Report on antibodies submitted to the stromal cell section of HLDA8

The paradigm for tissue specific homing of leukocytes is the “area code” hypothesis, which predicts that a specific combination of adhesive interactions and chemokine signals from the endothelium directs leukocyte migration into specific tissue sites. This area code hypothesis has been supported by studies from previous HLDA workshops where endothelial specific cell antigens have been studied. Similarly, a clear haematopoietic “stem cell code” comprising the chemokine SDF-1 (CXCL12) and the adhesion receptor VCAM-1 (CD106) has been shown to contribute to the stem cell niche within bone marrow [K. Tokoyoda, T. Egawa, T. Sugiyama, B.I. Chai, T. Nagasawa, Cellular niches controlling B lymphocyte behaviour within bone marrow during development, Immunity 20 (2004) 707-718] [1]. HLDA 7 included a section devoted to stem cell antigens, which began to define additional antigens important in these processes. During the course of HLDA 8 we have extended these observations to determine whether a more global stromal address code defined by fibroblasts, exists in variety of different tissues [G. Parsonage, A.D. Filer, O. Haworth, G.B. Nash, G.E. Rainger, M. Salmon, C.D. Buckley, A stromal area postcode defined by fibroblasts, Trends Immunol. 26 (2005) 150-156] [2]. The stromal cell section in HLDA 8 was designed to complement the malignant cell, endothelial cell, and stem cell/progenitor cell sections. Seven new CD numbers were assigned to antibodies included in this section at the HLDA 8 Workshop meeting held during December 2004.