintained by an abundance of large lysosomes. Repression of lysosomal activation in HSCs led to further enlargement of lysosomes while suppressing glucose uptake. This also induced increased lysosomal sequestration of mitochondria and enhanced the competitive repopulation ability of primed HSCs by over 90-fold invivo. These findings show that restraining lysosomal activity preserves HSC quiescence and potency and may be therapeutically relevant.

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells use podosomes to transcellularly cross the bone marrow endothelium.

Bone marrow endothelium plays an important role in the homing of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) upon transplantation, but surprisingly little is known on how the bone marrow (BM) endothelial cells regulate local permeability and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells transmigration. We show that temporal loss of vascular endothelial-cadherin function promotes vascular permeability in BM, even upon low-dose irradiation. Loss of vascular endothelial-cadherin function also enhances homing of transplanted HSPC to the BM of irradiated mice although engraftment is not increased. Intriguingly, stabilizing junctional vascular endothelial-cadherin in vivo reduced BM permeability, but did not prevent HSPC cells migration into the BM, suggesting that HSPC use the transcellular migration route to enter BM. Indeed, using an in vitromigration assay, we show that human HSPC cells predominantly cross BM endothelium in a transcellular manner in homeostasis by inducing podosome-like structures. Taken together, vascular endothelial-cadherin is crucial for BM vascular homeostasis but dispensable for the homing of HSPC. These findings are important in the development of potential therapeutic targets to improve HSPC homing strategies.

Ex Vivo Modeling of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Homing to the Fetal Liver.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are used in the clinic to provide life-saving therapies to patients with a variety of hematological malignancies and disorders. Yet, serious deficiencies in our understanding of how HSCs develop and self-renew continue to limit our ability to make this therapy safer and more broadly available to those who have no available donor. Finding ways to expand HSCs and develop alternate sources of HSCs is an urgent priority. In the embryo, a critical transition in development of the blood system requires that newly emergent HSCs from the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region migrate to the fetal liver where they aggressively self-renew and expand to numbers sufficient to sustain the adult long term. This process of homing to the fetal liver is orchestrated by intrinsic regulators such as epigenetic modifications to the genome, expression of transcription factors, and adhesion molecule presentation, as well as sensing of extrinsic factors like chemokines, cytokines, and other molecules. Due to technical limitations in manipulating the fetal tissue microenvironment, mechanisms mediating the homing and expansion process remain incompletely understood. Importantly, HSC development is strictly dependent upon forces created by the flow of blood, and current experimental methods make the study of biophysical cues especially challenging. In the protocol presented herein, we address these limitations by designing a biomimetic ex vivo microfluidic model of the fetal liver that enables monitoring of HSC homing to and interaction with fetal liver niches under flow and matrix elasticity conditions typical during embryonic development. This model can be easily customized for the study of key microenvironmental factors and biophysical cues that support HSC homing and expansion.

Short-term ex-vivo exposure to hydrogen sulfide enhances murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell migration, homing, and proliferation

ABSTRACT For successful transplantation of Hematopoietic Stem cells (HSCs), it is quite necessary that efficient homing, engraftment and retention of HSC self-renewal capacity takes place, which is often restricted due to inadequate number of adult HSCs. Here, we report that short-term ex-vivo treatment of mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) to Sodium Hydrogen Sulfide (NaHS, hydrogen sulfide-H2S donor) can be used as a possible strategy to overcome such hurdle. H2S increases the expression of CXCR4 on HSPCs, enhancing their migration toward SDF-1α in-vitro and thus homing to BM niche. . Additionally, in-vitro studies revealed that H2S has a role in activating mitochondria, thus, pushing quiescent HSCs into division. These results suggest a readily available and cost-effective method to facilitate efficient HSC transplantation.

The CXCL12-CXCR4/CXCR7 axis as a mechanism of immune resistance in gastrointestinal malignancies.

Single agent checkpoint inhibitor therapy has not been effective for most gastrointestinal solid tumors, but combination therapy with drugs targeting additional immunosuppressive pathways is being attempted. One such pathway, the CXCL12-CXCR4/CXCR7 chemokine axis, has attracted attention due to its effects on tumor cell survival and metastasis as well as immune cell migration. CXCL12 is a small protein that functions in normal hematopoietic stem cell homing in addition to repair of damaged tissue. Binding of CXCL12 to CXCR4 leads to activation of G protein signaling kinases such as P13K/mTOR and MEK/ERK while binding to CXCR7 leads to β-arrestin mediated signaling. While some gastric and colorectal carcinoma cells have been shown to make CXCL12, the primary source in pancreatic cancer and peritoneal metastases is cancer-associated fibroblasts. Binding of CXCL12 to CXCR4 and CXCR7 on tumor cells leads to anti-apoptotic signaling through Bcl-2 and survivin upregulation, as well as promotion of the epithelial-to-mesechymal transition through the Rho-ROCK pathway and alterations in cell adhesion molecules. High levels of CXCL12 seen in the bone marrow, liver, and spleen could partially explain why these are popular sites of metastases for many tumors. CXCL12 is a chemoattractant for lymphocytes at lower levels, but becomes chemorepellant at higher levels; it is unclear exactly what gradient exists in the tumor microenvironment and how this influences tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. AMD3100 (Plerixafor or Mozobil) is a small molecule CXCR4 antagonist and is the most frequently used drug targeting the CXCL12-CXCR4/CXCR7 axis in clinical trials for gastrointestinal solid tumors currently. Other small molecules and monoclonal antibodies against CXCR4 are being trialed. Further understanding of the CXCL12- CXCR4/CXCR7 chemokine axis in the tumor microenvironment will allow more effective targeting of this pathway in combination immunotherapy.

IFNy Stimulation Induces Hematopoietic Stem Cell Homing and Niche Relocalization

Interferon gamma (IFNy) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is upregulated during chronic infections and chronic diseases, such as aplastic anemia, and has been associated with pancytopenia and diminished hematopoiesis. Studies have shown that IFNy negatively regulates hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) homeostasis by decreasing self-renewal and promoting terminal differentiation. The tight regulation of HSC homeostasis is dependent upon the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment, or BM niche. The BM niche is composed of a network of cell types that provide elaborate cell-cell interactions, cellular metabolites, transcriptional regulators, and local and distant humoral and neural signals that allow for hematopoietic homeostasis. In particular, CXCL12-abundant reticular (CAR) cells are vital to HSC maintenance, as depletion of CXCL12, or its receptor, leads to HSC depletion. However, the mechanism which IFNy activates HSCs and influences its interaction with the BM niche is unknown. We hypothesize that IFNy promotes HSC terminal differentiation and loss of quiescence by altering HSC interactions with the BM niche. To assess changes in HSC interactions with the BM niche upon IFNy stimulation, we performed intravital imaging using CXCL12 GFP reporter mice before and after administration of recombinant IFNy. We found that HSCs stimulated with IFNy were significantly distanced from CAR cells compared to pre-treated controls. There was no change in distance with IFNy-receptor deficient HSCs, suggesting that movement away from the CAR cells was due to a cell autonomous IFNy-dependent mechanism. We performed gene expression analysis and transwell migration assays on HSCs from IFNy treated mice, and determined that there was no change in CXCL12 receptor (CXCR4) expression upon IFNy treatment, and IFNy did not alter migration towards CXCL12. These results suggest that HSC re-localization upon IFNy is independent of CXCL12 signaling. To explore the mechanism by which IFNy induces re-localization of HSCs, we first performed microarray analysis on HSCs from IFNy stimulated mice to assess what surface proteins were changed upon IFNy treatment. While there was no change in common HSC receptors thought to influence HSC homeostasis (cKit, Cdh2, Mpl, Itgb1, Itbg2, Itga4, and Itga1), we observed an increase in expression of bone marrow stromal antigen 2 (BST2). To explore the impact of BST2 on HSC homeostasis, quantification and proliferation analysis was performed on HSCs from Bst2-/- mice. Interestingly, Bst2-/- HSCs were significantly less proliferative and more abundant compared to controls. These studies suggest that BST2 may play a role in maintaining HSC homeostasis. The functional role of BST2 in cellular movement and adhesion has been studied in cancer. Increased BST2 expression has been associated with promoting the migration, adhesion and metastasis of various cancer cells. Since migration and adhesion is important for HSC homing, we assessed the effects of IFNy on HSC homing. Hematopoietic progenitors from IFNy-treated mice homed to the bone marrow with greater efficiency than PBS-treated controls, whereas progenitors from IFNy-receptor-deficientmice showed a decrease in homing. Additionally, WBM from IFNyR-/- had reduced engraftment than wildtype, consistent with a role for IFNy signaling in promoting HSC homing. The impact of BST2 on homing is currently being explored. In summary, we show that IFNy induces re-localization of HSCs away from quiescence-promoting CAR cells within the bone marrow niche via a mechanism that is independent of CXCL12 signaling. We further show that IFNy promotes HSC homing. The increased expression of BST2 on IFNy-stimulated HSCs appears to impact HSC proliferation and abundance in the bone marrow. Thus, BST2 may play a role in HSC activation and exit from quiescence. Expanding our understanding of the mechanism that drives HSC activation and terminal differentiation has important implications for patients who develop pancytopenia or bone marrow failure due to chronic inflammation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Transcriptome Alterations of Isolated Primary Bone Marrow Endothelial Cells Provide Insigt to MGUS and Multiple Myeloma Pathobiology

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by an abnormal clonal expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow, production of monoclonal immunoglobulins and finally organ damage (CRAB). The premalignant precursor of MM is Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and one percent of all MGUS patients progress to MM yearly. The bone marrow microenvironment is thought to play an important role in plasma cell growth, migration, and survival mainly via cytokine secretion and cell-cell interactions. Endothelial cells (ECs) are a major component in the bone marrow microenvironment, they regulate trafficking and homing of hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells. In MM increased bone marrow angiogenesis and recruitment of endothelial progenitors to the bone marrow niche has been reported. However, the specific EC contribution to myelomagenesis is not yet known. This study therefore aimed to investigate transcriptome alterations in prospectively isolated bone marrow ECs from MGUS and MM patients to identify possible disease-stage related changes. We isolated primary ECs from MGUS and MM patients undergoing diagnostic bone marrow aspirations and age-matched healthy donors by FACS. RNA from Lin- CD45- CD71- CD235a- CD271- CD31+ cells of MGUS (n=4) and MM (n=7) patients and healthy donors (n=6) was extracted. Sequencing was done using the Illumina® NextSeq 500/550 High Output Kit v2.5 (300 cycles). Gene expression analysis was performed in R. Differential gene expression analysis (DEseq2) identified 1,507 genes with p adjusted values below 1e-2 that were significantly differentially expressed between the three groups. Hierarchical clustering was done following Ward's method (ward.D2). Unsupervised clustering on the data showed that one MGUS-EC sample clustered with the healthy controls, and that one healthy control sample clustered with the MGUS samples. We therefore decided to restrict the analysis to those samples that clearly clustered separately, to be able to better depict the MGUS-, MM- and healthy EC specific profiles. Further clustering of differential expressed genes into 8 clusters revealed two especially interesting expression patterns. One cluster (#4) contained 102 genes that where higher expressed in the healthy controls with lower expression in MGUS and lowest expression in MM Samples. These genes thus reflect the downregulation during progression from a healthy bone marrow microenvironment to a reduced expression MGUS and further downregulation in MM. Another cluster (#6) showed the opposite pattern, with 105 genes being low or not expressed in healthy controls while the expression was higher in MGUS and highest in MM. Gene sets where further analyzed in the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) v6.8. Cluster 4 showed a high number of downregulated transmembrane genes. Six genes of the major histocompatibility complex conserved site where identified might indicate a possible immunomodulating effect in disease progression. Furthermore, within cluster 4 we identified a cluster of genes involved in cell adhesion and receptor binding. Cluster 6 most strikingly showed a group of 6 genes of the melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) gene family that were upregulated with disease progression. MAGE genes which belong to the cancer-testis group of germline genes have previously been reported in MM, as being involved in tumorigenesis, and plasma cell MAGE expression has been associated with chemotherapy resistance. Furthermore, cluster 6 contained a high number of extracellular matrix genes, and genes for proteins having an extracellular region, respectively, hinting towards a differential microenvironment composition upon MM development. Taken together RNA sequencing analysis of prospectively isolated bone marrow endothelial cells identified genes that were specifically upregulated/suppressed in MM-ECs compared to MGUS-ECs and healthy donor-ECs. These genes thus represent potential gene candidates involved in the disruption of normal microenvironment function, thus leading to disease development and progression. Accordingly, studies are underway to investigate selected transcriptional deregulation EC-MM microenvironmental functions in the context of the disease. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Leukemia-Associated HSC Vascular Niche Is Negatively Regulated By PERK of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR)

T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy derived from early T cell progenitors. Diffuse infiltration of the bone marrow by T-ALL is associated with worse prognosis. We previously reported that actively proliferating leukemia cells inhibit normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) proliferation and homing to the perivascular region. We found that aberrant Notch activation in the stroma plays an important role in negatively regulating the expression of CXLC12 on osteoblasts and their differentiation. However, the underlying molecular mechanism that leads to the suppression of hematopoiesis and decreased HSPC in the vascular niche is unclear. It has been demonstrated that rapid cellular proliferation associated with oncogenic activity such as MYC in T-ALL leads to a global increase in protein synthesis and an increase in misfolded/unfolded polypeptides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), referred to as unfolded protein response (UPR) or ER stress. Elevated ER stress leads to activation of at least three types of ER stress transducers through the release of inhibitory binding by glucose-regulated chaperone protein (GRP78/BIP): the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), and the activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6). Activation of PERK phosphorylates eIF2 to repress global translation with the exception of a small number of proteins including ATF4 (activating transcription factor-4). ATF4 regulates genes involved in restoring ER homeostasis and genes in apoptosis. Here, we studied the role of UPR in the regulation of HSC niche function in the setting of T-ALL progression. Using in vitro assays in which T-ALL leukemia cells driven by activated Notch1 (ICN1) were co-cultured with endothelial cells (MILE SVEN 1, MS1), and in vivo ICN1-driven T-ALL model, we found that PERK-eIF2a-ATF4 pathway was activated in both MS1 cells and BM endothelial cells isolated from T-ALL mice, while IRE1 and ATF6 pathways were only mildly altered. The activation of PERK was accompanied with the increased expression of Jagged1 and suppressed expression of CXCL12 in both cultured endothelial cells and bone marrow endothelial cells from leukemia mice. PERK inhibitor (GSK2606414) treatment of co-cultured cells largely restored CXCL12 expression, which was also negatively regulated by Jagged1, and accelerated the leukemia cell apoptosis as indicated by the enhanced annexin staining. These findings suggest that PERK is the upstream regulator of Jagged1 and CXCL12 in the endothelial cells; however, the function of cell-autonomous PERK on leukemia cell survival needs to be further clarified. To understand the role of PERK in bone marrow endothelium during leukemia development in vivo, we examined T-ALL leukemia progression and its effect on vascular niche function in VE-CadherinERT2/PERKF/F mice in which Perk was specifically deleted in endothelial cells. Consistent with in vitro findings, T-ALL development induced endothelial PERK-eIF2a-ATF4 activation, while up-regulated Jagged1 and down-regulated CXCL12 were also identified in isolated BM endothelial cells. Compared to the wild type mice, VE-CadherinERT2/PERKF/F mice showed attenuated leukemia progression, increased HSPC (Lin-Sca-1+c-kit+) frequency, and improved survival. Taken together, our findings suggest that PERK activation in BM endothelial cells is a key regulator of the leukemia vascular niche to promote leukemia progression and to suppress normal hematopoiesis. Therefore, targeting PERK may offer an effective strategy in restoring normal HSPC homeostasis and limiting leukemia progression. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.