The overall objective of the proposed study is to delineate the parameters that permit the long-term engraftment and expression of fetal and adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) transplanted in utero without cytoablation and without graft-vs-host disease (GVHD). Specifically, we will the sheep as the large animal experimental model to achieve more efficient HSC engraftment by a) determining the optimal concentrations of fetal and adult sheep cells that will result in the most efficient HSC engraftment, b) the effect of upmodulation of HSC homing receptor activity on donor cell engraftment, and c) the role of donor T cell subsets in grafting efficiency and GVHD. Modulation of homing receptor activity and in vitro transduction of autologous HSC will be used to study a) the mechanism(s) underlying the naturally occurring switches in primary sites of hematopoiesis from yolk sac to liver and bone marrow during ontogeny, and b) the role of bone marrow (and liver) in blood cell production during the early prenatal periods. It is hoped that the in utero HSc transplantation procedures developed here will permit the treatment of some lymphohematopoietic disorders in utero before the disease has had a chance to clinically compromise the patient.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37HL049042-08
Application #
6056248
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG4-HEM-1 (02))
Project Start
1992-09-01
Project End
2002-08-31
Budget Start
1999-09-01
Budget End
2000-08-31
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Sierra Biomedical Research Corporation
Department
Type
DUNS #
783285752
City
Reno
State
NV
Country
United States
Zip Code
89502
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Ersek, Adel; Pixley, John S; Goodrich, A Daisy et al. (2010) Persistent circulating human insulin in sheep transplanted in utero with human mesenchymal stem cells. Exp Hematol 38:311-20
Skopal-Chase, Jessica L; Pixley, John S; Torabi, Alireza et al. (2009) Immune ontogeny and engraftment receptivity in the sheep fetus. Fetal Diagn Ther 25:102-10
Porada, Christopher D; Harrison-Findik, Duygu D; Sanada, Chad et al. (2008) Development and characterization of a novel CD34 monoclonal antibody that identifies sheep hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Exp Hematol 36:1739-49
Porada, Christopher D; Zanjani, Esmail D; Almeida-Porad, Graca (2006) Adult mesenchymal stem cells: a pluripotent population with multiple applications. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 1:365-9
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Lucas, M Lee; Seidel, Nancy E; Porada, Christopher D et al. (2005) Improved transduction of human sheep repopulating cells by retrovirus vectors pseudotyped with feline leukemia virus type C or RD114 envelopes. Blood 106:51-8
Porada, Christopher D; Park, Paul J; Tellez, Joe et al. (2005) Male germ-line cells are at risk following direct-injection retroviral-mediated gene transfer in utero. Mol Ther 12:754-62
Porada, Christopher D; Park, Paul J; Almeida-Porada, Graca et al. (2005) Gestational age of recipient determines pattern and level of transgene expression following in utero retroviral gene transfer. Mol Ther 11:284-93
Airey, Judith A; Almeida-Porada, Graca; Colletti, Evan J et al. (2004) Human mesenchymal stem cells form Purkinje fibers in fetal sheep heart. Circulation 109:1401-7

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