Defining the role of cytokines in promoting human B cell development is important for understanding B cell leukemia and for developing strategies to restore B cell production that is lost during some therapies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of the IL-7R ligands, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and IL- 7, in the early stages of normal postnatal and adult human B cell development. Using novel in vitro and in vivo model systems, we show that TSLP and IL-7 are able to expand B cell precursors individually and in combination from CB hematopoietic stem cells. In this model TSLP increases were seen in the CD34+ pro-B subset and maintained through subsequent stages of development. Adult B lymphopoiesis unlike CB B lymphopoiesis is IL-7– but may not be TSLP–dependent. We also used the expression of IL-7R, to identify a lymphoid progenitor that lacks myeloid potential. This information will be important in developing strategies for restoring B cell development after therapy and supports our ongoing leukemia studies by providing a rationale for targeting the TSLP signaling pathway in developing therapies for high-risk B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
","abstract_html":"<p>Defining the role of cytokines in promoting human B cell development is important for understanding B cell leukemia and for developing strategies to restore B cell production that is lost during some therapies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of the IL-7R ligands, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and IL- 7, in the early stages of normal postnatal and adult human B cell development. Using novel in vitro and in vivo model systems, we show that TSLP and IL-7 are able to expand B cell precursors individually and in combination from CB hematopoietic stem cells. In this model TSLP increases were seen in the CD34+ pro-B subset and maintained through subsequent stages of development. Adult B lymphopoiesis unlike CB B lymphopoiesis is IL-7– but may not be TSLP–dependent. We also used the expression of IL-7R, to identify a lymphoid progenitor that lacks myeloid potential. This information will be important in developing strategies for restoring B cell development after therapy and supports our ongoing leukemia studies by providing a rationale for targeting the TSLP signaling pathway in developing therapies for high-risk B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Milford, Terry-Ann"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Basic Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Payne, Kimberly J.","Casiano, Carlos A.","Duerksen-Hughes, Penelope J.","Mirshahidi, Saied","Soto-Wegner, Ubaldo"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:38Z","subjects":["Medical Genetics","Medical Microbiology","Medicine and Health Sciences","Microbiology","Molecular Genetics","Cytokines -- Genetics; Cytokines -- Physiology; B Lymphocytes; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma;","Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP); IL-7R ligands; B Cell Development; Lymphoid Progenitor; Myeloid Potential"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/402","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Payne, Kimberly J.","Casiano, Carlos A.","Duerksen-Hughes, Penelope J.","Mirshahidi, Saied","Soto-Wegner, Ubaldo"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Milford, Terry-Ann"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Basic Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Medical Genetics","Medical Microbiology","Medicine and Health Sciences","Microbiology","Molecular Genetics","Cytokines -- Genetics; Cytokines -- Physiology; B Lymphocytes; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma;","Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP); IL-7R ligands; B Cell Development; Lymphoid Progenitor; Myeloid Potential"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. 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In this model TSLP increases were seen in the CD34+ pro-B subset and maintained through subsequent stages of development. Adult B lymphopoiesis unlike CB B lymphopoiesis is IL-7– but may not be TSLP–dependent. We also used the expression of IL-7R, to identify a lymphoid progenitor that lacks myeloid potential. This information will be important in developing strategies for restoring B cell development after therapy and supports our ongoing leukemia studies by providing a rationale for targeting the TSLP signaling pathway in developing therapies for high-risk B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Comparative Studies of TSLP and IL-7 in Normal Early Human Neonatal and Adult B Cell Development"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Payne, Kimberly J.","Casiano, Carlos A.","Duerksen-Hughes, Penelope J.","Mirshahidi, Saied","Soto-Wegner, Ubaldo"],"dc:creator":["Milford, Terry-Ann"],"dc:description.abstract":["Defining the role of cytokines in promoting human B cell development is important for understanding B cell leukemia and for developing strategies to restore B cell production that is lost during some therapies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of the IL-7R ligands, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and IL- 7, in the early stages of normal postnatal and adult human B cell development. Using novel in vitro and in vivo model systems, we show that TSLP and IL-7 are able to expand B cell precursors individually and in combination from CB hematopoietic stem cells. In this model TSLP increases were seen in the CD34+ pro-B subset and maintained through subsequent stages of development. Adult B lymphopoiesis unlike CB B lymphopoiesis is IL-7– but may not be TSLP–dependent. We also used the expression of IL-7R, to identify a lymphoid progenitor that lacks myeloid potential. This information will be important in developing strategies for restoring B cell development after therapy and supports our ongoing leukemia studies by providing a rationale for targeting the TSLP signaling pathway in developing therapies for high-risk B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/402"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Medical Genetics","Medical Microbiology","Medicine and Health Sciences","Microbiology","Molecular Genetics","Cytokines -- Genetics; Cytokines -- Physiology; B Lymphocytes; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma;","Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP); IL-7R ligands; B Cell Development; Lymphoid Progenitor; Myeloid Potential"],"dc:title":["Comparative Studies of TSLP and IL-7 in Normal Early Human Neonatal and Adult B Cell Development"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Basic Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:38Z"}