Figure 8. Effect of TKI treatment on human CML c-KIT^lo LT-HSCs.

CD34⁺ cells from BM from patients with CML (n = 3) and healthy individuals (n = 4) were analyzed by flow cytometry, and LT-HSCs (CD34⁺CD38^–CD90⁺) with high c-KIT expression (top 30%, c-KIT^hi) and low c-KIT expression (bottom 30%, c-KIT^lo) were identified, following the scheme used in Figure 1. Flow plots showing c-KIT expression in LT-HSCs are shown (A) with compiled data (B). CML CD34⁺ cells were cultured for 7 days in vitro without TKI (vehicle) or with nilotinib 100 nM and 1,000 nM and CD34⁺CD90⁺ cells were analyzed. Flow plots showing c-KIT expression are shown in C and compiled data for the proportion of c-KIT^lo and c-KIT^hi CD34⁺CD90⁺ cells in D and for number of c-KIT^lo and c-KIT^hi CD34⁺CD90⁺ cells in E. Data represented as mean ± SEM, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ****P < 0.0001, based on 2-way ANOVA with Tukey’s test.