CD133 is a positive marker for a distinct class of primitive human cord blood-derived CD34-negative hematopoietic stem cells

The identification of human CD34(-) negative (CD34(-)) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) provides a new concept for the hierarchy in the human HSC compartment. Previous studies demonstrated that CD34(-) severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)-repopulating cells (SRCs) are a distinct class of primitive HSCs in comparison to the well-characterized CD34(-) CD38(-) SRCs. However, the purification level of rare CD34(-) SRCs in 18 lineage marker-negative (Lin(-)) CD34(-) cells (1/1000) is still very low compared with that of CD34(+) CD38(-) SRCs (1/40). As in the mouse, it will be necessary to identify useful positive markers for a high degree of purification of rare human CD34(-)SRCs. Using 18Lin(-) CD34(-) cells, we analyzed the expression of candidate positive markers by flow cytometric analysis. We finally identified CD133 as a reliable positive marker of human CB-derived CD34(-) SRCs and succeeded in highly purifying primitive human CD34(-) HSCs. The limiting dilution analysis demonstrated that the incidence of CD34(-) SRCs in 18Lin(-) CD34(-) CD133(+) cells was 1/142, which is the highest level of purification of these unique CD34(-) SCs to date. Furthermore, CD133 expression clearly segregated the SRC activities of 18Lin(-) CD34(-) cells, as well as 18Lin(-) CD34(+) cells, in their positive fractions, indicating its functional significance as a common cell surface maker to isolate effectively both CD34(+) and CD34(-) SRCs.