Establishment of an immortalized porcine erythroid progenitor cell line using species-adapted papillomavirus oncogenes

Abstract

Introduction Critically low blood donation rates and recurrent shortages in the blood supply have become pressing challenges in transfusion medicine. Xenotransfusion using porcine red blood cells (pRBCs) represents a promising alternative; however, risks of immune rejection and infection necessitate the development of genetically engineered porcine models – a process that is time-consuming, costly, and technically complex. In this study, we established an immortalized porcine erythroid progenitor cell line as a platform for genetic manipulation and the evaluation of xenotransfusion potential. Methods Porcine hematopoietic progenitor cells (CD117+) were isolated from bone marrow mononuclear cells and immortalized via lentiviral transduction with E6/E7 oncogenes from Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) and Sus scrofa papillomavirus (SPV2). Results The resulting cells were optimized for long-term culture and exhibited stable proliferation. The immortalized porcine erythroid progenitor cells retained the capacity to differentiate into red blood cells. Discussion Our findings demonstrate that E6/E7-mediated immortalization facilitates the generation of porcine erythroid progenitor cells capable of differentiating into red blood cells, offering a valuable tool for genetic engineering and a promising avenue toward safe, sustainable heterologous blood transfusion strategies.