Open AccessRegulatory Roles of the Ligand for Flk2/Flt3 Tyrosine Kinase Receptor on Human Hematopoiesis
Author(s) -
Namikawa Reiko,
Muench Marcus O.,
Roncarolo MariaGrazia
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.159
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1549-4918
pISSN - 1066-5099
DOI - 10.1002/stem.140388
Subject(s) - biology , haematopoiesis , progenitor cell , fms like tyrosine kinase 3 , microbiology and biotechnology , clonogenic assay , interleukin 3 , myeloid , stem cell , tyrosine kinase , stem cell factor , cancer research , immunology , signal transduction , in vitro , t cell , biochemistry , antigen presenting cell , immune system , mutation , gene
The biological activities of the ligand for the Flk2/Flt3 receptor tyrosine kinase (FL) on human hematopoietic cells are reviewed. In in vitro studies, FL shows relatively few effects by itself on the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells, but exhibits a potent costimulatory activity in enhancing the proliferation of progenitor cells of multiple lineages. FL promotes the growth of clonogenic myeloid progenitor cells in the presence of other cytokines known to be active on myeloid progenitors, including GM‐CSF, interleukin 3 (IL‐3), kit ligand (KL), M‐CSF and G‐CSF. In addition, FL synergizes with IL‐7 in inducing the proliferation of pro‐B cells, whereas FL has little effect on the growth of clonogenic erythroid progenitors. Furthermore, FL induces the in vitro expansion of the high proliferative potential colony‐forming cells (HPP‐CFC) and stimulates the proliferation of long‐term culture‐initiating cells (LTC‐IC), suggesting an activity on the proliferation of putative stem cells. Thus, FL plays important roles in regulating the proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and, therefore, may have therapeutic applications.