The human bone marrow (BM) niche sustains hematopoiesis throughout life. We present a method for generating complex BM-like organoids (BMOs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). BMOs consist of key cell types that self-organize into spatially defined three-dimensional structures mimicking cellular, structural and molecular characteristics of the hematopoietic microenvironment. Functional properties of BMOs include the presence of an in vivo-like vascular network, the presence of multipotent mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells, the support of neutrophil differentiation and responsiveness to inflammatory stimuli. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a heterocellular composition including the presence of a hematopoietic stem/progenitor (HSPC) cluster expressing genes of fetal HSCs. BMO-derived HSPCs also exhibited lymphoid potential and a subset demonstrated transient engraftment potential upon xenotransplantation in mice. We show that the BMOs could enable the modeling of hematopoietic developmental aspects and inborn errors of hematopoiesis, as shown for human VPS45 deficiency. Thus, iPSC-derived BMOs serve as a physiologically relevant in vitro model of the human BM microenvironment to study hematopoietic development and BM diseases.
GrantsVEO-IBD-Consortium Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Hector Foundation Else Kroener-Fresenius-Stiftung German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) Reinhard Frank-Stiftung City of Vienna National Institute of Health German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital
EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) European Union Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking Diamond-Blackfan-Anemia Fundraising Leducq Foundation Allen Distinguished Investigator program Canada 150 Research Chairs Program T. von Zastrow foundation Fundacio La Marato de TV3 Medical University of Vienna Austrian Academy of Sciences Hightech Agenda Bayern European Research Council (ERC) und the European Union Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research