inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

Department of Biotechnology
Department of Biotechnology
inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

HLF and hTERT cooperatively enable partial immortalization of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Publication Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

January 1, 2025

Journal

Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology

Volume/Issue

13

ISSN

2296-4185

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), residing at the apex of the hematopoietic hierarchy, are critical for the generation of all blood and immune cell lineages. This unique capacity makes HSPCs indispensable for advancing cell and gene therapies aimed at correcting defects across hematopoietic lineages. However, current gene therapy development is constrained by the requirement for fresh primary HSPCs, hindering the breadth of preclinical validation. While several hematopoietic lineages have been immortalized to facilitate research, the stable immortalization of human HSPCs remains unreported. Here, we demonstrate that combinatorial overexpression of HLF, a key regulator of stem cell maintenance, and hTERT, a telomere maintenance factor in primitive human HSCs, supported by BaEV-mediated transduction and optimized culture conditions, yields partial immortalization of HSPCs. These genetically modified cells sustained for up to 70 days and exhibited limited differentiation towards erythroid, megakaryocytic, and macrophage lineages. Our model establishes a protocol for generating primary cell like context for testing gene therapy strategies, enabling functional assessment in both undifferentiated HSPCs and their lineage-committed progeny.

Alternate Journal

Front Bioeng Biotechnol

PubMed ID

41602466

PubMed Central ID

PMC12833506

Authors

Azhagiri MKK
Verhoeyen E
Mohankumar KM
Marepally SK
Venkatesan V
Thangavel S