Open AccessThrombopoietin, a Direct Stimulator of Viability and Multilineage Growth of Primitive Bone Marrow Progenitor Cells
Author(s) -
Jacobsen Sten Eirik W.,
Borge Ole J.,
Ramsfjell Veslemøy,
Cui Li,
Cardier José E.,
Veiby Ole P.,
Murphy Martin J.,
Lok Si
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.5530140722
Subject(s) - thrombopoietin , biology , progenitor cell , megakaryocytopoiesis , haematopoiesis , microbiology and biotechnology , stem cell factor , stem cell , bone marrow , immunology , progenitor , cancer research
Thrombopoietin (TPO), the ligand for c‐ mpl , has recently been demonstrated to be the primary regulator of megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet production. In addition, several studies have demonstrated that c‐ mpl is expressed on hematopoietic cell populations highly enriched in primitive progenitor cells. Here we summarize and discuss recent studies from our laboratory, as well as others, demonstrating that TPO has effects on primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. When acting alone, TPO stimulates little or no growth, but promotes viability and suppresses apoptosis of murine multipotent (Lin Sea‐1 + ) bone marrow progenitor cells in vitro. In addition, TPO directly and potently synergizes with other early acting cytokines (kit ligand, flt3 ligand and interleukin 3) to promote multilineage growth of the same progenitor cell population. Although it remains to be established whether TPO also acts on the long‐term reconstituting pluripotent stem cells, these studies combined with progenitor cell studies in c‐ mpl ‐deficient mice, suggest that TPO, in addition to its key role in platelet production, might also have an important impact on early hematopoiesis.