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RATIONALE: Fibrocytes are progenitor cells characterized by the simultaneous expression of mesenchymal,monocyte,and hematopoietic stem cell markers. We previously documented their presence in lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However,the mechanisms involved in their migration,subsequent homing,and local role remain unclear. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) facilitate cell migration and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the expression and role of matrix metalloproteinases in human fibrocytes. METHODS: Fibrocytes were purified from CD14(+) monocytes and cultured for 8 days; purity of fibrocyte cultures was 95% or greater as determined by flow cytometry. Conditioned media and total RNA were collected and the expression of MMP-1,MMP-2,MMP-7,MMP-8,and MMP-9 was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Protein synthesis was examined using a Multiplex assay,Western blot,fluorescent immunocytochemistry,and confocal microscopy. MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymatic activities were evaluated by gelatin zymography. Migration was assessed using collagen I-coated Boyden chambers. Stromal cell-derived factor-1α and platelet-derived growth factor-B were used as chemoattractant with or without a specific MMP-8 inhibitor. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fibrocytes showed gene and protein expression of MMP-2,MMP-9,MMP-8,and MMP-7. MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymatic activities were also demonstrated by gelatin zymography. Likewise,we found colocalization of MMP-8 and MMP-7 with type I collagen in fibrocytes. Fibrocyte migration toward platelet-derived growth factor-B or Stromal cell-derived factor-1α in collagen I-coated Boyden chambers was significantly reduced by a specific MMP-8 inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that fibrocytes express a variety of MMPs and that MMP-8 actively participates in the process of fibrocyte migration. View Publication

The c-myb transcription factor is highly expressed in immature hematopoietic cells and down-regulated during differentiation. To define its role during the hematopoietic lineage commitment,we silenced c-myb in human CD34(+) hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Noteworthy,c-myb silencing increased the commitment capacity toward the macrophage and megakaryocyte lineages,whereas erythroid differentiation was impaired,as demonstrated by clonogenic assay,morphologic and immunophenotypic data. Gene expression profiling and computational analysis of promoter regions of genes modulated in c-myb-silenced CD34(+) cells identified the transcription factors Kruppel-Like Factor 1 (KLF1) and LIM Domain Only 2 (LMO2) as putative targets,which can account for c-myb knockdown effects. Indeed,chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that c-myb binds to KLF1 and LMO2 promoters and transactivates their expression. Consistently,the retroviral vector-mediated overexpression of either KLF1 or LMO2 partially rescued the defect in erythropoiesis caused by c-myb silencing,whereas only KLF1 was also able to repress the megakaryocyte differentiation enhanced in Myb-silenced CD34(+) cells. Our data collectively demonstrate that c-myb plays a pivotal role in human primary hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells lineage commitment,by enhancing erythropoiesis at the expense of megakaryocyte diffentiation. Indeed,we identified KLF1 and LMO2 transactivation as the molecular mechanism underlying Myb-driven erythroid versus megakaryocyte cell fate decision. View Publication

Although practiced clinically for more than 40 years,the use of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplants remains limited by the ability to expand these cells ex vivo. An unbiased screen with primary human HSCs identified a purine derivative,StemRegenin 1 (SR1),that promotes the ex vivo expansion of CD34+ cells. Culture of HSCs with SR1 led to a 50-fold increase in cells expressing CD34 and a 17-fold increase in cells that retain the ability to engraft immunodeficient mice. Mechanistic studies show that SR1 acts by antagonizing the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). The identification of SR1 and AHR modulation as a means to induce ex vivo HSC expansion should facilitate the clinical use of HSC therapy. View Publication

The importance of cancer metabolism has been appreciated for many years,but the intricacies of how metabolic pathways interconnect with oncogenic signaling are not fully understood. With a clear understanding of how metabolism contributes to tumorigenesis,we will be better able to integrate the targeting of these fundamental biochemical pathways into patient care. The mevalonate (MVA) pathway,paced by its rate-limiting enzyme,hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR),is required for the generation of several fundamental end-products including cholesterol and isoprenoids. Despite years of extensive research from the perspective of cardiovascular disease,the contribution of a dysregulated MVA pathway to human cancer remains largely unexplored. We address this issue directly by showing that dysregulation of the MVA pathway,achieved by ectopic expression of either full-length HMGCR or its novel splice variant,promotes transformation. Ectopic HMGCR accentuates growth of transformed and nontransformed cells under anchorage-independent conditions or as xenografts in immunocompromised mice and,importantly,cooperates with RAS to drive the transformation of primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts cells. We further explore whether the MVA pathway may play a role in the etiology of human cancers and show that high mRNA levels of HMGCR and additional MVA pathway genes correlate with poor prognosis in a meta-analysis of six microarray datasets of primary breast cancer. Taken together,our results suggest that HMGCR is a candidate metabolic oncogene and provide a molecular rationale for further exploring the statin family of HMGCR inhibitors as anticancer agents. View Publication

Hematopoiesis is tightly controlled by transcription regulatory networks,but how and when specific transcription factors control lineage commitment are still largely unknown. Within the hematopoietic stem cell (Lin(-)Sca-1(+)c-Kit(+)) compartment these lineage-specific transcription factors are expressed at low levels but are up-regulated with the process of lineage specification. CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) represents one of these factors and is involved in myeloid development and indispensable for formation of granulocytes. To track the cellular fate of stem and progenitor cells,which express C/EBPα,we developed a mouse model expressing Cre recombinase from the Cebpa promoter and a conditional EYFP allele. We show that Cebpa/EYFP(+) cells represent a significant subset of multipotent hematopoietic progenitors,which predominantly give rise to myeloid cells in steady-state hematopoiesis. C/EBPα induced a strong myeloid gene expression signature and down-regulated E2A-induced regulators of early lymphoid development. In addition,Cebpa/EYFP(+) cells compose a fraction of early thymic progenitors with robust myeloid potential. However,Cebpa/EYFP(+) multipotent hematopoietic progenitors and early thymic progenitors retained the ability to develop into erythroid and T-lymphoid lineages,respectively. These findings support an instructive but argue against a lineage-restrictive role of C/EBPα in multipotent hematopoietic and thymic progenitors. View Publication

Two critical concerns in clinical cord blood transplantation are the initial time to engraftment and the subsequent restoration of immune function. These studies measured the impact of progenitor cell dose on both the pace and strength of hematopoietic reconstitution by transplanting nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency/interleukin-2 receptor-gamma-null (NSγ) mice with lineage-depleted aldehyde dehydrogenase-bright CD34(+) human cord blood progenitors. The progress of each transplant was monitored over an extended time course by repeatedly analyzing the peripheral blood for human hematopoietic cells. In vivo human hematopoietic development was complete. After long-term transplantation assays (≥ 19 weeks),human T-cell development was documented within multiple tissues in 16 of 32 NSγ mice. Human T-cell differentiation was active within NSγ thymuses,as documented by the presence of CD4(+) CD8(+) T-cell progenitors as well as T-cell receptor excision circles. It is important to note that although myeloid and B-cell engraftment was detected as early as 4 weeks after transplantation,human T-cell development was exclusively late onset. High progenitor cell doses were associated with a robust human hematopoietic chimerism that accelerated both initial time to engraftment and subsequent T-cell development. At lower progenitor cell doses,the chimerism was weak and the human hematopoietic lineage development was frequently incomplete. View Publication

Mobilization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from bone marrow into peripheral blood by the cytokine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has become the preferred source of HSPCs for stem cell transplants. However,G-CSF fails to mobilize sufficient numbers of stem cells in up to 10% of donors,precluding autologous transplantation in those donors or substantially delaying transplant recovery time. Consequently,new regimens are needed to increase the number of stem cells in peripheral blood upon mobilization. Using a forward genetic approach in mice,we mapped the gene encoding the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) to a genetic region modifying G-CSF-mediated HSPC mobilization. Amounts of EGFR in HSPCs inversely correlated with the cells' ability to be mobilized by G-CSF,implying a negative role for EGFR signaling in mobilization. In combination with G-CSF treatment,genetic reduction of EGFR activity in HSPCs (in waved-2 mutant mice) or treatment with the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib increased mobilization. Increased mobilization due to suppression of EGFR activity correlated with reduced activity of cell division control protein-42 (Cdc42),and genetic Cdc42 deficiency in vivo also enhanced G-CSF-induced mobilization. Our findings reveal a previously unknown signaling pathway regulating stem cell mobilization and provide a new pharmacological approach for improving HSPC mobilization and thereby transplantation outcomes. View Publication

Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into functional cell types is a crucial step in cell therapy. In the present study,we demonstrate that functional CD34(+) progenitor cells can be efficiently produced from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by combined modulation of 2 signaling pathways. A higher proportion of CD34(+) cells (∼ 20%) could be derived from hPSCs by inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and activation of bone morphogenic protein-4 (BMP4) signaling. hPSC-derived CD34(+) progenitor cells further developed to endothelial and smooth muscle cells with functionality. Moreover,they contributed directly to neovasculogenesis in ischemic mouse hind limbs,thereby resulting in improved blood perfusion and limb salvage. Our results suggest that combined modulation of signaling pathways may be an efficient means of differentiating hPSCs into functional CD34(+) progenitor cells. View Publication

We have previously shown that the plant-derived compound parthenolide (PTL) can impair the survival and leukemogenic activity of primary human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) stem cells. However,despite the activity of this agent,PTL also induces cellular protective responses that likely function to reduce its overall cytotoxicity. Thus,we sought to identify pharmacologic agents that enhance the antileukemic potential of PTL. Toward this goal,we used the gene expression signature of PTL to identify compounds that inhibit cytoprotective responses by performing chemical genomic screening of the Connectivity Map database. This screen identified compounds acting along the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin pathways. Compared with single agent treatment,exposure of AML cells to the combination of PTL and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors significantly decreased viability of AML cells and reduced tumor burden in vitro and in murine xenotransplantation models. Taken together,our data show that rational drug combinations can be identified using chemical genomic screening strategies and that inhibition of cytoprotective functions can enhance the eradication of primary human AML cells. View Publication

Haploinsufficiency for ribosomal protein genes has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) and the 5q-syndrome,a subtype of myelodysplastic syndrome. The p53 pathway is activated by ribosome dysfunction,but the molecular basis for selective impairment of the erythroid lineage in disorders of ribosome function has not been determined. We found that p53 accumulates selectively in the erythroid lineage in primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells after expression of shRNAs targeting RPS14,the ribosomal protein gene deleted in the 5q-syndrome,or RPS19,the most commonly mutated gene in DBA. Induction of p53 led to lineage-specific accumulation of p21 and consequent cell cycle arrest in erythroid progenitor cells. Pharmacologic inhibition of p53 rescued the erythroid defect,whereas nutlin-3,a compound that activates p53 through inhibition of HDM2,selectively impaired erythropoiesis. In bone marrow biopsies from patients with DBA or del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome,we found an accumulation of nuclear p53 staining in erythroid progenitor cells that was not present in control samples. Our findings indicate that the erythroid lineage has a low threshold for the induction of p53,providing a basis for the failure of erythropoiesis in the 5q-syndrome,DBA,and perhaps other bone marrow failure syndromes. View Publication

Because ex vivo rapamycin generates murine Th2 cells that prevent Graft-versus-host disease more potently than control Th2 cells,we hypothesized that rapamycin would generate Th2/Tc2 cells (Th2/Tc2.R cells) that abrogate fully MHC-disparate hemopoietic stem cell rejection more effectively than control Th2/Tc2 cells. In a B6-into-BALB/c graft rejection model,donor Th2/Tc2.R cells were indeed enriched in their capacity to prevent rejection; importantly,highly purified CD4+ Th2.R cells were also highly efficacious for preventing rejection. Rapamycin-generated Th2/Tc2 cells were less likely to die after adoptive transfer,accumulated in vivo at advanced proliferative cycles,and were present in 10-fold higher numbers than control Th2/Tc2 cells. Th2.R cells had a multifaceted,apoptosis-resistant phenotype,including: 1) reduced apoptosis after staurosporine addition,serum starvation,or CD3/CD28 costimulation; 2) reduced activation of caspases 3 and 9; and 3) increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL expression and reduced proapoptotic Bim and Bid expression. Using host-versus-graft reactivity as an immune correlate of graft rejection,we found that the in vivo efficacy of Th2/Tc2.R cells 1) did not require Th2/Tc2.R cell expression of IL-4,IL-10,perforin,or Fas ligand; 2) could not be reversed by IL-2,IL-7,or IL-15 posttransplant therapy; and 3) was intact after therapy with Th2.R cells relatively devoid of Foxp3 expression. We conclude that ex vivo rapamycin generates Th2 cells that are resistant to apoptosis,persist in vivo,and effectively prevent rejection by a mechanism that may be distinct from previously described graft-facilitating T cells. View Publication

Platelets are an abundant source of CD40 ligand (CD154),an immunomodulatory and proinflammatory molecule implicated in the onset and progression of several inflammatory diseases,including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE),diabetes,and cardiovascular disease. Heretofore considered largely restricted to activated T cells,we initiated studies to investigate the source and regulation of platelet-associated CD154. We found that CD154 is abundantly expressed in platelet precursor cells,megakaryocytes. We show that CD154 is expressed in primary human CD34+ and murine hematopoietic precursor cells only after cytokine-driven megakaryocyte differentiation. Furthermore,using several established megakaryocyte-like cells lines,we performed promoter analysis of the CD154 gene and found that NFAT,a calcium-dependent transcriptional regulator associated with activated T cells,mediated both differentiation-dependent and inducible megakaryocyte-specific CD154 expression. Overall,these data represent the first investigation of the regulation of a novel source of CD154 and suggests that platelet-associated CD154 can be biochemically modulated. View Publication