The migration of bone marrow-derived non-hematopoietic tissue-committed stem cells is regulated in an SDF-1-, HGF-, and LIF-dependent manner.

INTRODUCTION

Recently we identified in bone marrow (BM) by employing chemotactic isolation to SDF-1 gradient combined with real time RT-PCR analysis a mobile population of CXCR4+ BM mononuclear cells that express mRNA for various markers of early tissue-committed stem cells (TCSCs). In this study we evaluated whether TCSCs respond to other motomorphogens, such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We again employed chemotactic isolation combined with real-time RT-PCR analysis to assess whether murine and human BM contain TCSCs that respond to HGF and LIF gradients. We also evaluated expressions of HGF and LIF in damaged organs.

RESULTS

We noted that the number of TCSCs is highest in BM from young (1- to 2-month-old) mice and decreases in 1-year-old animals. Murine and human TCSCs 1) respond to HGF and LIF gradients in addition to an SDF-1 gradient, 2) reside in populations of BM-derived non-hematopoietic CD45-cells, and 3) are released (mobilized) from BM into the peripheral blood (PB) during tissue injury (e.g. after partial body irradiation).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings further support our theory of the BM as a "hideout" for TCSCs and we suggest that their presence in BM tissue should be considered before experimental evidence is interpreted simply as transdifferentiation/plasticity of hematopoietic stem cells. Since we demonstrated that not only SDF-1, but also HGF and LIF are upregulated in damaged tissues, we postulate that CXCR4+ c-Met+ LIF-R+ TCSC could be mobilized from the BM into the PB, from which they are subsequently chemoattracted to damaged organs, where they play a role in tissue repair/regeneration.