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Hartley A, Burger L, Wincek CL, Dons L, Li T, Grewenig A, Taşgın T, Urban M, Roig-Merino A, Ghazvini M, Harbottle RP. A Simple Nonviral Method to Generate Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using SMAR DNA Vectors. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:575. [PMID: 38790204 PMCID: PMC11121542 DOI: 10.3390/genes15050575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a powerful tool for biomedical research, but their production presents challenges and safety concerns. Yamanaka and Takahashi revolutionised the field by demonstrating that somatic cells could be reprogrammed into pluripotent cells by overexpressing four key factors for a sufficient time. iPSCs are typically generated using viruses or virus-based methods, which have drawbacks such as vector persistence, risk of insertional mutagenesis, and oncogenesis. The application of less harmful nonviral vectors is limited as conventional plasmids cannot deliver the levels or duration of the factors necessary from a single transfection. Hence, plasmids that are most often used for reprogramming employ the potentially oncogenic Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) system to ensure adequate levels and persistence of expression. In this study, we explored the use of nonviral SMAR DNA vectors to reprogram human fibroblasts into iPSCs. We show for the first time that iPSCs can be generated using nonviral plasmids without the use of EBNA-1 and that these DNA vectors can provide sufficient expression to induce pluripotency. We describe an optimised reprogramming protocol using these vectors that can produce high-quality iPSCs with comparable pluripotency and cellular function to those generated with viruses or EBNA-1 vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Hartley
- DNA Vector Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (A.H.); (A.G.); (A.R.-M.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luisa Burger
- DNA Vector Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (A.H.); (A.G.); (A.R.-M.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cornelia L. Wincek
- DNA Vector Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (A.H.); (A.G.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Lieke Dons
- Erasmus MC iPS Core Facility, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands (M.G.)
| | - Tracy Li
- Erasmus MC iPS Core Facility, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands (M.G.)
| | - Annabel Grewenig
- DNA Vector Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (A.H.); (A.G.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Toros Taşgın
- DNA Vector Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (A.H.); (A.G.); (A.R.-M.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manuela Urban
- DNA Vector Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (A.H.); (A.G.); (A.R.-M.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alicia Roig-Merino
- DNA Vector Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (A.H.); (A.G.); (A.R.-M.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mehrnaz Ghazvini
- Erasmus MC iPS Core Facility, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands (M.G.)
| | - Richard P. Harbottle
- DNA Vector Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (A.H.); (A.G.); (A.R.-M.)
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Chehelgerdi M, Behdarvand Dehkordi F, Chehelgerdi M, Kabiri H, Salehian-Dehkordi H, Abdolvand M, Salmanizadeh S, Rashidi M, Niazmand A, Ahmadi S, Feizbakhshan S, Kabiri S, Vatandoost N, Ranjbarnejad T. Exploring the promising potential of induced pluripotent stem cells in cancer research and therapy. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:189. [PMID: 38017433 PMCID: PMC10683363 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01873-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of iPSCs has brought about a significant transformation in stem cell research, opening up promising avenues for advancing cancer treatment. The formation of cancer is a multifaceted process influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. iPSCs offer a distinctive platform for investigating the origin of cancer, paving the way for novel approaches to cancer treatment, drug testing, and tailored medical interventions. This review article will provide an overview of the science behind iPSCs, the current limitations and challenges in iPSC-based cancer therapy, the ethical and social implications, and the comparative analysis with other stem cell types for cancer treatment. The article will also discuss the applications of iPSCs in tumorigenesis, the future of iPSCs in tumorigenesis research, and highlight successful case studies utilizing iPSCs in tumorigenesis research. The conclusion will summarize the advancements made in iPSC-based tumorigenesis research and the importance of continued investment in iPSC research to unlock the full potential of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matin Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Behdarvand Dehkordi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mohammad Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran.
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Hamidreza Kabiri
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Abdolvand
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sharareh Salmanizadeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Hezar-Jereeb Street, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Iran
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Anoosha Niazmand
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Saba Ahmadi
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Sara Feizbakhshan
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Saber Kabiri
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Nasimeh Vatandoost
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Tayebeh Ranjbarnejad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
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Barreira M, Kerridge C, Jorda S, Olofsson D, Neumann A, Horton H, Smith-Moore S. Enzymatically amplified linear dbDNA TM as a rapid and scalable solution to industrial lentiviral vector manufacturing. Gene Ther 2023; 30:122-131. [PMID: 35606492 PMCID: PMC9935383 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-022-00343-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Traditional bacterial fermentation techniques used to manufacture plasmid are time-consuming, expensive, and inherently unstable. The production of sufficient GMP grade material thus imposes a major bottleneck on industrial-scale manufacturing of lentiviral vectors (LVV). Touchlight's linear doggybone DNA (dbDNATM) is an enzymatically amplified DNA vector produced with exceptional speed through an in vitro dual enzyme process, enabling industrial-scale manufacturing of GMP material in a fraction of the time required for plasmid. We have previously shown that dbDNATM can be used to produce functional LVV; however, obtaining high LVV titres remained a challenge. Here, we aimed to demonstrate that dbDNATM could be optimised for the manufacture of high titre LVV. We found that dbDNATM displayed a unique transfection and expression profile in the context of LVV production, which necessitated the optimisation of DNA input and construct ratios. Furthermore, we demonstrate that efficient 3' end processing of viral genomic RNA (vgRNA) derived from linear dbDNATM transfer vectors required the addition of a strong 3' termination signal and downstream spacer sequence to enable efficient vgRNA packaging. Using these improved vector architectures along with optimised transfection conditions, we were able to produce a CAR19h28z LVV with equivalent infectious titres as achieved using plasmid, demonstrating that dbDNATM technology can provide a highly effective solution to the plasmid bottleneck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Barreira
- Touchlight Genetics Ltd, Hampton, TW12 2ER, United Kingdom.,Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sara Jorda
- Touchlight Genetics Ltd, Hampton, TW12 2ER, United Kingdom.,Medical Research Institute La Fe, 46026, Valencia, Spain
| | - Didrik Olofsson
- Omiqa Bioinformatics GmbH, Altensteinstraße 40, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Neumann
- Omiqa Bioinformatics GmbH, Altensteinstraße 40, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helen Horton
- Touchlight Genetics Ltd, Hampton, TW12 2ER, United Kingdom
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Mucker EM, Brocato RL, Principe LM, Kim RK, Zeng X, Smith JM, Kwilas SA, Kim S, Horton H, Caproni L, Hooper JW. SARS-CoV-2 Doggybone DNA Vaccine Produces Cross-Variant Neutralizing Antibodies and Is Protective in a COVID-19 Animal Model. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10071104. [PMID: 35891268 PMCID: PMC9317096 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10071104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, an assortment of vaccines has been developed. Nucleic acid vaccines have the advantage of rapid production, as they only require a viral antigen sequence and can readily be modified to detected viral mutations. Doggybone™ DNA vaccines targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 have been generated and compared with a traditionally manufactured, bacterially derived plasmid DNA vaccine that utilizes the same spike sequence. Administered to Syrian hamsters by jet injection at two dose levels, the immunogenicity of both DNA vaccines was compared following two vaccinations. Immunized hamsters were then immunosuppressed and exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Significant differences in body weight were observed during acute infection, and lungs collected at the time of euthanasia had significantly reduced viral RNA, infectious virus, and pathology compared with irrelevant DNA-vaccinated controls. Moreover, immune serum from vaccinated animals was capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest and importance in vitro. These data demonstrate the efficacy of a synthetic DNA vaccine approach to protect hamsters from SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M. Mucker
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (E.M.M.); (R.L.B.); (L.M.P.); (J.M.S.); (S.A.K.)
| | - Rebecca L. Brocato
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (E.M.M.); (R.L.B.); (L.M.P.); (J.M.S.); (S.A.K.)
| | - Lucia M. Principe
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (E.M.M.); (R.L.B.); (L.M.P.); (J.M.S.); (S.A.K.)
| | - Robert K. Kim
- Pathology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (R.K.K.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xiankun Zeng
- Pathology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (R.K.K.); (X.Z.)
| | - Jeffrey M. Smith
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (E.M.M.); (R.L.B.); (L.M.P.); (J.M.S.); (S.A.K.)
| | - Steven A. Kwilas
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (E.M.M.); (R.L.B.); (L.M.P.); (J.M.S.); (S.A.K.)
| | - Sungwon Kim
- Touchlight Genetics, Ltd., London TW12 2ER, UK; (S.K.); (H.H.); (L.C.)
| | - Helen Horton
- Touchlight Genetics, Ltd., London TW12 2ER, UK; (S.K.); (H.H.); (L.C.)
| | - Lisa Caproni
- Touchlight Genetics, Ltd., London TW12 2ER, UK; (S.K.); (H.H.); (L.C.)
| | - Jay W. Hooper
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (E.M.M.); (R.L.B.); (L.M.P.); (J.M.S.); (S.A.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-301-619-4101
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Poetsch MS, Strano A, Guan K. Human induced pluripotent stem cells: From cell origin, genomic stability and epigenetic memory to translational medicine. Stem Cells 2022; 40:546-555. [PMID: 35291013 PMCID: PMC9216482 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
The potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to self-renew indefinitely and to differentiate virtually into any cell type in unlimited quantities makes them attractive for in-vitro disease modeling, drug screening, personalized medicine, and regenerative therapies. As the genome of iPSCs thoroughly reproduces that of the somatic cells from which they are derived, they may possess genetic abnormalities, which would seriously compromise their utility and safety. Genetic aberrations could be present in donor somatic cells and then transferred during iPSC generation, or they could occur as de novo mutations during reprogramming or prolonged cell culture. Therefore, to warrant safety of human iPSCs for clinical applications, analysis of genetic integrity, particularly during iPSC generation and differentiation, should be carried out on a regular basis. On the other hand, reprogramming of somatic cells to iPSCs requires profound modifications in the epigenetic landscape. Changes in chromatin structure by DNA methylations and histone tail modifications aim to reset the gene expression pattern of somatic cells to facilitate and establish self-renewal and pluripotency. However, residual epigenetic memory influences the iPSC phenotype, which may affect their application in disease therapeutics. The present review discusses the somatic cell origin, genetic stability, and epigenetic memory of iPSCs and their impact on basic and translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike S Poetsch
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna Strano
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kaomei Guan
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Corresponding author: Kaomei Guan, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany. Tel: +49 351 458 6246; Fax: +49 351 458 6315;
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