Illustration from Sioud article on the cover of "Journal of Molecular Biology"
In this study, Sioud and coworkers demonstrate that the activation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-7and TLR-8 in human CD34+ progenitor cells with either immmunostimulatory siRNAs or synthetic ligands can induce their differentiation along the myeloid lineage without the addition of any exogenous factors such as cytokines. Thus, TLR signaling can influence hematopoietic fate decisions in humans, a novel finding that deserves some attention.
Links:
Sioud M, Floisand Y, Forfang L, Lund-Johansen F.
Signaling through Toll-like Receptor 7/8 Induces the Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow CD34+ Progenitor Cells along the Myeloid Lineage. (link to PubMed)
Journal of Molecular Biology Volume 364, Issue 5, 15 December 2006, Pages 945-954
The home page of Mouldy Sioud's group (radium.no/sioud)
Department of Immunology
Institute for Cancer Research