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From Spheroids to Organoids: The Next Generation of Model Systems of Human Cardiac Regeneration in a Dish. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413180. [PMID: 34947977 PMCID: PMC8708686 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Organoids are tiny, self-organized, three-dimensional tissue cultures that are derived from the differentiation of stem cells. The growing interest in the use of organoids arises from their ability to mimic the biology and physiology of specific tissue structures in vitro. Organoids indeed represent promising systems for the in vitro modeling of tissue morphogenesis and organogenesis, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, drug therapy testing, toxicology screening, and disease modeling. Although 2D cell cultures have been used for more than 50 years, even for their simplicity and low-cost maintenance, recent years have witnessed a steep rise in the availability of organoid model systems. Exploiting the ability of cells to re-aggregate and reconstruct the original architecture of an organ makes it possible to overcome many limitations of 2D cell culture systems. In vitro replication of the cellular micro-environment of a specific tissue leads to reproducing the molecular, biochemical, and biomechanical mechanisms that directly influence cell behavior and fate within that specific tissue. Lineage-specific self-organizing organoids have now been generated for many organs. Currently, growing cardiac organoid (cardioids) from pluripotent stem cells and cardiac stem/progenitor cells remains an open challenge due to the complexity of the spreading, differentiation, and migration of cardiac muscle and vascular layers. Here, we summarize the evolution of biological model systems from the generation of 2D spheroids to 3D organoids by focusing on the generation of cardioids based on the currently available laboratory technologies and outline their high potential for cardiovascular research.
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102
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Stutt N, Song M, Wilson MD, Scott IC. Cardiac specification during gastrulation - The Yellow Brick Road leading to Tinman. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:46-58. [PMID: 34865988 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The question of how the heart develops, and the genetic networks governing this process have become intense areas of research over the past several decades. This research is propelled by classical developmental studies and potential clinical applications to understand and treat congenital conditions in which cardiac development is disrupted. Discovery of the tinman gene in Drosophila, and examination of its vertebrate homolog Nkx2.5, along with other core cardiac transcription factors has revealed how cardiac progenitor differentiation and maturation drives heart development. Careful observation of cardiac morphogenesis along with lineage tracing approaches indicated that cardiac progenitors can be divided into two broad classes of cells, namely the first and second heart fields, that contribute to the heart in two distinct waves of differentiation. Ample evidence suggests that the fate of individual cardiac progenitors is restricted to distinct cardiac structures quite early in development, well before the expression of canonical cardiac progenitor markers like Nkx2.5. Here we review the initial specification of cardiac progenitors, discuss evidence for the early patterning of cardiac progenitors during gastrulation, and consider how early gene expression programs and epigenetic patterns can direct their development. A complete understanding of when and how the developmental potential of cardiac progenitors is determined, and their potential plasticity, is of great interest developmentally and also has important implications for both the study of congenital heart disease and therapeutic approaches based on cardiac stem cell programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Stutt
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Mengyi Song
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Michael D Wilson
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Ian C Scott
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada.
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103
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Silva AC, Matthys OB, Joy DA, Kauss MA, Natarajan V, Lai MH, Turaga D, Blair AP, Alexanian M, Bruneau BG, McDevitt TC. Co-emergence of cardiac and gut tissues promotes cardiomyocyte maturation within human iPSC-derived organoids. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:2137-2152.e6. [PMID: 34861147 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, paracrine signaling between tissues in close proximity contributes to the determination of their respective cell fate(s) and development into functional organs. Organoids are in vitro models that mimic organ formation and cellular heterogeneity, but lack the paracrine input of surrounding tissues. Here, we describe a human multilineage iPSC-derived organoid that recapitulates cooperative cardiac and gut development and maturation, with extensive cellular and structural complexity in both tissues. We demonstrate that the presence of endoderm tissue (gut/intestine) in the organoids contributed to the development of cardiac tissue features characteristic of stages after heart tube formation, including cardiomyocyte expansion, compartmentalization, enrichment of atrial/nodal cells, myocardial compaction, and fetal-like functional maturation. Overall, this study demonstrates the ability to generate and mature cooperative tissues originating from different germ lineages within a single organoid model, an advance that will further the examination of multi-tissue interactions during development, physiological maturation, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Silva
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Oriane B Matthys
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - David A Joy
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Mara A Kauss
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; UC San Francisco Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Benoit G Bruneau
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Todd C McDevitt
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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104
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Follow your heart and trust your gut: Co-development of heart and gut tissue in organoids. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:2037-2038. [PMID: 34861142 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Organogenesis is orchestrated by the interaction of different embryonic tissues. Recent reports in Cell Stem Cell (Silva et al., 2021; Rossi et al., 2021) and Nature Biotechnology (Drakhlis et al., 2021) recapitulate the co-development of embryonic mesoderm and endoderm in PSCs to promote formation of complex heart and gut organoids.
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105
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Lescroart F, Dumas CE, Adachi N, Kelly RG. Emergence of heart and branchiomeric muscles in cardiopharyngeal mesoderm. Exp Cell Res 2021; 410:112931. [PMID: 34798131 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Branchiomeric muscles of the head and neck originate in a population of cranial mesoderm termed cardiopharyngeal mesoderm that also contains progenitor cells contributing to growth of the embryonic heart. Retrospective lineage analysis has shown that branchiomeric muscles share a clonal origin with parts of the heart, indicating the presence of common heart and head muscle progenitor cells in the early embryo. Genetic lineage tracing and functional studies in the mouse, as well as in Ciona and zebrafish, together with recent experiments using single cell transcriptomics and multipotent stem cells, have provided further support for the existence of bipotent head and heart muscle progenitor cells. Current challenges concern defining where and when such common progenitor cells exist in mammalian embryos and how alternative myogenic derivatives emerge in cardiopharyngeal mesoderm. Addressing these questions will provide insights into mechanisms of cell fate acquisition and the evolution of vertebrate musculature, as well as clinical insights into the origins of muscle restricted myopathies and congenital defects affecting craniofacial and cardiac development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Camille E Dumas
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7288, IBDM, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Noritaka Adachi
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7288, IBDM, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Robert G Kelly
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7288, IBDM, 13009, Marseille, France.
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106
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Drakhlis L, Devadas SB, Zweigerdt R. Generation of heart-forming organoids from human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:5652-5672. [PMID: 34759383 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00629-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Heart-forming organoids (HFOs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a complex, highly structured in vitro model of early heart, foregut and vasculature development. The model represents a potent tool for various applications, including teratogenicity studies, gene function analysis and drug discovery. Here, we provide a detailed protocol describing how to form HFOs within 14 d. In an initial 4 d preculture period, hPSC aggregates are individually formed in a 96-well format and then Matrigel-embedded. Subsequently, the chemical WNT pathway modulators CHIR99021 and IWP2 are applied, inducing directed differentiation. This highly robust protocol can be used on many different hPSC lines and be combined with manipulation technologies such as gene targeting and drug testing. HFO formation can be assessed by numerous complementary methods, ranging from various imaging approaches to gene expression studies. Here, we highlight the flow cytometry-based analysis of individual HFOs, enabling the quantitative monitoring of lineage formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lika Drakhlis
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery (HTTG), REBIRTH-Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Santoshi Biswanath Devadas
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery (HTTG), REBIRTH-Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Robert Zweigerdt
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery (HTTG), REBIRTH-Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany.
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107
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Mostafavi S, Balafkan N, Pettersen IKN, Nido GS, Siller R, Tzoulis C, Sullivan GJ, Bindoff LA. Distinct Mitochondrial Remodeling During Mesoderm Differentiation in a Human-Based Stem Cell Model. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:744777. [PMID: 34722525 PMCID: PMC8553110 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.744777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the considerable interest in using stem cells for modeling and treating disease, it is essential to understand what regulates self-renewal and differentiation. Remodeling of mitochondria and metabolism, with the shift from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), plays a fundamental role in maintaining pluripotency and stem cell fate. It has been suggested that the metabolic “switch” from glycolysis to OXPHOS is germ layer-specific as glycolysis remains active during early ectoderm commitment but is downregulated during the transition to mesoderm and endoderm lineages. How mitochondria adapt during these metabolic changes and whether mitochondria remodeling is tissue specific remain unclear. Here, we address the question of mitochondrial adaptation by examining the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to cardiac progenitors and further to differentiated mesodermal derivatives, including functional cardiomyocytes. In contrast to recent findings in neuronal differentiation, we found that mitochondrial content decreases continuously during mesoderm differentiation, despite increased mitochondrial activity and higher levels of ATP-linked respiration. Thus, our work highlights similarities in mitochondrial remodeling during the transition from pluripotent to multipotent state in ectodermal and mesodermal lineages, while at the same time demonstrating cell-lineage-specific adaptations upon further differentiation. Our results improve the understanding of how mitochondrial remodeling and the metabolism interact during mesoderm differentiation and show that it is erroneous to assume that increased OXPHOS activity during differentiation requires a simultaneous expansion of mitochondrial content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Mostafavi
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Novin Balafkan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.,Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT)-Centre of Excellence, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Gonzalo S Nido
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Neuro-SysMed, Center of Excellence for Clinical Research in Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Richard Siller
- Stem Cell Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Charalampos Tzoulis
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Neuro-SysMed, Center of Excellence for Clinical Research in Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Gareth J Sullivan
- Stem Cell Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Oslo University Hospital and the University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Hybrid Technology Hub-Centre of Excellence, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Pediatric Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Laurence A Bindoff
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Neuro-SysMed, Center of Excellence for Clinical Research in Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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108
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Song MH, Choi SC, Noh JM, Joo HJ, Park CY, Cha JJ, Ahn TH, Ko TH, Choi JI, Na JE, Rhyu IJ, Jang Y, Park Y, Gim JA, Kim JH, Lim DS. LEFTY-PITX2 signaling pathway is critical for generation of mature and ventricular cardiac organoids in human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac mesoderm cells. Biomaterials 2021; 278:121133. [PMID: 34571434 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The generation of mature ventricular cardiomyocytes (CMs) resembling adult CMs from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is necessary for disease modeling and drug discovery. To investigate the effect of self-organizing capacity on the generation of mature cardiac organoids (COs), we generated cardiac mesoderm cell-derived COs (CMC-COs) and CM-derived COs (CM-COs) and evaluated COs. CMC-COs exhibited more organized sarcomere structures and mitochondria, well-arranged t-tubule structures, and evenly distributed intercalated discs. Increased expressions of ventricular CM, cardiac metabolic, t-tubule formation, K+ ion channel, and junctional markers were confirmed in CMC-COs. Mature ventricular-like function such as faster motion vector speed, decreased beats per min, increased peak-to-peak duration, and prolonged APD50 and APD90 were observed in CMC-COs. Transcriptional profiling revealed that extracellular matrix-integrin, focal adhesion, and LEFTY-PITX2 signaling pathways are upregulated in CMC-COs. LEFTY knockdown affected ECM-integrin-FA signaling pathways in CMC-COs. Here, we found that high self-organizing capacity of CMCs is critical for the generation of mature and ventricular COs. We also demonstrated that LEFTY-PITX2 signaling plays key roles for CM maturation and specification into ventricular-like CM subtype in CMC-COs. CMC-COs are an attractive resource for disease modeling and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeong-Hwa Song
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Seung-Cheol Choi
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea; R&D Center for Companion Diagnostic, SOL Bio Corporation, Suite 510, 27, Seongsui-ro7-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04780, South Korea
| | - Ji-Min Noh
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Hyung Joon Joo
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Chi-Yeon Park
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Cha
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Tae Hoon Ahn
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Tae Hee Ko
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine and Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jong-Il Choi
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine and Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Ji Eun Na
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Im Joo Rhyu
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Yongjun Jang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Yongdoo Park
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jeong-An Gim
- Medical Science Research Center, College of Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul,08308, South Korea
| | - Jong-Hoon Kim
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Do-Sun Lim
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea.
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109
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Miyamoto M, Nam L, Kannan S, Kwon C. Heart organoids and tissue models for modeling development and disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:119-128. [PMID: 33775518 PMCID: PMC8513373 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Organoids, or miniaturized organs formed in vitro, hold potential to revolutionize how researchers approach and answer fundamental biological and pathological questions. In the context of cardiac biology, development of a bona fide cardiac organoid enables study of heart development, function, and pathogenesis in a dish, providing insight into the nature of congenital heart disease and offering the opportunity for high-throughput probing of adult heart disease and drug discovery. Recently, multiple groups have reported novel methods for generating in vitro models of the heart; however, there are substantial conceptual and methodological differences. In this review we will evaluate recent cardiac organoid studies through the lens of the core principles of organoid technology: patterned self-organization of multiple cell types resembling the in vivo organ. Based on this, we will classify systems into the following related types of tissues: developmental cardiac organoids, chamber cardiac organoids, microtissues, and engineered heart tissues. Furthermore, we highlight the interventions which allow for organoid formation, such as modulation of highly conserved cardiogenic signaling pathways mediated by developmental morphogens. We expect that consolidation and categorization of existing organoid models will help eliminate confusion in the field and facilitate progress towards creation of an ideal cardiac organoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Miyamoto
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Heart and Vascular Institute, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Lucy Nam
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Suraj Kannan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Heart and Vascular Institute, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Chulan Kwon
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Heart and Vascular Institute, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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110
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Shewale B, Dubois N. Of form and function: Early cardiac morphogenesis across classical and emerging model systems. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:107-118. [PMID: 33994301 PMCID: PMC8434962 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The heart is the earliest organ to develop during embryogenesis and is remarkable in its ability to function efficiently as it is being sculpted. Cardiac heart defects account for a high burden of childhood developmental disorders with many remaining poorly understood mechanistically. Decades of work across a multitude of model organisms has informed our understanding of early cardiac differentiation and morphogenesis and has simultaneously opened new and unanswered questions. Here we have synthesized current knowledge in the field and reviewed recent developments in the realm of imaging, bioengineering and genetic technology and ex vivo cardiac modeling that may be deployed to generate more holistic models of early cardiac morphogenesis, and by extension, new platforms to study congenital heart defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavana Shewale
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nicole Dubois
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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111
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Chang M, Bogacheva MS, Lou YR. Challenges for the Applications of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Liver Organoids. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:748576. [PMID: 34660606 PMCID: PMC8517247 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.748576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The current organoid culture systems allow pluripotent and adult stem cells to self-organize to form three-dimensional (3D) structures that provide a faithful recapitulation of the architecture and function of in vivo organs. In particular, human pluripotent stem cell-derived liver organoids (PSC-LOs) can be used in regenerative medicine and preclinical applications, such as disease modeling and drug discovery. New bioengineering tools, such as microfluidics, biomaterial scaffolds, and 3D bioprinting, are combined with organoid technologies to increase the efficiency of hepatic differentiation and enhance the functional maturity of human PSC-LOs by precise control of cellular microenvironment. Long-term stabilization of hepatocellular functions of in vitro liver organoids requires the combination of hepatic endodermal, endothelial, and mesenchymal cells. To improve the biological function and scalability of human PSC-LOs, bioengineering methods have been used to identify diverse and zonal hepatocyte populations in liver organoids for capturing heterogeneous pathologies. Therefore, constructing engineered liver organoids generated from human PSCs will be an extremely versatile tool in in vitro disease models and regenerative medicine in future. In this review, we aim to discuss the recent advances in bioengineering technologies in liver organoid culture systems that provide a timely and necessary study to model disease pathology and support drug discovery in vitro and to generate cell therapy products for transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyang Chang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Administration, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mariia S. Bogacheva
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yan-Ru Lou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Administration, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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112
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Lewis-Israeli YR, Volmert BD, Gabalski MA, Huang AR, Aguirre A. Generating Self-Assembling Human Heart Organoids Derived from Pluripotent Stem Cells. J Vis Exp 2021. [PMID: 34605811 DOI: 10.3791/63097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to study human cardiac development in health and disease is highly limited by the capacity to model the complexity of the human heart in vitro. Developing more efficient organ-like platforms that can model complex in vivo phenotypes, such as organoids and organs-on-a-chip, will enhance the ability to study human heart development and disease. This paper describes a protocol to generate highly complex human heart organoids (hHOs) by self-organization using human pluripotent stem cells and stepwise developmental pathway activation using small molecule inhibitors. Embryoid bodies (EBs) are generated in a 96-well plate with round-bottom, ultra-low attachment wells, facilitating suspension culture of individualized constructs. The EBs undergo differentiation into hHOs by a three-step Wnt signaling modulation strategy, which involves an initial Wnt pathway activation to induce cardiac mesoderm fate, a second step of Wnt inhibition to create definitive cardiac lineages, and a third Wnt activation step to induce proepicardial organ tissues. These steps, carried out in a 96-well format, are highly efficient, reproducible, and produce large amounts of organoids per run. Analysis by immunofluorescence imaging from day 3 to day 11 of differentiation reveals first and second heart field specifications and highly complex tissues inside hHOs at day 15, including myocardial tissue with regions of atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes, as well as internal chambers lined with endocardial tissue. The organoids also exhibit an intricate vascular network throughout the structure and an external lining of epicardial tissue. From a functional standpoint, hHOs beat robustly and present normal calcium activity as determined by Fluo-4 live imaging. Overall, this protocol constitutes a solid platform for in vitro studies in human organ-like cardiac tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan R Lewis-Israeli
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University
| | - Brett D Volmert
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University
| | - Mitchell A Gabalski
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University
| | - Amanda R Huang
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University
| | - Aitor Aguirre
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University;
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113
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Steventon B, Busby L, Arias AM. Establishment of the vertebrate body plan: Rethinking gastrulation through stem cell models of early embryogenesis. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2405-2418. [PMID: 34520764 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
A striking property of vertebrate embryos is the emergence of a conserved body plan across a wide range of organisms through the process of gastrulation. As the body plan unfolds, gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and multicellular interactions (cell regulatory networks, CRNs) combine to generate a conserved set of morphogenetic events that lead to the phylotypic stage. Interrogation of these multilevel interactions requires manipulation of the mechanical environment, which is difficult in vivo. We review recent studies of stem cell models of early embryogenesis from different species showing that, independent of species origin, cells in culture form similar structures. The main difference between embryos and in vitro models is the boundary conditions of the multicellular ensembles. We discuss these observations and suggest that the mechanical and geometric boundary conditions of different embryos before gastrulation hide a morphogenetic ground state that is revealed in the stem-cell-based models of embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lara Busby
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Alfonso Martinez Arias
- Systems Bioengineering, DCEXS, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Doctor Aiguader, 88 ICREA, Pag Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain.
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114
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Mouse gastruloids take heart. Nat Rev Cardiol 2021; 18:233-234. [PMID: 33414560 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-020-00501-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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115
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Anlas K, Trivedi V. Studying evolution of the primary body axis in vivo and in vitro. eLife 2021; 10:e69066. [PMID: 34463611 PMCID: PMC8456739 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The metazoan body plan is established during early embryogenesis via collective cell rearrangements and evolutionarily conserved gene networks, as part of a process commonly referred to as gastrulation. While substantial progress has been achieved in terms of characterizing the embryonic development of several model organisms, underlying principles of many early patterning processes nevertheless remain enigmatic. Despite the diversity of (pre-)gastrulating embryo and adult body shapes across the animal kingdom, the body axes, which are arguably the most fundamental features, generally remain identical between phyla. Recently there has been a renewed appreciation of ex vivo and in vitro embryo-like systems to model early embryonic patterning events. Here, we briefly review key examples and propose that similarities in morphogenesis and associated gene expression dynamics may reveal an evolutionarily conserved developmental mode as well as provide further insights into the role of external or extraembryonic cues in shaping the early embryo. In summary, we argue that embryo-like systems can be employed to inform previously uncharted aspects of animal body plan evolution as well as associated patterning rules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- EMBL BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental BiologyHeidelbergGermany
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116
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Lewis-Israeli YR, Wasserman AH, Aguirre A. Heart Organoids and Engineered Heart Tissues: Novel Tools for Modeling Human Cardiac Biology and Disease. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1277. [PMID: 34572490 PMCID: PMC8468189 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Organoids are three-dimensional in vitro cell constructs that recapitulate organ properties and structure to a significant extent. They constitute particularly useful models to study unapproachable states in humans, such as embryonic and fetal development, or early disease progression in adults. In recent years organoids have been implemented to model a wide range of different organs and disease conditions. However, the technology for their fabrication and application to cardiovascular studies has been lagging significantly when compared to other organoid types (e.g., brain, pancreas, kidney, intestine). This is a surprising fact since cardiovascular disease (CVD) and congenital heart disease (CHD) constitute the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the developed world, and the most common birth defect in humans, respectively, and collectively constitute one of the largest unmet medical needs in the modern world. There is a critical need to establish in vitro models of the human heart that faithfully recapitulate its biology and function, thus enabling basic and translational studies to develop new therapeutics. Generating heart organoids that truly resemble the heart has proven difficult due to its complexity, but significant progress has been made recently to overcome this obstacle. In this review, we will discuss progress in novel heart organoid generation methods, the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, and their translational applications for advancing cardiovascular studies and the treatment of heart disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan R. Lewis-Israeli
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA; (Y.R.L.-I.); (A.H.W.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Aaron H. Wasserman
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA; (Y.R.L.-I.); (A.H.W.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Aitor Aguirre
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA; (Y.R.L.-I.); (A.H.W.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
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117
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Lewis-Israeli YR, Wasserman AH, Gabalski MA, Volmert BD, Ming Y, Ball KA, Yang W, Zou J, Ni G, Pajares N, Chatzistavrou X, Li W, Zhou C, Aguirre A. Self-assembling human heart organoids for the modeling of cardiac development and congenital heart disease. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5142. [PMID: 34446706 PMCID: PMC8390749 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25329-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart defects constitute the most common human birth defect, however understanding of how these disorders originate is limited by our ability to model the human heart accurately in vitro. Here we report a method to generate developmentally relevant human heart organoids by self-assembly using human pluripotent stem cells. Our procedure is fully defined, efficient, reproducible, and compatible with high-content approaches. Organoids are generated through a three-step Wnt signaling modulation strategy using chemical inhibitors and growth factors. Heart organoids are comparable to age-matched human fetal cardiac tissues at the transcriptomic, structural, and cellular level. They develop sophisticated internal chambers with well-organized multi-lineage cardiac cell types, recapitulate heart field formation and atrioventricular specification, develop a complex vasculature, and exhibit robust functional activity. We also show that our organoid platform can recreate complex metabolic disorders associated with congenital heart defects, as demonstrated by an in vitro model of pregestational diabetes-induced congenital heart defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan R Lewis-Israeli
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Aaron H Wasserman
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Mitchell A Gabalski
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Brett D Volmert
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Yixuan Ming
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kristen A Ball
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Weiyang Yang
- Division of Biomedical Devices, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jinyun Zou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Guangming Ni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Natalia Pajares
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Xanthippi Chatzistavrou
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Wen Li
- Division of Biomedical Devices, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Chao Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Aitor Aguirre
- Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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118
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Girgin MU, Broguiere N, Hoehnel S, Brandenberg N, Mercier B, Arias AM, Lutolf MP. Bioengineered embryoids mimic post-implantation development in vitro. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5140. [PMID: 34446708 PMCID: PMC8390504 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25237-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The difficulty of studying post-implantation development in mammals has sparked a flurry of activity to develop in vitro models, termed embryoids, based on self-organizing pluripotent stem cells. Previous approaches to derive embryoids either lack the physiological morphology and signaling interactions, or are unconducive to model post-gastrulation development. Here, we report a bioengineering-inspired approach aimed at addressing this gap. We employ a high-throughput cell aggregation approach to simultaneously coax mouse embryonic stem cells into hundreds of uniform epiblast-like aggregates in a solid matrix-free manner. When co-cultured with mouse trophoblast stem cell aggregates, the resulting hybrid structures initiate gastrulation-like events and undergo axial morphogenesis to yield structures, termed EpiTS embryoids, with a pronounced anterior development, including brain-like regions. We identify the presence of an epithelium in EPI aggregates as the major determinant for the axial morphogenesis and anterior development seen in EpiTS embryoids. Our results demonstrate the potential of EpiTS embryoids to study peri-gastrulation development in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet U Girgin
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Broguiere
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylke Hoehnel
- SUN bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Bastien Mercier
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (ITB), Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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119
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Zhai J, Xiao Z, Wang Y, Wang H. Human embryonic development: from peri-implantation to gastrulation. Trends Cell Biol 2021; 32:18-29. [PMID: 34417090 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2021.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The basic body plan of the mammalian embryo is established through gastrulation, a pivotal early postimplantation event during which the three major germ layers (endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm) are specified with cellular and spatial diversity. Despite its basic and clinical importance, human embryo development from peri-implantation to gastrulation remains shrouded in mystery. Recent advances in the elongated in vitro culture of rodent and non-primate embryos and the construction of embryo-like structures have helped to improve understanding of the mechanisms of human early embryonic development. Here, we review the recent advances and possible future directions in the development of in vitro models to better understand human embryogenesis from peri-implantation to gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglei Zhai
- The State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
| | - Zhenyu Xiao
- The State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
| | - Yiming Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, P. R. China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.
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120
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Abstract
Cardiac congenital disabilities are the most common organ malformations, but we still do not understand how they arise in the human embryo. Moreover, although cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death globally, the development of new therapies is lagging compared with other fields. One major bottleneck hindering progress is the lack of self-organizing human cardiac models that recapitulate key aspects of human heart development, physiology and disease. Current in vitro cardiac three-dimensional systems are either engineered constructs or spherical aggregates of cardiomyocytes and other cell types. Although tissue engineering enables the modeling of some electro-mechanical properties, it falls short of mimicking heart development, morphogenetic defects and many clinically relevant aspects of cardiomyopathies. Here, we review different approaches and recent efforts to overcome these challenges in the field using a new generation of self-organizing embryonic and cardiac organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Hofbauer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan M Jahnel
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sasha Mendjan
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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121
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van den Brink SC, van Oudenaarden A. 3D gastruloids: a novel frontier in stem cell-based in vitro modeling of mammalian gastrulation. Trends Cell Biol 2021; 31:747-759. [PMID: 34304959 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
3D gastruloids, aggregates of embryonic stem cells that recapitulate key aspects of gastrula-stage embryos, have emerged as a powerful tool to study the early stages of mammalian post-implantation development in vitro. Owing to their tractable nature and the relative ease by which they can be generated in large numbers, 3D gastruloids provide an unparalleled opportunity to study normal and pathological embryogenesis from a bottom-up perspective and in a high-throughput manner. Here, we review how gastruloid models can be exploited to deepen our understanding of mammalian development. In addition, we discuss current limitations, potential clinical applications, and ethical implications of this emerging model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne C van den Brink
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Alexander van Oudenaarden
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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122
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123
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Bolondi A, Haut L, Gassaloglu SI, Burton P, Kretzmer H, Buschow R, Meissner A, Herrmann BG, Veenvliet JV. Generation of Mouse Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Trunk-like Structures: An in vitro Model of Post-implantation Embryogenesis. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4042. [PMID: 34250208 PMCID: PMC8250383 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-implantation mammalian embryogenesis involves profound molecular, cellular, and morphogenetic changes. The study of these highly dynamic processes is complicated by the limited accessibility of in utero development. In recent years, several complementary in vitro systems comprising self-organized assemblies of mouse embryonic stem cells, such as gastruloids, have been reported. We recently demonstrated that the morphogenetic potential of gastruloids can be further unlocked by the addition of a low percentage of Matrigel as an extracellular matrix surrogate. This resulted in the formation of highly organized trunk-like structures (TLSs) with a neural tube that is frequently flanked by bilateral somites. Notably, development at the molecular and morphogenetic levels is highly reminiscent of the natural embryo. To facilitate access to this powerful model, here we provide a detailed step-by-step protocol that should allow any lab with access to standard cell culture techniques to implement the culture system. This will provide the user with a means to investigate early mid-gestational mouse embryogenesis at an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Bolondi
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Leah Haut
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Seher Ipek Gassaloglu
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Polly Burton
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - René Buschow
- Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bernhard G. Herrmann
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical Genetics, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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124
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Xu PF, Borges RM, Fillatre J, de Oliveira-Melo M, Cheng T, Thisse B, Thisse C. Construction of a mammalian embryo model from stem cells organized by a morphogen signalling centre. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3277. [PMID: 34078907 PMCID: PMC8172561 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23653-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Generating properly differentiated embryonic structures in vitro from pluripotent stem cells remains a challenge. Here we show that instruction of aggregates of mouse embryonic stem cells with an experimentally engineered morphogen signalling centre, that functions as an organizer, results in the development of embryo-like entities (embryoids). In situ hybridization, immunolabelling, cell tracking and transcriptomic analyses show that these embryoids form the three germ layers through a gastrulation process and that they exhibit a wide range of developmental structures, highly similar to neurula-stage mouse embryos. Embryoids are organized around an axial chordamesoderm, with a dorsal neural plate that displays histological properties similar to the murine embryo neuroepithelium and that folds into a neural tube patterned antero-posteriorly from the posterior midbrain to the tip of the tail. Lateral to the chordamesoderm, embryoids display somitic and intermediate mesoderm, with beating cardiac tissue anteriorly and formation of a vasculature network. Ventrally, embryoids differentiate a primitive gut tube, which is patterned both antero-posteriorly and dorso-ventrally. Altogether, embryoids provide an in vitro model of mammalian embryo that displays extensive development of germ layer derivatives and that promises to be a powerful tool for in vitro studies and disease modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Fei Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Jonathan Fillatre
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Maraysa de Oliveira-Melo
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Tao Cheng
- Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bernard Thisse
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Christine Thisse
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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125
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El Azhar Y, Sonnen KF. Development in a Dish- In Vitro Models of Mammalian Embryonic Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:655993. [PMID: 34113614 PMCID: PMC8185301 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.655993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, the complex processes of embryonic development are not fully understood. The study of mammalian development poses particular challenges such as low numbers of embryos, difficulties in culturing embryos in vitro, and the time to generate mutant lines. With new approaches we can now address questions that had to remain unanswered in the past. One big contribution to studying the molecular mechanisms of development are two- and three-dimensional in vitro model systems derived from pluripotent stem cells. These models, such as blastoids, gastruloids, and organoids, enable high-throughput screens and straightforward gene editing for functional testing without the need to generate mutant model organisms. Furthermore, their use reduces the number of animals needed for research and allows the study of human development. Here, we outline and discuss recent advances in such in vitro model systems to investigate pre-implantation and post-implantation development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine El Azhar
- Hubrecht Institute, KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Katharina F Sonnen
- Hubrecht Institute, KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
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126
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Olmsted ZT, Paluh JL. Co-development of central and peripheral neurons with trunk mesendoderm in human elongating multi-lineage organized gastruloids. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3020. [PMID: 34021144 PMCID: PMC8140076 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23294-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Stem cell technologies including self-assembling 3D tissue models provide access to early human neurodevelopment and fundamental insights into neuropathologies. Gastruloid models have not been used to investigate co-developing central and peripheral neuronal systems with trunk mesendoderm which we achieve here in elongating multi-lineage organized (EMLO) gastruloids. We evaluate EMLOs over a forty-day period, applying immunofluorescence of multi-lineage and functional biomarkers, including day 16 single-cell RNA-Seq, and evaluation of ectodermal and non-ectodermal neural crest cells (NCCs). We identify NCCs that differentiate to form peripheral neurons integrated with an upstream spinal cord region after day 8. This follows initial EMLO polarization events that coordinate with endoderm differentiation and primitive gut tube formation during multicellular spatial reorganization. This combined human central-peripheral nervous system model of early organogenesis highlights developmental events of mesendoderm and neuromuscular trunk regions and enables systemic studies of tissue interactions and innervation of neuromuscular, enteric and cardiac relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary T Olmsted
- State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nanobioscience Constellation, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Janet L Paluh
- State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nanobioscience Constellation, Albany, NY, USA.
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127
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Hofbauer P, Jahnel SM, Papai N, Giesshammer M, Deyett A, Schmidt C, Penc M, Tavernini K, Grdseloff N, Meledeth C, Ginistrelli LC, Ctortecka C, Šalic Š, Novatchkova M, Mendjan S. Cardioids reveal self-organizing principles of human cardiogenesis. Cell 2021; 184:3299-3317.e22. [PMID: 34019794 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Organoids capable of forming tissue-like structures have transformed our ability to model human development and disease. With the notable exception of the human heart, lineage-specific self-organizing organoids have been reported for all major organs. Here, we established self-organizing cardioids from human pluripotent stem cells that intrinsically specify, pattern, and morph into chamber-like structures containing a cavity. Cardioid complexity can be controlled by signaling that instructs the separation of cardiomyocyte and endothelial layers and by directing epicardial spreading, inward migration, and differentiation. We find that cavity morphogenesis is governed by a mesodermal WNT-BMP signaling axis and requires its target HAND1, a transcription factor linked to developmental heart chamber defects. Upon cryoinjury, cardioids initiated a cell-type-dependent accumulation of extracellular matrix, an early hallmark of both regeneration and heart disease. Thus, human cardioids represent a powerful platform to mechanistically dissect self-organization, congenital heart defects and serve as a foundation for future translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Hofbauer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan M Jahnel
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nora Papai
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Giesshammer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alison Deyett
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Clara Schmidt
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mirjam Penc
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katherina Tavernini
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nastasja Grdseloff
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christy Meledeth
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lavinia Ceci Ginistrelli
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Ctortecka
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Šejla Šalic
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Novatchkova
- Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sasha Mendjan
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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128
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Jahnel SM, Mendjan S. Taking Heart Development to the Next Level. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:180-181. [PMID: 33545075 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Current in vitro systems are powerful tools for studying early heart specification but lack the ability to model morphological events. Reporting in this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Rossi et al. (2021) present a patterned embryonic organoid model (gastruloid) that mimics aspects of early cardiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan M Jahnel
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sasha Mendjan
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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129
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Gupta A, Lutolf MP, Hughes AJ, Sonnen KF. Bioengineering in vitro models of embryonic development. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1104-1116. [PMID: 33979597 PMCID: PMC8185467 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cell-based in vitro models of embryonic development have been established over the last decade. Such model systems recapitulate aspects of gametogenesis, early embryonic development, or organogenesis. They enable experimental approaches that have not been possible previously and have the potential to greatly reduce the number of animals required for research. However, each model system has its own limitations, with certain aspects, such as morphogenesis and spatiotemporal control of cell fate decisions, diverging from the in vivo counterpart. Targeted bioengineering approaches to provide defined instructive external signals or to modulate internal cellular signals could overcome some of these limitations. Here, we present the latest technical developments and discuss how bioengineering can further advance the optimization and external control of stem cell-based embryo-like structures (ELSs). In vitro models combined with sophisticated bioengineering tools will enable an even more in-depth analysis of embryonic development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Gupta
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland.
| | - Alex J Hughes
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Katharina F Sonnen
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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130
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Zhao D, Lei W, Hu S. Cardiac organoid - a promising perspective of preclinical model. Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 12:272. [PMID: 33957972 PMCID: PMC8100358 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-021-02340-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cardiac organoids (hCOs), three-dimensional (3D) cellular constructs similar to in vivo organ, are new-generation models. To a large extent, a hCO retains the biological characteristics and functions of cells in vivo more accurately than previous models. With the continuous development of biotechnology, the hCO model is becoming increasingly complex and mature. High-fidelity hCOs help us better explore the mysteries of human physiology and integrate phenotypes with living functions into models. Here, we discuss recent advances in the methods of constructing human cardiac organoids and introduce applications of hCOs, especially in modeling cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, genetic cardiac diseases, and arrhythmia. In addition, we propose the prospects for and the limitations of hCOs. In conclusion, a greater understanding of hCOs will provide ways to improve hCO construction and make these models useful for future preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zhao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Wei Lei
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Shijun Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
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131
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Olmsted ZT, Paluh JL. Stem Cell Neurodevelopmental Solutions for Restorative Treatments of the Human Trunk and Spine. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:667590. [PMID: 33981202 PMCID: PMC8107236 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.667590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to reliably repair spinal cord injuries (SCI) will be one of the greatest human achievements realized in regenerative medicine. Until recently, the cellular path to this goal has been challenging. However, as detailed developmental principles are revealed in mouse and human models, their application in the stem cell community brings trunk and spine embryology into efforts to advance human regenerative medicine. New models of posterior embryo development identify neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) as a major bifurcation point in generating the spinal cord and somites and is leading to production of cell types with the full range of axial identities critical for repair of trunk and spine disorders. This is coupled with organoid technologies including assembloids, circuitoids, and gastruloids. We describe a paradigm for applying developmental principles towards the goal of cell-based restorative therapies to enable reproducible and effective near-term clinical interventions.
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132
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Cho S, Lee C, Skylar-Scott MA, Heilshorn SC, Wu JC. Reconstructing the heart using iPSCs: Engineering strategies and applications. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2021; 157:56-65. [PMID: 33895197 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2021.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as a key component of cardiac tissue engineering, enabling studies of cardiovascular disease mechanisms, drug responses, and developmental processes in human 3D tissue models assembled from isogenic cells. Since the very first engineered heart tissues were introduced more than two decades ago, a wide array of iPSC-derived cardiac spheroids, organoids, and heart-on-a-chip models have been developed incorporating the latest available technologies and materials. In this review, we will first outline the fundamental biological building blocks required to form a functional unit of cardiac muscle, including iPSC-derived cells differentiated by soluble factors (e.g., small molecules), extracellular matrix scaffolds, and exogenous biophysical maturation cues. We will then summarize the different fabrication approaches and strategies employed to reconstruct the heart in vitro at varying scales and geometries. Finally, we will discuss how these platforms, with continued improvements in scalability and tissue maturity, can contribute to both basic cardiovascular research and clinical applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangkyun Cho
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA
| | - Chelsea Lee
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA
| | - Mark A Skylar-Scott
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA; Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford Children's Health, Stanford, CA 94025, USA
| | - Sarah C Heilshorn
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94025, USA
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA.
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133
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Thomas D, Cunningham NJ, Shenoy S, Wu JC. Human iPSCs in Cardiovascular Research: Current Approaches in Cardiac Differentiation, Maturation Strategies, and Scalable Production. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 118:20-36. [PMID: 33757124 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Manifestations of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in a patient or a population differ based on inherent biological makeup, lifestyle, and exposure to environmental risk factors. These variables mean that therapeutic interventions may not provide the same benefit to every patient. In the context of CVDs, human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) offer an opportunity to model CVDs in a patient-specific manner. From a pharmacological perspective, iPSC-CM models can serve as go/no-go tests to evaluate drug safety. To develop personalized therapies for early diagnosis and treatment, human-relevant disease models are essential. Hence, to implement and leverage the utility of iPSC-CMs for large-scale treatment or drug discovery, it is critical to (i) carefully evaluate the relevant limitations of iPSC-CM differentiations, (ii) establish quality standards for defining the state of cell maturity, and (iii) employ techniques that allow scalability and throughput with minimal batch-to-batch variability. In this review, we briefly describe progress made with iPSC-CMs in disease modelling and pharmacological testing, as well as current iPSC-CM maturation techniques. Finally, we discuss current platforms for large-scale manufacturing of iPSC-CMs that will enable high-throughput drug screening applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute.,Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.,Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305
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134
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Lim TB, Foo SYR, Chen CK. The Role of Epigenetics in Congenital Heart Disease. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12030390. [PMID: 33803261 PMCID: PMC7998561 DOI: 10.3390/genes12030390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect among newborns worldwide and contributes to significant infant morbidity and mortality. Owing to major advances in medical and surgical management, as well as improved prenatal diagnosis, the outcomes for these children with CHD have improved tremendously so much so that there are now more adults living with CHD than children. Advances in genomic technologies have discovered the genetic causes of a significant fraction of CHD, while at the same time pointing to remarkable complexity in CHD genetics. For this reason, the complex process of cardiogenesis, which is governed by multiple interlinked and dose-dependent pathways, is a well investigated process. In addition to the sequence of the genome, the contribution of epigenetics to cardiogenesis is increasingly recognized. Significant progress has been made dissecting the epigenome of the heart and identified associations with cardiovascular diseases. The role of epigenetic regulation in cardiac development/cardiogenesis, using tissue and animal models, has been well reviewed. Here, we curate the current literature based on studies in humans, which have revealed associated and/or causative epigenetic factors implicated in CHD. We sought to summarize the current knowledge on the functional role of epigenetics in cardiogenesis as well as in distinct CHDs, with an aim to provide scientists and clinicians an overview of the abnormal cardiogenic pathways affected by epigenetic mechanisms, for a better understanding of their impact on the developing fetal heart, particularly for readers interested in CHD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingsen Benson Lim
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore;
| | - Sik Yin Roger Foo
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore;
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Ching Kit Chen
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore;
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
- Correspondence:
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135
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Culture and differentiation of rabbit intestinal organoids and organoid-derived cell monolayers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5401. [PMID: 33686141 PMCID: PMC7940483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84774-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Organoids emulate many aspects of their parental tissue and are therefore used to study pathogen-host interactions and other complex biological processes. Here, we report a robust protocol for the isolation, maintenance and differentiation of rabbit small intestinal organoids and organoid-derived cell monolayers. Our rabbit intestinal spheroid and monolayer cultures grew most efficiently in L-WRN-conditioned medium that contained Wnt, R-spondin and Noggin, and that had been supplemented with ROCK and TGF-β inhibitors. Organoid and monolayer differentiation was initiated by reducing the concentration of the L-WRN-conditioned medium and by adding ROCK and Notch signalling inhibitors. Immunofluorescence staining and RT-qPCR demonstrated that our organoids contained enterocytes, enteroendocrine cells, goblet cells and Paneth cells. Finally, we infected rabbit organoids with Rabbit calicivirus Australia-1, an enterotropic lagovirus that—like many other caliciviruses—does not grow in conventional cell culture. Despite testing various conditions for inoculation, we did not detect any evidence of virus replication, suggesting either that our organoids do not contain suitable host cell types or that additional co-factors are required for a productive infection of rabbit organoids with Rabbit calicivirus Australia-1.
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136
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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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