Development of feeder-free culture systems for generation of ckit+sca1+ progenitors from mouse iPS cells

Design of synthetic microenvironments to promote the maturation of human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes

Cardiomyocyte like cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC-CMs) have a good application perspective in many fields such as disease modeling, drug screening and clinical treatment. However, these are severely hampered by the fact that hPSC-CMs are immature compared to adult human cardiomyocytes. Therefore, many approaches such as genetic manipulation, biochemical factors supplement, mechanical stress, electrical stimulation and three-dimensional culture have been developed to promote the maturation of hPSC-CMs. Recently, establishing in vitro synthetic artificial microenvironments based on the in vivo development program of cardiomyocytes has achieved much attention due to their inherent properties such as stiffness, plasticity, nanotopography and chemical functionality. In this review, the achievements and deficiency of reported synthetic microenvironments that mainly discussed comprehensive biological, chemical, and physical factors, as well as three-dimensional culture were mainly discussed, which have significance to improve the microenvironment design and accelerate the maturation of hPSC-CMs.

Generation of hematopoietic cells from mouse pluripotent stem cells in a 3D culture system of self-assembling peptide hydrogel

In vitro generation of hematopoietic stem cells from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can be regarded as novel therapeutic approaches for replacing bone marrow transplantation without immune rejection or graft versus host disease. To date, many different approaches have been evaluated in terms of directing PSCs toward different hematopoietic cell types, yet, low efficiency and no function restrict the further hematopoietic differentiation study, our research aims to develop a three dimension (3D) hematopoietic differentiation approach that serves as recapitulation of embryonic development in vitro to a degree of complexity not achievable in a two dimension culture system. We first found that mouse PSCs could be efficiently induced to hematopoietic differentiation with an expression of hematopoietic makers, such as c-kit, CD41, and CD45 within self-assembling peptide hydrogel. Colony-forming cells assay results suggested mouse PSCs (mPSCs) could be differentiated into multipotential progenitor cells and 3D induction system derived hematopoietic colonies owned potential of differentiating into lymphocyte cells. In addition, in vivo animal transplantation experiment showed that mPSCs (CD45.2) could be embedded into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency mice (CD45.1) with about 3% engraftment efficiency after 3 weeks transplantation. This study demonstrated that we developed the 3D induction approach that could efficiently promote the hematopoietic differentiation of mPSCs in vitro and obtained the multipotential progenitors that possessed the short-term engraftment potential.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-conditional medium inhibits H9C2 cardiomyocytes apoptosis via autophagy flux and Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived conditioned medium (iPS‐CM) could improve cell viability in many types of cells and may be a better alternative for the treatment of myocardial infarction. This study aimed to examine the influence of iPS‐CM on anti‐apoptosis and the proliferation of H9C2 cardiomyocytes and investigate the underlying mechanisms. H9C2 cardiomyocytes were exposed to 200 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) for 24 hours with or without pre‐treatment with iPS‐CM. The ratio of apoptotic cells, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (△Ψm) and the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species were analysed by flow cytometric analysis. The expression levels of BCL‐2 and BAX proteins were analysed by Western blot. Cell proliferation was assessed using cell cycle and EdU staining assays. To study cell senescence, senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐gal) staining was conducted. The levels of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and glutathione were also quantified using commercially available enzymatic kits. The results showed that iPS‐CM containing basic fibroblast growth factor significantly reduced H₂O₂‐induced H9C2 cardiomyocyte apoptosis by activating the autophagy flux pathway, promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation by up‐regulating the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway and inhibited oxidative stress and cell senescence. In conclusion, iPS‐CM effectively enhanced the cell viability of H9C2 cardiomyocytes and could potentially be used to inhibit cardiomyocytes apoptosis to treat myocardial infarction in the future.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived conditional medium promotes Leydig cell anti-apoptosis and proliferation via autophagy and Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Leydig cell transplantation is a better alternative in the treatment of androgen-deficient males. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived conditioned medium (iPS-CM) on the anti-apoptosis, proliferation and function of immature Leydig cells (ILCs), and illuminate the underlying mechanisms. ILCs were exposed to 200 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) for 24 hours with or without iPS-CM treatments. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometric analysis. Cell proliferation was assessed using cell cycle assays and EdU staining. The steroidogenic enzyme expressions were quantified with Western blotting. The results showed that iPS-CM significantly reduced H2 O2 -induced ILC apoptosis through down-regulation of autophagic and apoptotic proteins LC3-I/II, Beclin-1, P62, P53 and BAX as well as up-regulation of BCL-2, which could be inhibited by LY294002 (25 μmol/L). iPS-CM could also promote ILC proliferation through up-regulation of β-catenin and its target proteins cyclin D1, c-Myc and survivin, but was inhibited by XAV939 (10 μmol/L). The level of bFGF in iPS-CM was higher than that of DMEM-LG. Exogenous bFGF (20 ng/mL) or Wnt signalling agonist lithium chloride (LiCl) (20 mmol/L) added into DMEM-LG could achieve the similar effects of iPS-CM. Meanwhile, iPS-CM could improve the medium testosterone levels and up-regulation of LHCGR, SCARB1, STAR, CYP11A1, HSD3B1, CYP17A1, HSD17B3 and SF-1 in H2 O2 -induced ILCs. In conclusion, iPS-CM could reduce H2 O2 -induced ILC apoptosis through the activation of autophagy, promote proliferation through up-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway and enhance testosterone production through increasing steroidogenic enzyme expressions, which might be used in regenerative medicine for future.

Cells as advanced therapeutics: State-of-the-art, challenges, and opportunities in large scale biomanufacturing of high-quality cells for adoptive immunotherapies

Therapeutic cells hold tremendous promise in treating currently incurable, chronic diseases since they perform multiple, integrated, complex functions in vivo compared to traditional small-molecule drugs or biologics. However, they also pose significant challenges as therapeutic products because (a) their complex mechanisms of actions are difficult to understand and (b) low-cost bioprocesses for large-scale, reproducible manufacturing of cells have yet to be developed. Immunotherapies using T cells and dendritic cells (DCs) have already shown great promise in treating several types of cancers, and human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are now extensively being evaluated in clinical trials as immune-modulatory cells. Despite these exciting developments, the full potential of cell-based therapeutics cannot be realized unless new engineering technologies enable cost-effective, consistent manufacturing of high-quality therapeutic cells at large-scale. Here we review cell-based immunotherapy concepts focused on the state-of-the-art in manufacturing processes including cell sourcing, isolation, expansion, modification, quality control (QC), and culture media requirements. We also offer insights into how current technologies could be significantly improved and augmented by new technologies, and how disciplines must converge to meet the long-term needs for large-scale production of cell-based immunotherapies.

Featured article: induction of heme oxygenase with hemin improves pericardial adipocyte morphology and function in obese Zucker rats by enhancing proteins of regeneration

Oxidative stress and inflammation are implicated in tissue remodeling, hypertrophy, and organ malfunction. Since heme-oxygenase (HO) is a cytoprotective enzyme with effects against oxidative stress and inflammation, we investigated the effects of upregulating HO with hemin on adipocyte hypertrophy, proteins of repair/regeneration including beta-catenin, Oct3/4 and Pax2 as well as pro-fibrotic/remodeling proteins like osteopontin and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) in pericardial adipose tissue from obese Zucker rats (ZRs). Treatment with hemin significantly reduced pericardial adipose tissue inflammation/oxidative stress, suppressed osteopontin and TGF-β, and attenuated pericardial adipocyte hypertrophy in obese ZRs. These were associated with enhanced expression of the stem/progenitor-cell marker cKit; the potentiation of several proteins of regeneration including beta-catenin, Oct3/4, Pax2; and improved pericardial adipocyte morphology. Interestingly, the amelioration of adipocyte hypertrophy in hemin-treated animals was accompanied by improved adipocyte function, evidenced by increased levels of pericardial adipose tissue adiponectin. Furthermore, hemin significantly reduced hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesteromia in obese ZRs. The protective effects of hemin were accompanied by robust potentiation HO activity and the total antioxidant capacity, whereas the co-administration of hemin with the HO inhibitor, stannous mesoporphyrin abolished the effects of hemin. These data suggest that hemin improves pericardial adipocyte morphology and function by enhancing proteins of repair and regeneration, while concomitantly abating inflammatory/oxidative insults and suppressing extracellular-matrix/profibrotic and remodeling proteins. The reduction of hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesteromia, pericardial adiposity, and pericardial adipocyte hypertrophy with corresponding improvement of adipocyte morphology/function in hemin-treated animals suggests that HO inducers may be explored for the design of novel remedies against cardiac complications arising from excessive adiposity.

Mesodermal and hematopoietic differentiation from ES and iPS cells

Embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can differentiate into any type of tissue when grown in a suitable culture environment and are considered valuable tools for regenerative medicine. In the field of hematology, generation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mature hematopoietic cells (HCs) from ES and iPS cells through mesodermal cells, the ancestors of HCs, can facilitate transplantation and transfusion therapy. Several studies report generation of functional HCs from both mouse and human ES and iPS cells. This approach will likely be applied to individual patient-derived iPS cells for regenerative medicine approaches and drug screening in the future. Here, we summarize current studies of HC-generation from ES and iPS cells.

Stem cell culture using cell-derived substrates

There have been great efforts to develop cell culture systems using chemically-fixed cells or decellularized matrices to regulate stem cell functions.

Use of a synthetic xeno-free culture substrate for induced pluripotent stem cell induction and retinal differentiation

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a proprietary xeno-free synthetic culture surface could be used to aid in the production and subsequent retinal-specific differentiation of clinical-grade induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). iPSCs were generated using adult somatic cells via infection with either a single cre-excisable lentiviral vector or four separate nonintegrating Sendai viruses driving expression of the transcription factors OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC. Retinal precursor cells were derived via targeted differentiation of iPSCs with exogenous delivery of dkk-1, noggin, insulin-like growth factor-1, basic fibroblast growth factor, acidic fibroblast growth factor, and DAPT. Phase contrast microscopy, immunocytochemistry, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to determine reprogramming efficiency, pluripotency, and fate of undifferentiated and differentiated iPSCs. Following viral transduction, cells underwent prototypical morphological changes resulting in the formation of iPSC colonies large enough for manual isolation/passage at 3-4 weeks postinfection. Both normal and disease-specific iPSCs expressed markers of pluripotency and, following transplantation into immune-compromised mice, formed teratomas containing tissue comprising all three germ layers. When subjected to our established retinal differentiation protocol, a significant proportion of the xeno-free substrate-derived cells expressed retinal cell markers, the number of which did not significantly differ from that derived on traditional extracellular matrix-coated dishes. Synthetic cell culture substrates provide a useful surface for the xeno-free production, culture, and differentiation of adult somatic cell-derived iPSCs. These findings demonstrate the potential utility of these surfaces for the production of clinical-grade retinal neurons for transplantation and induction of retinal regeneration.

Gene expression profile and functionality of ESC-derived Lin-ckit+Sca-1+ cells are distinct from Lin-ckit+Sca-1+ cells isolated from fetal liver or bone marrow

In vitro bioreactor-based cultures are being extensively investigated for large-scale production of differentiated cells from embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, it is unclear whether in vitro ESC-derived progenitors have similar gene expression profiles and functionalities as their in vivo counterparts. This is crucial in establishing the validity of ESC-derived cells as replacements for adult-isolated cells for clinical therapies. In this study, we compared the gene expression profiles of Lin-ckit+Sca-1+ (LKS) cells generated in vitro from mouse ESCs using either static or bioreactor-based cultures, with that of native LKS cells isolated from mouse fetal liver (FL) or bone marrow (BM). We found that in vitro-generated LKS cells were more similar to FL- than to BM LKS cells in gene expression. Further, when compared to cells derived from bioreactor cultures, static culture-derived LKS cells showed fewer differentially expressed genes relative to both in vivo LKS populations. Overall, the expression of hematopoietic genes was lower in ESC-derived LKS cells compared to cells from BM and FL, while the levels of non-hematopoietic genes were up-regulated. In order to determine if these molecular profiles correlated with functionality, we evaluated ESC-derived LKS cells for in vitro hematopoietic-differentiation and colony formation (CFU assay). Although static culture-generated cells failed to form any colonies, they did differentiate into CD11c+ and B220+ cells indicating some hematopoietic potential. In contrast, bioreactor-derived LKS cells, when differentiated under the same conditions failed to produce any B220+ or CD11c+ cells and did not form colonies, indicating that these cells are not hematopoietic progenitors. We conclude that in vitro culture conditions significantly affect the transcriptome and functionality of ESC-derived LKS cells and although in vitro differentiated LKS cells were lineage negative and expressed both ckit and Sca-1, these cells, especially those obtained from dynamic cultures, are significantly different from native cells of the same phenotype.

Activation of protein kinase Cδ leads to increased pancreatic acinar cell dedifferentiation in the absence of MIST1

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a 5 year survival rate post-diagnosis of < 5%. Individuals with chronic pancreatitis (CP) are 20-fold more likely to develop PDAC, making it a significant risk factor for PDAC. While the relationship for the increased susceptibility to PDAC is unknown, loss of the acinar cell phenotype is common to both pathologies. Pancreatic acinar cells can dedifferentiate or trans-differentiate into a number of cell types including duct cells, β cells, hepatocytes and adipocytes. Knowledge of the molecular pathways that regulate this plasticity should provide insight into PDAC and CP. MIST1 (encoded by Bhlha15 in mice) is a transcription factor required for complete acinar cell maturation. The goal of this study was to examine the plasticity of acinar cells that do not express MIST1 (Mist1(-/-) ). The fate of acinar cells from C57Bl6 or congenic Mist1(-/-) mice expressing an acinar specific, tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase mated to Rosa26 reporter LacZ mice (Mist1(CreERT/-) R26r) was determined following culture in a three-dimensional collagen matrix. Mist1(CreERT/-) R26r acini showed increased acinar dedifferentiation, formation of ductal cysts and transient increases in PDX1 expression compared to wild-type acinar cells. Other progenitor cell markers, including Foxa1, Sox9, Sca1 and Hes1, were elevated only in Mist1(-/-) cultures. Analysis of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms by western blot and immunofluorescence identified increased PKCε accumulation and nuclear localization of PKCδ that correlated with increased duct formation. Treatment with rottlerin, a PKCδ-specific inhibitor, but not the PKCε-specific antagonist εV1-2, reduced acinar dedifferentiation, progenitor gene expression and ductal cyst formation. Immunocytochemistry on CP or PDAC tissue samples showed reduced MIST1 expression combined with increased nuclear PKCδ accumulation. These results suggest that the loss of MIST1 is a common event during PDAC and CP and events that affect MIST1 function and expression may increase susceptibility to these pathologies.