德國(guó)亥姆霍茲慕尼黑中心干細(xì)胞研究所10日發(fā)表公告說，該所研究人員借助一種能追蹤單個(gè)干細(xì)胞分化過程的新生物成像技術(shù)，發(fā)現(xiàn)細(xì)胞因子可以直接引導(dǎo)造血祖細(xì)胞的分化方向,。
造血干細(xì)胞在一定的微環(huán)境和某些因素的調(diào)節(jié)下,，增殖,、分化為各類血細(xì)胞的祖細(xì)胞,，即造血祖細(xì)胞?？茖W(xué)界此前已知,，細(xì)胞因子對(duì)造血祖細(xì)胞分化成什么種類的血細(xì)胞有影響。但一直存在爭(zhēng)議的是細(xì)胞因子究竟是直接影響祖細(xì)胞的分化方向,，還是在細(xì)胞分化方向已被限定后通過影響細(xì)胞的存活而對(duì)細(xì)胞種類進(jìn)行篩選,。
德國(guó)研究人員開發(fā)出一種新的生物成像技術(shù)，對(duì)老鼠單個(gè)造血祖細(xì)胞的分化過程進(jìn)行了長(zhǎng)時(shí)間觀察,。實(shí)驗(yàn)結(jié)果顯示,，在特定的細(xì)胞因子作用下，造血祖細(xì)胞只分化成單一種類的血細(xì)胞,，整個(gè)分化過程沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)細(xì)胞死亡,。研究人員由此得出結(jié)論，細(xì)胞因子受體通過激活有關(guān)信號(hào)通路可以直接引導(dǎo)細(xì)胞的分化,。
研究人員說,，利用這種生物成像新技術(shù)可以逐一跟蹤研究參與影響細(xì)胞分化過程的所有分子的具體作用，這對(duì)優(yōu)化干細(xì)胞醫(yī)療用途很有幫助,。
這一研究成果已經(jīng)發(fā)表在新一期美國(guó)《科學(xué)》雜志上,。
Science 10 July 2009:DOI: 10.1126/science.1171461
Hematopoietic Cytokines Can Instruct Lineage Choice
Michael A. Rieger, Philipp S. Hoppe, Benjamin M. Smejkal, Andrea C. Eitelhuber, Timm Schroeder*
The constant regeneration of the blood system during hematopoiesis requires tightly controlled lineage decisions of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). Because of technical limitations, differentiation of individual HPCs could not previously be analyzed continuously. It was therefore disputed whether cell-extrinsic cytokines can instruct HPC lineage choice or only allow survival of cells that are already lineage-restricted. Here, we used bioimaging approaches that allow the continuous long-term observation of individual differentiating mouse HPCs. We demonstrate that the physiological cytokines, macrophage colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, can instruct hematopoietic lineage choice.
Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg-Munich, Germany.
