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Abstract
IL-7 was first isolated in 1988, when its role in early B lymphocyte development was noted [<citeref rid="b1">1</citeref> - <citeref rid="b2"></citeref><citeref rid="b3">3</citeref>]. It soon became apparent that IL-7 is a "stromal cytokine" produced by a variety of stromal tissues including those in bone marrow and thymus [<citeref rid="b4">4</citeref> - <citeref rid="b5"></citeref><citeref rid="b6"></citeref><citeref rid="b7"></citeref><citeref rid="b8"></citeref><citeref rid="b9"></citeref><citeref rid="b10">10</citeref>]. The production of IL-7 by bone marrow stromal cells is thought to be essential for early B lymphocyte development at least in the murine model, and secreted IL-7 from extra thymic sources including bone marrow is postulated to play a critical role in post-thymic T cell homeostasis [<citeref rid="b11">11</citeref> - <citeref rid="b12"></citeref><citeref rid="b13"></citeref><citeref rid="b14">14</citeref>]. Although IL-7 was thought to have effects mostly within the lymphoid populations, the demonstration of IL-7 receptors in non-lymphoid cells including primary marrow stromal cells has challenged this paradigm [<citeref rid="b15">15</citeref>]. In this report, we present data showing that functional IL-7 receptors are expressed by marrow stroma and that IL-7 mediated signaling through this receptor is distinct from that mediated by IL-7 receptors expressed on lymphoid cells.