Dendritic cells can be successfully generated from CD34+ cord blood cells in the presence of autologous cord blood plasma

• Published in: Bone marrow transplantation (Basingstoke) Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 371 - 376
• Main Authors: BORRAS, F. E, MATTHEWS, N. C, PATEL, R, NAVARRETE, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01-08-2000
• Subjects: Adjuvants; Adult; Antigens, CD34 - blood; Autografts; Biological and medical sciences; Blood cells; Blood plasma; Bone marrow; Bone marrow transplantation; CD34 antigen; CD40 antigen; CD80 antigen; CD83 antigen; CD86 antigen; Cell culture; Cell Culture Techniques - methods; Cell cultures. Hybridization. Fusion; Cell differentiation; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Division - drug effects; Cord blood; Culture Media - pharmacology; Cytokines; Cytology; Dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - cytology; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Dendritic structure; Fetal Blood - cytology; Fetal Blood - immunology; Flow cytometry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; Hematopoietic stem cells; Histocompatibility antigen HLA; HLA-DQ Antigens - blood; HLA-DQ Antigens - drug effects; HLA-DR Antigens - blood; HLA-DR Antigens - drug effects; Homology; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Immunotherapy; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Lymphocytes; Molecular and cellular biology; Monocytes; Phenotypes; Plasma; Serum proteins; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Transplantation; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Human; Dendritic cell; Cell culture; Stem cell; Hematopoietic cell; Accessory cell; Autologous system; Umbilical cord; Cell differentiation; Cell subpopulation; Blood; Blood plasma
• ISSN: 0268-3369; 1476-5365
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1702525

Dendritic cells (DCs) are currently being considered as adjuvants in immunotherapy. Depending on their source and culture conditions, they show different features and maturation states. Dendritic cells can be generated from monocytes and CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells, from both adult and cord blood. Here, we report the generation of mature DCs from enriched CD34+ cord blood (CB) cells using autologous cord blood plasma (ACBP) as a source of serum proteins and factors. In the presence of ACBP, CD34+ cells proliferated and differentiated resulting in a population of cells with a dendritic phenotype as assessed by morphology and flow cytometry analyses. The DC population obtained using ACBP showed higher levels of HLA class II molecules, co-stimulatory molecules including CD40, CD80 or CD86, and the dendritic cell marker CD83, compared with those generated in adult blood serum (ABS). Furthermore, the DCs generated in the presence of ACBP were more potent stimulatory cells in the mixed lymphocyte:dendritic cell reactions (MLDCR), compared to cells generated in ABS. Similar results were obtained using homologous cord blood plasma (HCBP). These results show that ACBP can support the generation of DCs from CD34+ progenitor cells when only GM-CSF and TNFalpha are used as differentiating cytokines.