骨细胞是成熟骨组织中的主要细胞,对骨吸收和骨形成都起作用,是维持成熟骨新陈代谢的主要细胞。日本研究人员在动物实验中发现,骨细胞不仅形成骨骼,还控制着骨髓内造血干细胞的活动。
用造血干细胞移植法治疗白血病等血液疾病时,先要向健康人注射粒细胞集落刺激因子(G-CSF),促使骨髓内的造血干细胞流到血液中,然后从血液中采集干细胞,再移植给患者。
日本冈山大学和神户大学的研究小组在实验中发现,如果使实验鼠的骨细胞减少,即使给它们注射G-CSF,也几乎没有造血干细胞流到血液中。因此,骨细胞控制着造血干细胞的活动。
研究小组发现,骨细胞管理着成骨细胞的功能,由于成骨细胞负责将造血干细胞留在骨髓内,注射G-CSF后,骨细胞的管理能力削弱,造血干细胞更容易流到血液中。成骨细胞是骨形成的主要功能细胞,负责骨基质的合成、分泌和矿化。
相关论文刊登在新一期《细胞·干细胞》杂志上。研究小组指出,在白血病治疗中,部分造血干细胞提供者接受G-CSF注射后,会感觉骨骼疼痛,但是一直未弄清其中的原因,今后将进一步探索骨细胞的功能。(生物谷 Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐的文章片段
Cell Stem Cell doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.05.001
Matrix-Embedded Osteocytes Regulate Mobilization of Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells
Noboru Asada, Yoshio Katayama, Mari Sato, Kentaro Minagawa, Kanako Wakahashi, Hiroki Kawano, Yuko Kawano, Akiko Sada, Kyoji Ikeda, Toshimitsu Matsui, Mitsune Tanimoto
The bone marrow (BM) niche comprises multiple cell types that regulate hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) migration out of the niche and into the circulation. Here, we demonstrate that osteocytes, the major cellular component of mature bone, are regulators of HSPC egress. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), used clinically to mobilize HSPCs, induces changes in the morphology and gene expression of the osteocytic network that precedes changes in osteoblasts. This rapid response is likely under control of the sympathetic nervous system, since osteocytes express the β2-adrenergic receptor and surgical sympathectomy prevents it. Mice with targeted ablation of osteocytes or a disrupted osteocyte network have comparable numbers of HSPCs in the BM but fail to mobilize HSPCs in response to G-CSF. Taken together, these results indicate that the BM/bone niche interface is critically controlled from inside of the bone matrix and establish an important physiological role for skeletal tissues in hematopoietic function.