AMD3100 mobilizes hematopoietic stem cells with long-term repopulating capacity in nonhuman primates

Abstract

AMD3100, a bicyclam antagonist of the chemokine receptor CXCR4, has been shown to induce rapid mobilization of CD34+ hematopoietic cells in mice, dogs, and humans, offering an alternative to G-CSF mobilization of peripheral-blood hematopoietic stem cells. In this study, AMD3100-mobilized CD34+ cells were phenotypically analyzed, marked with NeoR-containing retroviral vectors, and subsequently transplanted into myeloablated rhesus macaques. We show engraftment of transduced AMD3100-mobilized CD34+ cells with NeoR gene marked myeloid and lymphoid cells up to 32 months after transplantation, demonstrating the ability of AMD3100 to mobilize true long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells. More AMD3100-mobilized CD34+ cells are in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and more cells express CXCR4 and VLA-4 compared with G-CSF-mobilized CD34+ cells. In vivo gene marking levels obtained with AMD3100-mobilized CD34+ cells were better than those obtained using CD34+ cells mobilized with G-CSF alone. Overall, these results indicate that AMD3100 mobilizes a population of hematopoietic stem cells with intrinsic characteristics different from those of hematopoietic stem cells mobilized with G-CSF, suggesting fundamental differences in the mechanism of AMD3100-mediated and G-CSF-mediated hematopoietic stem cell mobilization. Thus, AMD3100-mobilized CD34+ cells represent an alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells for clinical stem cell transplantation and genetic manipulation with integrating retroviral vectors.