Selective secretion of chemoattractants for haemopoietic progenitor cells by bone marrow endothelial cells: a possible role in homing of haemopoietic progenitor cells to bone marrow

To elucidate the mechanisms by which haemopoietic progenitor cells lodge in the bone marrow, we examined the secretion of chemoattractants for haemopoietic progenitor cells by bone marrow and lung endothelial cells. The bone marrow endothelial cells, but not lung endothelial cells, secreted chemoattractants for the haemopoietic progenitor cell line, FDCP‐2, and normal haemopoietic progenitor cells. Checkerboard analysis demonstrated that the conditioned medium of the bone marrow endothelial cells had chemotactic activity and random motility‐stimulating activity. The bone marrow endothelial cells expressed stromal‐cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1) mRNA and produced SDF‐1 protein, whereas the lung endothelial cells did not. Adhesion of FDCP‐2 cells to the bone marrow endothelial cells was partially inhibited by anti‐SDF‐1 antibody. These findings suggest that the chemoattractants for haemopoietic progenitor cells including SDF‐1 and random motility‐stimulating factor(s) selectively secreted by the bone marrow endothelial cells may contribute to the homing of haemopoietic progenitor cells to bone marrow.