hematopoietic stem cell expansion in co-culture with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the presence of TEPA

Background: During the last three decades hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have become a standard protocol for the treatment of many hematologic malignancies and non-malignant disorders. Umbilical cord blood (UCB), as a source of HSCs, has many advantages compared with other sources. One major drawback in using this source in treatment of adult patients is the low HSC dose available. Ex vivo expansion of HSCs is a solution to overcome this limitation. In this study we used TEPA, as a Cu chelator, and human bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to investigate expansion rate of UCB-HSCs. Materials and methods: CB-HSCs were isolated using miniMACS magnetic separation system. We cultured the enriched CD34 + cells in various conditions: culture condition A, supplemented only with recombinant cytokines; culture condition B, supplemented with BM-MSCs as a cell feeder layer and recombinant cytokines; culture condition C, supplemented with recombinant cytokines and TEPA; culture condition D, supplemented with recombinant cytokines, BM-MSCs as a cell feeder layer and TEPA. In order to evaluate the HSC expansion, we performed cell count, analysis of CD34 + expression by flow cytometry, and colony-forming cell assay on Day 10 after culture. Results: The most fold increase in CD34 + cell, total cell, and total colony numbers was observed in culture condition D (110.11 ± 15.3, 118.5 ± 21, and 172.9± 44.7, respectively) compared to other conditions. Conclusion: The results showed that co-culture of HSCs with BM-MSCs in the presence of copper chelating agent (TEPA) could dramatically increase expansion rate of UCB-HSCs. Therefore, this strategy could be useful for HSC expansion.