1
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Rodriguez-Polo I, Moris N. Using embryo models to understand the development and progression of embryonic lineages: a focus on primordial germ cell development. Cells Tissues Organs 2024:000538275. [PMID: 38479364 PMCID: PMC7616515 DOI: 10.1159/000538275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recapitulating mammalian cell type differentiation in vitro promises to improve our understanding of how these processes happen in vivo, while bringing additional prospects for biomedical applications. The establishment of stem cell-derived embryo models and embryonic organoids, which have experienced explosive growth over the last few years, open new avenues for research due to their scale, reproducibility, and accessibility. Embryo models mimic various developmental stages, exhibit different degrees of complexity, and can be established across species. Since embryo models exhibit multiple lineages organised spatially and temporally, they are likely to provide cellular niches that, to some degree, recapitulate the embryonic setting and enable "co-development" between cell types and neighbouring populations. One example where this is already apparent is in the case of primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs). SUMMARY While directed differentiation protocols enable the efficient generation of high PGCLC numbers, embryo models provide an attractive alternative as they enable the study of interactions of PGCLCs with neighbouring cells, alongside the regulatory molecular and biophysical mechanisms of PGC competency. Additionally, some embryo models can recapitulate post-specification stages of PGC development (including migration or gametogenesis), mimicking the inductive signals pushing PGCLCs to mature and differentiate, and enabling the study of PGCLC development across stages. Therefore, in vitro models may allow us to address questions of cell type differentiation, and PGC development specifically, that have hitherto been out of reach with existing systems. KEY MESSAGE This review evaluates the current advances in stem cell-based embryo models, with a focus on their potential to model cell type-specific differentiation in general, and in particular to address open questions in PGC development and gametogenesis.
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2
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Martello G. The rules of the totipotency treasure hunt. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:19-21. [PMID: 38228827 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01282-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
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3
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Iltis AS, Koster G, Reeves E, Matthews KRW. Ethical, legal, regulatory, and policy issues concerning embryoids: a systematic review of the literature. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:209. [PMID: 37605210 PMCID: PMC10441753 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03448-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in methods to culture pluripotent stem cells to model human development have resulted in entities that increasingly have recapitulated advanced stages of early embryo development. These entities, referred to by numerous terms such as embryoids, are becoming more sophisticated and could resemble human embryos ever more closely as research progresses. This paper reports a systematic review of the ethical, legal, regulatory, and policy questions and concerns found in the literature concerning human embryoid research published from 2016 to 2022. We identified 56 papers that use 53 distinct names or terms to refer to embryoids and four broad categories of ethical, legal, regulatory, or policy considerations in the literature: research justifications/benefits, ethical significance or moral status, permissible use, and regulatory and oversight challenges. Analyzing the full range of issues is a critical step toward fostering more robust ethical, legal, and social implications research in this emerging area and toward developing appropriate oversight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana S Iltis
- Center for Bioethics, Health and Society and Department of Philosophy, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106, USA
| | - Grace Koster
- Center for Bioethics, Health and Society and Department of Philosophy, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106, USA
| | - Emily Reeves
- Center for Bioethics, Health and Society and Department of Philosophy, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106, USA
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4
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Gattiglio M, Protzek M, Schröter C. Population-level antagonism between FGF and BMP signaling steers mesoderm differentiation in embryonic stem cells. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio059941. [PMID: 37530863 PMCID: PMC10445724 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059941] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The mesodermal precursor populations for different internal organ systems are specified during gastrulation by the combined activity of extracellular signaling systems such as BMP, Wnt, Nodal and FGF. The BMP, Wnt and Nodal signaling requirements for the differentiation of specific mesoderm subtypes in mammals have been mapped in detail, but how FGF shapes mesodermal cell type diversity is not precisely known. It is also not clear how FGF signaling integrates with the activity of other signaling systems involved in mesoderm differentiation. Here, we address these questions by analyzing the effects of targeted signaling manipulations in differentiating stem cell populations at single-cell resolution. We identify opposing functions of BMP and FGF, and map FGF-dependent and -independent mesodermal lineages. Stimulation with exogenous FGF boosts the expression of endogenous Fgf genes while repressing Bmp ligand genes. This positive autoregulation of FGF signaling, coupled with the repression of BMP signaling, may contribute to the specification of reproducible and coherent cohorts of cells with the same identity via a community effect, both in the embryo and in synthetic embryo-like systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Gattiglio
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Systemic Cell Biology, 44227Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michelle Protzek
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Systemic Cell Biology, 44227Dortmund, Germany
| | - Christian Schröter
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Systemic Cell Biology, 44227Dortmund, Germany
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5
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Espina JA, Cordeiro MH, Barriga EH. Tissue interplay during morphogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 147:12-23. [PMID: 37002130 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
The process by which biological systems such as cells, tissues and organisms acquire shape has been named as morphogenesis and it is central to a plethora of biological contexts including embryo development, wound healing, or even cancer. Morphogenesis relies in both self-organising properties of the system and in environmental inputs (biochemical and biophysical). The classical view of morphogenesis is based on the study of external biochemical molecules, such as morphogens. However, recent studies are establishing that the mechanical environment is also used by cells to communicate within tissues, suggesting that this mechanical crosstalk is essential to synchronise morphogenetic transitions and self-organisation. In this article we discuss how tissue interaction drive robust morphogenesis, starting from a classical biochemical view, to finalise with more recent advances on how the biophysical properties of a tissue feedback with their surroundings to allow form acquisition. We also comment on how in silico models aid to integrate and predict changes in cell and tissue behaviour. Finally, considering recent advances from the developmental biomechanics field showing that mechanical inputs work as cues that promote morphogenesis, we invite to revisit the concept of morphogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A Espina
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marilia H Cordeiro
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Elias H Barriga
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal.
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6
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Tang PC, Chen L, Singh S, Groves AK, Koehler KR, Liu XZ, Nelson RF. Early Wnt Signaling Activation Promotes Inner Ear Differentiation via Cell Caudalization in Mouse Stem Cell-Derived Organoids. Stem Cells 2023; 41:26-38. [PMID: 36153788 PMCID: PMC9887082 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxac071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The inner ear is derived from the otic placode, one of the numerous cranial sensory placodes that emerges from the pre-placodal ectoderm (PPE) along its anterior-posterior axis. However, the molecular dynamics underlying how the PPE is regionalized are poorly resolved. We used stem cell-derived organoids to investigate the effects of Wnt signaling on early PPE differentiation and found that modulating Wnt signaling significantly increased inner ear organoid induction efficiency and reproducibility. Alongside single-cell RNA sequencing, our data reveal that the canonical Wnt signaling pathway leads to PPE regionalization and, more specifically, medium Wnt levels during the early stage induce (1) expansion of the caudal neural plate border (NPB), which serves as a precursor for the posterior PPE, and (2) a caudal microenvironment that is required for otic specification. Our data further demonstrate Wnt-mediated induction of rostral and caudal cells in organoids and more broadly suggest that Wnt signaling is critical for anterior-posterior patterning in the PPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Ciao Tang
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sunita Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew K Groves
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karl R Koehler
- Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology– Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xue Zhong Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rick F Nelson
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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7
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Luconi M, Sogorb MA, Markert UR, Benfenati E, May T, Wolbank S, Roncaglioni A, Schmidt A, Straccia M, Tait S. Human-Based New Approach Methodologies in Developmental Toxicity Testing: A Step Ahead from the State of the Art with a Feto-Placental Organ-on-Chip Platform. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15828. [PMID: 36497907 PMCID: PMC9737555 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Developmental toxicity testing urgently requires the implementation of human-relevant new approach methodologies (NAMs) that better recapitulate the peculiar nature of human physiology during pregnancy, especially the placenta and the maternal/fetal interface, which represent a key stage for human lifelong health. Fit-for-purpose NAMs for the placental-fetal interface are desirable to improve the biological knowledge of environmental exposure at the molecular level and to reduce the high cost, time and ethical impact of animal studies. This article reviews the state of the art on the available in vitro (placental, fetal and amniotic cell-based systems) and in silico NAMs of human relevance for developmental toxicity testing purposes; in addition, we considered available Adverse Outcome Pathways related to developmental toxicity. The OECD TG 414 for the identification and assessment of deleterious effects of prenatal exposure to chemicals on developing organisms will be discussed to delineate the regulatory context and to better debate what is missing and needed in the context of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis to significantly improve this sector. Starting from this analysis, the development of a novel human feto-placental organ-on-chip platform will be introduced as an innovative future alternative tool for developmental toxicity testing, considering possible implementation and validation strategies to overcome the limitation of the current animal studies and NAMs available in regulatory toxicology and in the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Luconi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
- I.N.B.B. (Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi), Viale Medaglie d’Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy
| | - Miguel A. Sogorb
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, 03202 Elche, Spain
| | - Udo R. Markert
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Emilio Benfenati
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Tobias May
- InSCREENeX GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Wolbank
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institut for Traumatology, The Research Center in Cooperation with AUVA, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Donaueschingenstrasse 13, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alessandra Roncaglioni
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Astrid Schmidt
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Marco Straccia
- FRESCI by Science&Strategy SL, C/Roure Monjo 33, Vacarisses, 08233 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sabrina Tait
- Centre for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
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8
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Marikawa Y. Toward better assessments of developmental toxicity using stem cell-based in vitro embryogenesis models. Birth Defects Res 2022; 114:972-982. [PMID: 35102709 PMCID: PMC9339025 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In the past few decades, pluripotent stem cells have been explored as nonanimal alternatives to assess the developmental toxicity of chemicals. To date, numerous versions of stem cell-based assays have been reported that are allegedly effective. Nonetheless, none of the assays has become the gold standard in developmental toxicity assessment. Why? This article discusses several issues in the hope of facilitating the refinement of stem cell assays and their acceptance as the cornerstone in predictive developmental toxicology. Each stem cell assay is built on a limited representation of embryogenesis, so that multiple assays are needed to detect the diverse effects of various chemicals. To validate and compare the strengths and weaknesses of individual assays, standardized lists of reference chemicals should be established. Reference lists should consist of exposures defined by toxicokinetic data, namely maternal plasma concentrations that cause embryonic death or malformations, and also by the effects on the molecular machineries that control embryogenesis. Although not entirely replacing human or animal tests, carefully selected stem cell assays should serve as practical and ethical alternatives to proactively identify chemical exposures that disturb embryogenesis. To achieve this goal, unprecedented levels of coordination and conviction are required among research and regulatory communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Marikawa
- Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and PhysiologyInstitute for Biogenesis Research, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of MedicineHonoluluHawaiiUSA
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9
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Yang Y, Laterza C, Stuart HT, Michielin F, Gagliano O, Urciuolo A, Elvassore N. Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Micropatterned Ectoderm Allows Cell Sorting of Meso-Endoderm Lineages. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:907159. [PMID: 35935488 PMCID: PMC9354750 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.907159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The human developmental processes during the early post-implantation stage instruct the specification and organization of the lineage progenitors into a body plan. These processes, which include patterning, cell sorting, and establishment of the three germ layers, have been classically studied in non-human model organisms and only recently, through micropatterning technology, in a human-specific context. Micropatterning technology has unveiled mechanisms during patterning and germ layer specification; however, cell sorting and their segregation in specific germ layer combinations have not been investigated yet in a human-specific in vitro system. Here, we developed an in vitro model of human ectodermal patterning, in which human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) self-organize to form a radially regionalized neural and non-central nervous system (CNS) ectoderm. We showed that by using micropatterning technology and by modulating BMP and WNT signals, we can regulate the appearance and spatial distribution of the different ectodermal populations. This pre-patterned ectoderm can be used to investigate the cell sorting behavior of hPSC-derived meso-endoderm cells, with an endoderm that segregates from the neural ectoderm. Thus, the combination of micro-technology with germ layer cross-mixing enables the study of cell sorting of different germ layers in a human context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Industrial Engineering (DII), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata Onlus, Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Cecilia Laterza
- Department of Industrial Engineering (DII), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata Onlus, Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Hannah T. Stuart
- Department of Industrial Engineering (DII), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata Onlus, Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Federica Michielin
- Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata Onlus, Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Onelia Gagliano
- Department of Industrial Engineering (DII), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata Onlus, Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Anna Urciuolo
- Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata Onlus, Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica, Città della Speranza, Padova, Italy
| | - Nicola Elvassore
- Department of Industrial Engineering (DII), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Fondazione Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata Onlus, Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
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10
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Abstract
Dramatic nuclear reorganization occurs during early development to convert terminally differentiated gametes to a totipotent zygote, which then gives rise to an embryo. Aberrant epigenome resetting severely impairs embryo development and even leads to lethality. How the epigenomes are inherited, reprogrammed, and reestablished in this critical developmental period has gradually been unveiled through the rapid development of technologies including ultrasensitive chromatin analysis methods. In this review, we summarize the latest findings on epigenetic reprogramming in gametogenesis and embryogenesis, and how it contributes to gamete maturation and parental-to-zygotic transition. Finally, we highlight the key questions that remain to be answered to fully understand chromatin regulation and nuclear reprogramming in early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhai Du
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
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11
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Manuela J, David ZJ, Nicole S, Nicole C, Paul B, Erich K, Lisa SP, Claudia M, Marcel L, Stefan K. Optimization of the TeraTox assay for preclinical teratogenicity assessment. Toxicol Sci 2022; 188:17-33. [PMID: 35485993 PMCID: PMC9237991 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Current animal-free methods to assess teratogenicity of drugs under development still deliver high numbers of false negatives. To improve the sensitivity of human teratogenicity prediction, we characterized the TeraTox test, a newly developed multilineage differentiation assay using 3D human-induced pluripotent stem cells. TeraTox produces primary output concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and altered gene expression induced by each test compound. These data are fed into an interpretable machine-learning model to perform prediction, which relates to the concentration-dependent human teratogenicity potential of drug candidates. We applied TeraTox to profile 33 approved pharmaceuticals and 12 proprietary drug candidates with known in vivo data. Comparing TeraTox predictions with known human or animal toxicity, we report an accuracy of 69% (specificity: 53%, sensitivity: 79%). TeraTox performed better than 2 quantitative structure-activity relationship models and had a higher sensitivity than the murine embryonic stem cell test (accuracy: 58%, specificity: 76%, and sensitivity: 46%) run in the same laboratory. The overall prediction accuracy could be further improved by combining TeraTox and mouse embryonic stem cell test results. Furthermore, patterns of altered gene expression revealed by TeraTox may help grouping toxicologically similar compounds and possibly deducing common modes of action. The TeraTox assay and the dataset described here therefore represent a new tool and a valuable resource for drug teratogenicity assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaklin Manuela
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland.,Department for In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - Zhang Jitao David
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Schäfer Nicole
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Clemann Nicole
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Barrow Paul
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Küng Erich
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Sach-Peltason Lisa
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | | | - Leist Marcel
- Department for In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kustermann Stefan
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
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12
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Barhouse PS, Andrade MJ, Smith Q. Home Away From Home: Bioengineering Advancements to Mimic the Developmental and Adult Stem Cell Niche. FRONTIERS IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fceng.2022.832754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The inherent self-organizing capacity of pluripotent and adult stem cell populations has advanced our fundamental understanding of processes that drive human development, homeostasis, regeneration, and disease progression. Translating these principles into in vitro model systems has been achieved with the advent of organoid technology, driving innovation to harness patient-specific, cell-laden regenerative constructs that can be engineered to augment or replace diseased tissue. While developmental organization and regenerative adult stem cell niches are tightly regulated in vivo, in vitro analogs lack defined architecture and presentation of physicochemical cues, leading to the unhindered arrangement of mini-tissues that lack complete physiological mimicry. This review aims to highlight the recent integrative engineering approaches that elicit spatio-temporal control of the extracellular niche to direct the structural and functional maturation of pluripotent and adult stem cell derivatives. While the advances presented here leverage multi-pronged strategies ranging from synthetic biology to microfabrication technologies, the methods converge on recreating the biochemical and biophysical milieu of the native tissue to be modeled or regenerated.
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Veenvliet JV, Lenne PF, Turner DA, Nachman I, Trivedi V. Sculpting with stem cells: how models of embryo development take shape. Development 2021; 148:dev192914. [PMID: 34908102 PMCID: PMC8722391 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, organisms acquire their shape given boundary conditions that impose geometrical, mechanical and biochemical constraints. A detailed integrative understanding how these morphogenetic information modules pattern and shape the mammalian embryo is still lacking, mostly owing to the inaccessibility of the embryo in vivo for direct observation and manipulation. These impediments are circumvented by the developmental engineering of embryo-like structures (stembryos) from pluripotent stem cells that are easy to access, track, manipulate and scale. Here, we explain how unlocking distinct levels of embryo-like architecture through controlled modulations of the cellular environment enables the identification of minimal sets of mechanical and biochemical inputs necessary to pattern and shape the mammalian embryo. We detail how this can be complemented with precise measurements and manipulations of tissue biochemistry, mechanics and geometry across spatial and temporal scales to provide insights into the mechanochemical feedback loops governing embryo morphogenesis. Finally, we discuss how, even in the absence of active manipulations, stembryos display intrinsic phenotypic variability that can be leveraged to define the constraints that ensure reproducible morphogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Stembryogenesis Lab, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - David A. Turner
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, William Henry Duncan Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - Iftach Nachman
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratories (EMBL), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental Biology Unit, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
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14
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Xiao Y, Sosa F, Ross PJ, Diffenderfer KE, Hansen PJ. Regulation of NANOG and SOX2 expression by activin A and a canonical WNT agonist in bovine embryonic stem cells and blastocysts. Biol Open 2021; 10:bio058669. [PMID: 34643229 PMCID: PMC8649639 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine embryonic stem cells (ESC) have features associated with the primed pluripotent state including low expression of one of the core pluripotency transcription factors, NANOG. It has been reported that NANOG expression can be upregulated in porcine ESC by treatment with activin A and the WNT agonist CHIR99021. Accordingly, it was tested whether expression of NANOG and another pluripotency factor SOX2 could be stimulated by activin A and the WNT agonist CHIR99021. Immunoreactive NANOG and SOX2 were analyzed for bovine ESC lines derived under conditions in which activin A and CHIR99021 were added singly or in combination. Activin A enhanced NANOG expression but also reduced SOX2 expression. CHIR99021 depressed expression of both NANOG and SOX2. In a second experiment, activin A enhanced blastocyst development while CHIR99021 treatment impaired blastocyst formation and reduced number of blastomeres. Activin A treatment decreased blastomeres in the blastocyst that were positive for either NANOG or SOX2 but increased those that were CDX2+ and that were GATA6+ outside the inner cell mass. CHIR99021 reduced SOX2+ and NANOG+ blastomeres without affecting the number or percent of blastomeres that were CDX2+ and GATA6+. Results indicate activation of activin A signaling stimulates NANOG expression during self-renewal of bovine ESC but suppresses cells expressing pluripotency markers in the blastocyst and increases cells expressing CDX2. Actions of activin A to promote blastocyst development may involve its role in promoting trophectoderm formation. Furthermore, results demonstrate the negative role of canonical WNT signaling in cattle for pluripotency marker expression in ESC and in formation of the inner cell mass and epiblast during embryonic development. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Xiao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China
- Department of Animal Sciences, D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0910, USA
| | - Froylan Sosa
- Department of Animal Sciences, D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0910, USA
| | - Pablo J. Ross
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | - Peter J. Hansen
- Department of Animal Sciences, D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0910, USA
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15
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Indana D, Agarwal P, Bhutani N, Chaudhuri O. Viscoelasticity and Adhesion Signaling in Biomaterials Control Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Morphogenesis in 3D Culture. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2101966. [PMID: 34499389 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202101966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Organoids are lumen-containing multicellular structures that recapitulate key features of the organs, and are increasingly used in models of disease, drug testing, and regenerative medicine. Recent work has used 3D culture models to form organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in reconstituted basement membrane (rBM) matrices. However, rBM matrices offer little control over the microenvironment. More generally, the role of matrix viscoelasticity in directing lumen formation remains unknown. Here, viscoelastic alginate hydrogels with independently tunable stress relaxation (viscoelasticity), stiffness, and arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) ligand density are used to study hiPSC morphogenesis in 3D culture. A phase diagram that shows how these properties control hiPSC morphogenesis is reported. Higher RGD density and fast stress relaxation promote hiPSC viability, proliferation, apicobasal polarization, and lumen formation, while slow stress relaxation at low RGD densities triggers hiPSC apoptosis. Notably, hiPSCs maintain pluripotency in alginate hydrogels for much longer times than is reported in rBM matrices. Lumen formation is regulated by actomyosin contractility and is accompanied by translocation of Yes-associated protein (YAP) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The results reveal matrix viscoelasticity as a potent factor regulating stem cell morphogenesis and provide new insights into how engineered biomaterials may be leveraged to build organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhiraj Indana
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Pranay Agarwal
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Nidhi Bhutani
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ovijit Chaudhuri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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16
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Cell Transdifferentiation and Reprogramming in Disease Modeling: Insights into the Neuronal and Cardiac Disease Models and Current Translational Strategies. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102558. [PMID: 34685537 PMCID: PMC8533873 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell transdifferentiation and reprogramming approaches in recent times have enabled the manipulation of cell fate by enrolling exogenous/artificial controls. The chemical/small molecule and regulatory components of transcription machinery serve as potential tools to execute cell transdifferentiation and have thereby uncovered new avenues for disease modeling and drug discovery. At the advanced stage, one can believe these methods can pave the way to develop efficient and sensitive gene therapy and regenerative medicine approaches. As we are beginning to learn about the utility of cell transdifferentiation and reprogramming, speculations about its applications in translational therapeutics are being largely anticipated. Although clinicians and researchers are endeavoring to scale these processes, we lack a comprehensive understanding of their mechanism(s), and the promises these offer for targeted and personalized therapeutics are scarce. In the present report, we endeavored to provide a detailed review of the original concept, methods and modalities enrolled in the field of cellular transdifferentiation and reprogramming. A special focus is given to the neuronal and cardiac systems/diseases towards scaling their utility in disease modeling and drug discovery.
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17
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Anlas K, Trivedi V. Studying evolution of the primary body axis in vivo and in vitro. eLife 2021; 10:e69066. [PMID: 34463611 PMCID: PMC8456739 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The metazoan body plan is established during early embryogenesis via collective cell rearrangements and evolutionarily conserved gene networks, as part of a process commonly referred to as gastrulation. While substantial progress has been achieved in terms of characterizing the embryonic development of several model organisms, underlying principles of many early patterning processes nevertheless remain enigmatic. Despite the diversity of (pre-)gastrulating embryo and adult body shapes across the animal kingdom, the body axes, which are arguably the most fundamental features, generally remain identical between phyla. Recently there has been a renewed appreciation of ex vivo and in vitro embryo-like systems to model early embryonic patterning events. Here, we briefly review key examples and propose that similarities in morphogenesis and associated gene expression dynamics may reveal an evolutionarily conserved developmental mode as well as provide further insights into the role of external or extraembryonic cues in shaping the early embryo. In summary, we argue that embryo-like systems can be employed to inform previously uncharted aspects of animal body plan evolution as well as associated patterning rules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- EMBL BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental BiologyHeidelbergGermany
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18
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Mantziou V, Baillie-Benson P, Jaklin M, Kustermann S, Arias AM, Moris N. In vitro teratogenicity testing using a 3D, embryo-like gastruloid system. Reprod Toxicol 2021; 105:72-90. [PMID: 34425190 PMCID: PMC8522962 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Gastruloids are a new in vitro platform for teratogenicity testing. Teratogens disrupt gastruloid gene expression and morphology with imaging readout. Medium-throughput gastruloid cultures are quantifiable with statistical robustness. Mouse and human gastruloids recapitulate species-specific sensitivities to teratogens. Proof-of-concept as a predictive assay with scope for automation.
Pharmaceuticals intended for use in patients of childbearing potential need to be tested for teratogenicity before marketing. Several pharmaceutical companies use animal-free in vitro models which allow a more rapid selection of lead compounds and contribute to 3Rs principles (‘replace, reduce and refine’) by streamlining the selection of promising compounds submitted to further regulatory studies in animals. Currently available in vitro models typically rely on adherent monolayer cultures or disorganized 3D structures, both of which lack the spatiotemporal and morphological context of the developing embryo. A newly developed 3D ‘gastruloid’ model has the potential to achieve a more reliable prediction of teratogenicity by providing a robust recapitulation of gastrulation-like events alongside morphological coordination at relatively high-throughput. In this first proof-of-concept study, we used both mouse and human gastruloids to examine a panel of seven reference compounds, with associated in vivo data and known teratogenic risk, to quantitatively assess in vitro teratogenicity. We observed several gross morphological effects, including significantly reduced elongation or decreased size of the gastruloids, upon exposure to several of the reference compounds. We also observed aberrant gene expression using fluorescent reporters, including SOX2, BRA, and SOX17, suggestive of multi-lineage differentiation defects and disrupted axial patterning. Finally, we saw that gastruloids recapitulated some of the known in vivo species-specific susceptibilities between their mouse and human counterparts. We therefore suggest that gastruloids represent a powerful tool for teratogenicity assessment by enabling relevant physiological recapitulation of early embryonic development, demonstrating their use as a novel in vitro teratogenic model system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Manuela Jaklin
- F. Hoffmann - La Roche, Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Centre Basel, Switzerland; Department for In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - Stefan Kustermann
- F. Hoffmann - La Roche, Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Centre Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Naomi Moris
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Abstract
Cardiac congenital disabilities are the most common organ malformations, but we still do not understand how they arise in the human embryo. Moreover, although cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death globally, the development of new therapies is lagging compared with other fields. One major bottleneck hindering progress is the lack of self-organizing human cardiac models that recapitulate key aspects of human heart development, physiology and disease. Current in vitro cardiac three-dimensional systems are either engineered constructs or spherical aggregates of cardiomyocytes and other cell types. Although tissue engineering enables the modeling of some electro-mechanical properties, it falls short of mimicking heart development, morphogenetic defects and many clinically relevant aspects of cardiomyopathies. Here, we review different approaches and recent efforts to overcome these challenges in the field using a new generation of self-organizing embryonic and cardiac organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Hofbauer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan M Jahnel
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sasha Mendjan
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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20
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López-Ferreras L, Martínez-García N, Maeso-Alonso L, Martín-López M, Díez-Matilla Á, Villoch-Fernandez J, Alonso-Olivares H, Marques MM, Marin MC. Deciphering the Nature of Trp73 Isoforms in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Models: Generation of Isoform-Specific Deficient Cell Lines Using the CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing System. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133182. [PMID: 34202306 PMCID: PMC8268375 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The Trp73 gene is involved in the regulation of multiple biological processes such as response to stress, differentiation and tissue architecture. This gene gives rise to structurally different N and C-terminal isoforms which lead to differences in its biological activity in a cell type dependent manner. However, there is a current lack of physiological models to study these isoforms. The aim of this study was to generate specific p73-isoform-deficient mouse embryonic stem cell lines using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Their special features, self-renewal and pluripotency, make embryonic stem cells a useful research tool that allows the generation of cells from any of the three germ layers carrying specific inactivation of p73-isoforms. Characterization of the generated cell lines indicates that while the individual elimination of TA- or DN-p73 isoform is compatible with pluripotency, it results in alterations of the transcriptional profiles and the pluripotent state of the embryonic stem cells in an isoform-specific manner. Abstract The p53 family has been widely studied for its role in various physiological and pathological processes. Imbalance of p53 family proteins may contribute to developmental abnormalities and pathologies in humans. This family exerts its functions through a profusion of isoforms that are generated by different promoter usage and alternative splicing in a cell type dependent manner. In particular, the Trp73 gene gives rise to TA and DN-p73 isoforms that confer p73 a dual nature. The biological relevance of p73 does not only rely on its tumor suppression effects, but on its pivotal role in several developmental processes. Therefore, the generation of cellular models that allow the study of the individual isoforms in a physiological context is of great biomedical relevance. We generated specific TA and DN-p73-deficient mouse embryonic stem cell lines using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system and validated them as physiological bona fide p73-isoform knockout models. Global gene expression analysis revealed isoform-specific alterations of distinctive transcriptional networks. Elimination of TA or DN-p73 is compatible with pluripotency but prompts naïve pluripotent stem cell transition into the primed state, compromising adequate lineage differentiation, thus suggesting that differential expression of p73 isoforms acts as a rheostat during early cell fate determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena López-Ferreras
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (L.L.-F.); (N.M.-G.); (L.M.-A.); (M.M.-L.); (Á.D.-M.); (J.V.-F.); (H.A.-O.)
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Nicole Martínez-García
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (L.L.-F.); (N.M.-G.); (L.M.-A.); (M.M.-L.); (Á.D.-M.); (J.V.-F.); (H.A.-O.)
- Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Laura Maeso-Alonso
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (L.L.-F.); (N.M.-G.); (L.M.-A.); (M.M.-L.); (Á.D.-M.); (J.V.-F.); (H.A.-O.)
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Marta Martín-López
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (L.L.-F.); (N.M.-G.); (L.M.-A.); (M.M.-L.); (Á.D.-M.); (J.V.-F.); (H.A.-O.)
- Biomar Microbial Technologies, Parque Tecnológico de León, Armunia, 24009 León, Spain
| | - Ángela Díez-Matilla
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (L.L.-F.); (N.M.-G.); (L.M.-A.); (M.M.-L.); (Á.D.-M.); (J.V.-F.); (H.A.-O.)
| | - Javier Villoch-Fernandez
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (L.L.-F.); (N.M.-G.); (L.M.-A.); (M.M.-L.); (Á.D.-M.); (J.V.-F.); (H.A.-O.)
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Hugo Alonso-Olivares
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (L.L.-F.); (N.M.-G.); (L.M.-A.); (M.M.-L.); (Á.D.-M.); (J.V.-F.); (H.A.-O.)
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Margarita M. Marques
- Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
- Instituto de Desarrollo Ganadero y Sanidad Animal (INDEGSAL), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.M.M.); (M.C.M.); Tel.: +34-987-291757 (M.M.M.); +34-987-291490 (M.C.M.)
| | - Maria C. Marin
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (L.L.-F.); (N.M.-G.); (L.M.-A.); (M.M.-L.); (Á.D.-M.); (J.V.-F.); (H.A.-O.)
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.M.M.); (M.C.M.); Tel.: +34-987-291757 (M.M.M.); +34-987-291490 (M.C.M.)
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21
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Hengstschläger M, Rosner M. Embryoid research calls for reassessment of legal regulations. Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 12:356. [PMID: 34147132 PMCID: PMC8214764 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-021-02442-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that in countries, in which basic research on human embryos is in fact prohibited by law, working with imported human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can still be permitted. As long as hESCs are not capable of development into a complete human being, it might be the case that they do not fulfill all criteria of the local definition of an embryo. Recent research demonstrates that hESCs can be developed into entities, called embryoids, which increasingly could come closer to actual human embryos in future. By discussing the Austrian situation, we want to highlight that current embryoid research could affect the prevailing opinion on the legal status of work with hESCs and therefore calls for reassessment of the regulations in all countries with comparable definitions of the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Hengstschläger
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 10, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Margit Rosner
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 10, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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22
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Denker HW. Autonomy in the Development of Stem Cell-Derived Embryoids: Sprouting Blastocyst-Like Cysts, and Ethical Implications. Cells 2021; 10:1461. [PMID: 34200796 PMCID: PMC8230544 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The experimental production of complex structures resembling mammalian embryos (e.g., blastoids, gastruloids) from pluripotent stem cells in vitro has become a booming research field. Since some of these embryoid models appear to reach a degree of complexity that may come close to viability, a broad discussion has set in with the aim to arrive at a consensus on the ethical implications with regard to acceptability of the use of this technology with human cells. The present text focuses on aspects of the gain of organismic wholeness of such stem cell-derived constructs, and of autonomy of self-organization, raised by recent reports on blastocyst-like cysts spontaneously budding in mouse stem cell cultures, and by previous reports on likewise spontaneous formation of gastrulating embryonic disc-like structures in primate models. Mechanisms of pattern (axis) formation in early embryogenesis are discussed in the context of self-organization of stem cell clusters. It is concluded that ethical aspects of development of organismic wholeness in the formation of embryoids need to receive more attention in the present discussions about new legal regulations in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Werner Denker
- Universitätsklinikum, Institut für Anatomie, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147 Essen, Germany
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23
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Bolondi A, Haut L, Gassaloglu SI, Burton P, Kretzmer H, Buschow R, Meissner A, Herrmann BG, Veenvliet JV. Generation of Mouse Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Trunk-like Structures: An in vitro Model of Post-implantation Embryogenesis. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4042. [PMID: 34250208 PMCID: PMC8250383 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-implantation mammalian embryogenesis involves profound molecular, cellular, and morphogenetic changes. The study of these highly dynamic processes is complicated by the limited accessibility of in utero development. In recent years, several complementary in vitro systems comprising self-organized assemblies of mouse embryonic stem cells, such as gastruloids, have been reported. We recently demonstrated that the morphogenetic potential of gastruloids can be further unlocked by the addition of a low percentage of Matrigel as an extracellular matrix surrogate. This resulted in the formation of highly organized trunk-like structures (TLSs) with a neural tube that is frequently flanked by bilateral somites. Notably, development at the molecular and morphogenetic levels is highly reminiscent of the natural embryo. To facilitate access to this powerful model, here we provide a detailed step-by-step protocol that should allow any lab with access to standard cell culture techniques to implement the culture system. This will provide the user with a means to investigate early mid-gestational mouse embryogenesis at an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Bolondi
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Leah Haut
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Seher Ipek Gassaloglu
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Polly Burton
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - René Buschow
- Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bernhard G. Herrmann
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical Genetics, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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24
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Gritti N, Oriola D, Trivedi V. Rethinking embryology in vitro: A synergy between engineering, data science and theory. Dev Biol 2021; 474:48-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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25
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Reassembling gastrulation. Dev Biol 2021; 474:71-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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26
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Alberio R, Kobayashi T, Surani MA. Conserved features of non-primate bilaminar disc embryos and the germline. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1078-1092. [PMID: 33979595 PMCID: PMC8185373 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-implantation embryo development commences with a bilaminar disc in most mammals, including humans. Whereas access to early human embryos is limited and subject to greater ethical scrutiny, studies on non-primate embryos developing as bilaminar discs offer exceptional opportunities for advances in gastrulation, the germline, and the basis for evolutionary divergence applicable to human development. Here, we discuss the advantages of investigations in the pig embryo as an exemplar of development of a bilaminar disc embryo with relevance to early human development. Besides, the pig has the potential for the creation of humanized organs for xenotransplantation. Precise genetic engineering approaches, imaging, and single-cell analysis are cost effective and efficient, enabling research into some outstanding questions on human development and for developing authentic models of early human development with stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramiro Alberio
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Toshihiro Kobayashi
- Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan; The Graduate University of Advanced Studies, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - M Azim Surani
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK.
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Matthews KRW, Wagner DS, Warmflash A. Stem cell-based models of embryos: The need for improved naming conventions. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1014-1020. [PMID: 33770498 PMCID: PMC8185370 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Stem cell-based models of embryos are known by various names, with different naming conventions, leading to confusion regarding their composition and potential. We propose the need for a general term for the field to promote public engagement and the development of a systematic nomenclature system to differentiate between specific models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstin R W Matthews
- Baker Institute for Public Policy-Center for Health and Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
| | - Daniel S Wagner
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Aryeh Warmflash
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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Mukaida N, Tanabe Y, Baba T. Cancer non-stem cells as a potent regulator of tumor microenvironment: a lesson from chronic myeloid leukemia. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2021; 2:7. [PMID: 35006395 PMCID: PMC8607377 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-021-00030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A limited subset of human leukemia cells has a self-renewal capacity and can propagate leukemia upon their transplantation into animals, and therefore, are named as leukemia stem cells, in the early 1990’s. Subsequently, cell subpopulations with similar characteristics were detected in various kinds of solid cancers and were denoted as cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are presently presumed to be crucially involved in malignant progression of solid cancer: chemoresitance, radioresistance, immune evasion, and metastasis. On the contrary, less attention has been paid to cancer non-stem cell population, which comprise most cancer cells in cancer tissues, due to the lack of suitable markers to discriminate cancer non-stem cells from cancer stem cells. Chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells generate a larger number of morphologically distinct non-stem cells. Moreover, accumulating evidence indicates that poor prognosis is associated with the increases in these non-stem cells including basophils and megakaryocytes. We will discuss the potential roles of cancer non-stem cells in fostering tumor microenvironment, by illustrating the roles of chronic myeloid leukemia non-stem cells including basophils and megakaryocytes in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia, a typical malignant disorder arising from leukemic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naofumi Mukaida
- Division of Molecular Bioregulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
| | - Yamato Tanabe
- Division of Molecular Bioregulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Baba
- Division of Molecular Bioregulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
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Ahmed U, Ahmed R, Masoud MS, Tariq M, Ashfaq UA, Augustine R, Hasan A. Stem cells based in vitro models: trends and prospects in biomaterials cytotoxicity studies. Biomed Mater 2021; 16:042003. [PMID: 33686970 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/abe6d8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Advanced biomaterials are increasingly used for numerous medical applications from the delivery of cancer-targeted therapeutics to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The issues of foreign body reactions induced by biomaterials must be controlled for preventing treatment failure. Therefore, it is important to assess the biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of biomaterials on cell culture systems before proceeding to in vivo studies in animal models and subsequent clinical trials. Direct use of biomaterials on animals create technical challenges and ethical issues and therefore, the use of non-animal models such as stem cell cultures could be useful for determination of their safety. However, failure to recapitulate the complex in vivo microenvironment have largely restricted stem cell cultures for testing the cytotoxicity of biomaterials. Nevertheless, properties of stem cells such as their self-renewal and ability to differentiate into various cell lineages make them an ideal candidate for in vitro screening studies. Furthermore, the application of stem cells in biomaterials screening studies may overcome the challenges associated with the inability to develop a complex heterogeneous tissue using primary cells. Currently, embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells are being used as in vitro preliminary biomaterials testing models with demonstrated advantages over mature primary cell or cell line based in vitro models. This review discusses the status and future directions of in vitro stem cell-based cultures and their derivatives such as spheroids and organoids for the screening of their safety before their application to animal models and human in translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uzair Ahmed
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000 Punjab, Pakistan
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Rossant J, Tam PPL. Opportunities and challenges with stem cell-based embryo models. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1031-1038. [PMID: 33667412 PMCID: PMC8185371 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stem cell-based embryo models open an unprecedented avenue for modeling embryogenesis, cell lineage differentiation, tissue morphogenesis, and organogenesis in mammalian development. Experimentation on these embryo models can lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of development and offers opportunities for functional genomic studies of disease-causing mechanisms, identification of therapeutic targets, and preclinical modeling of advanced therapeutics for precision medicine. An immediate challenge is to create embryo models of high fidelity to embryogenesis and organogenesis in vivo, to ensure that the knowledge gleaned is biologically meaningful and clinically relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Rossant
- Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, and The Gairdner Foundation, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Patrick P L Tam
- Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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LeBlanc L, Ramirez N, Kim J. Context-dependent roles of YAP/TAZ in stem cell fates and cancer. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4201-4219. [PMID: 33582842 PMCID: PMC8164607 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03781-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hippo effectors YAP and TAZ control cell fate and survival through various mechanisms, including transcriptional regulation of key genes. However, much of this research has been marked by conflicting results, as well as controversy over whether YAP and TAZ are redundant. A substantial portion of the discordance stems from their contradictory roles in stem cell self-renewal vs. differentiation and cancer cell survival vs. apoptosis. In this review, we present an overview of the multiple context-dependent functions of YAP and TAZ in regulating cell fate decisions in stem cells and organoids, as well as their mechanisms of controlling programmed cell death pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy LeBlanc
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. .,Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Nereida Ramirez
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.,Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jonghwan Kim
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. .,Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. .,Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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Human Embryo Models and Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020637. [PMID: 33440617 PMCID: PMC7828037 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For obvious reasons, such as, e.g., ethical concerns or sample accessibility, model systems are of highest importance to study the underlying molecular mechanisms of human maladies with the aim to develop innovative and effective therapeutic strategies. Since many years, animal models and highly proliferative transformed cell lines are successfully used for disease modelling, drug discovery, target validation, and preclinical testing. Still, species-specific differences regarding genetics and physiology and the limited suitability of immortalized cell lines to draw conclusions on normal human cells or specific cell types, are undeniable shortcomings. The progress in human pluripotent stem cell research now allows the growth of a virtually limitless supply of normal and DNA-edited human cells, which can be differentiated into various specific cell types. However, cells in the human body never fulfill their functions in mono-lineage isolation and diseases always develop in complex multicellular ecosystems. The recent advances in stem cell-based 3D organoid technologies allow a more accurate in vitro recapitulation of human pathologies. Embryoids are a specific type of such multicellular structures that do not only mimic a single organ or tissue, but the entire human conceptus or at least relevant components of it. Here we briefly describe the currently existing in vitro human embryo models and discuss their putative future relevance for disease modelling and drug discovery.
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Veenvliet JV, Herrmann BG. Modeling mammalian trunk development in a dish. Dev Biol 2020; 474:5-15. [PMID: 33347872 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian post-implantation development comprises the coordination of complex lineage decisions and morphogenetic processes shaping the embryo. Despite technological advances, a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of these processes and of the self-organization capabilities of stem cells and their descendants remains elusive. Building synthetic embryo-like structures from pluripotent embryonic stem cells in vitro promises to fill these knowledge gaps and thereby may prove transformative for developmental biology. Initial efforts to model the post-implantation embryo resulted in structures with compromised morphology (gastruloids). Recent approaches employing modified culture media, an extracellular matrix surrogate or extra-embryonic stem cells, however, succeeded in establishing embryo-like architecture. For example, embedding of gastruloids in Matrigel unlocked self-organization into trunk-like structures with bilateral somites and a neural tube-like structure, together with gut tissue and primordial germ cell-like cells. In this review, we describe the currently available models, discuss how these can be employed to acquire novel biological insights, and detail the imminent challenges for improving current models by in vitro engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse V Veenvliet
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernhard G Herrmann
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical Genetics, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
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