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Wu X, Chen Y, Kreutz A, Silver B, Tokar EJ. Pluripotent stem cells for target organ developmental toxicity testing. Toxicol Sci 2024; 199:163-171. [PMID: 38547390 PMCID: PMC11131012 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfae037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Prenatal developmental toxicity research focuses on understanding the potential adverse effects of environmental agents, drugs, and chemicals on the development of embryos and fetuses. Traditional methods involve animal testing, but ethical concerns and the need for human-relevant models have prompted the exploration of alternatives. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are versatile cells with the unique ability to differentiate into any cell type, serving as a foundational tool for studying human development. Two-dimensional (2D) PSC models are often chosen for their ease of use and reproducibility for high-throughput screening. However, they lack the complexity of an in vivo environment. Alternatively, three-dimensional (3D) PSC models, such as organoids, offer tissue architecture and intercellular communication more reminiscent of in vivo conditions. However, they are complicated to produce and analyze, usually requiring advanced and expensive techniques. This review discusses recent advances in the use of human PSCs differentiated into brain and heart lineages and emerging tools and methods that can be combined with PSCs to help address important scientific questions in the area of developmental toxicology. These advancements and new approach methods align with the push for more relevant and predictive developmental toxicity assessment, combining innovative techniques with organoid models to advance regulatory decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Wu
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27834, USA
| | - Yichang Chen
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Anna Kreutz
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
- Inotiv, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27560, USA
| | - Brian Silver
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Erik J Tokar
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
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Huntsman MC, Kurashima CK, Marikawa Y. Validation of a mouse 3D gastruloid-based embryotoxicity assay in reference to the ICH S5(R3) guideline chemical exposure list. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 125:108558. [PMID: 38367697 PMCID: PMC11016378 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
There is growing interest in establishing alternative methods in place of conventional animal tests to assess the developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) of chemicals. Gastruloids are 3D aggregates of pluripotent stem cells that spontaneously exhibit axial elongation morphogenesis similar to gastrulation. They have been explored as in vitro embryogenesis models for developmental and toxicological studies. Here, a mouse gastruloid-based assay was validated for DART assessment in accordance with the ICH S5(R3) guideline, which provides the plasma concentration data of various reference drugs in rodents, specifically Cmax and AUC for NOAEL and LOAEL. First, adverse effect concentrations of the reference drugs and their known metabolites on gastruloid development were determined based on morphological impact, namely reduced growth or aberrant elongation. Then, the NOAEL to LOAEL concentration range obtained from the gastruloid assay was compared with that in rodents to examine similarities in sensitivity between the in vitro and in vivo assays for each chemical. For 18 out of the 24 reference drugs that have both NOAEL and LOAEL information in rodents, the sensitivity of the gastruloid assay was comparable to the in vivo assay within an 8-fold concentration margin. For 7 out of the 8 additional reference drugs that have only NOAEL or LOAEL information in rodents, the gastruloid assay was in line with the in vivo data. Altogether, these results support the effectiveness of the gastruloid assay, which may be exploited as a non-animal alternative method for DART assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Carrell Huntsman
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Courtney Kehaulani Kurashima
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Yusuke Marikawa
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
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Marikawa Y, Alarcon VB. An active metabolite of the anti-COVID-19 drug molnupiravir impairs mouse preimplantation embryos at clinically relevant concentrations. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 121:108475. [PMID: 37748715 PMCID: PMC10671791 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Molnupiravir is a nucleoside analog antiviral that is authorized for use in the treatment of COVID-19. For its therapeutic action, molnupiravir is converted after ingestion to the active metabolite N4-hydroxycytidine, which is incorporated into the viral genome to cause lethal mutagenesis. Molnupiravir is not recommended for use during pregnancy, because preclinical animal studies suggest that it is hazardous to developing embryos. However, the mechanisms underlying the embryotoxicity of molnupiravir are currently unknown. To gain mechanistic insights into its embryotoxic action, the effects of molnupiravir and N4-hydroxycytidine were examined on the in vitro development of mouse preimplantation embryos. Molnupiravir did not prevent blastocyst formation even at concentrations that were much higher than the therapeutic plasma levels. By contrast, N4-hyroxycytidine exhibited potent toxicity, as it interfered with blastocyst formation and caused extensive cell death at concentrations below the therapeutic plasma levels. The adverse effects of N4-hydroxycytidine were dependent on the timing of exposure, such that treatment after the 8-cell stage, but not before it, caused embryotoxicity. Transcriptomic analysis of N4-hydroxycytidine-exposed embryos, together with the examination of eIF-2a protein phosphorylation level, suggested that N4-hydroxycytidine induced the integrated stress response. The adverse effects of N4-hydroxycytidine were significantly alleviated by the co-treatment with S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine, suggesting that the embryotoxic potential of N4-hydroxycytidine requires the activity of nucleoside transporters. These findings show that the active metabolite of molnupiravir impairs preimplantation development at clinically relevant concentrations, providing mechanistic foundation for further studies on the embryotoxic potential of molnupiravir and other related nucleoside antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Marikawa
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Vernadeth B Alarcon
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
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Sullivan AE, Santos SD. The ever-growing world of gastruloids: autogenous models of mammalian embryogenesis. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 82:102102. [PMID: 37604096 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
During early development, extrinsic cues prompt a collection of pluripotent cells to begin the extensive process of cellular differentiation that gives rise to all tissues in the mammalian embryo, a process known as gastrulation. Advances in stem cell biology have resulted in the generation of stem cell-based in vitro models of mammalian gastrulation called gastruloids. Gastruloids and subsequent gastruloid-based models are tractable, scalable and more accessible than mammalian embryos. As such, they have opened an unprecedented avenue for modelling in vitro self-organisation, patterning and fate specification. This review focuses on discussing the recent advances of this rapidly moving research area, clarifying what structures they model and the underlying signal hierarchy. We highlight the exciting potential of these models and where the field might be heading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne E Sullivan
- Quantitative Cell Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1-Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK.
| | - Silvia Dm Santos
- Quantitative Cell Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1-Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK.
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Kirkwood‐Johnson L, Marikawa Y. Developmental toxicity of remdesivir, an anti-COVID-19 drug, is implicated by in vitro assays using morphogenetic embryoid bodies of mouse and human pluripotent stem cells. Birth Defects Res 2023; 115:224-239. [PMID: 36349436 PMCID: PMC9877128 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remdesivir is an antiviral drug approved for the treatment of COVID-19, whose developmental toxicity remains unclear. More information about the safety of remdesivir is urgently needed for people of childbearing potential, who are affected by the ongoing pandemic. Morphogenetic embryoid bodies (MEBs) are three-dimensional (3D) aggregates of pluripotent stem cells that recapitulate embryonic body patterning in vitro, and have been used as effective embryo models to detect the developmental toxicity of chemical exposures specifically and sensitively. METHODS MEBs were generated from mouse P19C5 and human H9 pluripotent stem cells, and used to examine the effects of remdesivir. The morphological effects were assessed by analyzing the morphometric parameters of MEBs after exposure to varying concentrations of remdesivir. The molecular impact of remdesivir was evaluated by measuring the transcript levels of developmental regulator genes. RESULTS The mouse MEB morphogenesis was impaired by remdesivir at 1-8 μM. Remdesivir affected MEBs in a manner dependent on metabolic conversion, and its potency was higher than GS-441524 and GS-621763, presumptive anti-COVID-19 drugs that act similarly to remdesivir. The expressions of developmental regulator genes, particularly those involved in axial and somite patterning, were dysregulated by remdesivir. The early stage of MEB development was more vulnerable to remdesivir exposure than the later stage. The morphogenesis and gene expression profiles of human MEBs were also impaired by remdesivir at 1-8 μM. CONCLUSIONS Remdesivir impaired mouse and human MEBs at concentrations that are comparable to the therapeutic plasma levels in humans, urging further investigation into the potential impact of remdesivir on developing embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kirkwood‐Johnson
- Developmental and Reproductive Biology Graduate Program, Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and PhysiologyJohn A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
| | - Yusuke Marikawa
- Developmental and Reproductive Biology Graduate Program, Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and PhysiologyJohn A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
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Luconi M, Sogorb MA, Markert UR, Benfenati E, May T, Wolbank S, Roncaglioni A, Schmidt A, Straccia M, Tait S. Human-Based New Approach Methodologies in Developmental Toxicity Testing: A Step Ahead from the State of the Art with a Feto-Placental Organ-on-Chip Platform. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15828. [PMID: 36497907 PMCID: PMC9737555 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Developmental toxicity testing urgently requires the implementation of human-relevant new approach methodologies (NAMs) that better recapitulate the peculiar nature of human physiology during pregnancy, especially the placenta and the maternal/fetal interface, which represent a key stage for human lifelong health. Fit-for-purpose NAMs for the placental-fetal interface are desirable to improve the biological knowledge of environmental exposure at the molecular level and to reduce the high cost, time and ethical impact of animal studies. This article reviews the state of the art on the available in vitro (placental, fetal and amniotic cell-based systems) and in silico NAMs of human relevance for developmental toxicity testing purposes; in addition, we considered available Adverse Outcome Pathways related to developmental toxicity. The OECD TG 414 for the identification and assessment of deleterious effects of prenatal exposure to chemicals on developing organisms will be discussed to delineate the regulatory context and to better debate what is missing and needed in the context of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis to significantly improve this sector. Starting from this analysis, the development of a novel human feto-placental organ-on-chip platform will be introduced as an innovative future alternative tool for developmental toxicity testing, considering possible implementation and validation strategies to overcome the limitation of the current animal studies and NAMs available in regulatory toxicology and in the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Luconi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
- I.N.B.B. (Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi), Viale Medaglie d’Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy
| | - Miguel A. Sogorb
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, 03202 Elche, Spain
| | - Udo R. Markert
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Emilio Benfenati
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Tobias May
- InSCREENeX GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Wolbank
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institut for Traumatology, The Research Center in Cooperation with AUVA, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Donaueschingenstrasse 13, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alessandra Roncaglioni
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Astrid Schmidt
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Marco Straccia
- FRESCI by Science&Strategy SL, C/Roure Monjo 33, Vacarisses, 08233 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sabrina Tait
- Centre for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Niethammer M, Burgdorf T, Wistorf E, Schönfelder G, Kleinsorge M. In vitro models of human development and their potential application in developmental toxicity testing. Development 2022; 149:276688. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Recent publications describe the development of in vitro models of human development, for which applications in developmental toxicity testing can be envisaged. To date, these regulatory assessments have exclusively been performed in animal studies, the relevance of which to adverse reactions in humans may be questioned. Recently developed cell culture-based models of embryo-fetal development, however, do not yet exhibit sufficient levels of standardisation and reproducibility. Here, the advantages and shortcomings of both in vivo and in vitro developmental toxicity testing are addressed, as well as the possibility of integrated testing strategies as a viable option in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Niethammer
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) 1 , 10589 Berlin , Germany
| | - Tanja Burgdorf
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) 1 , 10589 Berlin , Germany
| | - Elisa Wistorf
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) 1 , 10589 Berlin , Germany
| | - Gilbert Schönfelder
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) 1 , 10589 Berlin , Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health 2 , 10117 Berlin , Germany
| | - Mandy Kleinsorge
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) 1 , 10589 Berlin , Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin 3 , 10178 Berlin , Germany
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