Activation and crosstalk between TNF family receptors in umbilical cord blood cells is not responsible for loss of engraftment capacity following culture.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a rich source of hematopoietic progenitors for transplantation. Murine and human progenitors are insensitive to apoptotic signaling mediated by the TNF family receptors, however extension of culture over 48 hours is accompanied by severe deterioration in engraftment and hematopoietic reconstituting capacity. In this study we assessed crosstalk between the Fas, TNF and TRAIL receptors, and questioned whether it contributes to increased mortality and decreased activity of UCB progenitors following extended ex vivo culture for 72 hours. The well-characterized TNF-induced expression of Fas is mediated by both TNF receptors, yet the TNF receptors determine survival rather than Fas: superior viability of TNF-R1 progenitors. Additional cross talk includes upregulation of TRAIL-R1 by Fas-ligand, mediated both by fast cycling and inductive crosstalk. These inductive interactions are not accompanied by concomitant sensitization of progenitors to receptor-mediated apoptosis during extended culture, but rather decreased fractional apoptosis in expanded progenitor subsets expressing the receptors. TRAIL upregulates both TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2, accompanied by commensurate susceptibility to spontaneous apoptosis. The current data reveal inductive crosstalk between TNF family receptors, which are largely dissociated from the sensitivity of hematopoietic progenitors to apoptosis. Activation of Fas, TNF and TRAIL receptors and excessive apoptosis are not responsible for loss of engraftment and impaired reconstituting activity of UCB progenitors following extended culture.