High levels of interleukin 10 production in vivo are associated with tolerance in SCID patients transplanted with HLA mismatched hematopoietic stem cells.

Transplantation of HLA mismatched hematopoietic stem cells in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) can result in a selective engraftment of T cells of donor origin with complete immunologic reconstitution and in vivo tolerance. The latter may occur in the absence of clonal deletion of donor T lymphocytes able to recognize the host HLA antigens. The activity of these host-reactive T cells is suppressed in vivo, since no graft-vs. -host disease is observed in these human chimeras. Here it is shown that the CD4+ host-reactive T cell clones isolated from a SCID patient transplanted with fetal liver stem cells produce unusually high quantities of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and very low amounts of IL-2 after antigen-specific stimulation in vitro. The specific proliferative responses of the host-reactive T cell clones were considerably enhanced in the presence of neutralizing concentrations of an anti-IL-10 monoclonal antibody, suggesting that high levels of endogenous IL-10 suppress the activity of these cells. These in vitro data correlate with observations made in vivo. Semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis carried out on freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of the patient indicated that the levels of IL-10 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were strongly enhanced, whereas IL-2 mRNA expression was much lower than that in PBMC of healthy donors. In vivo IL-10 mRNA expression was not only high in the T cells, but also in the non-T cell fraction, indicating that host cells also contributed to the high levels of IL-10 in vivo. Patient-derived monocytes were found to be major IL-10 producers. Although no circulating IL-10 could be detected, freshly isolated monocytes of the patient showed a reduced expression of class II HLA antigens. However, their capacity to stimulate T cells of normal donors in primary mixed lymphocyte cultures was within the normal range. Interestingly, similar high in vivo IL-10 mRNA expressions in the T and non-T cell compartment were also observed in three SCID patients transplanted with fetal liver stem cells and in four SCID patients transplanted with T cell-depleted haploidentical bone marrow stem cells. Taken together, these data indicate that high endogenous IL-10 production is a general phenomenon in SCID patients in whom allogenic stem cell transplantation results in immunologic reconstitution and induction of tolerance. Both donor T cells and host accessory cells contribute to these high levels of IL-10, which would suppress the activity of host-reactive T cell in vivo.

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In vitro development of murine T cells from prethymic and preliver embryonic yolk sac hematopoietic stem cells

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.113.4.1315 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 113 (4) ◽

pp. 1315-1323 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

C.P. Liu ◽

R. Auerbach

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Fetal Liver ◽

Critical Factor ◽

Yolk Sac ◽

Cell Repertoire ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Developmental Potential

Mature T cells are derived from prethymic stem cells, which arise at one or more extrathymic sites and enter and differentiate in the thymus. The nature of these prethymic stem cells is a critical factor for the formation of the T-cell repertoire. Although the bone marrow of adult mice can provide such stem cells, their origin during murine embryogenesis is still undetermined. Among potential sites for these progenitor cells are the fetal liver and the embryonic yolk sac. Our studies focus on the yolk sac, both because the yolk sac appears earlier than any other proposed site, and because the mammalian yolk sac is the first site of hematopoiesis. Although it has been shown that the yolk sac in midgestation contains stem cells that can enter the thymic rudiment and differentiate toward T-cell lineage, our aim was to analyze the developmental potential of cells in the yolk sac from earlier stages, prior to the formation of the liver and any other internal organ. We show here that the yolk sac from 8- and 9-day embryos (2–9 and 13–19 somites, respectively) can reconstitute alymphoid congenic fetal thymuses and acquire mature T-cell-specific characteristics. Specifically, thymocytes derived from the early embryonic yolk sac can progress to the expression of mature T lymphocyte markers including CD3/T-cell receptor (TCR), CD4 and CD8. In contrast, we have been unable to document the presence of stem cells within the embryo itself at these early stages. These results support the hypothesis that the stem cells capable of populating the thymic rudiment originate in the yolk sac, and that their presence as early as at the 2- to 9-somite stage may indicate that prethymic stem cells found elsewhere in the embryo at later times may have been derived by migration from this extra-embryonic site. Our experimental design does not exclude the possibility of multiple origins of prethymic stem cells of which the yolk sac may provide the first wave of stem cells in addition to other later waves of cells.

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DL4-μbeads induce T cell lineage differentiation from stem cells in a stromal cell-free system

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-25245-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ashton C. Trotman-Grant ◽

Mahmood Mohtashami ◽

Joshua De Sousa Casal ◽

Elisa C. Martinez ◽

Dylan Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Stromal Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Free System ◽

Cell Therapies ◽

Immunodeficient Mice ◽

Human T Cell

AbstractT cells are pivotal effectors of the immune system and can be harnessed as therapeutics for regenerative medicine and cancer immunotherapy. An unmet challenge in the field is the development of a clinically relevant system that is readily scalable to generate large numbers of T-lineage cells from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Here, we report a stromal cell-free, microbead-based approach that supports the efficient in vitro development of both human progenitor T (proT) cells and T-lineage cells from CD34+cells sourced from cord blood, GCSF-mobilized peripheral blood, and pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). DL4-μbeads, along with lymphopoietic cytokines, induce an ordered sequence of differentiation from CD34+ cells to CD34+CD7+CD5+ proT cells to CD3+αβ T cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing of human PSC-derived proT cells reveals a transcriptional profile similar to the earliest thymocytes found in the embryonic and fetal thymus. Furthermore, the adoptive transfer of CD34+CD7+ proT cells into immunodeficient mice demonstrates efficient thymic engraftment and functional maturation of peripheral T cells. DL4-μbeads provide a simple and robust platform to both study human T cell development and facilitate the development of engineered T cell therapies from renewable sources.

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Endothelial stroma programs hematopoietic stem cells to differentiate into regulatory dendritic cells through IL-10

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2006-01-007187 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (4) ◽

pp. 1189-1197 ◽

Cited By ~ 88

Author(s):

Hua Tang ◽

Zhenhong Guo ◽

Minghui Zhang ◽

Jianli Wang ◽

Guoyou Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Dendritic Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Critical Role ◽

Regulatory Function ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Regulatory Dendritic Cells

Abstract Regulatory dendritic cells (DCs) have been reported recently, but their origin is poorly understood. Our previous study demonstrated that splenic stroma can drive mature DCs to proliferate and differentiate into regulatory DCs, and their natural counterpart with similar regulatory function in normal spleens has been identified. Considering that the spleen microenvironment supports hematopoiesis and that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are found in spleens of adult mice, we wondered whether splenic microenvironment could differentiate HSCs into regulatory DCs. In this report, we demonstrate that endothelial splenic stroma induce HSCs to differentiate into a distinct regulatory DC subset with high expression of CD11b but low expression of Ia. CD11bhiIalo DCs secreting high levels of TGF-β, IL-10, and NO can suppress T-cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, CD11bhiIalo DCs have the ability to potently suppress allo-DTH in vivo, indicating their preventive or therapeutic perspectives for some immunologic disorders. The inhibitory function of CD11bhiIalo DCs is mediated through NO but not through induction of regulatory T (Treg) cells or T-cell anergy. IL-10, which is secreted by endothelial splenic stroma, plays a critical role in the differentiation of the regulatory CD11bhiIalo DCs from HSCs. These results suggest that splenic microenvironment may physiologically induce regulatory DC differentiation in situ.

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Transcription factor Etv6 regulates functional differentiation of cross-presenting classical dendritic cells

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.20172323 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 215 (9) ◽

pp. 2265-2278 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Colleen M. Lau ◽

Ioanna Tiniakou ◽

Oriana A. Perez ◽

Margaret E. Kirkling ◽

George S. Yap ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Dendritic Cells ◽

Transcription Factor ◽

T Cell ◽

Cd8 T Cells ◽

Functional Differentiation ◽

Specific Gene ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

An IRF8-dependent subset of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), termed cDC1, effectively cross-primes CD8+ T cells and facilitates tumor-specific T cell responses. Etv6 is an ETS family transcription factor that controls hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) function and thrombopoiesis. We report that like HSPCs, cDCs express Etv6, but not its antagonist, ETS1, whereas interferon-producing plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) express both factors. Deletion of Etv6 in the bone marrow impaired the generation of cDC1-like cells in vitro and abolished the expression of signature marker CD8α on cDC1 in vivo. Moreover, Etv6-deficient primary cDC1 showed a partial reduction of cDC-specific and cDC1-specific gene expression and chromatin signatures and an aberrant up-regulation of pDC-specific signatures. Accordingly, DC-specific Etv6 deletion impaired CD8+ T cell cross-priming and the generation of tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T cells. Thus, Etv6 optimizes the resolution of cDC1 and pDC expression programs and the functional fitness of cDC1, thereby facilitating T cell cross-priming and tumor-specific responses.

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High-resolution tracking of cell division suggests similar cell cycle kinetics of hematopoietic stem cells stimulated in vitro and in vivo

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v95.3.855.003k41_855_862 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 95 (3) ◽

pp. 855-862 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

Robert A. J. Oostendorp ◽

Julie Audet ◽

Connie J. Eaves

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Fetal Liver ◽

Flow Cytometric Analysis ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Murine Bone Marrow ◽

Flow Cytometric ◽

Differentiation Status ◽

Kinetics Of

The kinetics of proliferation of primitive murine bone marrow (BM) cells stimulated either in vitro with growth factors (fetal liver tyrosine kinase ligand 3 [FL], Steel factor [SF], and interleukin-11 [IL-11], or hyper–IL-6) or in vivo by factors active in myeloablated recipients were examined. Cells were first labeled with 5- and 6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and then incubated overnight prior to isolating CFSE+ cells. After 2 more days in culture, more than 90% of the in vivo lymphomyeloid repopulating activity was associated with the most fluorescent CFSE+ cells (ie, cells that had not yet divided), although this accounted for only 25% of the repopulating stem cells measured in the CFSE+ “start” population. After a total of 4 days in culture (1 day later), 15-fold more stem cells were detected (ie, 4-fold more than the day 1 input number), and these had become (and thereafter remained) exclusively associated with cells that had divided at least once in vitro. Flow cytometric analysis of CFSE+ cells recovered from the BM of transplanted mice indicated that these cells proliferated slightly faster (up to 5 divisions completed within 2 days and up to 8 divisions completed within 3 days in vivo versus 5 and 7 divisions, respectively, in vitro). FL, SF, and ligands which activate gp130 are thus efficient stimulators of transplantable stem cell self-renewal divisions in vitro. The accompanying failure of these cells to accumulate rapidly indicates important changes in their engraftment potential independent of accompanying changes in their differentiation status.

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Chimeric Regulatory T cells Enhance HSC Engraftment in An Antigen-Specific Fashion.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.2424.2424 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 2424-2424

Author(s):

Yiming Huang ◽

Larry D Bozulic ◽

Thomas Miller ◽

Hong Xu ◽

Yujie Wen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Regulatory T Cells ◽

Third Party ◽

T Cell Proliferation ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Mixed Chimeras

Abstract Abstract 2424 Poster Board II-401 We previously reported that CD8+TCR- facilitating cells (FC) induce the generation of chimeric regulatory T cells (Treg) in vivo. Transplantation of a mixture of CD8+/TCR- FC and hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) into ablated recipients results in chimerism and tolerance. Treg harvested from the spleen of chimeras (chimeric Treg) potently increase long-term donor chimerism in secondary NOD recipient mice. Here, we evaluated whether chimeric Treg enhance engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in an antigen-specific manner. To prepare mixed chimeras (B6 → NOD), NOD recipients were conditioned with 950 cGy TBI and transplanted with 10,000 B6 HSC and 1,000 NOD HSC plus 45,000 CD8+TCR- B6 FC. At 5 weeks, CD8-CD4+CD25bright chimeric Treg were sorted from spleens of the mixed chimeras (B6 → NOD). 100,000 chimeric Treg were then mixed with 10,000 B6 HSC (donor-specific) + 10,000 B10.BR HSC (third-party) and transplanted into conditioned NOD recipients in competitive repopulation assays. NOD mice given HSC plus nonchimeric naïve B6 Treg or HSC alone served as controls. Two of the four animals that received HSC alone engrafted and exhibited an average of 6.7% donor B6 chimerism at 30 days, 11.2% at 60 days, and 10.6% at 90 days. Three of five animals given HSC plus naïve B6 Treg engrafted with 21.3% donor B6 chimerism at 30 days, 28.8% at 60 days, and 28.9% at 90 days. In contrast, eight of nine recipients of HSC + chimeric Treg engrafted. These animals exhibited a significantly higher level of donor B6 chimerism, ranging from 56.3% at 30 days, 75.4% at 60 days to 85% at 90 days (P = 0.034). None of the recipients engrafted with the MHC-disparate third-party B10.BR HSC. We then assessed the suppressive function of chimeric Tregin vitro by using MLR suppressor cell assays. CD8-/CD4+/CD25bright Treg were sorted from chimeric spleens 5 wks to 12 wks after HSC + FC transplantation. As shown in the Figure 1, Treg from naïve B6 mice resulted in 1.9 fold; 1.3 fold and 1.1 fold inhibition of proliferation at 1:1, 1:0.25, 1:0.125 responder/Treg ratios (n = 3). In contrast, chimeric Treg potently suppressed T cell proliferation by 10.5 fold; 3.2 fold; and 1.7 fold at responder/Treg ratios of 1:1, 1:0.25, 1:0.125 (n = 4). Chimeric Treg significantly suppressed T cell proliferation at responder/Treg ratios of 1:1 and 1:0.25 compared with naïve B6 Treg (P < 0.05). NOD responder splenocytes remained hypoproliferative in response to B6 stimulator and chimeric Treg compared with stimulator plus B6 Treg, suggesting that chimeric Treg are significantly more potent than naïve B6 Treg in suppressing effector T cell proliferation in vitro. These data show that chimeric Treg enhance donor B6 HSC engraftment but not third-party B10.BR HSC, demonstrating that chimeric Treg function in vivo in an antigen-specific fashion. These data also show that the mechanism of FC function in vivo is associated with the establishment of an antigen-specific regulatory feedback loop. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures: Bozulic: Regenerex: Employment. Ildstad:Regenerex: Equity Ownership.

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Co-Stimulatory Blockade With CTLA4-Ig Permits Transplantation Of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells and HLA Incompatible T Cells In NOD/SCID γ Null (NSG) Mouse Model

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.1999.1999 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 1999-1999

Author(s):

Annie L. Oh ◽

Dolores Mahmud ◽

Benedetta Nicolini ◽

Nadim Mahmud ◽

Elisa Bonetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

T Cells ◽

Stem Cell ◽

T Cell ◽

Nsg Mice ◽

Human Cd34 ◽

Cd34 Cells

Abstract Our previous studies have shown the ability of human CD34+ cells to stimulate T cell alloproliferative responses in-vitro. Here, we investigated anti-CD34 T cell alloreactivity in-vivo by co-transplanting human CD34+ cells and allogeneic T cells of an incompatible individual into NSG mice. Human CD34+ cells (2x105/animal) were transplanted with allogeneic T cells at different ratios ranging from 1:50 to 1:0.5, or without T cells as a control. No xenogeneic GVHD was detected at 1:1 CD34:T cell ratio. Engraftment of human CD45+ (huCD45+) cells in mice marrow and spleen was analyzed by flow cytometry. Marrow engraftment of huCD45+ cells at 4 or 8 weeks was significantly decreased in mice transplanted with T cells compared to control mice that did not receive T cells. More importantly, transplantation of T cells at CD34:T cell ratios from 1:50 to 1:0.5 resulted in stem cell rejection since >98% huCD45+ cells detected were CD3+. In mice with stem cell rejection, human T cells had a normal CD4:CD8 ratio and CD4+ cells were mostly CD45RA+. The kinetics of human cell engraftment in the bone marrow and spleen was then analyzed in mice transplanted with CD34+ and allogeneic T cells at 1:1 ratio and sacrificed at 1, 2, or 4 weeks. At 2 weeks post transplant, the bone marrow showed CD34-derived myeloid cells, whereas the spleen showed only allo-T cells. At 4 weeks, all myeloid cells had been rejected and only T cells were detected both in the bone marrow and spleen. Based on our previous in-vitro studies showing that T cell alloreactivity against CD34+ cells is mainly due to B7:CD28 costimulatory activation, we injected the mice with CTLA4-Ig (Abatacept, Bristol Myers Squibb, New York, NY) from d-1 to d+28 post transplantation of CD34+ and allogeneic T cells. Treatment of mice with CTLA4-Ig prevented rejection and allowed CD34+ cells to fully engraft the marrow of NSG mice at 4 weeks with an overall 13± 7% engraftment of huCD45+ marrow cells (n=5) which included: 53±9% CD33+ cells, 22±3% CD14+ monocytes, 7±2% CD1c myeloid dendritic cells, and 4±1% CD34+ cells, while CD19+ B cells were only 3±1% and CD3+ T cells were 0.5±1%. We hypothesize that CTLA4-Ig may induce the apoptotic deletion of alloreactive T cells early in the post transplant period although we could not detect T cells in the spleen as early as 7 or 10 days after transplant. Here we demonstrate that costimulatory blockade with CTLA4-Ig at the time of transplant of human CD34+ cells and incompatible allogeneic T cells can prevent T cell mediated rejection. We also show that the NSG model can be utilized to test immunotherapy strategies aimed at engrafting human stem cells across HLA barriers in-vivo. These results will prompt the design of future clinical trials of CD34+ cell transplantation for patients with severe non-malignant disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, immunodeficiencies or aplastic anemia. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Hematopoietic stem cells express Tie-2 receptor in the murine fetal liver

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v96.12.3757.h8003757_3757_3762 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 96 (12) ◽

pp. 3757-3762 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hsiang-Chun Hsu ◽

Hideo Ema ◽

Mitsujiro Osawa ◽

Yukio Nakamura ◽

Toshio Suda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Receptor Tyrosine Kinase ◽

Fetal Liver ◽

Newborn Mice ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Fetal Liver Cells

Tie-2 receptor tyrosine kinase expressed in endothelial and hematopoietic cells is believed to play a role in both angiogenesis and hematopoiesis during development of the mouse embryo. This article addressed whether Tie-2 is expressed on fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) at day 14 of gestation. With the use of anti–Tie-2 monoclonal antibody, its expression was detected in approximately 7% of an HSC population of Kit-positive, Sca-1–positive, lineage-negative or -low, and AA4.1-positive (KSLA) cells. These Tie-2–positive KSLA (T+ KSLA) cells represent 0.01% to 0.02% of fetal liver cells. In vitro colony and in vivo competitive repopulation assays were performed for T+ KSLA cells and Tie-2–negative KSLA (T− KSLA) cells. In the presence of stem cell factor, interleukin-3, and erythropoietin, 80% of T+ KSLA cells formed colonies in vitro, compared with 40% of T− KSLA cells. Long-term multilineage repopulating cells were detected in T+ KSLA cells, but not in T− KSLA cells. An in vivo limiting dilution analysis revealed that at least 1 of 8 T+ KSLA cells were such repopulating cells. The successful secondary transplantation initiated with a limited number of T+ KSLA cells suggests that these cells have self-renewal potential. In addition, engraftment of T+ KSLA cells in conditioned newborn mice indicates that these HSCs can be adapted equally by the adult and newborn hematopoietic environments. The data suggest that T+ KSLA cells represent HSCs in the murine fetal liver.

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Surface antigen phenotypes of hematopoietic stem cells from embryos and murine embryonic stem cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2008-12-193888 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (2) ◽

pp. 268-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Shannon L. McKinney-Freeman ◽

Olaia Naveiras ◽

Frank Yates ◽

Sabine Loewer ◽

Marsha Philitas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽

Fetal Liver ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Murine Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Isolation And Characterization

Abstract Surface antigens on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) enable prospective isolation and characterization. Here, we compare the cell-surface phenotype of hematopoietic repopulating cells from murine yolk sac, aorta-gonad-mesonephros, placenta, fetal liver, and bone marrow with that of HSCs derived from the in vitro differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells (ESC-HSCs). Whereas c-Kit marks all HSC populations, CD41, CD45, CD34, and CD150 were developmentally regulated: the earliest embryonic HSCs express CD41 and CD34 and lack CD45 and CD150, whereas more mature HSCs lack CD41 and CD34 and express CD45 and CD150. ESC-HSCs express CD41 and CD150, lack CD34, and are heterogeneous for CD45. Finally, although CD48 was absent from all in vivo HSCs examined, ESC-HSCs were heterogeneous for the expression of this molecule. This unique phenotype signifies a developmentally immature population of cells with features of both primitive and mature HSC. The prospective fractionation of ESC-HSCs will facilitate studies of HSC maturation essential for normal functional engraftment in irradiated adults.

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Lymphoid reconstitution of the human fetal thymus in SCID mice with CD34+ precursor cells.

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.174.5.1283 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 174 (5) ◽

pp. 1283-1286 ◽

Cited By ~ 100

Author(s):

B Péault ◽

I L Weissman ◽

C Baum ◽

J M McCune ◽

A Tsukamoto

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

T Cells ◽

Bone Marrow Cells ◽

Fetal Liver ◽

Precursor Cell ◽

Scid Mice ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Fetal Thymus

The search for human hematopoietic stem cells has been hampered by the lack of appropriate assay systems. Demonstration of the ability of precursor cell candidates to give rise to T cells is of significant difficulty since dissociated in vitro cultured thymus stroma cells lose their ability to sustain thymocyte maturation. To define further the differentiative capacities of the rare human fetal liver and bone marrow cells that express the CD34 surface antigen and exhibit in vitro myeloid and pre-B cell activities, we have microinjected them into HLA-mismatched fetal thymus fragments, partially depleted of hematopoietic cells by low temperature culture. In vitro colonized thymuses have then been allowed to develop upon engraftment into immunodeficient SCID mice. Using this modification of the SCID-hu system, we show that low numbers of fetal CD34+ progenitor cells can repopulate the lymphoid compartment in the human thymus.

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