101
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Posfai E, Lanner F, Mulas C, Leitch HG. All models are wrong, but some are useful: Establishing standards for stem cell-based embryo models. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1117-1141. [PMID: 33979598 PMCID: PMC8185978 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Detailed studies of the embryo allow an increasingly mechanistic understanding of development, which has proved of profound relevance to human disease. The last decade has seen in vitro cultured stem cell-based models of embryo development flourish, which provide an alternative to the embryo for accessible experimentation. However, the usefulness of any stem cell-based embryo model will be determined by how accurately it reflects in vivo embryonic development, and/or the extent to which it facilitates new discoveries. Stringent benchmarking of embryo models is thus an important consideration for this growing field. Here we provide an overview of means to evaluate both the properties of stem cells, the building blocks of most embryo models, as well as the usefulness of current and future in vitro embryo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Posfai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Fredrik Lanner
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden; Ming Wai Lau Center for Reparative Medicine, Stockholm node, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carla Mulas
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Harry G Leitch
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK
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102
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Winter M, Jankovic-Karasoulos T, Roberts CT, Bianco-Miotto T, Thierry B. Bioengineered Microphysiological Placental Models: Towards Improving Understanding of Pregnancy Health and Disease. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:1221-1235. [PMID: 33965246 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Driven by a lack of appropriate human placenta models, recent years have seen the introduction of bioengineered in vitro models to better understand placental health and disease. Thus far, the focus has been on the maternal-foetal barrier. However, there are many other physiologically and pathologically significant aspects of the placenta that would benefit from state-of-the-art bioengineered models, in particular, integrating advanced culture systems with contemporary biological concepts such as organoids. This critical review defines and discusses the key parameters required for the development of physiologically relevant in vitro models of the placenta. Specifically, it highlights the importance of cell type, mechanical forces, and culture microenvironment towards the use of physiologically relevant models to improve the understanding of human placental function and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marnie Winter
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent BioNano Science and Technology and Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia.
| | - Tanja Jankovic-Karasoulos
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042, Australia
| | - Claire T Roberts
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042, Australia
| | - Tina Bianco-Miotto
- School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia; Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia; Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Benjamin Thierry
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent BioNano Science and Technology and Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia
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103
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Zhou J, West RC, Ehlers EL, Ezashi T, Schulz LC, Roberts RM, Yuan Y, Schust DJ. Modeling human peri-implantation placental development and function†. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:40-51. [PMID: 33899095 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It is very difficult to gain a better understanding of the events in human pregnancy that occur during and just after implantation because such pregnancies are not yet clinically detectable. Animal models of human placentation are inadequate. In vitro models that utilize immortalized cell lines and cells derived from trophoblast cancers have multiple limitations. Primary cell and tissue cultures often have limited lifespans and cannot be obtained from the peri-implantation period. We present here two contemporary models of human peri-implantation placental development: extended blastocyst culture and stem-cell derived trophoblast culture. We discuss current research efforts that employ these models and how such models might be used in the future to study the "black box" stage of human pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Zhou
- Mizzou Institute for Women's Health Research, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO USA.,Bond Life Sciences Center, Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO USA
| | - R C West
- Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, Lone Tree, CO USA
| | - E L Ehlers
- Mizzou Institute for Women's Health Research, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO USA
| | - T Ezashi
- Bond Life Sciences Center, Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO USA
| | - L C Schulz
- Mizzou Institute for Women's Health Research, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO USA
| | - R M Roberts
- Bond Life Sciences Center, Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO USA
| | - Y Yuan
- Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, Lone Tree, CO USA
| | - D J Schust
- Mizzou Institute for Women's Health Research, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO USA
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104
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Io S, Kabata M, Iemura Y, Semi K, Morone N, Minagawa A, Wang B, Okamoto I, Nakamura T, Kojima Y, Iwatani C, Tsuchiya H, Kaswandy B, Kondoh E, Kaneko S, Woltjen K, Saitou M, Yamamoto T, Mandai M, Takashima Y. Capturing human trophoblast development with naive pluripotent stem cells in vitro. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:1023-1039.e13. [PMID: 33831365 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Trophoblasts are extraembryonic cells that are essential for maintaining pregnancy. Human trophoblasts arise from the morula as trophectoderm (TE), which, after implantation, differentiates into cytotrophoblasts (CTs), syncytiotrophoblasts (STs), and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs), composing the placenta. Here we show that naïve, but not primed, human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) recapitulate trophoblast development. Naive PSC-derived TE and CTs (nCTs) recreated human and monkey TE-to-CT transition. nCTs self-renewed as CT stem cells and had the characteristics of proliferating villous CTs and CTs in the cell column of the first trimester. Notably, although primed PSCs differentiated into trophoblast-like cells (BMP4, A83-01, and PD173074 [BAP]-treated primed PSCs [pBAPs]), pBAPs were distinct from nCTs and human placenta-derived CT stem cells, exhibiting properties consistent with the amnion. Our findings establish an authentic paradigm for human trophoblast development, demonstrating the invaluable properties of naive human PSCs. Our system provides a platform to study the molecular mechanisms underlying trophoblast development and related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Io
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Mio Kabata
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Iemura
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Katsunori Semi
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Morone
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Atsutaka Minagawa
- Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Ikuhiro Okamoto
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tomonori Nakamura
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; The HAKUBI Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoji Kojima
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Chizuru Iwatani
- Research Center for Animal Life Science, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga 520-2192, Japan
| | - Hideaki Tsuchiya
- Research Center for Animal Life Science, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga 520-2192, Japan
| | - Belinda Kaswandy
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Eiji Kondoh
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shin Kaneko
- Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Knut Woltjen
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Mitinori Saitou
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takuya Yamamoto
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; AMED-CREST, AMED, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan; Medical Risk Avoidance Based on iPS Cells Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Projects (AIP), Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Masaki Mandai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Takashima
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, CiRA, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
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105
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Rossant J, Tam PPL. Opportunities and challenges with stem cell-based embryo models. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1031-1038. [PMID: 33667412 PMCID: PMC8185371 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stem cell-based embryo models open an unprecedented avenue for modeling embryogenesis, cell lineage differentiation, tissue morphogenesis, and organogenesis in mammalian development. Experimentation on these embryo models can lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of development and offers opportunities for functional genomic studies of disease-causing mechanisms, identification of therapeutic targets, and preclinical modeling of advanced therapeutics for precision medicine. An immediate challenge is to create embryo models of high fidelity to embryogenesis and organogenesis in vivo, to ensure that the knowledge gleaned is biologically meaningful and clinically relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Rossant
- Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, and The Gairdner Foundation, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Patrick P L Tam
- Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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