Transformation from committed progenitor to leukaemia stem cell initiated by MLL-AF9

Leukaemias and other cancers possess a rare population of cells capable of the limitless self-renewal necessary for cancer initiation and maintenance. Eradication of these cancer stem cells is probably a critical part of any successful anti-cancer therapy, and may explain why conventional cancer therapies are often effective in reducing tumour burden, but are only rarely curative. Given that both normal and cancer stem cells are capable of self-renewal, the extent to which cancer stem cells resemble normal tissue stem cells is a critical issue if targeted therapies are to be developed. However, it remains unclear whether cancer stem cells must be phenotypically similar to normal tissue stem cells or whether they can retain the identity of committed progenitors. Here we show that leukaemia stem cells (LSC) can maintain the global identity of the progenitor from which they arose while activating a limited stem-cell- or self-renewal-associated programme. We isolated LSC from leukaemias initiated in committed granulocyte macrophage progenitors through introduction of the MLL-AF9 fusion protein encoded by the t(9;11)(p22;q23). The LSC were capable of transferring leukaemia to secondary recipient mice when only four cells were transferred, and possessed an immunophenotype and global gene expression profile very similar to that of normal granulocyte macrophage progenitors. However, a subset of genes highly expressed in normal haematopoietic stem cells was re-activated in LSC. LSC can thus be generated from committed progenitors without widespread reprogramming of gene expression, and a leukaemia self-renewal-associated signature is activated in the process. Our findings define progression from normal progenitor to cancer stem cell, and suggest that targeting a self-renewal programme expressed in an abnormal context may be possible.     

Regulation of BMP4 on the proliferation and differentiation in SVZa neural stem cells

The neural stem cells in the anterior subventricular zone (SVZa) mainly generate the progenitors that will differentiate into neurons, and along a highly circumscribed migratory access Rostral migratory stream (RMS), they migrate to the olfactory bulbs (OB). To understand the effects of BMPs on SVZa neural stem cells, in this study BMP4 at various concentrations was used to induce SVZa neural stem cells, and the living cell labeling using BMP4 promotor conjugated with red fluorescence protein showed the expression of BMP4 dynamically. The results demonstrated that low BMP4 doses (1-5 ng/mL) promoted while high doses (10-100 ng/mL) inhibited the proliferation of SVZa neural stem cells, and BMP4 promotedneuron differentiation in the early stage (1-3 d), howeverm, it inhibited the neuron commitment after 4 d. Noggin, the antagonist of BMP4, blocked the physiological effects of BMP4. In OB, BMP4 is mainly to accelerate the progenitors to withdraw from the cell cycle and trigger the differentiation, and in RMS, it promotes the proliferation of committed progenitors and not differentiation, further in SVZa, BMP4 enhances astrocyte commitment.     

Somatic support cells restrict germline stem cell self-renewal and promote differentiation

Stem cells maintain populations of highly differentiated, short-lived cell-types, including blood, skin and sperm, throughout adult life. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate stem cell behaviour is crucial for realizing their potential in regenerative medicine. A fundamental characteristic of stem cells is their capacity for asymmetric division: daughter cells either retain stem cell identity or initiate differentiation. However, stem cells are also capable of symmetric division where both daughters remain stem cells, indicating that mechanisms must exist to balance self-renewal capacity with differentiation. Here we present evidence that support cells surrounding the stem cells restrict self-renewal and control stem cell number by ensuring asymmetric division. Loss of function of the Drosophila Epidermal growth factor receptor in somatic cells disrupted the balance of self-renewal versus differentiation in the male germline, increasing the number of germline stem cells. We propose that activation of this receptor specifies normal behaviour of somatic support cells; in turn, the somatic cells play a guardian role, providing information that prevents self-renewal of stem cell identity by the germ cell they enclose.     

诱导肿瘤细胞HeLa为多能性干细胞的研究

将携带4种转录因子的逆转录病毒共同感染HeLa细胞,感染后的细胞铺到滋养层细胞MEF上培养,细胞长出类似胚胎干细胞的克隆团,这种克隆团可以扩增,并进一步诱导分化为神经元,同时免疫荧光检测细胞分化不同天数后Pax6,Sox1和βⅢ-tubulin的表达.结果表明,肿瘤细胞HeLa在Oct4、Sox2、c-Myc、Klf4等4种转录因子的作用下成功重编程为多能干细胞,同时可进一步分化为神经元.     

人脂肪组织来源干细胞生物学特性研究

为进一步研究脂肪组织来源的干细胞增殖和多向分化潜能,用改进的方法分离脂肪组织来源的干细胞,通过cck-8检测细胞的增殖能力、流式细胞仪检测干细胞相关表面标记的表达、RT-PCR对干细胞相关基因的表达进行分析;并对分离得到的细胞向脂肪、软骨、骨及心肌细胞诱导,观察其多向分化能力.结果显示:采用改进的方法,从400～600 mg脂肪组织可收获约5×105个脂肪组织来源的干细胞,并且细胞可以重叠生长1个月以上,期间细胞表现出几个对数增殖期;所有增殖的细胞其干细胞相关表面标记都呈阳性表达;转录因子Nanog、Oct-4、Sox-2和Rex-1也呈强阳性表达;ADSCs向脂肪、骨、软骨和心肌细胞诱导分化后能够分别表达脂滴、碱性磷酸酶和矿化结节、富含黏多糖的软骨细胞外基质,以及少量心肌特异性连接蛋白Connexin-43,表明ADSCs具有向多个胚层细胞分化的能力.此外,为获得更多具有强增殖能力的细胞,根据生长曲线,对细胞进行每14 d传代而非传统的5 d传代,发现所得到的细胞仍保持强的增殖能力、干细胞表型以及更强的多向分化潜能.     

转录因子GATA—1基因在白血病中的表达

转录因子ＧＡＴＡ家族在造血细胞的正常发育中起着重要的作用。利用聚合酶链反应方法分析了１１６例各种白血病中红系统特异转录因子ＧＡＴＡ－１的表达情况。ＡＮＬＬ、ＣＭＬ、Ｃ－ＡＬＬ和ＣＬＬ中的表达率分别为４３．７５％、８８．２４％、１４．２９％和３３．３３％；３例Ｔ－ＡＬＬ均不表达该基因。