Bone marrow-derived stem cells target retinal astrocytes and can promote or inhibit retinal angiogenesis.
Otani A, Kinder K, Ewalt K, Otero FJ, Schimmel P, Friedlander M.
Source
Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.
Abstract
Adult bone marrow (BM) contains cells capable of differentiating along hematopoietic (Lin(+)) or non-hematopoietic (Lin(-)) lineages. Lin(-) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have recently been shown to contain a population of endothelial precursor cells (EPCs) capable of forming blood vessels. Here we show that intravitreally injected Lin(-) BM cells selectively target retinal astrocytes, cells that serve as a template for both developmental and injury-associated retinal angiogenesis. When Lin(-) BM cells were injected into neonatal mouse eyes, they extensively and stably incorporated into forming retinal vasculature. When EPC-enriched HSCs were injected into the eyes of neonatal rd/rd mice, whose vasculature ordinarily degenerates with age, they rescued and maintained a normal vasculature. In contrast, normal retinal angiogenesis was inhibited when EPCs expressing a potent angiostatic protein were injected. We have demonstrated that Lin(-) BM cells and astrocytes specifically interact with one another during normal angiogenesis and pathological vascular degeneration in the retina. Selective targeting with Lin(-) HSC may be a useful therapeutic approach for the treatment of many ocular diseases.
Comment in
- Stem cells go for the eyes. [Nat Med. 2002]
Stem cells go for the eyes.Smith LE. Nat Med. 2002 Sep; 8(9):932-4.
PMID:
12145646
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]