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Chatzi D, Kyriakoudi SA, Dermitzakis I, Manthou ME, Meditskou S, Theotokis P. Clinical and Genetic Correlation in Neurocristopathies: Bridging a Precision Medicine Gap. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2223. [PMID: 38673496 PMCID: PMC11050951 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13082223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurocristopathies (NCPs) encompass a spectrum of disorders arising from issues during the formation and migration of neural crest cells (NCCs). NCCs undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and upon key developmental gene deregulation, fetuses and neonates are prone to exhibit diverse manifestations depending on the affected area. These conditions are generally rare and often have a genetic basis, with many following Mendelian inheritance patterns, thus making them perfect candidates for precision medicine. Examples include cranial NCPs, like Goldenhar syndrome and Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome; cardiac-vagal NCPs, such as DiGeorge syndrome; truncal NCPs, like congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome; and enteric NCPs, such as Hirschsprung disease. Additionally, NCCs' migratory and differentiating nature makes their derivatives prone to tumors, with various cancer types categorized based on their NCC origin. Representative examples include schwannomas and pheochromocytomas. This review summarizes current knowledge of diseases arising from defects in NCCs' specification and highlights the potential of precision medicine to remedy a clinical phenotype by targeting the genotype, particularly important given that those affected are primarily infants and young children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Paschalis Theotokis
- Department of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.C.); (S.A.K.); (I.D.); (M.E.M.); (S.M.)
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2
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Echeverria CV, Leathers TA, Rogers CD. Effectiveness of fixation methods for wholemount immunohistochemistry across cellular compartments in chick embryos. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.23.586361. [PMID: 38585750 PMCID: PMC10996528 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.23.586361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The choice of fixation method significantly impacts tissue morphology and protein visualization after immunohistochemistry (IHC). In this study, we compared the effects of paraformaldehyde (PFA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) fixation prior to IHC on chicken embryos. Our findings underscore the importance of validating fixation methods for accurate interpretation of IHC results, with implications for antibody validation and tissue-specific protein localization studies. We found that TCA fixation resulted in larger and more circular nuclei compared to PFA fixation. Additionally, TCA fixation altered the appearance of subcellular localization and fluorescence intensity of various proteins, including transcription factors and cytoskeletal proteins. Notably, TCA fixation revealed protein localization domains that may be inaccessible with PFA fixation. These results highlight the need for optimization of fixation protocols depending on the target epitope and model system, emphasizing the importance of methodological considerations in biological analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo V Echeverria
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Tess A Leathers
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Crystal D Rogers
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Sharlow ER, Llaneza DC, Grever WE, Mingledorff GA, Mendelson AJ, Bloom GS, Lazo JS. High content screening miniaturization and single cell imaging of mature human feeder layer-free iPSC-derived neurons. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2023; 28:275-283. [PMID: 36273809 PMCID: PMC10119332 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons are being increasingly used for high content imaging and screening. However, iPSC-derived neuronal differentiation and maturation is time-intensive, often requiring >8 weeks. Unfortunately, the differentiating and maturing iPSC-derived neuronal cultures also tend to migrate and coalesce into ganglion-like clusters making single-cell analysis challenging, especially in miniaturized formats. Using our defined extracellular matrix and low oxygen culturing conditions for the differentiation and maturation of human cortical neurons, we further modified neuronal progenitor cell seeding densities and feeder layer-free culturing conditions in miniaturized formats (i.e., 96 well) to decrease neuronal clustering, enhance single-cell identification and reduce edge effects usually observed after extended neuronal cell culture. Subsequent algorithm development refined capabilities to distinguish and identify single mature neurons, as identified by NeuN expression, from large cellular aggregates, which were excluded from image analysis. Incorporation of astrocyte conditioned medium during differentiation and maturation periods significantly increased the percentage (i.e., ∼10% to ∼30%) of mature neurons (i.e., NeuN+) detected at 4-weeks post-differentiation. Pilot, proof of concept studies using this optimized assay system yielded negligible edge effects and robust Z-factors in population-based as well as image-based neurotoxicity assay formats. Moreover, moxidectin, an FDA-approved drug with documented neurotoxic adverse effects, was identified as a hit using both screening formats. This miniaturized, feeder layer-free format and image analysis algorithm provides a foundational imaging and screening platform, which enables quantitative single-cell analysis of differentiated human neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Sharlow
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, 340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Pinn Hall, 5th Floor, P.O. Box 800735, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA.
| | - Danielle C Llaneza
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, 340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Pinn Hall, 5th Floor, P.O. Box 800735, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA
| | | | - Garnett A Mingledorff
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, 340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Pinn Hall, 5th Floor, P.O. Box 800735, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA
| | - Anna J Mendelson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, 340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Pinn Hall, 5th Floor, P.O. Box 800735, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA
| | - George S Bloom
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, 420 Gilmer Hall, 485 McCormick Road, P.O. Box 400328, Charlottesville VA 22904, USA; Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, 420 Gilmer Hall, 485 McCormick Road, P.O. Box 400328, Charlottesville VA 22904, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, 420 Gilmer Hall, 485 McCormick Road, P.O. Box 400328, Charlottesville VA 22904, USA
| | - John S Lazo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, 340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Pinn Hall, 5th Floor, P.O. Box 800735, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA
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Puri D, Barry BJ, Engle EC. TUBB3 and KIF21A in neurodevelopment and disease. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1226181. [PMID: 37600020 PMCID: PMC10436312 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1226181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal migration and axon growth and guidance require precise control of microtubule dynamics and microtubule-based cargo transport. TUBB3 encodes the neuronal-specific β-tubulin isotype III, TUBB3, a component of neuronal microtubules expressed throughout the life of central and peripheral neurons. Human pathogenic TUBB3 missense variants result in altered TUBB3 function and cause errors either in the growth and guidance of cranial and, to a lesser extent, central axons, or in cortical neuronal migration and organization, and rarely in both. Moreover, human pathogenic missense variants in KIF21A, which encodes an anterograde kinesin motor protein that interacts directly with microtubules, alter KIF21A function and cause errors in cranial axon growth and guidance that can phenocopy TUBB3 variants. Here, we review reported TUBB3 and KIF21A variants, resulting phenotypes, and corresponding functional studies of both wildtype and mutant proteins. We summarize the evidence that, in vitro and in mouse models, loss-of-function and missense variants can alter microtubule dynamics and microtubule-kinesin interactions. Lastly, we highlight additional studies that might contribute to our understanding of the relationship between specific tubulin isotypes and specific kinesin motor proteins in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra Puri
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
| | - Brenda J. Barry
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
| | - Elizabeth C. Engle
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Masoumi N, Ghollasi M, Raheleh Halabian, Eftekhari E, Ghiasi M. Carbachol, along with calcium, indicates new strategy in neural differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Regen Ther 2023; 23:60-66. [PMID: 37122359 PMCID: PMC10130343 DOI: 10.1016/j.reth.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Over the past few years, stem cells have represented a promising treatment in neurological disorders due to the well-defined characteristics of their capability to proliferate and differentiate into any cell type, both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, previous studies have shown that calcium signaling modulates the proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells. The present study investigated the effect of carbachol (CCh), a cholinergic agonist activating acetylcholine receptors, with and without calcium, on the neural differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) in neural media, including forskolin and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine and retinoic acid. METHODS For this purpose, first, the MTT assay and acridine orange staining were studied to obtain the optimal concentration of CCh. Next, the differentiation tests, such as cellular calcium assay as well as evaluation of qualitative and quantitative expression of neuronal index markers through immunofluorescence staining and gene expression analysis, respectively, were performed on days 7 and 14 of the differentiation period. RESULTS According to the results, CCh at 1 μM concentration had no cytotoxicity on hADSCs and also induced cell proliferation. Furthermore, CCh with and without calcium increased the expression of neural-specific genes (NSE, MAP2, β-III-tubulin, and MAPK3) and proteins (γ-enolase, MAP2, and β-III-tubulin) as well as the amount of calcium in differentiated hADSCs at 7 and 14 days after induction. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the findings suggest that CCh acts as an influential therapeutic factor in the field of neural regenerative medicine and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niloofar Masoumi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Ghollasi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Raheleh Halabian
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Eftekhari
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Ghiasi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Valeri A, Chiricosta L, D’Angiolini S, Pollastro F, Salamone S, Mazzon E. Cannabichromene Induces Neuronal Differentiation in NSC-34 Cells: Insights from Transcriptomic Analysis. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030742. [PMID: 36983897 PMCID: PMC10051538 DOI: 10.3390/life13030742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytocannabinoids, with their variety of beneficial effects, represent a valid group of substances that could be employed as neurogenesis-enhancers or neuronal differentiation inducers. We focused our attention on the neuronal-related potential of cannabichromene (CBC) when administered to undifferentiated NSC-34 for 24 h. Transcriptomic analysis showed an upregulation of several neuronal markers, such as Neurod1 and Tubb3, as well as indicators of neuronal differentiation process progression, such as Pax6. An in-depth investigation of the processes involved in neuronal differentiation indicates positive cytoskeleton remodeling by upregulation of Cfl2 and Tubg1, and active differentiation-targeted transcriptional program, suggested by Phox2b and Hes1. After 48 h of treatment, the markers previously examined in the transcriptomic analysis are still overexpressed, like Ache and Hes1, indicating that the differentiation process is still in progress. The lack of GFAP protein suggests that no astroglial differentiation is taking place, and it is reasonable to indicate the neuronal one as the ongoing one. These results indicate CBC as a potential neuronal differentiation inducer for NSC-34 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Valeri
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, Via Provinciale Palermo, Contrada Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Luigi Chiricosta
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, Via Provinciale Palermo, Contrada Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Simone D’Angiolini
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, Via Provinciale Palermo, Contrada Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Federica Pollastro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
- Plantachem S.r.l.s., Via Amico Canobio 4/6, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Stefano Salamone
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
- Plantachem S.r.l.s., Via Amico Canobio 4/6, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Emanuela Mazzon
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, Via Provinciale Palermo, Contrada Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Hutchins EJ, Gandhi S, Chacon J, Piacentino M, Bronner ME. RNA-binding protein Elavl1/HuR is required for maintenance of cranial neural crest specification. eLife 2022; 11:e63600. [PMID: 36189921 PMCID: PMC9529247 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
While neural crest development is known to be transcriptionally controlled via sequential activation of gene regulatory networks (GRNs), recent evidence increasingly implicates a role for post-transcriptional regulation in modulating the output of these regulatory circuits. Using available single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets from avian embryos to identify potential post-transcriptional regulators, we found that Elavl1, which encodes for an RNA-binding protein with roles in transcript stability, was enriched in the premigratory cranial neural crest. Perturbation of Elavl1 resulted in premature neural crest delamination from the neural tube as well as significant reduction in transcripts associated with the neural crest specification GRN, phenotypes that are also observed with downregulation of the canonical Wnt inhibitor Draxin. That Draxin is the primary target for stabilization by Elavl1 during cranial neural crest specification was shown by RNA-sequencing, RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA decay measurement, and proximity ligation assays, further supporting the idea that the downregulation of neural crest specifier expression upon Elavl1 knockdown was largely due to loss of Draxin. Importantly, exogenous Draxin rescued cranial neural crest specification defects observed with Elavl1 knockdown. Thus, Elavl1 plays a critical a role in the maintenance of cranial neural crest specification via Draxin mRNA stabilization. Together, these data highlight an important intersection of post-transcriptional regulation with modulation of the neural crest specification GRN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica J Hutchins
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Shashank Gandhi
- The Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Jose Chacon
- Department of Biology, School of Math and Science, California State University NorthridgeNorthridgeUnited States
| | - Michael Piacentino
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Marianne E Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
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Abstract
Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a dynamic, multipotent, vertebrate-specific population of embryonic stem cells. These ectodermally-derived cells contribute to diverse tissue types in developing embryos including craniofacial bone and cartilage, the peripheral and enteric nervous systems and pigment cells, among a host of other cell types. Due to their contribution to a significant number of adult tissue types, the mechanisms that drive their formation, migration and differentiation are highly studied. NCCs have a unique ability to transition from tightly adherent epithelial cells to mesenchymal and migratory cells by altering their polarity, expression of cell-cell adhesion molecules and gaining invasive abilities. In this Review, we discuss classical and emerging factors driving NCC epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and migration, highlighting the role of signaling and transcription factors, as well as novel modifying factors including chromatin remodelers, small RNAs and post-translational regulators, which control the availability and longevity of major NCC players.
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Duly AMP, Kao FCL, Teo WS, Kavallaris M. βIII-Tubulin Gene Regulation in Health and Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:851542. [PMID: 35573698 PMCID: PMC9096907 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.851542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule proteins form a dynamic component of the cytoskeleton, and play key roles in cellular processes, such as vesicular transport, cell motility and mitosis. Expression of microtubule proteins are often dysregulated in cancer. In particular, the microtubule protein βIII-tubulin, encoded by the TUBB3 gene, is aberrantly expressed in a range of epithelial tumours and is associated with drug resistance and aggressive disease. In normal cells, TUBB3 expression is tightly restricted, and is found almost exclusively in neuronal and testicular tissues. Understanding the mechanisms that control TUBB3 expression, both in cancer, mature and developing tissues will help to unravel the basic biology of the protein, its role in cancer, and may ultimately lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches to target this protein. This review is devoted to the transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of TUBB3 in normal and cancerous tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair M. P. Duly
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Felicity C. L. Kao
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- Australian Center for NanoMedicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Wee Siang Teo
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- Australian Center for NanoMedicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maria Kavallaris
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- Australian Center for NanoMedicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- UNSW RNA Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Nisin and non-essential amino acids: new perspective in differentiation of neural progenitors from human-induced pluripotent stem cells in vitro. Hum Cell 2021; 34:1142-1152. [PMID: 33899160 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-021-00537-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decades, stem cell therapy has been investigated as a promising approach towards various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Stem cells show the capability to differentiate into neuronal progenitor cells in vitro. In the present study, the differentiation potential of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into neural lineages was examined under the efficient induction media containing forskolin and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX) in the presence of nisin (Ni), non-essential amino acids (NEAA) and combination of those (NEAA-Ni) in vitro. The optimum concentrations of these factors were obtained by MTT assay and acridine orange (AO) staining. The effect of Ni and NEAA on the expression rate of neural-specific markers including NSE, MAP2, and ß-tubulin III was studied via immunocytochemistry (ICC) and real-time RT-PCR analyses. Our results indicated that the induction medium containing Ni or NEAA increased the gene and protein expression of NSE, MAP2, and β-tubulin III on the 14th differentiation day. On the other hand, NEAA-Ni showed a less-differentiated hiPSCs compared to Ni and NEAA alone. In conclusion, the obtained results illustrated that Ni and NEAA could be applied as effective factors for neural differentiation of hiPSCs in the future.
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Zheng K, Feng G, Zhang J, Xing J, Huang D, Lian M, Zhang W, Wu W, Hu Y, Lu X, Feng X. Basic fibroblast growth factor promotes human dental pulp stem cells cultured in 3D porous chitosan scaffolds to neural differentiation. Int J Neurosci 2020; 131:625-633. [PMID: 32186218 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1744592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
AIM/PURPOSE Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were widely used as seed cells in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, including spinal cord injury (SCI) repair and other neuronal degenerative diseases, due to their easy isolation, multiple differentiation potential, low immunogenicity and low rates of rejection during transplantation. Various studies have shown that bFGF can enhance peripheral nerve regeneration after injury, and phospho-ERK (p-ERK) activation as a major mediator may be involved in this process. Previous studies also have proved that a suitable biomaterial scaffold can carry and transport the therapeutic cells effectively to the recipient area. It has showed in our earlier experiments that 3D porous chitosan scaffolds exhibited a suitable circumstance for survival and neural differentiation of DPSCs in vitro. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of chitosan scaffolds and bFGF on differentiation of DPSCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS In current study, DPSCs were cultured in chitosan scaffolds and treated with neural differentiation medium for 7 days. The neural genes and protein markers were analyzed by western blot and immunofluorescence. Meanwhile, the relevant signaling pathway involved in this process was also tested. RESULTS Our study revealed that the viability of DPSCs was not influenced by co-culture with the chitosan scaffolds as well as bFGF. Compared with the control and DPSC/chitosan-scaffold groups, the levels of GFAP, S100β and β-tubulin III significantly increased in the DPSC/chitosan-scaffold+bFGF group. CONCLUSION Chitosan scaffolds were non-cytotoxic to the survival of DPSCs, and chitosan scaffolds combined with bFGF facilitated the neural differentiation of DPSCs. The transplantation of DPSCs/chitosan-scaffold+bFGF might be a secure and effective method of treating SCI and other neuronal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zheng
- Department of Stomatology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, China.,Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Guijuan Feng
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jinlong Zhang
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jing Xing
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Dan Huang
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Min Lian
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wenli Wu
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yingzi Hu
- Medical College of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xiaohui Lu
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xingmei Feng
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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