TGF-β Signaling in Stromal Cells Contributes to Myelofibrosis, but Not Niche Disruption, in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Myeloproliferative neoplasms are associated with significant alterations in the bone marrow microenvironment that contribute to disease pathogenesis. The most striking alteration is the development of myelofibrosis, which is characterized by extensive collagen deposition in the bone marrow and is associated with a poor prognosis. Recent evidence suggests that expression of key niche factors, including CXCL12 (stromal derived factor-1, SDF-1) and Kit ligand are reduced in MPNs. This is relevant, since studies by our group and others have shown that deleting these niche factors from stromal cells results in a shift in hematopoiesis from the bone marrow to spleen. Indeed, a prominent feature of MPN is the development of splenomegaly and extramedullary hematopoiesis. There is evidence implicating inflammatory mediators in the development of myelofibrosis. In particular, increased production of TGF-β produced by megakaryocytes and monocytes is found in most patients with MPNs. To assess the role of TGF-β signaling in mesenchymal stromal cells in the bone marrow in the development of myelofibrosis, we generated Osx-Cre; Tgfbr2 f/- mice, in which TGF-β signaling is abrogated in all bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (including Lepr + stromal cells), but not endothelial cells or hematopoietic cells. We transplanted MPL W515L transduced hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) or JAK2 V617F bone marrow into these mice and quantified myelofibrosis using reticulin staining and Collagen 1 and 3 immunostaining. We previously reported that deletion of TGF-β signaling in mesenchymal stromal cells in these mice abrogated the development of myelofibrosis, and we presented evidence that this was mediated by non-canonical JNK-dependent TGF-β signaling. Here, we describe the impact of stromal TGF-β signaling on the bone marrow hematopoietic niche in MPN.