Hematopoietic stem cell mobilizing agents G-CSF, cyclophosphamide or AMD3100 have distinct mechanisms of action on bone marrow HSC niches and bone formation

Abstract

The CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 is progressively replacing cyclophosphamide (CYP) as adjuvant to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) for autologous transplants in patients who failed prior mobilization with G-CSF alone. It has recently emerged that G-CSF mediates HSC mobilization and inhibits bone formation via specific bone marrow (BM) macrophages. We compared the effect of these three mobilizing agents on BM macrophages, bone formation, osteoblasts, HSC niches and HSC reconstitution potential. Both G-CSF and CYP suppressed niche-supportive macrophages and osteoblasts, and inhibited expression of endosteal cytokines resulting in major impair..