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Canfield SG, Stebbins MJ, Morales BS, Asai SW, Vatine GD, Svendsen CN, Palecek SP, Shusta EV. An isogenic blood-brain barrier model comprising brain endothelial cells, astrocytes, and neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. J Neurochem 2017; 140:874-888. [PMID: 27935037 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is critical in maintaining a physical and metabolic barrier between the blood and the brain. The BBB consists of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) that line the brain vasculature and combine with astrocytes, neurons and pericytes to form the neurovascular unit. We hypothesized that astrocytes and neurons generated from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could induce BBB phenotypes in iPSC-derived BMECs, creating a robust multicellular human BBB model. To this end, iPSCs were used to form neural progenitor-like EZ-spheres, which were in turn differentiated to neurons and astrocytes, enabling facile neural cell generation. The iPSC-derived astrocytes and neurons induced barrier tightening in primary rat BMECs indicating their BBB inductive capacity. When co-cultured with human iPSC-derived BMECs, the iPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes significantly elevated trans-endothelial electrical resistance, reduced passive permeability, and improved tight junction continuity in the BMEC cell population, while p-glycoprotein efflux transporter activity was unchanged. A physiologically relevant neural cell mixture of one neuron: three astrocytes yielded optimal BMEC induction properties. Finally, an isogenic multicellular BBB model was successfully demonstrated employing BMECs, astrocytes, and neurons from the same donor iPSC source. It is anticipated that such an isogenic facsimile of the human BBB could have applications in furthering understanding the cellular interplay of the neurovascular unit in both healthy and diseased humans. Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on page 843.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott G Canfield
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Matthew J Stebbins
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Bethsymarie Soto Morales
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Shusaku W Asai
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gad D Vatine
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sean P Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Eric V Shusta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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52
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Qu Y, Han B, Gao B, Bose S, Gong Y, Wawrowsky K, Giuliano AE, Sareen D, Cui X. Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Mammary-like Organoids. Stem Cell Reports 2017; 8:205-215. [PMID: 28132888 PMCID: PMC5312254 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2016.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can give rise to multiple cell types and hold great promise in regenerative medicine and disease-modeling applications. We have developed a reliable two-step protocol to generate human mammary-like organoids from iPSCs. Non-neural ectoderm-cell-containing spheres, referred to as mEBs, were first differentiated and enriched from iPSCs using MammoCult medium. Gene expression profile analysis suggested that mammary gland function-associated signaling pathways were hallmarks of 10-day differentiated mEBs. We then generated mammary-like organoids from 10-day mEBs using 3D floating mixed gel culture and a three-stage differentiation procedure. These organoids expressed common breast tissue, luminal, and basal markers, including estrogen receptor, and could be induced to produce milk protein. These results demonstrate that human iPSCs can be directed in vitro toward mammary lineage differentiation. Our findings provide an iPSC-based model for studying regulation of normal mammary cell fate and function as well as breast disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Qu
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Davis Building 2065, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Bingchen Han
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Davis Building 2065, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Bowen Gao
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Davis Building 2065, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Shikha Bose
- Department of Pathology, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Yiping Gong
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Kolja Wawrowsky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Armando E Giuliano
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Davis Building 2065, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; The David and Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Xiaojiang Cui
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Davis Building 2065, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
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53
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Gowing G, Svendsen S, Svendsen CN. Ex vivo gene therapy for the treatment of neurological disorders. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2017; 230:99-132. [PMID: 28552237 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ex vivo gene therapy involves the genetic modification of cells outside of the body to produce therapeutic factors and their subsequent transplantation back into patients. Various cell types can be genetically engineered. However, with the explosion in stem cell technologies, neural stem/progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells are most often used. The synergy between the effect of the new cell and the additional engineered properties can often provide significant benefits to neurodegenerative changes in the brain. In this review, we cover both preclinical animal studies and clinical human trials that have used ex vivo gene therapy to treat neurological disorders with a focus on Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, ALS, and stroke. We highlight some of the major advances in this field including new autologous sources of pluripotent stem cells, safer ways to introduce therapeutic transgenes, and various methods of gene regulation. We also address some of the remaining hurdles including tunable gene regulation, in vivo cell tracking, and rigorous experimental design. Overall, given the current outcomes from researchers and clinical trials, along with exciting new developments in ex vivo gene and cell therapy, we anticipate that successful treatments for neurological diseases will arise in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Gowing
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Soshana Svendsen
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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54
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Cheng C, Fass DM, Folz-Donahue K, MacDonald ME, Haggarty SJ. Highly Expandable Human iPS Cell-Derived Neural Progenitor Cells (NPC) and Neurons for Central Nervous System Disease Modeling and High-Throughput Screening. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 92:21.8.1-21.8.21. [PMID: 28075486 DOI: 10.1002/cphg.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Reprogramming of human somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has greatly expanded the set of research tools available to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Realizing the promise of iPS cell technology for the identification of novel therapeutic targets and for high-throughput drug screening requires implementation of methods for the large-scale production of defined CNS cell types. Here we describe a protocol for generating stable, highly expandable, iPS cell-derived CNS neural progenitor cells (NPC) using multi-dimensional fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to purify NPC defined by cell surface markers. In addition, we describe a rapid, efficient, and reproducible method for generating excitatory cortical-like neurons from these NPC through inducible expression of the pro-neural transcription factor Neurogenin 2 (iNgn2-NPC). Finally, we describe methodology for the use of iNgn2-NPC for probing human neuroplasticity and mechanisms underlying CNS disorders using high-content, single-cell-level automated microscopy assays. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chialin Cheng
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel M Fass
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kat Folz-Donahue
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Center for Regenerative Medicine Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Currently at FACS & Imaging Core Facility, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marcy E MacDonald
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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55
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Czarzasta J, Habich A, Siwek T, Czapliński A, Maksymowicz W, Wojtkiewicz J. Stem cells for ALS: An overview of possible therapeutic approaches. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 57:46-55. [PMID: 28088365 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an unusual, fatal, neurodegenerative disorder leading to the loss of motor neurons. After diagnosis, the average lifespan ranges from 3 to 5 years, and death usually results from respiratory failure. Although the pathogenesis of ALS remains unclear, multiple factors are thought to contribute to the progression of ALS, such as network interactions between genes, environmental exposure, impaired molecular pathways and many others. The neuroprotective properties of neural stem cells (NSCs) and the paracrine signaling of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been examined in multiple pre-clinical trials of ALS with promising results. The data from these initial trials indicate a reduction in the rate of disease progression. The mechanism through which stem cells achieve this reduction is of major interest. Here, we review the to-date pre-clinical and clinical therapeutic approaches employing stem cells, and discuss the most promising ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Czarzasta
- Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Aleksandra Habich
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Tomasz Siwek
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Adam Czapliński
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland; Neurocentrum Bellevue, Neurology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wojciech Maksymowicz
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Joanna Wojtkiewicz
- Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland; Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland; Foundation for nerve cells regeneration, Olsztyn, Poland
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56
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Jaiswal MK. Therapeutic opportunities and challenges of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease. Neural Regen Res 2017; 12:723-736. [PMID: 28616022 PMCID: PMC5461603 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.206635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are progressive neurodegenerative diseases that affect nerve cells in the brain affecting upper and lower motor neurons (UMNs/LMNs), brain stem and spinal cord. The clinical phenotype is characterized by loss of motor neurons (MNs), muscular weakness and atrophy eventually leading to paralysis and death due to respiratory failure within 3-5 years after disease onset. No effective treatment or cure is currently available that halts or reverses ALS and MND except FDA approved drug riluzole that only modestly slows the progression of ALS in some patients. Recent advances in human derived induced pluripotent stem cells have made it possible for the first time to obtain substantial amounts of human cells to recapitulate in vitro "disease in dish" and test some of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms involved in ALS and MNDs. In this review, I discussed the opportunities and challenges of induced pluropotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of ALS and MND patients with special emphasis on their implications in finding a cure for ALS and MNDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar Jaiswal
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatry Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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57
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Vazquez-Arango P, Vowles J, Browne C, Hartfield E, Fernandes H, Mandefro B, Sareen D, James W, Wade-Martins R, Cowley SA, Murphy S, O'Reilly D. Variant U1 snRNAs are implicated in human pluripotent stem cell maintenance and neuromuscular disease. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:10960-10973. [PMID: 27536002 PMCID: PMC5159530 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The U1 small nuclear (sn)RNA (U1) is a multifunctional ncRNA, known for its pivotal role in pre-mRNA splicing and regulation of RNA 3' end processing events. We recently demonstrated that a new class of human U1-like snRNAs, the variant (v)U1 snRNAs (vU1s), also participate in pre-mRNA processing events. In this study, we show that several human vU1 genes are specifically upregulated in stem cells and participate in the regulation of cell fate decisions. Significantly, ectopic expression of vU1 genes in human skin fibroblasts leads to increases in levels of key pluripotent stem cell mRNA markers, including NANOG and SOX2. These results reveal an important role for vU1s in the control of key regulatory networks orchestrating the transitions between stem cell maintenance and differentiation. Moreover, vU1 expression varies inversely with U1 expression during differentiation and cell re-programming and this pattern of expression is specifically de-regulated in iPSC-derived motor neurons from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1 patient's. Accordingly, we suggest that an imbalance in the vU1/U1 ratio, rather than an overall reduction in Uridyl-rich (U)-snRNAs, may contribute to the specific neuromuscular disease phenotype associated with SMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Vazquez-Arango
- University of Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Jane Vowles
- University of Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK,Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Cathy Browne
- University of Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Elizabeth Hartfield
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hugo J. R. Fernandes
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Berhan Mandefro
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, 8700 Beverly Blvd, AHSP A8418, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA,iPSC Core, The David and Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, 8700 Beverly Blvd, AHSP A8418, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA,iPSC Core, The David and Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - William James
- University of Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Richard Wade-Martins
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sally A. Cowley
- University of Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK,Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Shona Murphy
- University of Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Dawn O'Reilly
- University of Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
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58
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Abstract
Defined genetic models based on human pluripotent stem cells have opened new avenues for understanding disease mechanisms and drug screening. Many of these models assume cell-autonomous mechanisms of disease but it is possible that disease phenotypes or drug responses will only be evident if all cellular and extracellular components of a tissue are present and functionally mature. To derive optimal benefit from such models, complex multicellular structures with vascular components that mimic tissue niches will thus likely be necessary. Here we consider emerging research creating human tissue mimics and provide some recommendations for moving the field forward.
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59
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Zhu Y, Wu X, Liang Y, Gu H, Song K, Zou X, Zhou G. Repair of cartilage defects in osteoarthritis rats with induced pluripotent stem cell derived chondrocytes. BMC Biotechnol 2016; 16:78. [PMID: 27829414 PMCID: PMC5103600 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-016-0306-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The incapacity of articular cartilage (AC) for self-repair after damage ultimately leads to the development of osteoarthritis. Stem cell-based therapy has been proposed for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are becoming a promising stem cell source. Results Three steps were developed to differentiate human iPSCs into chondrocytes which were transplanted into rat OA models induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). After 6 days embryonic body (EB) formation and 2 weeks differentiation, the gene and protein expression of Col2A1, GAG and Sox9 has significantly increased compare to undifferentiated hiPSCs. After 15 weeks transplantation, no immune responses were observed, micro-CT showed gradual engraftment and the improvement of subchondrol plate integrity, and histological examinations demonstrated articular cartilage matrix production. Conclusions hiPSC could be an efficient and clinically translatable approach for cartilage tissue regeneration in OA cartilages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxia Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Anti-ageing and Regenerative Medicine, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Xiaomin Wu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Anti-ageing and Regenerative Medicine, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yuhong Liang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Anti-ageing and Regenerative Medicine, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Hongsheng Gu
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Kedong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian R&D Center for Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Xuenong Zou
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Orthopaedic Research Institute, Huangpu Division, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Guangqian Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Anti-ageing and Regenerative Medicine, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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60
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Ruzicka J, Machova-Urdzikova L, Gillick J, Amemori T, Romanyuk N, Karova K, Zaviskova K, Dubisova J, Kubinova S, Murali R, Sykova E, Jhanwar-Uniyal M, Jendelova P. A Comparative Study of Three Different Types of Stem Cells for Treatment of Rat Spinal Cord Injury. Cell Transplant 2016; 26:585-603. [PMID: 27938489 DOI: 10.3727/096368916x693671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Three different sources of human stem cells-bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), neural progenitors (NPs) derived from immortalized spinal fetal cell line (SPC-01), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-were compared in the treatment of a balloon-induced spinal cord compression lesion in rats. One week after lesioning, the rats received either BM-MSCs (intrathecally) or NPs (SPC-01 cells or iPSC-NPs, both intraspinally), or saline. The rats were assessed for their locomotor skills (BBB, flat beam test, and rotarod). Morphometric analyses of spared white and gray matter, axonal sprouting, and glial scar formation, as well as qPCR and Luminex assay, were conducted to detect endogenous gene expression, while inflammatory cytokine levels were performed to evaluate the host tissue response to stem cell therapy. The highest locomotor recovery was observed in iPSC-NP-grafted animals, which also displayed the highest amount of preserved white and gray matter. Grafted iPSC-NPs and SPC-01 cells significantly increased the number of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43+) axons, reduced astrogliosis, downregulated Casp3 expression, and increased IL-6 and IL-12 levels. hMSCs transiently decreased levels of inflammatory IL-2 and TNF-α. These findings correlate with the short survival of hMSCs, while NPs survived for 2 months and matured slowly into glia- and tissue-specific neuronal precursors. SPC-01 cells differentiated more in astroglial phenotypes with a dense structure of the implant, whereas iPSC-NPs displayed a more neuronal phenotype with a loose structure of the graft. We concluded that the BBB scores of iPSC-NP- and hMSC-injected rats were superior to the SPC-01-treated group. The iPSC-NP treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) provided the highest recovery of locomotor function due to robust graft survival and its effect on tissue sparing, reduction of glial scarring, and increased axonal sprouting.
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61
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Chandrasekaran A, Avci HX, Leist M, Kobolák J, Dinnyés A. Astrocyte Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: New Tools for Neurological Disorder Research. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:215. [PMID: 27725795 PMCID: PMC5035736 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes have a central role in brain development and function, and so have gained increasing attention over the past two decades. Consequently, our knowledge about their origin, differentiation and function has increased significantly, with new research showing that astrocytes cultured alone or co-cultured with neurons have the potential to improve our understanding of various central nervous system diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, or Alexander disease. The generation of astrocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) opens up a new area for studying neurologic diseases in vitro; these models could be exploited to identify and validate potential drugs by detecting adverse effects in the early stages of drug development. However, as it is now known that a range of astrocyte populations exist in the brain, it will be important in vitro to develop standardized protocols for the in vitro generation of astrocyte subsets with defined maturity status and phenotypic properties. This will then open new possibilities for co-cultures with neurons and the generation of neural organoids for research purposes. The aim of this review article is to compare and summarize the currently available protocols and their strategies to generate human astrocytes from PSCs. Furthermore, we discuss the potential role of human-induced PSCs derived astrocytes in disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hasan X Avci
- BioTalentum LtdGödöllő, Hungary; Department of Medical Chemistry, University of SzegedSzeged, Hungary
| | - Marcel Leist
- Dorenkamp-Zbinden Chair, Faculty of Mathematics and Sciences, University of Konstanz Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Andras Dinnyés
- BioTalentum LtdGödöllő, Hungary; Molecular Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Szent Istvan UniversityGödöllő, Hungary
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62
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Qu Y, Zhou B, Yang W, Han B, Yu-Rice Y, Gao B, Johnson J, Svendsen CN, Freeman MR, Giuliano AE, Sareen D, Cui X. Transcriptome and proteome characterization of surface ectoderm cells differentiated from human iPSCs. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32007. [PMID: 27550649 PMCID: PMC4994084 DOI: 10.1038/srep32007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface ectoderm (SE) cells give rise to structures including the epidermis and ectodermal associated appendages such as hair, eye, and the mammary gland. In this study, we validate a protocol that utilizes BMP4 and the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT to induce SE differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). hiPSC-differentiated SE cells expressed markers suggesting their commitment to the SE lineage. Computational analyses using integrated quantitative transcriptomic and proteomic profiling reveal that TGFβ superfamily signaling pathways are preferentially activated in SE cells compared with hiPSCs. SE differentiation can be enhanced by selectively blocking TGFβ-RI signaling. We also show that SE cells and neural ectoderm cells possess distinct gene expression patterns and signaling networks as indicated by functional Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Our findings advance current understanding of early human SE cell development and pave the way for modeling of SE-derived tissue development, studying disease pathogenesis, and development of regenerative medicine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Qu
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Bo Zhou
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Bingchen Han
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Yi Yu-Rice
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Bowen Gao
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Jeffery Johnson
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Michael R Freeman
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Armando E Giuliano
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.,iPSC Core, The David and Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Xiaojiang Cui
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
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63
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Modeling ALS with motor neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Nat Neurosci 2016; 19:542-53. [PMID: 27021939 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Directing the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into motor neurons has allowed investigators to develop new models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, techniques vary between laboratories and the cells do not appear to mature into fully functional adult motor neurons. Here we discuss common developmental principles of both lower and upper motor neuron development that have led to specific derivation techniques. We then suggest how these motor neurons may be matured further either through direct expression or administration of specific factors or coculture approaches with other tissues. Ultimately, through a greater understanding of motor neuron biology, it will be possible to establish more reliable models of ALS. These in turn will have a greater chance of validating new drugs that may be effective for the disease.
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Sheyn D, Ben-David S, Shapiro G, De Mel S, Bez M, Ornelas L, Sahabian A, Sareen D, Da X, Pelled G, Tawackoli W, Liu Z, Gazit D, Gazit Z. Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Differentiate Into Functional Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Repair Bone Defects. Stem Cells Transl Med 2016; 5:1447-1460. [PMID: 27400789 PMCID: PMC5070500 DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2015-0311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Using short-term exposure of embryoid bodies to transforming growth factor-β, the authors directed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) toward mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation. Two types of iPSC-derived MSCs were identified: early (aiMSCs) and late (tiMSCs) outgrowing cells. Both types differentiated in vitro in response to osteogenic or adipogenic supplements; aiMSCs demonstrated higher osteogenic potential than tiMSCs. Upon orthotopic injection into radial defects, both types regenerated bone and contributed to defect repair. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently the most established cells for skeletal tissue engineering and regeneration; however, their availability and capability of self-renewal are limited. Recent discoveries of somatic cell reprogramming may be used to overcome these challenges. We hypothesized that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that were differentiated into MSCs could be used for bone regeneration. Short-term exposure of embryoid bodies to transforming growth factor-β was used to direct iPSCs toward MSC differentiation. During this process, two types of iPSC-derived MSCs (iMSCs) were identified: early (aiMSCs) and late (tiMSCs) outgrowing cells. The transition of iPSCs toward MSCs was documented using MSC marker flow cytometry. Both types of iMSCs differentiated in vitro in response to osteogenic or adipogenic supplements. The results of quantitative assays showed that both cell types retained their multidifferentiation potential, although aiMSCs demonstrated higher osteogenic potential than tiMSCs and bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). Ectopic injections of BMP6-overexpressing tiMSCs produced no or limited bone formation, whereas similar injections of BMP6-overexpressing aiMSCs resulted in substantial bone formation. Upon orthotopic injection into radial defects, all three cell types regenerated bone and contributed to defect repair. In conclusion, MSCs can be derived from iPSCs and exhibit self-renewal without tumorigenic ability. Compared with BM-MSCs, aiMSCs acquire more of a stem cell phenotype, whereas tiMSCs acquire more of a differentiated osteoblast phenotype, which aids bone regeneration but does not allow the cells to induce ectopic bone formation (even when triggered by bone morphogenetic proteins), unless in an orthotopic site of bone fracture. Significance Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently the most established cells for skeletal tissue engineering and regeneration of various skeletal conditions; however, availability of autologous MSCs is very limited. This study demonstrates a new method to differentiate human fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to cells with MSC properties, which we comprehensively characterized including differentiation potential and transcriptomic analysis. We showed that these iPS-derived MSCs are able to regenerate nonunion bone defects in mice more efficiently than bone marrow-derived human MSCs when overexpressing BMP6 using a nonviral transfection method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitriy Sheyn
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Shiran Ben-David
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Galina Shapiro
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sandra De Mel
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Maxim Bez
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Loren Ornelas
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- iPSC Core Facility, The David and Janet Polak Stem Cell Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Anais Sahabian
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- iPSC Core Facility, The David and Janet Polak Stem Cell Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- iPSC Core Facility, The David and Janet Polak Stem Cell Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Da
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gadi Pelled
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Wafa Tawackoli
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Zhenqiu Liu
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dan Gazit
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Zulma Gazit
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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Induced pluripotent stem cells in Alzheimer's disease: applications for disease modeling and cell-replacement therapy. Mol Neurodegener 2016; 11:39. [PMID: 27184028 PMCID: PMC4869261 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0106-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in those over the age of 65. While a numerous of disease-causing genes and risk factors have been identified, the exact etiological mechanisms of AD are not yet completely understood, due to the inability to test theoretical hypotheses on non-postmortem and patient-specific research systems. The use of recently developed and optimized induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology may provide a promising platform to create reliable models, not only for better understanding the etiopathological process of AD, but also for efficient anti-AD drugs screening. More importantly, human-sourced iPSCs may also provide a beneficial tool for cell-replacement therapy against AD. Although considerable progress has been achieved, a number of key challenges still require to be addressed in iPSCs research, including the identification of robust disease phenotypes in AD modeling and the clinical availabilities of iPSCs-based cell-replacement therapy in human. In this review, we highlight recent progresses of iPSCs research and discuss the translational challenges of AD patients-derived iPSCs in disease modeling and cell-replacement therapy.
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66
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Bianco J, De Berdt P, Deumens R, des Rieux A. Taking a bite out of spinal cord injury: do dental stem cells have the teeth for it? Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:1413-37. [PMID: 26768693 PMCID: PMC11108394 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2126-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Dental stem cells are an emerging star on a stage that is already quite populated. Recently, there has been a lot of hype concerning these cells in dental therapies, especially in regenerative endodontics. It is fitting that most research is concentrated on dental regeneration, although other uses for these cells need to be explored in more detail. Being a true mesenchymal stem cell, their capacities could also prove beneficial in areas outside their natural environment. One such field is the central nervous system, and in particular, repairing the injured spinal cord. One of the most formidable challenges in regenerative medicine is to restore function to the injured spinal cord, and as yet, a cure for paralysis remains to be discovered. A variety of approaches have already been tested, with graft-based strategies utilising cells harbouring appropriate properties for neural regeneration showing encouraging results. Here we present a review focusing on properties of dental stem cells that endorse their use in regenerative medicine, with particular emphasis on repairing the damaged spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Bianco
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier, 73, B1 73.12, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
- Integrated Center for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, International Clinical Research Center (FNUSA-ICRC), St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekařská 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pauline De Berdt
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier, 73, B1 73.12, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ronald Deumens
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate B1.54.10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anne des Rieux
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier, 73, B1 73.12, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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67
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Chen KS, Sakowski SA, Feldman EL. Intraspinal stem cell transplantation for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Neurol 2016; 79:342-53. [PMID: 26696091 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder in which the loss of upper and lower motor neurons produces progressive weakness and eventually death. In the decades since the approval of riluzole, the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved medication to moderately slow progression of ALS, no new therapeutics have arisen to alter the course of the disease. This is partly due to our incomplete understanding of the complex pathogenesis of motor neuron degeneration. Stem cells have emerged as an attractive option in treating ALS, because they come armed with equally complex cellular machinery and may modulate the local microenvironment in many ways to rescue diseased motor neurons. Various stem cell types are being evaluated in preclinical and early clinical applications; here, we review the preclinical strategies and advances supporting the recent clinical translation of neural progenitor cell therapy for ALS. Specifically, we focus on the use of spinal cord neural progenitor cells and the pipeline starting from preclinical studies to the designs of phase I and IIa clinical trials involving direct intraspinal transplantation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin S Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Stacey A Sakowski
- A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Eva L Feldman
- A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute and Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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68
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Hjelm BE, Grunseich C, Gowing G, Avalos P, Tian J, Shelley BC, Mooney M, Narwani K, Shi Y, Svendsen CN, Wolfe JH, Fischbeck KH, Pierson TM. Mifepristone-inducible transgene expression in neural progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo. Gene Ther 2016; 23:424-37. [PMID: 26863047 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2016.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Numerous gene and cell therapy strategies are being developed for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Many of these strategies use constitutive expression of therapeutic transgenic proteins, and although functional in animal models of disease, this method is less likely to provide adequate flexibility for delivering therapy to humans. Ligand-inducible gene expression systems may be more appropriate for these conditions, especially within the central nervous system (CNS). Mifepristone's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier makes it an especially attractive ligand for this purpose. We describe the production of a mifepristone-inducible vector system for regulated expression of transgenes within the CNS. Our inducible system used a lentivirus-based vector platform for the ex vivo production of mifepristone-inducible murine neural progenitor cells that express our transgenes of interest. These cells were processed through a series of selection steps to ensure that the cells exhibited appropriate transgene expression in a dose-dependent and temporally controlled manner with minimal background activity. Inducible cells were then transplanted into the brains of rodents, where they exhibited appropriate mifepristone-inducible expression. These studies detail a strategy for regulated expression in the CNS for use in the development of safe and efficient gene therapy for neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- B E Hjelm
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - C Grunseich
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - G Gowing
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - P Avalos
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - J Tian
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - B C Shelley
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - M Mooney
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - K Narwani
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Y Shi
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - C N Svendsen
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - J H Wolfe
- Departments of Pediatrics and Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Stokes Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - K H Fischbeck
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - T M Pierson
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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69
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Fuller HR, Mandefro B, Shirran SL, Gross AR, Kaus AS, Botting CH, Morris GE, Sareen D. Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patient iPSC-Derived Motor Neurons Have Reduced Expression of Proteins Important in Neuronal Development. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 9:506. [PMID: 26793058 PMCID: PMC4707261 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an inherited neuromuscular disease primarily characterized by degeneration of spinal motor neurons, and caused by reduced levels of the SMN protein. Previous studies to understand the proteomic consequences of reduced SMN have mostly utilized patient fibroblasts and animal models. We have derived human motor neurons from type I SMA and healthy controls by creating their induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Quantitative mass spectrometry of these cells revealed increased expression of 63 proteins in control motor neurons compared to respective fibroblasts, whereas 30 proteins were increased in SMA motor neurons vs. their fibroblasts. Notably, UBA1 was significantly decreased in SMA motor neurons, supporting evidence for ubiquitin pathway defects. Subcellular distribution of UBA1 was predominantly cytoplasmic in SMA motor neurons in contrast to nuclear in control motor neurons; suggestive of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Many of the proteins that were decreased in SMA motor neurons, including beta III-tubulin and UCHL1, were associated with neurodevelopment and differentiation. These neuron-specific consequences of SMN depletion were not evident in fibroblasts, highlighting the importance of iPSC technology. The proteomic profiles identified here provide a useful resource to explore the molecular consequences of reduced SMN in motor neurons, and for the identification of novel biomarker and therapeutic targets for SMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi R Fuller
- Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic HospitalOswestry, UK; Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele UniversityStaffordshire, UK
| | - Berhan Mandefro
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA, USA; iPSC Core, The David and Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core LaboratoryLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sally L Shirran
- BSRC Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, University of St Andrews Fife, UK
| | - Andrew R Gross
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anjoscha S Kaus
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Catherine H Botting
- BSRC Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, University of St Andrews Fife, UK
| | - Glenn E Morris
- Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic HospitalOswestry, UK; Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele UniversityStaffordshire, UK
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA, USA; iPSC Core, The David and Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core LaboratoryLos Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA, USA
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70
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Zarbin M. Cell-Based Therapy for Degenerative Retinal Disease. Trends Mol Med 2016; 22:115-134. [PMID: 26791247 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2015.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors (PRs) have restored vision in preclinical models of human retinal degenerative disease. This review discusses characteristics of stem cell therapy in the eye and the challenges to clinical implementation that are being confronted today. Based on encouraging results from Phase I/II trials, the first Phase II clinical trials of stem cell-derived RPE transplantation are underway. PR transplant experiments have demonstrated restoration of visual function in preclinical models of retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration, but also indicate that no single approach is likely to succeed in overcoming PR loss in all cases. A greater understanding of the mechanisms controlling synapse formation as well as the immunoreactivity of transplanted retinal cells is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zarbin
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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71
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Amemori T, Ruzicka J, Romanyuk N, Jhanwar-Uniyal M, Sykova E, Jendelova P. Comparison of intraspinal and intrathecal implantation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural precursors for the treatment of spinal cord injury in rats. Stem Cell Res Ther 2015; 6:257. [PMID: 26696415 PMCID: PMC4688936 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-015-0255-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Stem cell treatment provides a promising therapy for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the applied stem cells exert their effects in different manners that are dependent on the route used for administration. Methods In the present study, we administered neural precursors derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS-NPs) either intraspinally into the lesion center or intrathecally into the subarachnoid space of rats with a balloon-induced spinal cord compression lesion. Functional locomotor performance, cell survival, astrogliosis, axonal sprouting and the expression of endogenous neurotrophic growth factors were evaluated using behavioral tests (BBB, flat beam test, rotarod, plantar test), morphometric analysis, immunohistochemistry and qPCR. Results Both treatments facilitated the functional locomotor recovery of rats with SCI. iPS-NPs injected intraspinally survived well for 2 months and were positive for MAP2, while cells grafted intrathecally were undetectable at the site of administration or in the spinal cord tissue. Intraspinal implantation increased gray and white matter sparing and axonal sprouting and reduced astrogliosis, while intrathecal application resulted only in an improvement of white matter sparing and an increase in axonal sprouting, in parallel with no positive effect on the expression of endogenous neurotrophic growth factor genes or glial scar reduction. Conclusions Intrathecally grafted iPS-NPs had a moderate therapeutic benefit on SCI through a paracrine mechanism that does not require the cells to be present in the tissue; however, the extended survival of i.s. grafted cells in the spinal cord may promote long-term spinal cord tissue regeneration. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-015-0255-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Amemori
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiri Ruzicka
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Czech Republic. .,Department of Neuroscience, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Plzenska 130/221, 150 00, Prague 5, Czech Republic.
| | - Nataliya Romanyuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Eva Sykova
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Czech Republic. .,Department of Neuroscience, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Plzenska 130/221, 150 00, Prague 5, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavla Jendelova
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Czech Republic. .,Department of Neuroscience, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Plzenska 130/221, 150 00, Prague 5, Czech Republic.
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72
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Kaus A, Sareen D. ALS Patient Stem Cells for Unveiling Disease Signatures of Motoneuron Susceptibility: Perspectives on the Deadly Mitochondria, ER Stress and Calcium Triad. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:448. [PMID: 26635528 PMCID: PMC4652136 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a largely sporadic progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting upper and lower motoneurons (MNs) whose specific etiology is incompletely understood. Mutations in superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TARDBP/TDP-43) and C9orf72, have been identified in subsets of familial and sporadic patients. Key associated molecular and neuropathological features include ubiquitinated TDP-43 inclusions, stress granules, aggregated dipeptide proteins from mutant C9orf72 transcripts, altered mitochondrial ultrastructure, dysregulated calcium homeostasis, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and an unfolded protein response (UPR). Such impairments have been documented in ALS animal models; however, whether these mechanisms are initiating factors or later consequential events leading to MN vulnerability in ALS patients is debatable. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a valuable tool that could resolve this “chicken or egg” causality dilemma. Relevant systems for probing pathophysiologically affected cells from large numbers of ALS patients and discovering phenotypic disease signatures of early MN susceptibility are described. Performing unbiased ‘OMICS and high-throughput screening in relevant neural cells from a cohort of ALS patient iPSCs, and rescuing mitochondrial and ER stress impairments, can identify targeted therapeutics for increasing MN longevity in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjoscha Kaus
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA, USA ; iPSC Core, The David and Janet Polak Stem Cell Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA, USA
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73
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Mao Z, Zhang S, Chen H. Stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. CELL REGENERATION 2015; 4:11. [PMID: 26594318 PMCID: PMC4653876 DOI: 10.1186/s13619-015-0026-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of motor neurons. Currently, no effective therapy is available to treat ALS, except for Riluzole, which has only limited clinical benefits. Stem-cell-based therapy has been intensively and extensively studied as a potential novel treatment strategy for ALS and has been shown to be effective, at least to some extent. In this article, we will review the current state of research on the use of stem cell therapy in the treatment of ALS and discuss the most promising stem cells for the treatment of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijuan Mao
- Department of Neurology of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Suming Zhang
- Department of Neurology of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Glial restricted precursors maintain their permissive properties after long-term expansion but not following exposure to pro-inflammatory factors. Brain Res 2015; 1629:113-25. [PMID: 26498878 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Revised: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Glial restricted precursors (GRP) are a promising cellular source for transplantation therapy of spinal cord injury (SCI), capable of creating a permissive environment for axonal growth and regeneration. However, there are several issues regarding the nature of their permissive properties that remain unexplored. For example, cellular transplantation strategies for spinal cord repair require the preparation of a large number of cells, but it is unknown whether the permissive properties of GRP are maintained following the process of in vitro expansion. We used rat GRP isolated from the embryonic day 13.5 spinal cord to compare the properties of early (10-20 days) and late (120-140 days) passage GRP. We found that late passage GRP showed comparable effects on neurite outgrowth of adult rat DRG to early passage GRP in both in vitro co-culture and conditioned medium experiments. In addition, to further examine the effects of the inflammatory cascade activated in the aftermath of SCI on the microenvironment, we studied the direct effects of strong inflammatory mediators, Lipopolysaccharide and interferon gamma (LPS and IFNɤ, respectively), on the properties of GRP. We showed that exposure to these pro-inflammatory mediators altered GRP phenotype and attenuated their growth-promoting effects on neurite outgrowth in a dose dependent manner. Taken together, our data suggest that GRP maintain their growth-promoting properties following extensive in vitro passaging and underscore the importance of modulating the inflammatory environment at the injured spinal cord.
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75
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Lee S, Huang EJ. Modeling ALS and FTD with iPSC-derived neurons. Brain Res 2015; 1656:88-97. [PMID: 26462653 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in genetics and neuropathology support the idea that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTD) are two ends of a disease spectrum. Although several animal models have been developed to investigate the pathogenesis and disease progression in ALS and FTD, there are significant limitations that hamper our ability to connect these models with the neurodegenerative processes in human diseases. With the technical breakthrough in reprogramming biology, it is now possible to generate patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and disease-relevant neuron subtypes. This review provides a comprehensive summary of studies that use iPSC-derived neurons to model ALS and FTD. We discuss the unique capabilities of iPSC-derived neurons that capture some key features of ALS and FTD, and underscore their potential roles in drug discovery. There are, however, several critical caveats that require improvements before iPSC-derived neurons can become highly effective disease models. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Exploiting human neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebum Lee
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0502, United States
| | - Eric J Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0502, United States; Pathology Service 113B, San Francisco VA Medical Center, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0502, United States.
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76
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Zomer HD, Vidane AS, Gonçalves NN, Ambrósio CE. Mesenchymal and induced pluripotent stem cells: general insights and clinical perspectives. STEM CELLS AND CLONING-ADVANCES AND APPLICATIONS 2015; 8:125-34. [PMID: 26451119 PMCID: PMC4592031 DOI: 10.2147/sccaa.s88036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells have awakened a great deal of interest in regenerative medicine due to their plasticity, and immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. They are high-yield and can be acquired through noninvasive methods from adult tissues. Moreover, they are nontumorigenic and are the most widely studied. On the other hand, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be derived directly from adult cells through gene reprogramming. The new iPS technology avoids the embryo destruction or manipulation to generate pluripotent cells, therefore, are exempt from ethical implication surrounding embryonic stem cell use. The pre-differentiation of iPS cells ensures the safety of future approaches. Both mesenchymal stem cells and iPS cells can be used for autologous cell transplantations without the risk of immune rejection and represent a great opportunity for future alternative therapies. In this review we discussed the therapeutic perspectives using mesenchymal and iPS cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena D Zomer
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Atanásio S Vidane
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Natalia N Gonçalves
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos E Ambrósio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
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77
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Wang W, Lee Y, Lee CH. Effects of nitric oxide on stem cell therapy. Biotechnol Adv 2015; 33:1685-96. [PMID: 26394194 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2015.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The use of stem cells as a research tool and a therapeutic vehicle has demonstrated their great potential in the treatment of various diseases. With unveiling of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) universally present at various levels in nearly all types of body tissues, the potential therapeutic implication of nitric oxide (NO) has been magnified, and thus scientists have explored new treatment strategies involved with stem cells and NO against various diseases. As the functionality of NO encompasses cardiovascular, neuronal and immune systems, NO is involved in stem cell differentiation, epigenetic regulation and immune suppression. Stem cells trigger cellular responses to external signals on the basis of both NO specific pathways and concerted action with endogenous compounds including stem cell regulators. As potency and interaction of NO with stem cells generally depend on the concentrations of NO and the presence of the cofactors at the active site, the suitable carriers for NO delivery is integral for exerting maximal efficacy of stem cells. The innovative utilization of NO functionality and involved mechanisms would invariably alter the paradigm of therapeutic application of stem cells. Future prospects in NO-involved stem cell research which promises to enhance drug discovery efforts by opening new era to improve drug efficacy, reduce drug toxicity and understand disease mechanisms and pathways, were also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuchen Wang
- School of Pharmacy University of Missouri, Kansas City, USA
| | - Yugyung Lee
- School of Computing and Engineering, University of Missouri, Kansas City, USA
| | - Chi H Lee
- School of Pharmacy University of Missouri, Kansas City, USA.
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78
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Zhang PW, Haidet-Phillips AM, Pham JT, Lee Y, Huo Y, Tienari PJ, Maragakis NJ, Sattler R, Rothstein JD. Generation of GFAP::GFP astrocyte reporter lines from human adult fibroblast-derived iPS cells using zinc-finger nuclease technology. Glia 2015; 64:63-75. [PMID: 26295203 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are instrumental to major brain functions, including metabolic support, extracellular ion regulation, the shaping of excitatory signaling events and maintenance of synaptic glutamate homeostasis. Astrocyte dysfunction contributes to numerous developmental, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. The generation of adult human fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has provided novel opportunities to study mechanisms of astrocyte dysfunction in human-derived cells. To overcome the difficulties of cell type heterogeneity during the differentiation process from iPSCs to astroglial cells (iPS astrocytes), we generated homogenous populations of iPS astrocytes using zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN) technology. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) driven by the astrocyte-specific glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter was inserted into the safe harbor adeno-associated virus integration site 1 (AAVS1) locus in disease and control-derived iPSCs. Astrocyte populations were enriched using Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) and after enrichment more than 99% of iPS astrocytes expressed mature astrocyte markers including GFAP, S100β, NFIA and ALDH1L1. In addition, mature pure GFP-iPS astrocytes exhibited a well-described functional astrocytic activity in vitro characterized by neuron-dependent regulation of glutamate transporters to regulate extracellular glutamate concentrations. Engraftment of GFP-iPS astrocytes into rat spinal cord grey matter confirmed in vivo cell survival and continued astrocytic maturation. In conclusion, the generation of GFAP::GFP-iPS astrocytes provides a powerful in vitro and in vivo tool for studying astrocyte biology and astrocyte-driven disease pathogenesis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-Wu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Jacqueline T Pham
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Youngjin Lee
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yuqing Huo
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Pentti J Tienari
- Biomedicum, Research Program Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki, FIN-00290, Finland
| | - Nicholas J Maragakis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rita Sattler
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland.,Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-270, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland.,Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-270, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-270, Baltimore, Maryland
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79
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Li K, Javed E, Scura D, Hala TJ, Seetharam S, Falnikar A, Richard JP, Chorath A, Maragakis NJ, Wright MC, Lepore AC. Human iPS cell-derived astrocyte transplants preserve respiratory function after spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2015. [PMID: 26216662 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Transplantation-based replacement of lost and/or dysfunctional astrocytes is a promising therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI) that has not been extensively explored, despite the integral roles played by astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a clinically-relevant source of pluripotent cells that both avoid ethical issues of embryonic stem cells and allow for homogeneous derivation of mature cell types in large quantities, potentially in an autologous fashion. Despite their promise, the iPS cell field is in its infancy with respect to evaluating in vivo graft integration and therapeutic efficacy in SCI models. Astrocytes express the major glutamate transporter, GLT1, which is responsible for the vast majority of glutamate uptake in spinal cord. Following SCI, compromised GLT1 expression/function can increase susceptibility to excitotoxicity. We therefore evaluated intraspinal transplantation of human iPS cell-derived astrocytes (hIPSAs) following cervical contusion SCI as a novel strategy for reconstituting GLT1 expression and for protecting diaphragmatic respiratory neural circuitry. Transplant-derived cells showed robust long-term survival post-injection and efficiently differentiated into astrocytes in injured spinal cord of both immunesuppressed mice and rats. However, the majority of transplant-derived astrocytes did not express high levels of GLT1, particularly at early times post-injection. To enhance their ability to modulate extracellular glutamate levels, we engineered hIPSAs with lentivirus to constitutively express GLT1. Overexpression significantly increased GLT1 protein and functional GLT1-mediated glutamate uptake levels in hIPSAs both in vitro and in vivo post-transplantation. Compared to human fibroblast control and unmodified hIPSA transplantation, GLT1-overexpressing hIPSAs reduced (1) lesion size within the injured cervical spinal cord, (2) morphological denervation by respiratory phrenic motor neurons at the diaphragm neuromuscular junction, and (3) functional diaphragm denervation as measured by recording of spontaneous EMGs and evoked compound muscle action potentials. Our findings demonstrate that hiPSA transplantation is a therapeutically-powerful approach for SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Elham Javed
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Daniel Scura
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Tamara J Hala
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Suneil Seetharam
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Aditi Falnikar
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Jean-Philippe Richard
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855N. Wolfe St., Rangos 250, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
| | - Ashley Chorath
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Nicholas J Maragakis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855N. Wolfe St., Rangos 250, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, 450S. Easton Rd., 220 Boyer Hall, Glenside, PA 19038, United States.
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
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80
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Tsai Y, Lu B, Bakondi B, Girman S, Sahabian A, Sareen D, Svendsen CN, Wang S. Human iPSC-Derived Neural Progenitors Preserve Vision in an AMD-Like Model. Stem Cells 2015; 33:2537-49. [PMID: 25869002 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are currently being tested for cell replacement in late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, preserving vision at early-stages may also be possible. Here, we demonstrate that transplantation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iNPCs) limits disease progression in the Royal College of Surgeons rat, a preclinical model of AMD. Grafted-iNPCs survived, remained undifferentiated, and distributed extensively in a laminar fashion in the subretinal space. Retinal pathology resulting from the accumulation of undigested photoreceptor outer segments (POS) was significantly reduced in iNPC-injected rats compared with controls. Phagosomes within grafted-iNPCs contained POS, suggesting that iNPCs had compensated for defective POS phagocytosis by host-RPE. The iNPC-treated eyes contained six to eight rows of photoreceptor nuclei that spanned up to 5 mm in length in transverse retinal sections, compared with only one row of photoreceptors in controls. iNPC treatment fully preserved visual acuity measured by optokinetic response. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that retina with the best iNPC-protected areas were 140-fold more sensitive to light stimulation than equivalent areas of contralateral eyes. The results described here support the therapeutic utility of iNPCs as autologous grafts for early-stage of AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchun Tsai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Bin Lu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Benjamin Bakondi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sergey Girman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Anais Sahabian
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Shaomei Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
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81
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Walthers CM, Seidlits SK. Gene delivery strategies to promote spinal cord repair. Biomark Insights 2015; 10:11-29. [PMID: 25922572 PMCID: PMC4395076 DOI: 10.4137/bmi.s20063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapies hold great promise for the treatment of many neurodegenerative disorders and traumatic injuries in the central nervous system. However, development of effective methods to deliver such therapies in a controlled manner to the spinal cord is a necessity for their translation to the clinic. Although essential progress has been made to improve efficiency of transgene delivery and reduce the immunogenicity of genetic vectors, there is still much work to be done to achieve clinical strategies capable of reversing neurodegeneration and mediating tissue regeneration. In particular, strategies to achieve localized, robust expression of therapeutic transgenes by target cell types, at controlled levels over defined time periods, will be necessary to fully regenerate functional spinal cord tissues. This review summarizes the progress over the last decade toward the development of effective gene therapies in the spinal cord, including identification of appropriate target genes, improvements to design of genetic vectors, advances in delivery methods, and strategies for delivery of multiple transgenes with synergistic actions. The potential of biomaterials to mediate gene delivery while simultaneously providing inductive scaffolding to facilitate tissue regeneration is also discussed.
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82
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Goutman SA, Chen KS, Feldman EL. Recent Advances and the Future of Stem Cell Therapies in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurotherapeutics 2015; 12:428-48. [PMID: 25776222 PMCID: PMC4404436 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-015-0339-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the motor neurons without a known cure. Based on the possibility of cellular neuroprotection and early preclinical results, stem cells have gained widespread enthusiasm as a potential treatment strategy. Preclinical models demonstrate a protective role of engrafted stem cells and provided the basis for human trials carried out using various types of stem cells, as well as a range of cell delivery methods. To date, no trial has demonstrated a clear therapeutic benefit; however, results remain encouraging and are the basis for ongoing studies. In addition, stem cell technology continues to improve, and induced pluripotent stem cells may offer additional therapeutic options in the future. Improved disease models and clinical trials will be essential in order to validate stem cells as a beneficial therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A Goutman
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, F2647 UH South, SPC 5223, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5036, USA,
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83
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Hodgetts SI, Edel M, Harvey AR. The State of Play with iPSCs and Spinal Cord Injury Models. J Clin Med 2015; 4:193-203. [PMID: 26237027 PMCID: PMC4470248 DOI: 10.3390/jcm4010193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The application of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies in cell based strategies, for the repair of the central nervous system (with particular focus on the spinal cord), is moving towards the potential use of clinical grade donor cells. The ability of iPSCs to generate donor neuronal, glial and astrocytic phenotypes for transplantation is highlighted here, and we review recent research using iPSCs in attempts to treat spinal cord injury in various animal models. Also discussed are issues relating to the production of clinical grade iPSCs, recent advances in transdifferentiation protocols for iPSC-derived donor cell populations, concerns about tumourogenicity, and whether iPSC technologies offer any advantages over previous donor cell candidates or tissues already in use as therapeutic tools in experimental spinal cord injury studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart I Hodgetts
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
| | - Michael Edel
- Control of Pluripotency Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences I, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Hospital Clinic, Casanova 143, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney Medical School, Division of Pediatrics and Child Health, Westmead Children's Hospital, Sydney 2010, Australia.
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, and the Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research (CCTRM), The University of Western Australia, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
| | - Alan R Harvey
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
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84
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Abstract
Stem cell-based interventions aim to use special regenerative cells (stem cells) to facilitate neuronal function beyond the site of the injury. Many studies involving animal models of spinal cord injury (SCI) suggest that certain stem cell-based therapies may restore function after SCI. Currently, in case of spinal cord injuries, new discoveries with clinical implications have been continuously made in basic stem cell research, and stem cell-based approaches are advancing rapidly toward application in patients. There is a huge base of preclinical evidence in vitro and in animal models which suggests the safety and clinical efficacy of cellular therapies after SCI. Despite this, data from clinical studies is not very encouraging and at times confounding. Here, we have attempted to cover preclinical and clinical evidence base dealing with safety, feasibility and efficacy of cell based interventions after SCI. The limitations of preclinical data and the reasons underlying its failure to translate in a clinical setting are also discussed. Based on the evidence base, it is suggested that a multifactorial approach is required to address this situation. Need for standardized, stringently designed multi-centric clinical trials for obtaining validated proof of evidence is also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harvinder Singh Chhabra
- Spine Service, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India,Address for correspondence: Dr. Harvinder Singh Chhabra, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Sector C, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi - 110 070, India. E-mail:
| | - Kanchan Sarda
- Spine Service, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India
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85
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Kim C, Lee HC, Sung JJ. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - cell based therapy and novel therapeutic development. Exp Neurobiol 2014; 23:207-14. [PMID: 25258567 PMCID: PMC4174611 DOI: 10.5607/en.2014.23.3.207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the predominant loss of motor neurons (MNs) in primary motor cortex, the brainstem, and the spinal cord, causing premature death in most cases. Minimal delay of pathological development by available medicine has prompted the search for novel therapeutic treatments to cure ALS. Cell-based therapy has been proposed as an ultimate source for regeneration of MNs. Recent completion of non-autologous fetal spinal stem cell transplant to ALS patients brought renewed hope for further human trials to cure the disease. Autologous somatic stem cell-based human trials are now in track to reveal the outcome of the ongoing trials. Furthermore, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based ALS disease drug screen and autologous cell transplant options will broaden therapeutic options. In this review paper, we discuss recent accomplishments in cell transplant treatment for ALS and future options with iPSC technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changsung Kim
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul 143-747, Korea
| | - Hee Chul Lee
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul 143-747, Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Sung
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-774, Korea
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86
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Quan Y, Wang D. Clinical potentials of human pluripotent stem cells in lung diseases. Clin Transl Med 2014; 3:15. [PMID: 24995122 PMCID: PMC4072658 DOI: 10.1186/2001-1326-3-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung possesses very limited regenerative capacity. Failure to maintain homeostasis of lung epithelial cell populations has been implicated in the development of many life-threatening pulmonary diseases leading to substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide, and currently there is no known cure for these end-stage pulmonary diseases. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and somatic cell-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) possess unlimited self-renewal capacity and great potential to differentiate to various cell types of three embryonic germ layers (ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal). Therapeutic use of human ESC/iPSC-derived lung progenitor cells for regeneration of injured or diseased lungs will have an enormous clinical impact. This article provides an overview of recent advances in research on pluripotent stem cells in lung tissue regeneration and discusses technical challenges that must be overcome for their clinical applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Quan
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the prevention of Human Diseases, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 1825 Pressler Street/IMM 437D, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dachun Wang
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the prevention of Human Diseases, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 1825 Pressler Street/IMM 437D, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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