1
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Li D, Qu Y, Wang B, Zhang H, Qin L. Spatio-temporal expression of Sox2 + progenitor cells regulates the regeneration of rat submandibular gland. Arch Oral Biol 2024; 168:106080. [PMID: 39217919 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2024.106080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sox2 plays crucial roles in tissues homeostasis and regeneration. However, there are lack of a comprehensive examination of Sox2 expression and its functional role in submandibular gland regeneration. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the impact of Sox2 on submandibular gland regeneration. MATERIALS AND METHODS A Sprague-Dawley rat submandibular gland duct ligation/de-ligation regeneration model was conducted in this study. Sox2-shRNA vectors were retro-ductally administered into the submandibular gland to establish a stable Sox2 knockdown model. Conventional histopathological and molecular biological methods were used to investigate phenotypic changes. RESULTS The submandibular gland normalized completely 28 days after ligature removal (following 7 days of duct ligation). AQP5 expression gradually increased after ligation removal until returning to normal levels. In submandibular gland regeneration, Sox2 re-expressed and co-expressed with AQP5+ acinar cells, and Sox2 expression peaked on day 14, recovered to normal on day 28, reproducing the developmental pattern. Sox2 knockdown hindered gland regeneration and induced irreversible fibrosis. The AQP5 expression was significantly lower than the contemporaneous solely ligated group, while the blue collagen deposition and the Vimentin expression increased prominently. The expression of CD68, IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-17A increased significantly, and epithelial cells in the Sox2 knockdown group expressed higher levels of IL-17A. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight Sox2 as a crucial regulator of the acinar cell lineage. Sox2+ progenitor cells are pivotal for acinar cell maintenance, which is indispensable for submandibular gland regeneration. Collectively, our findings may help develop targeted interventions for enhancing tissue repair and preventing irreversible fibrosis in salivary gland disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial & Head and Neck Oncology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Tian Tan Xi Li No.4, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yi Qu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial & Head and Neck Oncology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Tian Tan Xi Li No.4, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Workers' New Village No.3, Taiyuan, 030013, China
| | - Haoyang Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial & Head and Neck Oncology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Tian Tan Xi Li No.4, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Lizheng Qin
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial & Head and Neck Oncology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Tian Tan Xi Li No.4, Beijing 100050, China.
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2
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Jin B, Su G, Zhou X, Xu L, Wang W, Zhou T, Tan Y, Wang S, Li G. Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Supports the Function of Limbal Niche Cells via the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2024. [PMID: 39083404 DOI: 10.1089/jop.2024.0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To test the effects and underlying mechanisms of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the limbal niche cell (LNC) function ex vivo. Methods: By using different concentrations of bFGF (0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 ng/mL) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors, the effects of bFGF on LNC proliferation, expression of stem cell markers, and transcription levels of the β-catenin were investigated. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to analyze the action and mechanisms of FGFR subtypes and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway during LNC culture. An mature corneal epithelial cell (MCEC)/LNC three-dimensional model was constructed to verify whether bFGF activates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in LNC by inhibiting FGFR or β-catenin targets. Results: scRNA-seq showed that FGFR1 is the main receptor in LNC, along with the molecules in the Wnt pathway, including WNT2, FZD7, LRP5, LRP6, and β-catenin. The 12 ng/mL bFGF treatment group showed higher LNC proliferation rate and transcription levels of OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and β-catenin than any other groups (P < 0.001). In the MCEC/LNC co-culture model, MCEC/LNC treated with 12 ng/mL bFGF promoted the aggregation of the spheres than other groups, associated with increased transcription levels of P63α, WNT2, β-catenin, and a decreased transcription level of CK12 (P < 0.001). Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor LF3 treatment reversed the abovementioned effect of bFGF. Conclusions: bFGF could maintain and promote the stemness of LNC via the FGFR1/Wnt2/FZD7/LRP6 axis in a concentration-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bihui Jin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guanyu Su
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lingjuan Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tianyu Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongyao Tan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shusheng Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Ophthalmology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Guigang Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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3
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Rice G, Farrelly O, Huang S, Kuri P, Curtis E, Ohman L, Li N, Lengner C, Lee V, Rompolas P. Sox9 marks limbal stem cells and is required for asymmetric cell fate switch in the corneal epithelium. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.08.588195. [PMID: 38645161 PMCID: PMC11030424 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.08.588195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Adult tissues with high cellular turnover require a balance between stem cell renewal and differentiation, yet the mechanisms underlying this equilibrium are unclear. The cornea exhibits a polarized lateral flow of progenitors from the peripheral stem cell niche to the center; attributed to differences in cellular fate. To identify genes that are critical for regulating the asymmetric fates of limbal stem cells and their transient amplified progeny in the central cornea, we utilized an in vivo cell cycle reporter to isolate proliferating basal cells across the anterior ocular surface epithelium and performed single-cell transcriptional analysis. This strategy greatly increased the resolution and revealed distinct basal cell identities with unique expression profiles of structural genes and transcription factors. We focused on Sox9; a transcription factor implicated in stem cell regulation across various organs. Sox9 was found to be differentially expressed between limbal stem cells and their progeny in the central corneal. Lineage tracing analysis confirmed that Sox9 marks long-lived limbal stem cells and conditional deletion led to abnormal differentiation and squamous metaplasia in the central cornea. These data suggest a requirement for Sox9 for the switch to asymmetric fate and commitment toward differentiation, as transient cells exit the limbal niche. By inhibiting terminal differentiation of corneal progenitors and forcing them into perpetual symmetric divisions, we replicated the Sox9 loss-of-function phenotype. Our findings reveal an essential role for Sox9 for the spatial regulation of asymmetric fate in the corneal epithelium that is required to sustain tissue homeostasis.
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4
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Chen H, Yu S, Ma R, Deng L, Yi Y, Niu M, Xu C, Xiao ZXJ. Hypoxia-activated XBP1s recruits HDAC2-EZH2 to engage epigenetic suppression of ΔNp63α expression and promote breast cancer metastasis independent of HIF1α. Cell Death Differ 2024; 31:447-459. [PMID: 38413797 PMCID: PMC11043437 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-024-01271-z] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a hallmark of cancer development. However, the molecular mechanisms by which hypoxia promotes tumor metastasis are not fully understood. In this study, we demonstrate that hypoxia promotes breast cancer metastasis through suppression of ΔNp63α in a HIF1α-independent manner. We show that hypoxia-activated XBP1s forms a stable repressor protein complex with HDAC2 and EZH2 to suppress ΔNp63α transcription. Notably, H3K27ac is predominantly occupied on the ΔNp63 promoter under normoxia, while H3K27me3 on the promoter under hypoxia. We show that XBP1s binds to the ΔNp63 promoter to recruit HDAC2 and EZH2 in facilitating the switch of H3K27ac to H3K27me3. Pharmacological inhibition or the knockdown of either HDAC2 or EZH2 leads to increased H3K27ac, accompanied by the reduced H3K27me3 and restoration of ΔNp63α expression suppressed by hypoxia, resulting in inhibition of cell migration. Furthermore, the pharmacological inhibition of IRE1α, but not HIF1α, upregulates ΔNp63α expression in vitro and inhibits tumor metastasis in vivo. Clinical analyses reveal that reduced p63 expression is correlated with the elevated expression of XBP1, HDAC2, or EZH2, and is associated with poor overall survival in human breast cancer patients. Together, these results indicate that hypoxia-activated XBP1s modulates the epigenetic program in suppression of ΔNp63α to promote breast cancer metastasis independent of HIF1α and provides a molecular basis for targeting the XBP1s/HDAC2/EZH2-ΔNp63α axis as a putative strategy in the treatment of breast cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Chen
- School of Clinical Medicine and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.
| | - Shuhan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruidong Ma
- School of Clinical Medicine and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Liyuan Deng
- School of Clinical Medicine and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Yong Yi
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mengmeng Niu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuan Xu
- Department of Oncology & Cancer Institute, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Zhi-Xiong Jim Xiao
- Department of Oncology & Cancer Institute, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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5
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Turovsky L, Kheshaiboun G, Yassen G, Nagosa S, Boyango I, Amitai-Lange A, Bhattacharya S, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I, Aberdam D, Shalom-Feuerstein R, Avitan-Hersh E. miR-184 represses β-catenin and behaves as a skin tumor suppressor. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:174. [PMID: 38409173 PMCID: PMC10897217 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06554-4] [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: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
miR-184-knockout mice display perturbed epidermal stem cell differentiation. However, the potential role of miR-184 in skin pathology is unclear. Here, we report that miR-184 controls epidermal stem cell dynamics and that miR-184 ablation enhances skin carcinogenesis in mice. In agreement, repression of miR-184 in human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) enhances neoplastic hallmarks of human SCC cells in vitro and tumor development in vivo. Characterization of miR-184-regulatory network, suggests that miR-184 inhibits pro-oncogenic pathways, cell proliferation, and epithelial to mesenchymal transformation. Of note, depletion of miR-184 enhances the levels of β-catenin under homeostasis and following experimental skin carcinogenesis. Finally, the repression of β-catenin by miR-184, inhibits the neoplastic phenotype of SCC cells. Taken together, miR-184 behaves as an epidermal tumor suppressor, and may provide a potentially useful target for skin SCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubov Turovsky
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
- Skin Cancer Research lab, Clinical research institute (CRIR), Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Ghazal Kheshaiboun
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
- Skin Cancer Research lab, Clinical research institute (CRIR), Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Gharam Yassen
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Sara Nagosa
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Ilanit Boyango
- Skin Cancer Research lab, Clinical research institute (CRIR), Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Aya Amitai-Lange
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Swarnabh Bhattacharya
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Daniel Aberdam
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM U1138, Centre des Cordeliers, Paris, France
| | - Ruby Shalom-Feuerstein
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Emily Avitan-Hersh
- Skin Cancer Research lab, Clinical research institute (CRIR), Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, 31096, Israel.
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel.
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6
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Barvaux S, Okawa S, Del Sol A. SinCMat: A single-cell-based method for predicting functional maturation transcription factors. Stem Cell Reports 2024; 19:270-284. [PMID: 38215756 PMCID: PMC10874865 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
A major goal of regenerative medicine is to generate tissue-specific mature and functional cells. However, current cell engineering protocols are still unable to systematically produce fully mature functional cells. While existing computational approaches aim at predicting transcription factors (TFs) for cell differentiation/reprogramming, no method currently exists that specifically considers functional cell maturation processes. To address this challenge, here, we develop SinCMat, a single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)-based computational method for predicting cell maturation TFs. Based on a model of cell maturation, SinCMat identifies pairs of identity TFs and signal-dependent TFs that co-target genes driving functional maturation. A large-scale application of SinCMat to the Mouse Cell Atlas and Tabula Sapiens accurately recapitulates known maturation TFs and predicts novel candidates. We expect SinCMat to be an important resource, complementary to preexisting computational methods, for studies aiming at producing functionally mature cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybille Barvaux
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Esch-Belval Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Satoshi Okawa
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Esch-Belval Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Computational and Systems Biology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Antonio Del Sol
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Esch-Belval Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; CIC bioGUNE-BRTA (Basque Research and Technology Alliance), Bizkaia Technology Park, 801 Building, 48160 Derio, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain.
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7
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Ye P, Gu R, Zhu H, Chen J, Han F, Nie X. SOX family transcription factors as therapeutic targets in wound healing: A comprehensive review. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127243. [PMID: 37806414 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The SOX family plays a vital role in determining the fate of cells and has garnered attention in the fields of cancer research and regenerative medicine. It also shows promise in the study of wound healing, as it actively participates in the healing processes of various tissues such as skin, fractures, tendons, and the cornea. However, our understanding of the mechanisms behind the SOX family's involvement in wound healing is limited compared to its role in cancer. Gaining insight into its role, distribution, interaction with other factors, and modifications in traumatized tissues could provide valuable new knowledge about wound healing. Based on current research, SOX2, SOX7, and SOX9 are the most promising members of the SOX family for future interventions in wound healing. SOX2 and SOX9 promote the renewal of cells, while SOX7 enhances the microvascular environment. The SOX family holds significant potential for advancing wound healing research. This article provides a comprehensive review of the latest research advancements and therapeutic tools related to the SOX family in wound healing, as well as the potential benefits and challenges of targeting the SOX family for wound treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penghui Ye
- Key Lab of the Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education & Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China; College of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Rifang Gu
- Key Lab of the Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education & Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China; School Medical Office, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Huan Zhu
- Key Lab of the Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education & Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China; College of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Jitao Chen
- Key Lab of the Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education & Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China; College of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Felicity Han
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Xuqiang Nie
- Key Lab of the Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education & Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China; College of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China; Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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8
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Wang B, Guo H, Han Z, Wu S, Liu J, Lin Z, An F, Zhu J, Li M. NRG1 Regulates Proliferation, Migration and Differentiation of Human Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:10121-10130. [PMID: 38132478 PMCID: PMC10742012 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45120632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LESCs) proliferate, migrate and differentiate into mature corneal epithelium cells (CECs) that cover the ocular surface. LESCs play a crucial role in the maintenance and regeneration of the corneal epithelium, and their dysfunction can lead to various corneal diseases. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) is a member of the epidermal growth factor family that regulates the growth and differentiation of epithelial tissues. Here, we depicted the dynamic transcriptomic profiles during human CEC differentiation, identifying six gene co-expression modules that were specific to different differentiation stages. We found that the expression of NRG1 was high in human LESCs and decreased dramatically upon differentiation. Knockdown of NRG1 significantly inhibited LESC proliferation and upregulated the expression of the terminal differentiation marker genes KRT3, KRT12 and CLU. In addition, the scratch wound closure assay showed that knockdown of NRG1 attenuated wound closure of LESCs over 24 h. Together, we dissected the transcriptional regulatory dynamics during CEC differentiation and identified NRG1 as a key regulator that promoted LESC proliferation and migration and maintained the undifferentiated state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mingsen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China; (B.W.); (Z.H.)
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9
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Della Salda L, Bongiovanni L, Massimini M, Romanucci M, Vercelli A, Colosimo A, Di Matteo R, Defourny SVP. p63 immunoexpression in hair follicles of normal and alopecia X-affected skin of Pomeranian dogs. Vet Dermatol 2023; 34:567-575. [PMID: 37518946 DOI: 10.1111/vde.13195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alopecia X in Pomeranians is caused by a hair cycle deregulation, associated with downregulation of key regulatory genes of the Wnt and Shh pathways, and stem-cell markers. However, the pathogenesis remains unclear. p63 is an important transcription factor correlated with the aforementioned hair cycle modulating genes. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to highlight possible changes of p63 immunohistochemical expression within the hair follicles in canine alopecia X compared with normal skin. ANIMALS Skin biopsies from 19 alopecia X-affected and six control Pomeranians were analysed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Serial histological sections of skin biopsies harbouring anagen, telogen and kenogen hair follicles were immunohistochemically evaluated for differences in p63 expression in the affected and control samples. RESULTS Dogs with alopecia X had a significantly decreased immunoexpression of p63 in telogen and kenogen hair follicles. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The decrease of p63 immunoexpression observed in canine alopecia X suggests an involvement of p63 in hair cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Bongiovanni
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Antonella Vercelli
- Veterinary Clinic and Analysis Laboratory 'Città di Torino', Turin, Italy
| | - Alessia Colosimo
- Department of Bioscience and Agro-Food and Environmental Technology, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Ramona Di Matteo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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10
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Saranya P, Shekhar M, Haripriya A, Muthukkaruppan V, Gowri Priya C. Towards the Identification and Characterization of Putative Adult Human Lens Epithelial Stem Cells. Cells 2023; 12:2727. [PMID: 38067155 PMCID: PMC10706574 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The anterior lens epithelium has the ability to differentiate into lens fibres throughout its life. The present study aims to identify and functionally characterize the adult stem cells in the human lens epithelium. Whole mounts of lens epithelium from donor eyes (normal/cataract) were immunostained for SOX2, gap junction protein alpha 1 (GJA1), PAX6, α, β and γ-crystallins, followed by a confocal analysis. The functional property of adult stem cells was analysed by their sphere forming ability using cultured lens epithelial cells from different zones. Based on marker expression, the lens epithelium was divided into four zones: the central zone, characterized by a small population of PAX6+, GJA1-, β-crystallin- and γ-crystallin- cells; the germinative zone, characterized by PAX6+, GJA1+, β-crystallin- and γ-crystallin-; the transitional zone, characterized by PAX6+, GJA1+, β-crystallin+ and γ-crystallin-; and the equatorial zone, characterized by PAX6+/-, GJA1+, β-crystallin+, and γ-crystallin+ cells. The putative lens epithelial stem cells identified as SOX2+ and GJA1 membrane expression negative cells were located only in the central zone (1.89 ± 0.84%). Compared to the other zones, a significant percentage of spheres were identified in the central zone (1.68 ± 1.04%), consistent with the location of the putative adult lens epithelial stem cells. In the cataractous lens, an absence of SOX2 expression and a significant reduction in sphere forming ability (0.33 ± 0.11%) were observed in the central zone. The above findings confirmed the presence of putative stem cells in the central zone of the adult human lens epithelium and indicated their probable association with cataract development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pandi Saranya
- Department of Immunology and Stem Cell Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai 625020, India; (P.S.); (V.M.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation—Affiliated to Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630003, India
| | - Madhu Shekhar
- Cataract and IOL Services, Aravind Eye Hospital and Post Graduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Madurai 625020, India;
| | - Aravind Haripriya
- Intraocular Lens and Cataract Services, Aravind Eye Hospital, Chennai 600077, India;
| | - Veerappan Muthukkaruppan
- Department of Immunology and Stem Cell Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai 625020, India; (P.S.); (V.M.)
| | - Chidambaranathan Gowri Priya
- Department of Immunology and Stem Cell Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai 625020, India; (P.S.); (V.M.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation—Affiliated to Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630003, India
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11
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Zhu L, Wang L, Liu D, Chen C, Mo K, Lan X, Liu J, Huang Y, Guo D, Huang H, Li M, Guo H, Tan J, Zhang K, Ji J, Yuan J, Ouyang H. Single-cell transcriptomics implicates the FEZ1-DKK1 axis in the regulation of corneal epithelial cell proliferation and senescence. Cell Prolif 2023; 56:e13433. [PMID: 36851859 PMCID: PMC10472519 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13433] [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: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Limbal stem/progenitor cells (LSC) represent the source of corneal epithelium renewal. LSC proliferation and differentiation are essential for corneal homeostasis, however, the regulatory mechanism remains largely unexplored. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and discovered proliferation heterogeneity as well as spontaneously differentiated and senescent cell subgroups in multiply passaged primary LSC. Fasciculation and elongation protein zeta 1 (FEZ1) and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) were identified as two significant regulators of LSC proliferation and senescence. These two factors were mainly expressed in undifferentiated corneal epithelial cells (CECs). Knocking down the expression of either FEZ1 or DKK1 reduced cell division and caused cell cycle arrest. We observed that DKK1 acted as a downstream target of FEZ1 in LSC and that exogenous DKK1 protein partially prevented growth arrest and senescence upon FEZ1 suppression in vitro. In a mouse model of corneal injury, DKK1 also rescued the corneal epithelium after recovery was inhibited by FEZ1 suppression. Hence, the FEZ1-DKK1 axis was required for CEC proliferation and the juvenile state and can potentially be targeted as a therapeutic strategy for promoting recovery after corneal injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqiong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Dongmei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Chaoqun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Kunlun Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Xihong Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Jiafeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Ying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Dianlei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Huaxing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Mingsen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Huizhen Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Jieying Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Kang Zhang
- Center for Biomedicine and Innovations, Faculty of MedicineMacau University of Science and TechnologyChina
| | - Jianping Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Jin Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
| | - Hong Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic CenterSun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science|GuangzhouChina
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12
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Arts JA, Laberthonnière C, Lima Cunha D, Zhou H. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing: Opportunities and Challenges for Studies on Corneal Biology in Health and Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1808. [PMID: 37443842 PMCID: PMC10340756 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131808] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The structure and major cell types of the multi-layer human cornea have been extensively studied. However, various cell states in specific cell types and key genes that define the cell states are not fully understood, hindering our comprehension of corneal homeostasis, related diseases, and therapeutic discovery. Single-cell RNA sequencing is a revolutionary and powerful tool for identifying cell states within tissues such as the cornea. This review provides an overview of current single-cell RNA sequencing studies on the human cornea, highlighting similarities and differences between them, and summarizing the key genes that define corneal cell states reported in these studies. In addition, this review discusses the opportunities and challenges of using single-cell RNA sequencing to study corneal biology in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian A. Arts
- Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.A.A.)
| | - Camille Laberthonnière
- Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.A.A.)
| | - Dulce Lima Cunha
- Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.A.A.)
| | - Huiqing Zhou
- Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.A.A.)
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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13
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Swamynathan SK, Swamynathan S. Corneal epithelial development and homeostasis. Differentiation 2023; 132:4-14. [PMID: 36870804 PMCID: PMC10363238 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2023.02.002] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The corneal epithelium (CE), the most anterior cellular structure of the eye, is a self-renewing stratified squamous tissue that protects the rest of the eye from external elements. Each cell in this exquisite three-dimensional structure needs to have proper polarity and positional awareness for the CE to serve as a transparent, refractive, and protective tissue. Recent studies have begun to elucidate the molecular and cellular events involved in the embryonic development, post-natal maturation, and homeostasis of the CE, and how they are regulated by a well-coordinated network of transcription factors. This review summarizes the status of related knowledge and aims to provide insight into the pathophysiology of disorders caused by disruption of CE development, and/or homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sudha Swamynathan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
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14
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Bhattacharya S, Mukherjee A, Pisano S, Dimri S, Knaane E, Altshuler A, Nasser W, Dey S, Shi L, Mizrahi I, Blum N, Jokel O, Amitai-Lange A, Kaganovsky A, Mimouni M, Socea S, Midlij M, Tiosano B, Hasson P, Feral C, Wolfenson H, Shalom-Feuerstein R. The biophysical property of the limbal niche maintains stemness through YAP. Cell Death Differ 2023:10.1038/s41418-023-01156-7. [PMID: 37095157 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-023-01156-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell fate decisions of stem cells (SCs) largely depend on signals from their microenvironment (niche). However, very little is known about how biochemical niche cues control cell behavior in vivo. To address this question, we focused on the corneal epithelial SC model in which the SC niche, known as the limbus, is spatially segregated from the differentiation compartment. We report that the unique biomechanical property of the limbus supports the nuclear localization and function of Yes-associated protein (YAP), a putative mediator of the mechanotransduction pathway. Perturbation of tissue stiffness or YAP activity affects SC function as well as tissue integrity under homeostasis and significantly inhibited the regeneration of the SC population following SC depletion. In vitro experiments revealed that substrates with the rigidity of the corneal differentiation compartment inhibit nuclear YAP localization and induce differentiation, a mechanism that is mediated by the TGFβ-SMAD2/3 pathway. Taken together, these results indicate that SC sense biomechanical niche signals and that manipulation of mechano-sensory machinery or its downstream biochemical output may bear fruits in SC expansion for regenerative therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swarnabh Bhattacharya
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel.
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Departments of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Abhishek Mukherjee
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sabrina Pisano
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, IRCAN, 06107, Nice, France
| | - Shalini Dimri
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Eman Knaane
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Anna Altshuler
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Waseem Nasser
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sunanda Dey
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Lidan Shi
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ido Mizrahi
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Noam Blum
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ophir Jokel
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Aya Amitai-Lange
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Anna Kaganovsky
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Michael Mimouni
- Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sergiu Socea
- Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Mohamad Midlij
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hilel Yafe Medical Center, Hadera, Israel
| | - Beatrice Tiosano
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hilel Yafe Medical Center, Hadera, Israel
| | - Peleg Hasson
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel
| | - Chloe Feral
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, IRCAN, 06107, Nice, France
| | - Haguy Wolfenson
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Ruby Shalom-Feuerstein
- Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine & Research Institute, Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 31096, Haifa, Israel.
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15
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Yamamoto-Fukuda T, Pinto F, Pitt K, Senoo M. Inhibition of TGF-β signaling enables long-term proliferation of mouse primary epithelial stem/progenitor cells of the tympanic membrane and the middle ear mucosa. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4532. [PMID: 36941290 PMCID: PMC10027825 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31246-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The surface of the middle ear is composed of the tympanic membrane (TM) and the middle ear mucosa (MEM). A number of diseases and conditions such as otitis media, middle ear cholesteatoma, and perforation of the TM have been reported to cause dysfunction of the middle ear, ultimately leading to high-frequency hearing loss. Despite its importance in repairing the damaged tissues, the stem/progenitor cells of the TM and the MEM epithelia remains largely uncharacterized due, in part, to the lack of an optimal methodology to expand and maintain stem/progenitor cells long-term. Here, we show that suppression of TGF-β signaling in a low Ca2+ condition enables long-term proliferation of p63-positive epithelial stem/progenitor cells of the TM and the MEM while avoiding their malignant transformation. Indeed, our data show that the expanded TM and MEM stem/progenitor cells respond to Ca2+ stimulation and differentiate into the mature epithelial cell lineages marked by cytokeratin (CK) 1/8/18 or Bpifa1, respectively. These results will allow us to expand epithelial stem/progenitor cells of the TM and MEM in quantity for large-scale analyses and will enhance the use of mouse models in developing stem cell-mediated therapeutic strategies for the treatment of middle ear diseases and conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Yamamoto-Fukuda
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishishinbashi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan.
| | - Filipa Pinto
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Keshia Pitt
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Makoto Senoo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
- Cell Exosome Therapeutics, Inc., 2-16-9 Higashi, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo, 150-0011, Japan.
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16
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Xu Y, Yang X, Xiong Q, Han J, Zhu Q. The dual role of p63 in cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1116061. [PMID: 37182132 PMCID: PMC10174455 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1116061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The p53 family is made up of three transcription factors: p53, p63, and p73. These proteins are well-known regulators of cell function and play a crucial role in controlling various processes related to cancer progression, including cell division, proliferation, genomic stability, cell cycle arrest, senescence, and apoptosis. In response to extra- or intracellular stress or oncogenic stimulation, all members of the p53 family are mutated in structure or altered in expression levels to affect the signaling network, coordinating many other pivotal cellular processes. P63 exists as two main isoforms (TAp63 and ΔNp63) that have been contrastingly discovered; the TA and ΔN isoforms exhibit distinguished properties by promoting or inhibiting cancer progression. As such, p63 isoforms comprise a fully mysterious and challenging regulatory pathway. Recent studies have revealed the intricate role of p63 in regulating the DNA damage response (DDR) and its impact on diverse cellular processes. In this review, we will highlight the significance of how p63 isoforms respond to DNA damage and cancer stem cells, as well as the dual role of TAp63 and ΔNp63 in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfeng Xu
- Abdominal Oncology Ward, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaojuan Yang
- Abdominal Oncology Ward, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qunli Xiong
- Abdominal Oncology Ward, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Junhong Han
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Qing Zhu, ; Junhong Han,
| | - Qing Zhu
- Abdominal Oncology Ward, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Qing Zhu, ; Junhong Han,
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17
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Kim KW, Shin YJ, Lee SCS. Novel ROCK Inhibitors, Sovesudil and PHP-0961, Enhance Proliferation, Adhesion and Migration of Corneal Endothelial Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314690. [PMID: 36499014 PMCID: PMC9740482 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss or dysfunction of human corneal endothelial cells (hCEnCs) is a leading cause of blindness due to corneal failure. Corneal transplantation with a healthy donor cornea has been the only available treatment for corneal endothelial disease. However, the need for way to regenerate the CEnCs has been increased due to the global shortage of donor corneas. The aim of the study is to investigate whether novel Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibitors can induce the cultivation and regeneration of hCEnCs. Cultured hCEnCs were treated with Y-27632, sovesudil, or PHP-0961 for 24 h. Cellular responses, including cell viability, cytotoxicity, proliferation, and Ki67 expression with ROCK inhibitors were evaluated. We also evaluated wound healing and cell adhesion assays. Porcine corneas were used ex vivo to evaluate the effects of Y-27632, sovesudil, and PHP-0961 on wound healing and regeneration. We performed live/dead cell assays and immunofluorescence staining for SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2 (SOX2), β-catenin, and ZO-1 on porcine corneas after ROCK inhibitor treatments. Cell viability, cell proliferation rate, and the number of Ki67-positive cells were higher in Y-27632, sovesudil and PHP-0961 treated cells compared to the control. There was no difference in LDH cytotoxicity test between any groups. Cells treated with Y-27632, sovesudil and PHP-0961 showed faster migration, wound healing, and cell adhesion. In the porcine ex vivo experiments, wound healing, the number of live cells, and SOX2-positive cells were higher in Y-27632, sovesudil and PHP-0961 treated corneas. In all experiments, sovesudil and PHP-0961, the novel ROCK inhibitors, were equal or superior to the results of the ROCK inhibitor positive control, Y-27632. In conclusion, sovesudil and PHP-0961, novel ROCK inhibitors have the capacity to regenerate hCEnCs by enhancing cell proliferation and adhesion between cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Wook Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hallym University Medical Center, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul 07441, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Joo Shin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hallym University Medical Center, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul 07441, Republic of Korea
- Hallym BioEyeTech Research Center, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 07441, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-6960-1240
| | - Sammy Chi Sam Lee
- pH Pharma Co., Ltd., B-1009, U-Space, 670 Daewangpangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si 13494, Republic of Korea
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18
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Altshuler A, Wickström SA, Shalom-Feuerstein R. Spotlighting adult stem cells: advances, pitfalls, and challenges. Trends Cell Biol 2022; 33:477-494. [PMID: 36270939 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The existence of stem cells (SCs) at the tip of the cellular differentiation hierarchy has fascinated the scientific community ever since their discovery in the early 1950s to 1960s. Despite the remarkable success of the SC theory and the development of SC-based treatments, fundamental features of SCs remain enigmatic. Recent advances in single-cell lineage tracing, live imaging, and genomic technologies have allowed capture of life histories and transcriptional signatures of individual cells, leaving SCs much less space to 'hide'. Focusing on epithelial SCs and comparing them to other SCs, we discuss new paradigms of the SC niche, dynamics, and pathology, highlighting key open questions in SC biology that need to be resolved for harnessing SC potential in regenerative medicine.
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19
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Knani I, Yanku Y, Gross-Cohen M, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I. Heparanase 2 (Hpa2) attenuates the growth of human sarcoma. Matrix Biol 2022; 113:22-38. [PMID: 36122821 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The pro-tumorigenic properties of heparanase are well documented and established. In contrast, the role of heparanase 2 (Hpa2), a close homolog of heparanase, in cancer is not entirely clear. In carcinomas, Hpa2 is thought to attenuate tumor growth, possibly by inhibiting heparanase enzymatic activity. Here, we examine the role of Hpa2 in sarcoma, a group of rare tumors of mesenchymal origin, accounting for approximately 1% of all malignant tumors. Consistently, we found that overexpression of Hpa2 attenuates tumor growth while Hpa2 gene silencing results in bigger tumors. Mechanistically, attenuation of tumor growth by Hpa2 was associated with increased tumor stress conditions, involving ER stress, hypoxia, and JNK phosphorylation, leading to increased apoptotic cell death. In addition, overexpression of Hpa2 induces the expression of the p53 family member, p63 which, in sarcoma, functions to attenuate tumor growth. Moreover, we show that Hpa2 profoundly reduces stem cell characteristics of the sarcoma cells (stemness), most evident by failure of Hpa2 cells to grow as spheroids typical of stem cells. Likewise, expression of CD44, a well-established stem cell marker, was prominently decreased in Hpa2 cells. CD44 is also a cell surface receptor for hyaluronic acid (HA), a nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan that is enriched in connective tissues. Reduced expression of CD44 by Hpa2 may thus represent impaired cross-talk between Hpa2 and the extracellular matrix. Clinically, we found that Hpa2 is expressed by leiomyosarcoma tumor biopsies. Interestingly, nuclear localization of Hpa2 was associated with low-stage tumors. This finding opens a new direction in Hpa2 research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Knani
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yifat Yanku
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Miriam Gross-Cohen
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
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20
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Ye Q, Bhojwani A, Hu JK. Understanding the development of oral epithelial organs through single cell transcriptomic analysis. Development 2022; 149:dev200539. [PMID: 35831953 PMCID: PMC9481975 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
During craniofacial development, the oral epithelium begins as a morphologically homogeneous tissue that gives rise to locally complex structures, including the teeth, salivary glands and taste buds. How the epithelium is initially patterned and specified to generate diverse cell types remains largely unknown. To elucidate the genetic programs that direct the formation of distinct oral epithelial populations, we mapped the transcriptional landscape of embryonic day 12 mouse mandibular epithelia at single cell resolution. Our analysis identified key transcription factors and gene regulatory networks that define different epithelial cell types. By examining the spatiotemporal patterning process along the oral-aboral axis, our results propose a model in which the dental field is progressively confined to its position by the formation of the aboral epithelium anteriorly and the non-dental oral epithelium posteriorly. Using our data, we also identified Ntrk2 as a proliferation driver in the forming incisor, contributing to its invagination. Together, our results provide a detailed transcriptional atlas of the embryonic mandibular epithelium, and unveil new genetic markers and regulators that are present during the specification of various oral epithelial structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianlin Ye
- School of Dentistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Arshia Bhojwani
- School of Dentistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jimmy K. Hu
- School of Dentistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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21
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Hsa-miR-150-5p inhibits Wnt-β-catenin signaling in human corneal epithelial stem cells. Mol Vis 2022; 28:178-191. [PMID: 36274818 PMCID: PMC9491245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE In our earlier study, we identified hsa-miR-150-5p as a highly expressed miRNA in enriched corneal epithelial stem cells (CESCs). In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular regulatory function of hsa-miR-150-5p in association with the maintenance of stemness in CESCs. METHODS The target mRNAs of hsa-miR-150-5p were predicted and subjected to pathway analysis to identify targets for functional studies. Primary cultured limbal epithelial cells were transfected with hsa-miR-150-5p mimic, inhibitor, or scrambled sequence using Lipofectamine 3000. The transfected cells were analyzed to determine (i) their colony-forming potential; (ii) the expression levels of stem cell (SC) markers/transcription factors (ABCG2, NANOG, OCT4, KLF4, and ΔNp63), the differentiation marker (Cx43), and the hsa-miR-150-5p predicted targets (JARID2, INHBA, AKT3, and CTNNB1) by qPCR; and (iii) the expression levels of ABCG2, p63α, Cx43, JARID2, AKT3, p-AKT3, β-catenin, and active β-catenin by immunofluorescence staining and/or western blotting. RESULTS The ectopic expression level of hsa-miR-150-5p increased the colony-forming potential (8.29% ± 0.47%, p < 0.001) with the ability to form holoclone-like colonies compared with the control (1.8% ± 0.47%). The mimic-treated cells had higher expression levels of the SC markers but reduced expression levels of Cx43 and the targets of hsa-miR-150-5p that are involved in the Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathway. The expression levels of β-catenin and active β-catenin in the inhibitor-transfected cells were higher than those in the control cells, and the localized nuclear expression indicated the activation of Wnt signaling. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate a regulatory role for hsa-miR-150-5p in the maintenance of CESCs by inhibiting the Wnt signaling pathway.
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Lin Y, Wang D, Zeng Y. A Maverick Review of Common Stem/Progenitor Markers in Lung Development. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2022; 18:2629-2645. [DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Hagey DW, Bergsland M, Muhr J. SOX2 transcription factor binding and function. Development 2022; 149:276045. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200547] [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
The transcription factor SOX2 is a vital regulator of stem cell activity in various developing and adult tissues. Mounting evidence has demonstrated the importance of SOX2 in regulating the induction and maintenance of stemness as well as in controlling cell proliferation, lineage decisions and differentiation. Recent studies have revealed that the ability of SOX2 to regulate these stem cell features involves its function as a pioneer factor, with the capacity to target nucleosomal DNA, modulate chromatin accessibility and prepare silent genes for subsequent activation. Moreover, although SOX2 binds to similar DNA motifs in different stem cells, its multifaceted and cell type-specific functions are reliant on context-dependent features. These cell type-specific properties include variations in partner factor availability and SOX2 protein expression levels. In this Primer, we discuss recent findings that have increased our understanding of how SOX2 executes its versatile functions as a master regulator of stem cell activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W. Hagey
- Karolinska Institutet 1 Department of Laboratory Medicine , , SE-171 77 Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Maria Bergsland
- Karolinska Institutet 2 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , , Solnavägen 9, SE-171 65 Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Jonas Muhr
- Karolinska Institutet 2 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , , Solnavägen 9, SE-171 65 Stockholm , Sweden
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Wang Y, Wei T, Wang Q, Zhang C, Li K, Deng J. Resveratrol's neural protective effects for the injured embryoid body and cerebral organoid. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2022; 23:47. [PMID: 35820950 PMCID: PMC9275253 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-022-00593-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Resveratrol (RSV) is a polyphenol compound found in grapes, veratrum and other plants. It has been reported that RSV has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and other pharmacological effects. However, the impacts of RSV on development of nervous system are not understood well. The study aims to investigate RSV's neuroprotective effect during development and to provide a health care for pregnant women and their fetuses with RSV supplementation. METHODS In this study, we induced human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to form the embryoid bodies (EBs) and cerebral organoids (COs) with 3 dimensional (3D) culture. In the meantime, D-galactose (D-gal, 5 mg/ml) was used to make nervous injury model, and on the other hand, RSV with various doses, such as 2 μm/L, 10 μm/L, 50 μm/L, were applied to understand its neuroprotection. Therefore, the cultures were divided into control group, D-gal nervous injury group and RSV intervention groups. After that, the diameters of EBs and COs were measured regularly under a reverted microscope. In the meantime, the neural proliferation, cell apoptosis and the differentiation of germ layers were detected via immunofluorescence. RESULTS (1) D-gal could delay the development of EBs and COs; (2) RSV could rescue the atrophy of EBs and COs caused by D-gal; (3) RSV showed its neuroprotection, through promoting the neural cell proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis and accelerating the differentiation of germ layers. CONCLUSION RSV has a neuroprotective effect on the development of the nervous system, suggesting RSV supplementation may be necessary during the health care of pregnancy and childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan Province, China
| | - Tingting Wei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan Province, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan Province, China
| | - Chaonan Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan Province, China
| | - Keyan Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan Province, China
| | - Jinbo Deng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan Province, China.
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Xie ZQ, Li HX, Hou XJ, Huang MY, Zhu ZM, Wei LX, Tang CX. Capsaicin suppresses hepatocarcinogenesis by inhibiting the stemness of hepatic progenitor cells via SIRT1/SOX2 signaling pathway. Cancer Med 2022; 11:4283-4296. [PMID: 35674129 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Capsaicin, a functional component of chili pepper, possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-cancer properties. This study aimed to determine the property of capsaicin against hepatocarcinogenesis in vivo and investigate the role of the SIRT1/SOX2 pathway in the mode of action of capsaicin in hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), which is related to hepatocarcinogenesis. MATERIALS & METHODS We prepared a diethylnitrosamine-induced liver cancer model in rats to examine hepatocarcinogenesis, and delivered liposomal capsaicin through the subcutaneous transposition of the spleen to the liver. Liver sections from rats and hepatocarcinoma patients were stained for the markers of HPCs or SIRT1/SOX2 signaling. SIRT1/SOX2 signalling expression was measured using immunoprecipitation and western blot. RESULTS We found that capsaicin significantly inhibited hepatocarcinogenesis. Notably, capsaicin inhibited HPCs activation in vivo but did not induce apoptosis in the normal hepatic progenitor cell line in rats in vitro. This suggests that capsaicin suppresses hepatocarcinogenesis by inhibiting the stemness of HPCs. Moreover, capsaicin can induce this inhibition by reducing the stability of SOX2. SIRT1 is overexpressed in liver cancer and acts as a tumor promoter via SOX2 deacetylation. Using immunoprecipitation, we identified direct binding between SIRT1 and SOX2. The capsaicin treatment resulted in SIRT1 downregulation which reduced deacetylation, and increased nuclear export as well as subsequent ubiquitous degradation of SOX2. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, we report that capsaicin suppresses hepatocarcinogenesis by inhibiting the stemness of HPCs via SIRT1/SOX2 signaling. It may serve as a promising therapeutic candidate for liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Qin Xie
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, China
| | - Hong-Xia Li
- Department of Pathology, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xiao-Juan Hou
- Tumor Immunology and Gene Therapy Center, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai City, China
| | - Mei-Yuan Huang
- Department of Pathology, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, China
| | - Ze-Min Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, China
| | - Li-Xin Wei
- Tumor Immunology and Gene Therapy Center, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai City, China
| | - Cai-Xi Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, China
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SOX2 Is a Univocal Marker for Human Oral Mucosa Epithelium Useful in Post-COMET Patient Characterization. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105785. [PMID: 35628593 PMCID: PMC9144017 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Total bilateral Limbal Stem Cells Deficiency is a pathologic condition of the ocular surface due to loss or impairment of corneal stem cell function, altering homeostasis of the corneal epithelium. Cultivated Oral Mucosa Epithelial Transplantation (COMET) is the only autologous treatment for this pathology. During the follow-up, a proper characterization of the transplanted oral mucosa on the ocular surface supports understanding the regenerative process. The previously proposed markers for oral mucosa identification (e.g., keratins 3 and 13) are co-expressed by corneal and conjunctival epithelia. Here, we propose a new specific marker to distinguish human oral mucosa from the epithelia of the ocular surface. We compared the transcriptome of holoclones (stem cells) from the human oral mucosa, limbal and conjunctival cultures by microarray assay. High expression of SOX2 identified the oral mucosa vs. cornea and conjunctiva, while PAX6 was highly expressed in corneal and conjunctival epithelia. The transcripts were validated by qPCR, and immunological methods identified the related proteins. Finally, the proposed markers were used to analyze a 10-year follow-up aniridic patient treated by COMET. These findings will support the follow-up analysis of COMET treated patients and help to shed light on the mechanism of corneal repair and regeneration.
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Chesneau B, Aubert-Mucca M, Fremont F, Pechmeja J, Soler V, Isidor B, Nizon M, Dollfus H, Kaplan J, Fares-Taie L, Rozet JM, Busa T, Lacombe D, Naudion S, Amiel J, Rio M, Attie-Bitach T, Lesage C, Thouvenin D, Odent S, Morel G, Vincent-Delorme C, Boute O, Vanlerberghe C, Dieux A, Boussion S, Faivre L, Pinson L, Laffargue F, Le Guyader G, Le Meur G, Prieur F, Lambert V, Laudier B, Cottereau E, Ayuso C, Corton-Pérez M, Bouneau L, Le Caignec C, Gaston V, Jeanton-Scaramouche C, Dupin-Deguine D, Calvas P, Chassaing N, Plaisancié J. First evidence of SOX2 mutations in Peters' anomaly: lessons from molecular screening of 95 patients. Clin Genet 2022; 101:494-506. [PMID: 35170016 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Peters' anomaly (PA) is a rare anterior segment dysgenesis characterized by central corneal opacity and irido-lenticulo-corneal adhesions. Several genes are involved in syndromic or isolated PA (B3GLCT, PAX6, PITX3, FOXE3, CYP1B1). Some Copy Number Variations (CNVs) have also been occasionally reported. Despite this genetic heterogeneity, most of patients remain without genetic diagnosis. We retrieved a cohort of 95 individuals with PA and performed genotyping using a combination of Comparative genomic hybridization, whole genome, exome and targeted sequencing of 119 genes associated with ocular development anomalies. Causative genetic defects involving 12 genes and CNVs were identified for 1/3 of patients. Unsurprisingly, B3GLCT and PAX6 were the most frequently implicated genes, respectively in syndromic and isolated PA. Unexpectedly, the third gene involved in our cohort was SOX2, the major gene of micro-anophthalmia. Four unrelated patients with PA (isolated or with microphthalmia) were carrying pathogenic variants in this gene that was never associated with PA before. Here we described the largest cohort of PA patients ever reported. The genetic bases of PA are still to be explored as genetic diagnosis was unavailable for 2/3 of patients. Nevertheless, we showed here for the first time the involvement of SOX2 in PA, offering new evidence for its role in corneal transparency and anterior segment development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Chesneau
- Génétique Médicale, Hôpital Purpan, CHU, Toulouse, France.,Centre de Référence pour les Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique (CARGO), CHU, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Félix Fremont
- Centre de Référence pour les Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique (CARGO), CHU, Toulouse, France.,Service d'ophtalmologie, Hôpital Purpan, CHU Toulouse, France
| | - Jacmine Pechmeja
- Centre de Référence pour les Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique (CARGO), CHU, Toulouse, France.,Service d'ophtalmologie, Hôpital Purpan, CHU Toulouse, France
| | - Vincent Soler
- Centre de Référence pour les Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique (CARGO), CHU, Toulouse, France.,Service d'ophtalmologie, Hôpital Purpan, CHU Toulouse, France
| | - Bertrand Isidor
- Génétique Médicale, Institut du thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Mathilde Nizon
- Génétique Médicale, Institut du thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Hélène Dollfus
- Centre de Référence pour les Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique (CARGO), Hôpitaux Universitaires, Strasbourg, France
| | - Josseline Kaplan
- Laboratoire de Génétique Ophtalmologique, INSERM U1163, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Lucas Fares-Taie
- Laboratoire de Génétique Ophtalmologique, INSERM U1163, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Michel Rozet
- Laboratoire de Génétique Ophtalmologique, INSERM U1163, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Tiffany Busa
- Génétique Clinique, AP- HM CHU Timone Enfants, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Lacombe
- Département de Génétique Médicale, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sophie Naudion
- Département de Génétique Médicale, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jeanne Amiel
- Service de Génétique Médicale, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Marlène Rio
- Service de Génétique Médicale, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Tania Attie-Bitach
- Service d'Histologie-Embryologie-Cytogénétique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-, HP, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Sylvie Odent
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Centre Labellisé pour les Anomalies du Développement Ouest, CHU Rennes; Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6290, Université de Rennes, ERN ITHACA, France
| | - Godelieve Morel
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Centre Labellisé pour les Anomalies du Développement Ouest, CHU Rennes; Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6290, Université de Rennes, ERN ITHACA, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Laurence Faivre
- Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, FHU TRANSLAD, CHU, Dijon, France
| | - Lucile Pinson
- Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, CHU de Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Victor Lambert
- Service d'ophtalmologie, Hôpital Nord, Saint-Etienne, France
| | | | | | - Carmen Ayuso
- Genetics & Genomics Department, Jiménez Díaz University Hospital-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD-UAM). Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Corton-Pérez
- Genetics & Genomics Department, Jiménez Díaz University Hospital-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD-UAM). Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Calvas
- Génétique Médicale, Hôpital Purpan, CHU, Toulouse, France.,Centre de Référence pour les Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique (CARGO), CHU, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Chassaing
- Génétique Médicale, Hôpital Purpan, CHU, Toulouse, France.,Centre de Référence pour les Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique (CARGO), CHU, Toulouse, France
| | - Julie Plaisancié
- Génétique Médicale, Hôpital Purpan, CHU, Toulouse, France.,Centre de Référence pour les Affections Rares en Génétique Ophtalmologique (CARGO), CHU, Toulouse, France.,INSERM U1214, ToNIC, Université Toulouse III, France
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Sun C, Wei J, Long Z, Zhao W, Huangfu Q, Xie Q, Wang B, Wen J. Spindle pole body component 24 homolog potentiates tumor progression via regulation of SRY-box transcription factor 2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22086. [PMID: 35028983 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101310r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common pathological subtype of human kidney cancer with a high probability of metastasis. To understand the molecular processing essential for ccRCC tumorigenicity, we conducted an integrative in silico analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ccRCC dataset and clustered randomly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) screening dataset of ccRCC cell lines from Depmap. We identified spindle pole body component 24 homolog (SPC24) as an essential gene for ccRCC cell lines with prognostic significance in the TCGA database. Targeting SPC24 by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout attenuated ccRCC proliferation, metastasis, and in vivo tumor growth. Furthermore, we found that SPC24 regulates metastasis genes expression in a SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2)-dependent manner. The anti-proliferative effects of SPC24 knockout were strengthened with SOX2 knockdown. Collectively, our findings suggest SPC24 has a pivotal function in promoting ccRCC progression, providing a new insight for the treatment of ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengfang Sun
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingchao Wei
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhilin Long
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weixi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qi Huangfu
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qi Xie
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bohan Wang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaming Wen
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Cieśla J, Tomsia M. Cadaveric Stem Cells: Their Research Potential and Limitations. Front Genet 2022; 12:798161. [PMID: 35003228 PMCID: PMC8727551 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.798161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the era of growing interest in stem cells, the availability of donors for transplantation has become a problem. The isolation of embryonic and fetal cells raises ethical controversies, and the number of adult donors is deficient. Stem cells isolated from deceased donors, known as cadaveric stem cells (CaSCs), may alleviate this problem. So far, it was possible to isolate from deceased donors mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), adipose delivered stem cells (ADSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Recent studies have shown that it is possible to collect and use CaSCs from cadavers, even these with an extended postmortem interval (PMI) provided proper storage conditions (like cadaver heparinization or liquid nitrogen storage) are maintained. The presented review summarizes the latest research on CaSCs and their current therapeutic applications. It describes the developments in thanatotranscriptome and scaffolding for cadaver cells, summarizes their potential applications in regenerative medicine, and lists their limitations, such as donor’s unknown medical condition in criminal cases, limited differentiation potential, higher risk of carcinogenesis, or changing DNA quality. Finally, the review underlines the need to develop procedures determining the safe CaSCs harvesting and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Cieśla
- School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Marcin Tomsia
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
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Kaplan N, Liu M, Wang J, Yang W, Fiolek E, Peng H, Lavker RM. Eph signaling is regulated by miRNA-210: Implications for corneal epithelial repair. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22076. [PMID: 34856019 PMCID: PMC8647904 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101423r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A distinct boundary exists between the progenitor cells in the basal limbal epithelium and the more differentiated corneal epithelial basal cells. We have shown that reciprocal expression patterns of EphA2 and Ephrin-A1 are likely to contribute to normal limbal-corneal epithelial compartmentalization as well as play a role in response to injury. How this signaling axis is regulated remains unclear. We have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in corneal epithelial wound healing and several miRNAs (e.g. miR-210) have been predicted to target ephrins. Previous expression profiling experiments demonstrated that miR-210 is prominently expressed in corneal epithelial cells. RNA-seq data acquired from miR-210-depleted HCECs showed up-regulation of genes involved in cellular migration. In addition, miR-210 is decreased after corneal injury while EphA2 is increased. Moreover, antago-210-treated HCECs markedly enhanced wound closure in a scratch wound assay. Antago-210 treatment resulted in increased EphA2 protein levels as well as pS897-EphA2, the pro-migratory form of EphA2. As expected, Ephrin-A1 levels were reduced, while levels of a well-known target of miR-210, Ephrin-A3, were increased by antago-210 treatment. The increase in migration with antago-210 could be inhibited by Ephrin-A1 overexpression, Ephrin-A1-Fc treatment or siRNA depletion of EphA2. However, depletion of Ephrin-A3 did not have effects on the antago-210-induced increase in migration. In addition, Ephrin-A1 overexpression and siEphA2 dampened EGFR signaling, which is increased by antago-210. Our data clearly demonstrate a link between miR-210 and EphA2/Ephrin-A1 signaling that regulates, in part, corneal epithelial migration. This interaction might potentially control the limbal-corneal epithelial boundary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihal Kaplan
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Junyi Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Department of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology and Visual Science Key Lab of PLA, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wending Yang
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Elaina Fiolek
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Han Peng
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Correspondence: Robert M. Lavker, Ph.D., Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Ward 9-124, Chicago, IL 60611, USA;
| | - Robert M. Lavker
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Correspondence: Han Peng, Ph.D., Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Ward 9-120, Chicago, IL 60611, USA;
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Latta L, Figueiredo FC, Ashery-Padan R, Collinson JM, Daniels J, Ferrari S, Szentmáry N, Solá S, Shalom-Feuerstein R, Lako M, Xapelli S, Aberdam D, Lagali N. Pathophysiology of aniridia-associated keratopathy: Developmental aspects and unanswered questions. Ocul Surf 2021; 22:245-266. [PMID: 34520870 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtos.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aniridia, a rare congenital disease, is often characterized by a progressive, pronounced limbal insufficiency and ocular surface pathology termed aniridia-associated keratopathy (AAK). Due to the characteristics of AAK and its bilateral nature, clinical management is challenging and complicated by the multiple coexisting ocular and systemic morbidities in aniridia. Although it is primarily assumed that AAK originates from a congenital limbal stem cell deficiency, in recent years AAK and its pathogenesis has been questioned in the light of new evidence and a refined understanding of ocular development and the biology of limbal stem cells (LSCs) and their niche. Here, by consolidating and comparing the latest clinical and preclinical evidence, we discuss key unanswered questions regarding ocular developmental aspects crucial to AAK. We also highlight hypotheses on the potential role of LSCs and the ocular surface microenvironment in AAK. The insights thus gained lead to a greater appreciation for the role of developmental and cellular processes in the emergence of AAK. They also highlight areas for future research to enable a deeper understanding of aniridia, and thereby the potential to develop new treatments for this rare but blinding ocular surface disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Latta
- Dr. Rolf. M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Saarland University, Homburg, Saar, Germany; Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Saar, Germany.
| | - F C Figueiredo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - R Ashery-Padan
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - J M Collinson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom
| | - J Daniels
- Cells for Sight, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - S Ferrari
- The Veneto Eye Bank Foundation, Venice, Italy
| | - N Szentmáry
- Dr. Rolf. M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Saarland University, Homburg, Saar, Germany
| | - S Solá
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - R Shalom-Feuerstein
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - M Lako
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - S Xapelli
- Instituto Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - D Aberdam
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM U1138, Team 17, France; Université de Paris, 75006, Paris, France.
| | - N Lagali
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Ophthalmology, Sørlandet Hospital Arendal, Arendal, Norway.
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Conditional Deletion of AP-2β in the Periocular Mesenchyme of Mice Alters Corneal Epithelial Cell Fate and Stratification. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168730. [PMID: 34445433 PMCID: PMC8395778 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168730] [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: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The cornea is an anterior eye structure specialized for vision. The corneal endothelium and stroma are derived from the periocular mesenchyme (POM), which originates from neural crest cells (NCCs), while the stratified corneal epithelium develops from the surface ectoderm. Activating protein-2β (AP-2β) is highly expressed in the POM and important for anterior segment development. Using a mouse model in which AP-2β is conditionally deleted in the NCCs (AP-2β NCC KO), we investigated resulting corneal epithelial abnormalities. Through PAS and IHC staining, we observed structural and phenotypic changes to the epithelium associated with AP-2β deletion. In addition to failure of the mutant epithelium to stratify, we also observed that Keratin-12, a marker of the differentiated epithelium, was absent, and Keratin-15, a limbal and conjunctival marker, was expanded across the central epithelium. Transcription factors PAX6 and P63 were not observed to be differentially expressed between WT and mutant. However, growth factor BMP4 was suppressed in the mutant epithelium. Given the non-NCC origin of the epithelium, we hypothesize that the abnormalities in the AP-2β NCC KO mouse result from changes to regulatory signaling from the POM-derived stroma. Our findings suggest that stromal pathways such as Wnt/β-Catenin signaling may regulate BMP4 expression, which influences cell fate and stratification.
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Dou S, Wang Q, Qi X, Zhang B, Jiang H, Chen S, Duan H, Lu Y, Dong J, Cao Y, Xie L, Zhou Q, Shi W. Molecular identity of human limbal heterogeneity involved in corneal homeostasis and privilege. Ocul Surf 2021; 21:206-220. [PMID: 33964410 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtos.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The corneal limbus maintains the homeostasis, immune and angiogenic privilege of cornea. This study aimed to depict the landscape of human limbal tissues by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). METHODS Single cells of human limbus collected from donor corneas were subjected to 10x scRNA-seq, followed by clustering cell types through the t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) and unbiased computational informatic analysis. Immunofluorescent staining was performed using human corneas to validate the analysis results. RESULTS 47,627 cells acquired from six human limbal tissues were collected and subjected to scRNA-seq. 14 distinct clusters were identified and 8 cell types were annotated with representative markers. In-depth dissection revealed three limbal epithelial cell subtypes and refined the X-Y-Z hypothesis of corneal epithelial maintenance. We further unveiled two cell states with higher stemness (TP63+ and CCL20+ cells), and two other differentiated cell states (GPHA2+ and KRT6B + cells) in homeostatic limbal stem/progenitor cells (LSPCs) that differ in transcriptional profiles. Cell-cell communication analysis revealed the central role of LSPCs and their bidirectional regulation with various niche cells. Moreover, comparative analysis between limbus and skin deciphered the pivotal contribution of limbal immune cells, vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells to corneal immune and angiogenic privilege. CONCLUSIONS The human limbus atlas provided valuable resources and foundations for understanding corneal biology, disease and potential interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengqian Dou
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Qun Wang
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xia Qi
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shengwen Chen
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haoyun Duan
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yao Lu
- OE Biotech Co., Ltd, Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Yihai Cao
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lixin Xie
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Qingjun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Weiyun Shi
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China; Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China; Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
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Pokorná Z, Vysloužil J, Hrabal V, Vojtěšek B, Coates PJ. The foggy world(s) of p63 isoform regulation in normal cells and cancer. J Pathol 2021; 254:454-473. [PMID: 33638205 DOI: 10.1002/path.5656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The p53 family member p63 exists as two major protein variants (TAp63 and ΔNp63) with distinct expression patterns and functional properties. Whilst downstream target genes of p63 have been studied intensively, how p63 variants are themselves controlled has been relatively neglected. Here, we review advances in understanding ΔNp63 and TAp63 regulation, highlighting their distinct pathways. TAp63 has roles in senescence and metabolism, and in germ cell genome maintenance, where it is activated post-transcriptionally by phosphorylation cascades after DNA damage. The function and regulation of TAp63 in mesenchymal and haematopoietic cells is less clear but may involve epigenetic control through DNA methylation. ΔNp63 functions to maintain stem/progenitor cells in various epithelia and is overexpressed in squamous and certain other cancers. ΔNp63 is transcriptionally regulated through multiple enhancers in concert with chromatin modifying proteins. Many signalling pathways including growth factors, morphogens, inflammation, and the extracellular matrix influence ΔNp63 levels, with inconsistent results reported. There is also evidence for reciprocal regulation, including ΔNp63 activating its own transcription. ΔNp63 is downregulated during cell differentiation through transcriptional regulation, while post-transcriptional events cause proteasomal degradation. Throughout the review, we identify knowledge gaps and highlight discordances, providing potential explanations including cell-context and cell-matrix interactions. Identifying individual p63 variants has roles in differential diagnosis and prognosis, and understanding their regulation suggests clinically approved agents for targeting p63 that may be useful combination therapies for selected cancer patients. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Pokorná
- Research Centre of Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Vysloužil
- Research Centre of Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Hrabal
- Research Centre of Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Borˇivoj Vojtěšek
- Research Centre of Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Philip J Coates
- Research Centre of Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
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mTOR plays a pivotal role in multiple processes of enamel organ development principally through the mTORC1 pathway and in part via regulating cytoskeleton dynamics. Dev Biol 2020; 467:77-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Lavker RM, Kaplan N, Wang J, Peng H. Corneal epithelial biology: Lessons stemming from old to new. Exp Eye Res 2020; 198:108094. [PMID: 32697979 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The anterior surface of the eye functions as a barrier to the external environment and protects the delicate underlying tissues from injury. Central to this protection are the corneal, limbal and conjunctival epithelia. The corneal epithelium is a self-renewing stratified squamous epithelium that protects the underlying delicate structures of the eye, supports a tear film and maintains transparency so that light can be transmitted to the interior of the eye (Basu et al., 2014; Cotsarelis et al., 1989; Funderburgh et al., 2016; Lehrer et al., 1998; Pajoohesh-Ganji and Stepp, 2005; Parfitt et al., 2015; Peng et al., 2012b; Stepp and Zieske, 2005). In this review, dedicated to James Funderburgh and his contributions to visual science, in particular the limbal niche, corneal stroma and corneal stromal stem cells, we will focus on recent data on the identification of novel regulators in corneal epithelial cell biology, their roles in stem cell homeostasis, wound healing, limbal/corneal boundary maintenance and the utility of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in vision biology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Lavker
- Departments of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Nihal Kaplan
- Departments of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Junyi Wang
- Departments of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Center of the PLA General Hospital, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Han Peng
- Departments of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Chen E, Bohm K, Rosenblatt M, Kang K. Epigenetic regulation of anterior segment diseases and potential therapeutics. Ocul Surf 2020; 18:383-395. [PMID: 32344150 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtos.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, technological advances in sequencing have accelerated our understanding of epigenetics in ocular development and ophthalmic diseases. We now know that epigenetic modifications are necessary for normal ocular development and biological processes such as corneal wound healing and ocular surface repair, while aberrant epigenetic regulation underlies the pathogenesis of a wide range of ocular diseases, including cataracts and various diseases of the ocular surface. As the epigenetics of the eye is a constantly changing field of medicine, this comprehensive review focuses on innovations and scientific discoveries related to epigenetic control of anterior segment diseases that were published in the English literature in the past five years. These recent studies attempt to elucidate therapeutic targets for the anterior segment pathological processes. Already, recent studies have shown therapeutic potential in targeting epigenetic mechanisms of ocular diseases, and new epigenetic therapies are on the verge of being introduced to clinical practice. New drug targets can potentially emerge as we make further discoveries within this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Chen
- Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kelley Bohm
- Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mark Rosenblatt
- Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kai Kang
- Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
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Vattulainen M, Ilmarinen T, Koivusalo L, Viiri K, Hongisto H, Skottman H. Modulation of Wnt/BMP pathways during corneal differentiation of hPSC maintains ABCG2-positive LSC population that demonstrates increased regenerative potential. Stem Cell Res Ther 2019; 10:236. [PMID: 31383008 PMCID: PMC6683518 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-019-1354-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The differentiation of corneal limbal stem cells (LSCs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has great power as a novel treatment for ocular surface reconstruction and for modeling corneal epithelial renewal. However, the lack of profound understanding of the true LSC population identity and the regulation of LSC homeostasis is hindering the full therapeutic potential of hPSC-derived LSCs as well as primary LSCs. Methods The differentiation trajectory of two distinct hPSC lines towards LSCs was characterized extensively using immunofluorescence labeling against pluripotency, putative LSC, and mature corneal epithelium markers. Cell counting, flow cytometry, and qRT-PCR were used to quantify the differences between distinct populations observed at day 11 and day 24 time points. Initial differentiation conditions were thereafter modified to support the maintenance and expansion of the earlier population expressing ABCG2. Immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, population doubling analyses, and transplantation into an ex vivo porcine cornea model were used to analyze the phenotype and functionality of the cell populations cultured in different conditions. Results The detailed characterization of the hPSC differentiation towards LSCs revealed only transient expression of a cell population marked by the universal stemness marker and proposed LSC marker ABCG2. Within the ABCG2-positive population, we further identified two distinct subpopulations of quiescent ∆Np63α-negative and proliferative ∆Np63α-positive cells, the latter of which also expressed the acknowledged intestinal stem cell marker and suggested LSC marker LGR5. These populations that appeared early during the differentiation process had stem cell phenotypes distinct from the later arising ABCG2-negative, ∆Np63α-positive third cell population. Importantly, novel culture conditions modulating the Wnt and BMP signaling pathways allowed efficient maintenance and expansion of the ABCG2-positive populations. In comparison to ∆Np63α-positive hPSC-LSCs cultured in the initial culture conditions, ABCG2-positive hPSC-LSCs in the novel maintenance condition contained quiescent stem cells marked by p27, demonstrated notably higher population doubling capabilities and clonal growth in an in vitro colony-forming assay, and increased regenerative potential in the ex vivo transplantation model. Conclusions The distinct cell populations identified during the hPSC-LSC differentiation and ABCG2-positive LSC maintenance may represent functionally different limbal stem/progenitor cells with implications for regenerative efficacy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13287-019-1354-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meri Vattulainen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, 33520, Tampere, Finland
| | - Tanja Ilmarinen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, 33520, Tampere, Finland
| | - Laura Koivusalo
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, 33520, Tampere, Finland
| | - Keijo Viiri
- Tampere Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Heidi Hongisto
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, 33520, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Heli Skottman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, 33520, Tampere, Finland.
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39
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Atkinson SP. A Preview of Selected Articles. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019. [PMCID: PMC6476998 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.19-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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