Project description:Human pluripotent stem cells were differentiated into hematopoietic progenitors, which were then re-specified using defined transcription factors to resemble hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) We used microarrays to establish the similarity between converted cells and purified human HSCs. The samples analyzed were: starting embryoid body progenitors, transcription factor-converted cells, and primary HSCs and progenitors from fetal liver and cord blood. All samples were flow sorted for CD34+ and CD38- to compare across a similar population of primitive cells.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Advances in pluripotent stem cell and reprogramming technologies have given hope of generating hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in culture. To succeed, greater understanding of the self-renewing HSC during human development is required. We discovered that glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored surface protein GPI-80 (Vanin 2) defines a distinct subpopulation of human fetal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) with self-renewal ability. CD34+CD90+CD38-GPI-80+ HSPC were the sole population that maintained proliferative potential and undifferentiated state in bone marrow stroma co-culture, and engrafted in immunodeficient mice. GPI-80 expression also enabled tracking of HSC migration between human fetal hematopoietic niches. The most highly enriched surface protein in GPI-80+ HSPC as compared to their progeny was Integrin alpha-M (ITGAM), which in leukocytes cooperates with GPI-80 to support migration. Knockdown of either GPI-80 or ITGAM was sufficient to perturb undifferentiated HSPC in stroma co-culture. These findings indicate that human fetal HSC utilize common mechanisms with leukocytes for cell-cell interactions governing HSC self-renewal. We used microarrays to identify genes enriched in the GPI-80+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor population in fetal liver. RNA was extracted from enriched fetal liver hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and downstream progenitors, for comparison based on Affymetrix arrays.
Project description:Advances in pluripotent stem cell and reprogramming technologies have given hope of generating hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in culture. To succeed, greater understanding of the self-renewing HSC during human development is required. We discovered that glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored surface protein GPI-80 (Vanin 2) defines a distinct subpopulation of human fetal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) with self-renewal ability. CD34+CD90+CD38-GPI-80+ HSPC were the sole population that maintained proliferative potential and undifferentiated state in bone marrow stroma co-culture, and engrafted in immunodeficient mice. GPI-80 expression also enabled tracking of HSC migration between human fetal hematopoietic niches. The most highly enriched surface protein in GPI-80+ HSPC as compared to their progeny was Integrin alpha-M (ITGAM), which in leukocytes cooperates with GPI-80 to support migration. Knockdown of either GPI-80 or ITGAM was sufficient to perturb undifferentiated HSPC in stroma co-culture. These findings indicate that human fetal HSC utilize common mechanisms with leukocytes for cell-cell interactions governing HSC self-renewal. We used microarrays to identify genes enriched in the CD90+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor population in fetal liver. RNA was extracted from enriched fetal liver hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and downstream progenitors, for comparison based on Affymetrix arrays.