Stabilins are expressed in bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells and mediate scavenging and cell adhesive functions.

Bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells have a specific function as a site of transmigration of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and mature blood cells between bone marrow and blood stream. However, the specific characteristics of bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells are still largely unclear. We here report that these cells express stabilin-1 and stabilin-2, which in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells have been identified as endocytic scavenger receptors for several ligands, including SPARC and hyaluronan. We show here that intravenously injected formaldehyde-treated serum albumin, advanced glycation end-products, and collagen I alpha-chains were taken up by bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells, showing that these cells have a scavenging function and thereby may modulate bone marrow vascular stem cell niches. Importantly, we show hyaluronan mediated adhesion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to stabilin-2-transfected cells, suggesting that stabilin-2 contributes to adhesion and homing of circulating stem and progenitor cells to bone marrow.