HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints/Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Van Ziffle, J. A.G. Articles by Lansdorp, P. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Van Ziffle, J. A.G. Articles by Lansdorp, P. M.

Telomere Length in Subpopulations of Human Hematopoietic Cells

^a Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada;
^b Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Key Words. Telomerase • Stem cells • Flow cytometry • Flow-FISH

Peter M. Lansdorp, M.D., Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, 601 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1L3, Canada. Telephone: 604-877-6070, Ext. 3026; Fax: 604-877-0712; e-mail: plansdorp{at}bccrc.ca

In order to test the hypothesis that the telomere length in human hematopoietic cells correlates with their proliferative potential, we analyzed the telomere length in highly purified subpopulations of bone marrow cells. Cells were sorted on the basis of CD34 and CD38 cell surface markers, and two samples were additionally sorted on the basis of Hoechst 33342 dye efflux allowing isolation of side population (SP) cells. The telomere length in limiting numbers of sorted cells was analyzed using a newly developed fluorescence in situ hybridization (flow-FISH) method in which hybridization of telomere probe in cells of interest is measured relative to control cells in the same tube. In all seven bone marrow samples analyzed, the telomere length in CD34⁺CD38^- cells was longer than in CD34⁺CD38⁺ cells from the same donor (p < 0.02). Results with sorted SP cells were less clear: the telomere fluorescence in these cells was very heterogeneous, and a reproducible difference in telomere length relative to CD34⁺CD38^- cells could not be observed. We conclude that the telomere length in subpopulations of hematopoietic cells does appear to be correlated with the known proliferative potential of such cells and that further characterization of cells on the basis of telomere length is warranted for enrichment of very rare precursors of hematopoietic and other tissues.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. D. Goldman, G. Aubert, A. J. Klingelhutz, M. Hills, S. R. Cooper, W. S. Hamilton, A. J. Schlueter, K. Lambie, C. J. Eaves, and P. M. Lansdorp Characterization of primitive hematopoietic cells from patients with dyskeratosis congenita Blood, May 1, 2008; 111(9): 4523 - 4531. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Bearzi, M. Rota, T. Hosoda, J. Tillmanns, A. Nascimbene, A. De Angelis, S. Yasuzawa-Amano, I. Trofimova, R. W. Siggins, N. LeCapitaine, et al. Human cardiac stem cells PNAS, August 28, 2007; 104(35): 14068 - 14073. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. S. Akimov, A. Ramezani, T. S. Hawley, and R. G. Hawley Bypass of Senescence, Immortalization, and Transformation of Human Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Stem Cells, September 1, 2005; 23(9): 1423 - 1433. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]