Long-term ex vivo haematopoietic-stem-cell expansion allows nonconditioned transplantation

Adam C. Wilkinson, Reiko Ishida, Misako Kikuchi, Kazuhiro Sudo, Maiko Morita, Ralph Valentine Crisostomo, Ryo Yamamoto, Kyle M. Loh, Yukio Nakamura, Motoo Watanabe, Hiromitsu Nakauchi () and Satoshi Yamazaki ()
Additional contact information
Adam C. Wilkinson: Stanford University School of Medicine
Reiko Ishida: The University of Tokyo
Misako Kikuchi: The University of Tokyo
Kazuhiro Sudo: RIKEN BioResource Research Center
Maiko Morita: The University of Tokyo
Ralph Valentine Crisostomo: Stanford University School of Medicine
Ryo Yamamoto: Stanford University School of Medicine
Kyle M. Loh: Stanford University School of Medicine
Yukio Nakamura: RIKEN BioResource Research Center
Motoo Watanabe: The University of Tokyo
Hiromitsu Nakauchi: Stanford University School of Medicine
Satoshi Yamazaki: The University of Tokyo

Nature, 2019, vol. 571, issue 7763, 117-121

Abstract: Abstract Multipotent self-renewing haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) regenerate the adult blood system after transplantation1, which is a curative therapy for numerous diseases including immunodeficiencies and leukaemias2. Although substantial effort has been applied to identifying HSC maintenance factors through the characterization of the in vivo bone-marrow HSC microenvironment or niche3–5, stable ex vivo HSC expansion has previously been unattainable6,7. Here we describe the development of a defined, albumin-free culture system that supports the long-term ex vivo expansion of functional mouse HSCs. We used a systematic optimization approach, and found that high levels of thrombopoietin synergize with low levels of stem-cell factor and fibronectin to sustain HSC self-renewal. Serum albumin has long been recognized as a major source of biological contaminants in HSC cultures8; we identify polyvinyl alcohol as a functionally superior replacement for serum albumin that is compatible with good manufacturing practice. These conditions afford between 236- and 899-fold expansions of functional HSCs over 1 month, although analysis of clonally derived cultures suggests that there is considerable heterogeneity in the self-renewal capacity of HSCs ex vivo. Using this system, HSC cultures that are derived from only 50 cells robustly engraft in recipient mice without the normal requirement for toxic pre-conditioning (for example, radiation), which may be relevant for HSC transplantation in humans. These findings therefore have important implications for both basic HSC research and clinical haematology.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1244-x

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