Loss of β-Catenin Impairs the Renewal of Normal and CML Stem Cells In Vivo

A key characteristic of stem cells and cancer cells is their ability to self-renew. To test if Wnt signaling can regulate the self-renewal of both stem cells and cancer cells in the hematopoietic system, we developed mice that lack β-catenin in their hematopoietic cells. Here we show that β-catenin-deficient mice can form HSCs, but that these cells are deficient in long-term growth and maintenance. Moreover, β-catenin deletion causes a profound reduction in the ability of mice to develop BCR-ABL-induced chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), while allowing progression of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). These studies demonstrate that Wnt signaling is required for the self-renewal of normal and neoplastic stem cells in the hematopoietic system.