Spatial Analysis of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in the Bone Marrow

Sustained production of all mature blood cell types relies on the continuous proliferation and differentiation of a rare population of self-renewing, multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSC maintenance and lineage differentiation are strictly regulated by distinct microenvironments, termed niches, defined by cellular components, soluble regulators, and by the extracellular matrix. Definitive identification of the location as well as cellular and extracellular characteristics of HSC niches in the bone marrow (BM) has not been completed due to limitations of conventional imaging techniques. We have employed a novel imaging technology, Laser Scanning Cytometry (LSC) to define the localization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) within different regions of the BM. LSC allows imaging and objective quantitative analysis of the anatomical position(s), number, and frequency of specific cell populations within the native tissue microenvironment. Analysis of whole femoral longitudinal sections of Bmi-GFP mice, in which GFP is expressed at its highest levels in HSPCs, revealed that within the bone diaphysis, HSPCs (Bmi-GFPhi c-kit+) cells were highly enriched in endosteal regions (within 100nm away from inner bone surface) compared to the central medullary region. Importantly, our data show that HSPCs are found at highest frequencies in the metaphysis of long bones, suggesting that these areas, which display characteristic morphological features, are functionally distinct from the diaphyseal region and a preferential location for HSPC-specific niches. We are currently employing LSC to identify HSPC niche cellular constituents by quantifying the relative frequency at which these cells are found in association with previously proposed niche-components such as osteoblasts, BM endothelial sinusoidal cells and CXCL12-abundant reticular cells. A detailed understanding of niche-derived signals regulating unique properties of HSCs will certainly prove relevant in human HSPC transplantation and cell therapy.