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Query: UNIPROT:P10721 (c-kit)
 6,575 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Mobilization of haemopoietic precursor cells into the circulation by the combination of cytokines, stem cell factor (SCF) and G-CSF in previously untreated patients with carcinoma of the breast resulted in increased yield of collected peripheral blood precursor cells (PBPC). This mobilization of PBPC by SCF with G-CSF lasted several days after ceasing the cytokines in comparison to the rapid fall of PBPC after ceasing G-CSF. Possible mechanisms for this increased and prolonged mobilization were investigated. Immunological phenotyping with CD38, Thy-1 and MDR-1 of the CD34-positive mobilized PBPC detected no difference in maturity compared to PBPC mobilized by G-CSF alone. However, the down-regulation of c-kit, which is associated with the mechanism of mobilization, was much greater in the PBPC mobilized by SCF and G-CSF. The potential clinical implication of increased and prolonged mobilization is increased yield, allowing transplantation of heavily pre-treated patients, transplantation with PBPC from a single apheresis, or PBSC support for multiple courses of high-dose therapy from one mobilization procedure.
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PMID:Prolonged release and c-kit expression of haemopoietic precursor cells mobilized by stem cell factor and granulocyte colony stimulating factor. 1019 40

In vitro studies on hematopoietic control mechanisms have been hampered by the heterogeneity of the analyzed cell populations, ie, lack of lineage specificity and developmental stage homogeneity of progenitor/precursor cells growing in culture. We developed unicellular culture systems for unilineage differentiation of purified hematopoietic progenitor cells followed by daughter cell analysis at cellular and molecular level. In the culture system reported here, (1) the growth factor (GF) stimulus induces cord blood (CB) progenitor cells to proliferate and differentiate/mature exclusively along the erythroid lineage; (2) this erythropoietic wave is characterized by less than 4% apoptotic cells; (3) asymmetric divisions are virtually absent, ie, nonresponsive hematopoietic progenitors with no erythropoietic potential are forced into apoptosis; (4) the system is cell division controlled (cdc), ie, the number of divisions performed by each cell is monitored. Single-cell reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was applied to this culture system to investigate gene expression of diverse receptors, markers of differentiation, and transcription factors (EKLF, GATA-1, GATA-2, p45 NF-E2, PU.1, and SCL/Tal1) at discrete stages of erythropoietic development. Freshly isolated CD34(+) cells expressed CD34, c-kit, PU.1, and GATA-2 but did not express CD36, erythropoietin receptor (EpoR), SCL/Tal1, EKLF, NF-E2, GATA-1, or glyocophorin A (GPA). In early to intermediate stages of erythroid differentiation we monitored the induction of CD36, Tal1, EKLF, NF-E2, and GATA-1 that preceeded expression of EpoR. In late stages of erythroid maturation, GPA was upregulated, whereas CD34, c-kit, PU.1, and GATA-2 were barely or not detected. In addition, competitive single-cell RT-PCR was used to assay CD34 mRNA transcripts in sibling CD34(+)CD38(-) cells differentiating in unilineage erythroid cultures: this analysis allowed us to semiquantitate the gradual downmodulation of CD34 mRNA from progenitor cells through their differentiating erythroid progeny. It is concluded that this novel culture system, coupled with single-cell RT-PCR analysis, may eliminate the ambiguities intrinsic to molecular studies on heterogeneous populations of hematopoietic progenitors/precursors growing in culture, particularly in the initial stages of development.
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PMID:Unicellular-unilineage erythropoietic cultures: molecular analysis of regulatory gene expression at sibling cell level. 1023 88

Studies of murine stem cells suggest that the cytokine receptors Flt3 and c-kit are expressed differentially on the earliest reconstitutional cells, such that Flt3 is not expressed until after stem cell activation. Much less is known about the expression of Flt3 and c-kit on primitive human cells, especially those mobilized into circulation for transplantation. In this study, early circulating precursors were analyzed for expression of Flt3 at the gene and protein levels. Flow cytometric studies showed that >90% of CD34+CD38- cells expressed Flt3 antigen (CD135). The proportion of fresh CD34+ cells expressing Flt3 decreased as CD38 staining increased. These results were confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses, which showed that Flt3 gene expression generally was limited to the CD34+CD38- population. Because Flt3 ligand (FL) enhances the growth and/or maintenance of primitive cells, it was important to know how long early cells retain Flt3 receptor expression in expansion culture. Both RT-PCR analyses and functional tests demonstrated that primitive cells are capable of expressing Flt3 for as long as 2 weeks in liquid medium. During the first week of culture, FL enhanced the generation of cells and progenitors without causing a loss of primitive CD34+CD38-Flt3+ cells. Flt3 expression in cell cultures was limited to precursors retaining a CD34+CD38(-/lo) phenotype. Because the most primitive human precursors are believed to express c-kit at a low level, we examined the FL responsiveness of CD34+CD38-c-kit(-/lo) cells and CD34+CD38-c-kit+ cells. CD34+CD38-c-kit(-/lo), cells constituted a small fraction (12%) of the CD34+CD38- population. Whereas both c-kit(-/lo) and c-kit+ subsets were stimulated by FL, cell expansion (p < 0.01) and colony formation (p < 0.01) were greater and maintained longer with CD34+CD38-c-kit(-/lo) cells. Furthermore, the rapid response to FL suggests that primitive CD34+CD38-c-kit(-/lo) cells express Flt3 at the time of isolation or shortly thereafter. These results demonstrate the presence of Flt3 on CD34+CD38 blood cells and suggests that Flt3 also may be present on a c-kit(-/lo) subset, among the most primitive in circulation. Flt3 is lost during maturation to committed (CD34+CD38+) lineages. Addition of FL to primitive cell cultures stimulates cell expansion while maintaining early CD34+CD38-Flt3+ precursors for at least 7 days. The possible existence of a more primitive CD34+CD38-c-kit(-/lo) Flt3(-/lo) precursor remains to be determined.
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PMID:Expression of Flt3 and c-kit during growth and maturation of human CD34+CD38- cells. 1034 Apr 8

In vitro maintenance and proliferation of human hematopoietic stem cells is crucial for many clinical applications. Early hematopoietic cells express low levels of FLT-3 and c-kit receptors, as well as the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor signal transducing element, gp130, but do not express IL-6 receptor itself. Therefore, we have attempted to maintain human cord blood or bone marrow CD34(+) cells ex vivo in serum-free cultures containing stem cell factor (SCF) and FLT-3 ligand (FL) alone or together with a new recombinant molecule of soluble IL-6 receptor fused to IL-6 (IL6RIL6 chimera). The effect of IL6RIL6 chimera on the proliferation and differentiation of CD34(+) cells was compared with that of each chimera component added separately. The engraftment potential of in vitro-cultured cells was determined using our recently established functional in vivo assay for primitive human severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)-repopulating cells (SRC). We report here that IL6RIL6 chimera induced significantly higher levels of progenitors and SRC compared with SCF + FL alone or together with IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor. IL6RIL6 chimera prolonged in vitro maintenance of SRC for up to 14 days. Stimulation of CD34(+)CD38(-/low) enriched cells with IL6RIL6 chimera maintained the early CD34(+)CD38(-/low) cell subpopulation, which could be detected in vitro for up to 14 days. Moreover, IL6RIL6 chimera preferentially stimulated the growth of early CD34(+)38(-/low) cells, resulting in significantly higher levels of progenitors compared with more mature CD34(+)38(+) cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the importance of IL6RIL6 chimera in stimulating the proliferation of early CD34(+). CD38(-)gp130(+)IL-6R(-) cells in vitro and extended maintenance of progenitors and SRC.
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PMID:The soluble interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor/IL-6 fusion protein enhances in vitro maintenance and proliferation of human CD34(+)CD38(-/low) cells capable of repopulating severe combined immunodeficiency mice. 1041 83

The biological effects of flt3-L, and the expression of its tyrosine kinase receptor (flt3, CD135) were investigated on the immature subsets of human circulating peripheral blood progenitors obtained from cancer patients or normal volunteer donors, after mobilization with rhG-CSF or chemotherapy. flt3 was expressed at low levels, and its expression increased concomitantly with expression of CD38 within the CD34+ cell population. Despite this low-level expression, flt3-L exerted synergistic effects with a combination of c-kit ligand, IL-3, IL-6, GM-CSF and G-CSF, mainly to induce proliferation of CD34+/CD38- cells. In addition, flt3-L increased the detection of HPP-CFC, both immediately after cell selection, and after 7 and 14 d of cultures. We conclude that flt3-L is active on circulating early mobilized haemopoietic progenitors, despite the low- level expression of its receptor.
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PMID:Early progenitor cells from human mobilized peripheral blood express low levels of the flt3 receptor, but exhibit various biological responses to flt3-L. 1046 May 91

Recently, primitive human bone marrow (BM) progenitors supporting hematopoiesis in extended (>60 days) long-term BM cultures were identified. Such extended long-term culture-initiating cells (ELTC-IC) are of the CD34(+)CD38(-) phenotype, are quiescent, and are difficult to recruit into proliferation, implicating ELTC-IC as the most primitive human progenitor cells detectable in vitro. However, it remains to be established whether ELTC-IC can proliferate and potentially expand in response to early acting cytokines. Here, CD34(+)CD38(-) BM ELTC-IC (12-week) were efficiently recruited into proliferation and expanded in vitro in response to early acting cytokines, but conditions for expansion of ELTC-IC activity were distinct from those of traditional (5-week) LTC-IC and murine long-term repopulating cells. Whereas c-kit ligand (KL), interleukin-3 (IL-3), and IL-6 promoted proliferation and maintenance or expansion of murine long-term reconstituting activity and human LTC-IC, they dramatically depleted ELTC-IC activity. In contrast, KL, flt3 ligand (FL), and megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) (and KL + FL + IL-3) expanded murine long-term reconstituting activity as well as human LTC-IC and ELTC-IC. Expansion of LTC-IC was most optimal after 7 days of culture, whereas optimal expansion of ELTC-IC activity required 12 days, most likely reflecting the delayed recruitment of quiescent CD34(+)CD38(-) progenitors. The need for high concentrations of KL, FL, and MGDF (250 ng/mL each) and serum-free conditions was more critical for expansion of ELTC-IC than of LTC-IC. The distinct requirements for expansion of ELTC-IC activity when compared with traditional LTC-IC suggest that the ELTC-IC could prove more reliable as a predictor for true human stem cell activity after in vitro stem cell manipulation.
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PMID:Distinct requirements for optimal growth and In vitro expansion of human CD34(+)CD38(-) bone marrow long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC), extended LTC-IC, and murine in vivo long-term reconstituting stem cells. 1059 54

The chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), and its receptor, CXCR-4, have been implicated in the homing and mobilization of human CD34(+) cells. We show here that SDF-1 may also be involved in hematopoiesis, promoting the proliferation of human CD34(+) cells purified from normal adult peripheral blood (PB). CXCR-4 was expressed on PB CD34(+) cells. The amount of CXCR-4 on PB CD34(+) cells was 10 times higher when CD34(+) cells were purified following overnight incubation. CXCR-4 overexpression was correlated with a primitive PB CD34(+) cell subset defined by a CD34(high) CD38(low)CD71(low)c-Kit(low)Thy-1(+) antigenic profile. The functional significance of CXCR-4 expression was ascertained by assessing the promoting effect of SDF-1alpha on cell cycle, proliferation, and colony formation. SDF-1 alone increased the percentage of CD34(+) cells in the S+G(2)/M phases and sustained their survival. In synergy with cytokines, SDF-1 increased PB CD34(+) and CD34(high)CD38(low) cell expansion and colony formation. SDF-1 also stimulated the growth of colonies derived from primitive progenitors released from quiescence by anti-TGF-beta treatment. Thus, our results shed new light on the potential role of this chemokine in the stem cell engraftment process, which involves migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Furthermore, both adhesion-induced CXCR-4 overexpression and SDF-1 stimulating activity may be of clinical relevance for improving cell therapy settings in stem cell transplantation.
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PMID:Chemokine SDF-1 enhances circulating CD34(+) cell proliferation in synergy with cytokines: possible role in progenitor survival. 1064 83

The yield of CD34+ PBPC and colony-forming units-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) in leukapheresis products and the expression of the adhesion molecules CD11a, CD31, CD49d, CD49e, CD54, CD58, CD62L, c-kit (CD117), Thy-1 (CD90), CD33, CD38, and HLA-DR on CD34+ PBPC were analyzed in patients with cancer of the testis (n = 10), breast cancer (n = 10), Hodgkin's disease (n = 20), high-grade (n = 20) and low-grade (n = 20) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and healthy donors (n = 20) undergoing G-CSF (filgrastim)-stimulated PBPC mobilization. For each disease entity, G-CSF was administered in two different doses, 10 microg G-CSF/kg body weight (BW)/day s.c. vs. 24 microg G-CSF/kg BW s.c./day in steady-state condition. Data were compared for each dose group separately. Patients with cancer of the testis and breast cancer mobilized significantly more CD34+ cells than patients with high-grade and low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease (p<0.05). Correspondingly, expression of CD49d on CD34+ PBPC was significantly lower in the same patients with cancer of the testis compared with high-grade and low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkins' disease and in patients with breast cancer compared with high-grade and low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkins's disease, and healthy donors. Similar results were obtained for CD49e. These data suggest that the expression of the adhesion molecules CD49d and CD49e on G-CSF-mobilized CD34+ cells of patients with solid tumors, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and healthy donors is inversely correlated with the amount of mobilized CD34+ cells.
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PMID:Expression of the adhesion molecules CD49d and CD49e on G-CSF-mobilized CD34+ cells of patients with solid tumors or non-Hodgkin's and Hodgkin's lymphoma and of healthy donors is inversely correlated with the amount of mobilized CD34+ cells. 1079 4

It has previously been shown that gp130 and c-kit signalling synergize for the ex vivo expansion of human cord blood (CB) CD34+ haematopoietic progenitor cells. We were interested in evaluating this synergy within an ontogenetically different haematopoietic tissue [i.e. adult bone marrow (BM)] and on a more primitive progenitor subset (i.e. CD34+ CD38-cells), which are highly enriched for pre-colony forming unit (CFU) cells. These cells were plated out in a primary liquid culture supplemented with either interleukin (IL)-6+stem cell factor (SCF), IL-6+ SCF+soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), IL-6+SCF+sIL-6R+IL3+IL-1 or SCF+IL-3+IL-6+IL-1. Cell counting after liquid culture revealed an absolute expansion of 2.2-, 4.1-, 89.5- and 65.7-fold compared with initial cell input for the four-cytokine combinations, respectively. The secondary read-out assay revealed that this cell expansion in the liquid culture also resulted in CFU generation, with absolute cloning efficiencies of 0.002, 0.024, 12.13 and 7.73 (per cell initially present) for the respective cytokine combinations. These results indicate that gp130 and c-kit signalling alone (i.e. using IL6+SCF+sIL-6R), in terms of both cell number and CFU generation, insufficiently stimulate primitive adult BM CD34+CD38- haematopoietic cells in order to reach a CFU generation comparable with that obtained after multifactor stimulation. Adding sIL-6R to the multifactor stimulation and compared with this multifactor stimulation, a 1.7-fold synergy in terms of cell expansion and a 3.0-fold synergy in terms of CFU generation are obtained. The sIL-6R/IL-6 complex thus has a narrower spectrum of action on primitive adult BM CD34+CD38- cells than on CB CD34+ cells.
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PMID:GP130 and c-kit signalling, initiated by the sIL-6R/IL-6 complex, is insufficient to expand the primitive adult bone marrow CD34+CD38- pre-CFU cell. 1119 3

Introduction of foreign genes into human CD34(+) hematopoietic precursor cells offers a means to correct inborn errors or to protect human stem cells from chemotherapeutic damage. Electroporation is a non-chemical, nonviral, highly reproducible means to introduce foreign genes into mammalian cells that has been used primarily for rapidly dividing cells. CD34(+) cells isolated from mobilized peripheral blood of patients were cultured for 48 h in serum-free culture medium supplemented with Flt-3 ligand, stem cell factor and thrombopoietin. Cell cycle analysis showed an increase in % S-phase from 2% on day 0 to 28% on day 2 without significant loss of mean fluorescence intensity (MFI). Optimal electroporation conditions for CD34(+) cells were 550 V/cm, 38 ms, 30 microg DNA/500 microl at cell densities between 0.2 x 10(6) and 10 x 10(6) cells/ml resulting in transient EGFP gene expression in 21% (+/- 1%) of CD34(+) precursor cells, as determined by flow cytometry 48 h after electroporation. The more primitive cells were also found to be EGFP(+) as determined by subset analysis using Thy1, CD38, AC133 and c-kit conjugated monoclonal antibodies. Methylcellulose assays on electroporated CD34(+) cells yielded 20% (+/- 7%) EGFP(+) colonies (CFU-GM, BFU-E and CFU-mix) and 22% (+/- 5%) EGFP(+) long-term colony-initiating cells (LTC-IC). The reporter gene was found to be integrated into the LTC-IC genomic DNA as determined by inverse PCR and DNA sequencing. These results suggest that electroporation has the potential to effectively and stably deliver exogenous genes into human hematopoietic precursor cells.
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PMID:Efficient expression of foreign genes in human CD34(+) hematopoietic precursor cells using electroporation. 1131 15


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