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Objective . To improve our knowledge about the biological effects of over exposures involving low-energy x-rays, we developed and characterized a preclinical mouse model allowing to mimic different lesion severity degrees induced by 80 kV x-ray depending on the dose and protocol (single or repeated exposure). Approach . Mice were locally exposed (paw) to 80 kV x-rays in a single (15, 30 or 45 Gy in K air ) or repeated exposition (2 × 15 or 3 × 15 Gy in K air ) to assess different degrees of lesion severity. Six post-irradiation euthanasia time points (0, 7, 14, 21, 42, and 84 days) were determined to follow up the evolution of lesions based on the lesion score, weighing and cutaneous blood perfusion. The bone dose was estimated at the different time points by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Main results . The monitoring of the lesion severity allows to classify the exposure protocols according to their severity. EPR spectroscopy measurements allow to determine the bone dose on the day of irradiation which is 7 times higher than the initial dose for single protocols. However, the initial signal measured at the end of the repeated exposure was 27% lower than the signal measured for a single dose. The study of the kinetics of EPR signal showed a decrease of the EPR signal which is dependent on the exposure protocol but not on dose highlighting the impact of bone physiology on the bone dose estimation. Significance : the preclinical model developed allows to assess the impact of the dose and protocol on the lesion severity induced by low-energy x-ray. For the first time, the dynamics of free radicals have been quantified in an in vivo model, highlighting that the doses actually administered can be underestimated if samples are taken weeks or even months after exposure., (© 2024 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.)

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the rare cells responsible for the lifelong curative effects of hematopoietic cell (HC) transplantation. The demand for clinical-grade HSCs has increased significantly in recent decades, leading to major difficulties in treating patients. A promising but not yet achieved goal is the generation of HSCs from pluripotent stem cells. Here, we have obtained vector- and stroma-free transplantable HSCs by differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) using an original one-step culture system. After injection into immunocompromised mice, cells derived from hiPSCs settle in the bone marrow and form a robust multilineage hematopoietic population that can be serially transplanted. Single-cell RNA sequencing shows that this repopulating activity is due to a hematopoietic population that is transcriptionally similar to human embryonic aorta-derived HSCs. Overall, our results demonstrate the generation of HSCs from hiPSCs and will help identify key regulators of HSC production during human ontogeny., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Interventional radiology has grown considerably over the last decades and become an essential tool for treatment or diagnosis. This technique is mostly beneficial and mastered but accidental overexposure can occur and lead to the appearance of deterministic effects. The lack of knowledge about the radiobiological consequences for the low-energy X-rays used for these practices makes the prognosis very uncertain for the different tissues. In order to improve the radiation protection of patients and better predict the risk of complications, we implemented a new preclinical mouse model to mimic radiological burn in interventional radiology and performed a complete characterization of the dose deposition. A new setup and collimator were designed to irradiate the hind legs of 15 mice at 30 Gy in air kerma at 80 kV. After irradiation, mice tibias were collected to evaluate bone dose by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy measurements. Monte Carlo simulations with Geant4 were performed in simplified and voxelized phantoms to characterize the dose deposition in different tissues and evaluate the characteristics of secondary electrons (energy, path, momentum). 30 mice tibias were collected for EPR analysis. An average absorbed dose of 194.0 ± 27.0 Gy was measured in bone initially irradiated at 30 Gy in air kerma. A bone to air conversion factor of 6.5 ± 0.9 was determined. Inter sample and inter mice variability has been estimated to 13.9%. Monte Carlo simulations shown the heterogeneity of the dose deposition for these low X-rays energies and the dose enhancement in dense tissue. The specificities of the secondary electrons were studied and showed the influence of the tissue density on energies and paths. A good agreement between the experimental and calculated bone to air conversion factor was obtained. A new preclinical model allowing to perform radiological burn in interventional radiology-like conditions was implemented. For the development of new preclinical radiobiological model where the exact knowledge of the dose deposited in the different tissues is essential, the complementarity of Monte Carlo simulations and experimental measurements for the dosimetric characterization has proven to be a considerable asset., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Guillou, L’Homme, Trompier, Gruel, Prezado and Dos Santos.)

Purpose: Radiation-induced cellular senescence is a double-edged sword, acting as both a tumor suppression process limiting tumor proliferation, and a crucial process contributing to normal tissue injury. Endothelial cells play a role in normal tissue injury after radiation therapy. Recently, a study observed an accumulation of senescent endothelial cells (ECs) around radiation-induced lung focal lesions following stereotactic radiation injury in mice. However, the effect of radiation on EC senescence remains unclear because it depends on dose and fractionation, and because the senescent phenotype is heterogeneous and dynamic., Methods and Materials: Using a systems biology approach in vitro, we deciphered the dynamic senescence-associated transcriptional program induced by irradiation., Results: Flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing experiments revealed the heterogeneous senescent status of irradiated ECs and allowed to deciphered the molecular program involved in this status. We identified the Interleukin-1 signaling pathway as a key player in the radiation-induced premature senescence of ECs, as well as the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition process, which shares strong hallmarks of senescence., Conclusions: Our work provides crucial information on the dynamics of the radiation-induced premature senescence process, the effect of the radiation dose, as well as the molecular program involved in the heterogeneous senescent status of ECs., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In case of nuclear power plant accidents resulting in the release of radioactive iodine ( 131 I) in large amounts, a single intake of stable iodine is recommended in order to prevent 131 I fixation to the thyroid gland. However, in situations of prolonged exposure to 131 I (e.g. Fukushima-Daiichi natural and nuclear disaster), repetitive administration of iodine may be necessary to ensure adequate protection, with acceptable safety in vulnerable populations including pregnant women. Here we conducted toxicological studies on adult rats progeny following prolonged exposure to potassium iodide (KI) in utero . Pregnant Wistar rats were treated with 1 mg kg d -1 KI or saline water for 2 or 4 d either between gestation days gestational day (GD) GD 9-12, or GD13-16. Plasma samples from the progeny were tested 30 d post-weaning for clinical biochemistry, thyroid hormones, and anti-thyroid antibody levels. Thyroid and brain were collected for gene expression analysis. The hormonal status was similar for the mothers in all experimental conditions. In the offspring, while thyroid-stimulating hormone and anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibody levels were similar in all groups, a significant increase of FT3 and FT4 levels was observed in GD9-GD10 and in GD13-GD14 animals treated for 2 d, respectively. In addition, FT4 levels were mildly decreased in 4 d treated GD13-16 individuals. Moreover, a significant decrease in the expression level of thyroid genes involved in iodide metabolism, TPO and apical iodide transporter, was observed in GD13-GD14 animals treated for 2 d. We conclude that repeated KI administration for 2-4 d during gestation did not induce strong thyroid toxicity., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

Fibrosis is a leading cause of death in occidental states. The increasing number of patients with fibrosis requires innovative approaches. Despite the proven beneficial effects of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy on fibrosis, there is little evidence of their anti-fibrotic effects in colorectal fibrosis. The ability of MSCs to reduce radiation-induced colorectal fibrosis has been studied in vivo in Sprague-Dawley rats. After local radiation exposure, rats were injected with MSCs before an initiation of fibrosis. MSCs mediated a downregulation of fibrogenesis by a control of extra cellular matrix (ECM) turnover. For a better understanding of the mechanisms, we used an in vitro model of irradiated cocultured colorectal fibrosis in the presence of human MSCs. Pro-fibrotic cells in the colon are mainly intestinal fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Intestinal fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells were irradiated and cocultured in the presence of unirradiated MSCs. MSCs mediated a decrease in profibrotic gene expression and proteins secretion. Silencing hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6) in MSCs confirmed the complementary effects of these two genes. HGF and TSG-6 limited the progression of fibrosis by reducing activation of the smooth muscle cells and myofibroblast. To settle in vivo the contribution of HGF and TSG-6 in MSC-antifibrotic effects, rats were treated with MSCs silenced for HGF or TSG-6. HGF and TSG-6 silencing in transplanted MSCs resulted in a significant increase in ECM deposition in colon. These results emphasize the potential of MSCs to influence the pathophysiology of fibrosis-related diseases, which represent a challenging area for innovative treatments.

Background: Human exposure to high doses of radiation resulting in acute radiation syndrome and death can rapidly escalate to a mass casualty catastrophe in the event of nuclear accidents or terrorism. The primary reason is that there is presently no effective treatment option, especially for radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome. This syndrome results from disruption of mucosal barrier integrity leading to severe dehydration, blood loss, and sepsis. In this study, we tested whether extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) could reduce radiation-related mucosal barrier damage and reduce radiation-induced animal mortality., Methods: Human MSC-derived extracellular vesicles were intravenously administered to NUDE mice, 3, 24, and 48 h after lethal whole-body irradiation (10 Gy). Integrity of the small intestine epithelial barrier was assessed by morphologic analysis, immunostaining for tight junction protein (claudin-3), and in vivo permeability to 4 kDa FITC-labeled dextran. Renewal of the small intestinal epithelium was determined by quantifying epithelial cell apoptosis (TUNEL staining) and proliferation (Ki67 immunostaining). Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA followed by a Tukey test. Statistical analyses of mouse survival were performed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox methods., Results: We demonstrated that MSC-derived extracellular vesicle treatment reduced by 85% the instantaneous mortality risk in mice subjected to 10 Gy whole-body irradiation and so increased their survival time. This effect could be attributed to the efficacy of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles in reducing mucosal barrier disruption. We showed that the MSC-derived extracellular vesicles improved the renewal of the small intestinal epithelium by stimulating proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of the epithelial crypt cells. The MSC-derived extracellular vesicles also reduced radiation-induced mucosal permeability as evidenced by the preservation of claudin-3 immunostaining at the tight junctions of the epithelium., Conclusions: MSC-derived extracellular vesicles promote epithelial repair and regeneration and preserve structural integrity of the intestinal epithelium in mice exposed to radiation-induced gastrointestinal toxicity. Our results suggest that the administration of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles could be an effective therapy for limiting acute radiation syndrome.

We here determine the influence of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy on the progression of solid tumors. The influence of MSCs was investigated in human colorectal cancer cells as well as in an immunocompetent rat model of colorectal carcinogenesis representative of the human pathology. Treatment with bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs significantly reduced both cancer initiation and cancer progression by increasing the number of tumor-free animals as well as decreasing the number and the size of the tumors by half, thereby extending their lifespan. The attenuation of cancer progression was mediated by the capacity of the MSCs to modulate the immune component. Specifically, in the adenocarcinomas (ADKs) of MSC-treated rats, the infiltration of CD68+ monocytes/macrophages was 50% less while the presence of CD3+ lymphocytes increased almost twofold. The MSCs reprogrammed the macrophages to become regulatory cells involved in phagocytosis thereby inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the MSCs decreased NK (Natural Killer) and rTh17 cell activities, Treg recruitment, the presence of CD8+ lymphocytes and endothelial cells while restoring Th17 cell activity. The expression of miR-150 and miR-7 increased up to fivefold indicating a likely role for these miRNAs in the modulation of tumor growth. Importantly, MSC administration limited the damage of healthy tissues and attenuated tumor growth following radiotherapy. Taken together, we here show that that MSCs have durable action on colon cancer development by modulating the immune component of the tumor microenvironment. In addition, we identify two miRNAs associated with the capacity of MSCs to attenuate cancer growth. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;8:285&300., (© 2018 The Authors. Stem Cells Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.)

Background: Medical management of the severe musculocutaneous radiation syndrome involves surgical intervention with debridement of necrotic tissue. Even when skin excision is replaced by specific plastic surgery, treatment of the muscle radiation injury nonetheless remains difficult, for it involves a massive muscle defect in an unpredictable environment, subject to inflammatory waves weeks to months after irradiation, which delay healing and predispose the patient to the development of fibrous scar tissue. In this study, we investigated the long-term effect of local injections of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs), combined with plastic surgery, to treat muscle necrosis in a large animal model., Methods: Three months after irradiation to the rump, minipigs were treated by excision of necrotic muscle tissue, vascularized flap surgery, and four injections with or without local autologous BM-MSCs, performed weekly. The quality of the muscle wound healing was examined 1 year post-surgery., Results: The skeletal muscle surgery without MSC treatment led to permanent deposition of collagen 1 and 3, decreased myofiber diameter, failed muscle fiber regeneration, a reduced number of capillaries, and the accumulation of high calcium and fat. In animals treated by surgery and MSC injections, these indicators were substantially better and demonstrated established regeneration. MSC therapy acts at several levels by stimulating growth factors such as VEGF, which is involved in angiogenesis and satellite cell pool maintenance, and creating a macrophage M1/M2 balance., Conclusion: Thus, cell therapy using BM-MSCs is an effective and safe way to improve recovery of irradiation-induced skeletal muscle damage without signs of long-term degeneration.

Cutaneous radiation syndrome has severe long-term health consequences. Because it causes an unpredictable course of inflammatory waves, conventional surgical treatment is ineffective and often leads to a fibronecrotic process. Data about the long-term stability of healed wounds, with neither inflammation nor resumption of fibrosis, are lacking. In this study, we investigated the effect of injections of local autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs), combined with plastic surgery for skin necrosis, in a large-animal model. Three months after irradiation overexposure to the rump, minipigs were divided into three groups: one group treated by simple excision of the necrotic tissue, the second by vascularized-flap surgery, and the third by vascularized-flap surgery and local autologous BM-MSC injections. Three additional injections of the BM-MSCs were performed weekly for 3 weeks. The quality of cutaneous wound healing was examined 1 year post-treatment. The necrotic tissue excision induced a pathologic scar characterized by myofibroblasts, excessive collagen-1 deposits, and inadequate vascular density. The vascularized-flap surgery alone was accompanied by inadequate production of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins (decorin, fibronectin); the low col1/col3 ratio, associated with persistent inflammatory nodules, and the loss of vascularization both attested to continued immaturity of the ECM. BM-MSC therapy combined with vascularized-flap surgery provided mature wound healing characterized by a col1/col3 ratio and decorin and fibronectin expression that were all similar to that of nonirradiated skin, with no inflammation, and vascular stability. In this preclinical model, vascularized flap surgery successfully and lastingly remodeled irradiated skin only when combined with BM-MSC therapy. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018:569-582., (© 2018 The Authors Stem Cells Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.)

The complex mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the headspace of Trappist and craft beers was studied to illustrate the efficiency of thermal desorption (TD) comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) for highlighting subtle differences between highly complex mixtures of VOCs. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), multiple (and classical) stir bar sorptive extraction (mSBSE), static headspace (SHS), and dynamic headspace (DHS) were compared for the extraction of a set of 21 representative flavor compounds of beer aroma. A Box-Behnken surface response methodology experimental design optimization (DOE) was used for convex hull calculation (Delaunay's triangulation algorithms) of peak dispersion in the chromatographic space. The predicted value of 0.5 for the ratio between the convex hull and the available space was 10% higher than the experimental value, demonstrating the usefulness of the approach to improve optimization of the GC×GC separation. Chemical variations amongst aligned chromatograms were studied by means of Fisher Ratio (FR) determination and F-distribution threshold filtration at different significance levels (α=0.05 and 0.01) and based on z-score normalized area for data reduction. Statistically significant compounds were highlighted following principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The dendrogram structure not only provided clear visual information about similarities between products but also permitted direct identification of the chemicals and their relative weight in clustering. The effective coupling of DHS-TD-GC×GC-TOFMS with PCA and HCA was able to highlight the differences and common typical VOC patterns among 24 samples of different Trappist and selected Canadian craft beers., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Quite recently, the presence of significant amounts of several emerging Dechlorane (Dec) flame retardants (FRs) was reported in environmental and biota samples, principally from Canada and China, but also from Europe. Several molecules were identified, e.g. Dec 602, 603, 604, Dechlorane Plus (DP), and Chlordene Plus (CP). Gas chromatography (GC) coupled to electron ionization (EI) high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is typically used for their measurement in various matrices based on hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HCCPD) fragment ions at m/z 271.8102/273.8072., Methods: We investigated the use of GC with cryogenic zone compression and electron capture negative ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CZC-GC/ECNI-TOFMS) to measure Dechlorane compounds at low levels in human serum. The TOFMS instrument provided a resolving power of 5000 (FWHM) with an acquisition rate of 25 Hz and was equipped with a specific low thermal emission filament, which allowed it to perform reproducibly in ECNI mode at ion source temperatures as low as 140°C, thus yielding a signal for the molecular ion cluster., Results: The method provided comparable sensitivity to the GC/EI-SectorHRMS technique used in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, and specificity for the target Dechlorane compounds. The method was applied on human serum samples and quantification was performed for Dec 602, Dec 603, and CP, ranging from 0.1 to 10 ng/g lipid weight levels. The main drawbacks of the method are the high instrument detection limits (IDLs) obtained for DP and Dec 604. The method would benefit from even softer ionization and better ion transmission., Conclusions: The main advantages of the present method are the selectivity, as detection is based on the molecular ion signal, and the use of good mass accuracy combined with isotopic distribution calculation for molecular formulae investigation of halogenated compounds. This methodology should facilitate the monitoring of emerging Dechlorane contaminants in future studies, and possibly extend the scope to untargeted emerging analogues. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Dechloranes, including Dechlorane Plus (syn- and anti-isomers), Dechlorane 602, Dechlorane 603, Dechlorane 604, Chlordene Plus, and Mirex are used as flame-retardants and were recently found in human serum of the European population. In order to investigate if food consumption would possibly be a significant route of exposure, we developed a method for the measurement of Dechloranes in food and feed. We showed that it was possible to extend the scope of the regular polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin like (DL-), and non-dioxin like (NDL-) regulated PCBs clean-up and fractionation procedure to Dechloranes and that no compound degradation occurred during the strong acidic treatments used for lipid digestion. Dechloranes were measured by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQMS/MS). We optimized injection parameters by face centered experimental design (FCD). The electron ionization fragmentation was investigated to set appropriate multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions. Instrumental and method limits of quantitation (iLOQs and mLOQs) were determined following EU guidelines for dioxin analyses in food. A total of 88 samples were analyzed to assess the prevalence of this route of exposure to humans. Average levels of the sum of Dechloranes ranged from 10 to 31pg/g fat, with the exception of fish, feed additives, and corn that were reported in pg/g wet weight at average levels of 9, 12, and 2pg/g ww. Based on Belgian food habits, a dietary intake was estimated to be 136pg/day. The relatively low reported levels indicate that other routes of human exposure should be considered., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has recently been investigated as a potential treatment for cutaneous radiation burns. We tested the hypothesis that injection of local gingival fibroblasts (GFs) would promote healing of radiation burn lesions and compared results with those for MSC transplantation. Human clinical- grade GFs or bone marrow-derived MSCs were intradermally injected into mice 21 days after local leg irradiation. Immunostaining and real-time PCR analysis were used to assess the effects of each treatment on extracellular matrix remodeling and inflammation in skin on days 28 and 50 postirradiation. GFs induced the early development of thick, fully regenerated epidermis, skin appendages, and hair follicles, earlier than MSCs did. The acceleration of wound healing by GFs involved rearrangement of the deposited collagen, modification of the Col/MMP/TIMP balance, and modulation of the expression and localization of tenascin-C and of the expression of growth factors (VEGF, EGF, and FGF7). As MSC treatment did, GF injection decreased the irradiation-induced inflammatory response and switched the differentiation of macrophages toward an M2-like phenotype, characterized by CD163(+) macrophage infiltration and strong expression of arginase-1. These findings indicate that GFs are an attractive target for regenerative medicine, for easier to collect, can grow in culture, and promote cutaneous wound healing in irradiation burn lesions.

The European Regulations laying down methods of sampling and analysis for the EU official control of levels of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychloro-dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like (DL) and non dioxin-like (NDL) PCBs in food and feed have been recently amended by EU Regulation Nos. 589/2014 and 709/2014. A major update is the recognition of gas chromatography (GC) triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQMS/MS) as a confirmatory tool for checking compliance with maximum levels (ML). These revisions have been initiated since this technology now exhibits similar performances to GC (magnetic sector) high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS). In this paper, we show a fully validated method for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs analysis in feed material of plant origin (vegetable oil) using GC-QQQMS/MS following the dedicated EU Regulation 709/2014. We show that individual analytical criteria (selectivity, linearity, quant/qual MRM transitions, accuracy around ML of 1.50ng WHO2005TEQ/kg, within-lab reproducibility, robustness, and background subtraction) meet the strict requirements set by the EU Regulation. We also propose a clear interpretation of instrumental limit of quantitation (iLOQ) as a 'performance-LOQ', defined in a specific way for GC-QQQMS/MS, and method limit of quantitation (mLOQ) as 'real-LOQ' that is used to report bound results. Eventually, the evaluation of measurement uncertainty, following a top-down approach and data produced with our method, demonstrates similar results than with GC-HRMS, thus offering a reliable alternative to the standard method for vegetable oil., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

During human embryonic stem cell (ESC) hematopoietic differentiation, the description of the initial steps of lymphopoiesis remains elusive. Using a two-step culture procedure, we identified two original populations of ESC-derived hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) with CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(-) and CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(+) phenotypes. Bulk cultures and limiting dilution assays, culture with MS5 cells in the presence of Notch ligand Delta-like-1 (DL-1), and ex vivo colonization tests using fetal thymic organ cultures showed that although CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(-) HPCs could generate cells of the three lymphoid lineages, their potential was skewed toward the B cell lineages. In contrast, CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(+) HPCs predominantly exhibited a T/natural killer (NK) cell differentiation potential. Furthermore these cells could differentiate equivalently into cells of the granulo-macrophagic lineage and dendritic cells and lacked erythroid potential. Expression profiling of 18 markers by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed that CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(-) and CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(+) HPCs express genes of the lymphoid specification and that CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(-) cells express B-cell-associated genes, while CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(+) HPCs display a T-cell molecular profile. Altogether, these findings indicate that CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(-) and CD34(+)CD45RA(+)CD7(+) HPCs correspond to candidate multipotent early lymphoid progenitors polarized toward either the B or T/NK lineage, respectively. This work should improve our understanding of the early steps of lymphopoiesis from pluripotent stem cells and pave the way for the production of lymphocytes for cell-based immunotherapy and lymphoid development studies.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be induced to differentiate into blood cells using either co-culture with stromal cells or following human embryoid bodies (hEBs) formation. It is now well established that the HOXB4 homeoprotein promotes the expansion of human adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) but also myeloid and lymphoid progenitors. However, the role of HOXB4 in the development of hematopoietic cells from hESCs and particularly in the generation of hESC-derived NK-progenitor cells remains elusive. Based on the ability of HOXB4 to passively enter hematopoietic cells in a system that comprises a co-culture with the MS-5/SP-HOXB4 stromal cells, we provide evidence that HOXB4 delivery promotes the enrichment of hEB-derived precursors that could differentiate into fully mature and functional NK. These hEB-derived NK cells enriched by HOXB4 were characterized according to their CMH class I receptor expression, their cytotoxic arsenal, their expression of IFNγ and CD107a after stimulation and their lytic activity. Furthermore our study provides new insights into the gene expression profile of hEB-derived cells exposed to HOXB4 and shows the emergence of CD34(+)CD45RA(+) precursors from hEBs indicating the lymphoid specification of hESC-derived hematopoietic precursors. Altogether, our results outline the effects of HOXB4 in combination with stromal cells in the development of NK cells from hESCs and suggest the potential use of HOXB4 protein for NK-cell enrichment from pluripotent stem cells.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a severe brain demyelinating disease in boys that is caused by a deficiency in ALD protein, an adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter encoded by the ABCD1 gene. ALD progression can be halted by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We initiated a gene therapy trial in two ALD patients for whom there were no matched donors. Autologous CD34+ cells were removed from the patients, genetically corrected ex vivo with a lentiviral vector encoding wild-type ABCD1, and then re-infused into the patients after they had received myeloablative treatment. Over a span of 24 to 30 months of follow-up, we detected polyclonal reconstitution, with 9 to 14% of granulocytes, monocytes, and T and B lymphocytes expressing the ALD protein. These results strongly suggest that hematopoietic stem cells were transduced in the patients. Beginning 14 to 16 months after infusion of the genetically corrected cells, progressive cerebral demyelination in the two patients stopped, a clinical outcome comparable to that achieved by allogeneic HCT. Thus, lentiviral-mediated gene therapy of hematopoietic stem cells can provide clinical benefits in ALD.