Stem Cell Subtypes Discovered: Could Lead To Improved Leukemia
Treatments
Science Daily — In a landmark study, researchers at the BC Cancer
Agency have discovered that all blood stem cells are not created
equal. The discovery adds another layer of understanding about the
basic biology of blood stem cells, which may lead to improved
treatments for leukemia patients.
Published in the August edition of Cell Stem Cell, the study by Dr.
Connie Eaves and her team at the BC Cancer Agency's Terry Fox
Laboratory identified distinct subtypes of blood stem cells in the
adult mouse. Each stem cell subtype behaves uniquely and produces
different types of mature blood cells in a transplant setting.
"For the first time, we have been able to show that in mice there are
different types of blood stem cells that can perpetuate themselves
for a lifetime," says Dr. Brad Dykstra, first author of the
paper. "This could have important implications for understanding
human leukemia since many leukemias are thought to arise from a
single blood stem cell."
If this discovery holds true in humans, it could explain why certain
leukemias are harder to treat. Transplanting specific stem cell
subtypes that produce different amounts of mature blood cells might
also make bone marrow transplants more effective and improve outcomes
for patients.
Blood stem cells are highly versatile, self-sustaining cells that can
generate multiple types of other specialized cells that make up our
blood, including immune cells, platelet-producing cells, red blood
cells and other infection-fighting white cells.
"This discovery has really turned the field on its head," explains
Dr. Connie Eaves, Director of the BC Cancer Agency's Terry Fox
Laboratory. "For many years, it has been assumed that all blood stem
cells are identical and that the differences in their behaviour are
determined by the stimuli they receive from their environment and a
differential partitioning of limited internal components."
"Our evidence that individual blood stem cells have intrinsic
differences will now force a major change in how we will have to
investigate normal blood cell development and leukemogenesis at a
molecular level," adds Dr. Eaves.
The discovery was made by isolating a tiny sub-population of adult
mouse bone marrow that is highly enriched in blood stem cells and
then transplanting them as single cells into irradiated mice whose
own blood cells could be distinguished from the progeny of the
injected cell. The power of a single cell transplant is that all of
the cells it subsequently produces can be tracked throughout the
entire post-transplant period.
The next step, currently underway at the BC Cancer Agency, an agency
of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is to isolate the
different subtypes of blood stem cells and study the genes and
proteins that dictate their behaviour.
The BC Cancer Foundation provides core funding for research at the BC
Cancer Agency. Funding for this research was also provided by the
National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Terry Fox Foundation, the
Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and Genome BC/Genome
Canada.
In 2007, an estimated 493 British Columbians will be diagnosed with
leukemia and 326 will die of it. One in 99 females and one in 71
males is expected to develop leukemia during their lifetime.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by BC
Cancer Agency.
http://www.scienced
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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