Targeted biallelic integration of an inducible Caspase 9 suicide gene in iPSCs for safer therapies

Thymidylate synthase disruption to limit cell proliferation in cell therapies

Stem and progenitor cells hold great promise for regenerative medicine and gene therapy approaches. However, transplantation of living cells entails a fundamental risk of unwanted growth, potentially exacerbated by CRISPR-Cas9 or other genetic manipulations. Here, we describe a safety system to control cell proliferation while allowing robust and efficient cell manufacture, without any added genetic elements. Inactivating TYMS, a key nucleotide metabolism enzyme, in several cell lines resulted in cells that proliferate only when supplemented with exogenous thymidine. Under supplementation, TYMS-/--pluripotent stem cells proliferate, produce teratomas, and successfully differentiate into potentially therapeutic cell types such as pancreatic β cells. Our results suggest that supplementation with exogenous thymidine affects stem cell proliferation, but not the function of stem cell-derived cells. After differentiation, postmitotic cells do not require thymidine in vitro or in vivo, as shown by the production of functional human insulin in mice up to 5 months after implantation of stem cell-derived pancreatic tissue.

Unlocking the Future: Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Lung Repair

The human respiratory system is susceptible to a variety of diseases, ranging from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Today, lung diseases represent one of the major challenges to the health care sector and represent one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Current treatment options often focus on managing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying cause of the disease. The limitations of conventional therapies highlight the urgent clinical need for innovative solutions capable of repairing damaged lung tissue at a fundamental level. Pluripotent stem cell technologies have now reached clinical maturity and hold immense potential to revolutionize the landscape of lung repair and regenerative medicine. Meanwhile, human embryonic (HESCs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can be coaxed to differentiate into lung-specific cell types such as bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells, or pulmonary endothelial cells. This holds the promise of regenerating damaged lung tissue and restoring normal respiratory function. While methods for targeted genetic engineering of hPSCs and lung cell differentiation have substantially advanced, the required GMP-grade clinical-scale production technologies as well as the development of suitable preclinical animal models and cell application strategies are less advanced. This review provides an overview of current perspectives on PSC-based therapies for lung repair, explores key advances, and envisions future directions in this dynamic field.

Allo Beta Cell transplantation: specific features, unanswered questions, and immunological challenge

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) presents a persistent medical challenge, demanding innovative strategies for sustained glycemic control and enhanced patient well-being. Beta cells are specialized cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. When beta cells are damaged or destroyed, insulin production decreases, which leads to T1D. Allo Beta Cell Transplantation has emerged as a promising therapeutic avenue, with the goal of reinstating glucose regulation and insulin production in T1D patients. However, the path to success in this approach is fraught with complex immunological hurdles that demand rigorous exploration and resolution for enduring therapeutic efficacy. This exploration focuses on the distinct immunological characteristics inherent to Allo Beta Cell Transplantation. An understanding of these unique challenges is pivotal for the development of effective therapeutic interventions. The critical role of glucose regulation and insulin in immune activation is emphasized, with an emphasis on the intricate interplay between beta cells and immune cells. The transplantation site, particularly the liver, is examined in depth, highlighting its relevance in the context of complex immunological issues. Scrutiny extends to recipient and donor matching, including the utilization of multiple islet donors, while also considering the potential risk of autoimmune recurrence. Moreover, unanswered questions and persistent gaps in knowledge within the field are identified. These include the absence of robust evidence supporting immunosuppression treatments, the need for reliable methods to assess rejection and treatment protocols, the lack of validated biomarkers for monitoring beta cell loss, and the imperative need for improved beta cell imaging techniques. In addition, attention is drawn to emerging directions and transformative strategies in the field. This encompasses alternative immunosuppressive regimens and calcineurin-free immunoprotocols, as well as a reevaluation of induction therapy and recipient preconditioning methods. Innovative approaches targeting autoimmune recurrence, such as CAR Tregs and TCR Tregs, are explored, along with the potential of stem stealth cells, tissue engineering, and encapsulation to overcome the risk of graft rejection. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the inherent immunological obstacles associated with Allo Beta Cell Transplantation. It offers valuable insights into emerging strategies and directions that hold great promise for advancing the field and ultimately improving outcomes for individuals living with diabetes.

Suicide gene-enabled cell therapy: A novel approach to scalable human pluripotent stem cell quality control

There are an increasing number of cell therapy approaches being studied and employed world-wide. An emerging area in this field is the use of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) products for the treatment of injuries/diseases that cannot be effectively managed through current approaches. However, as with any cell therapy, vast numbers of functional and safe cells are required. Bioreactors provide an attractive avenue to generate clinically relevant cell numbers with decreased labour and decreased batch to batch variation. Yet, current methods of performing quality control are not readily scalable to the cell densities produced during bioreactor scale-up. One potential solution is the application of inducible/controllable suicide genes that can trigger cell death in unwanted cell types. These types of approaches have been demonstrated to increase the quality and safety of the resultant cell products. In this review, we will provide background on these approaches and how they could be used together with bioreactor technology to create effective bioprocesses for the generation of high quality and safe hPSCs for use in regenerative medicine approaches.

iPSC-based approach for human hair follicle regeneration

Hair follicles (HFs) are a multifunctional structure involved in physical protection, thermoregulation, sensational detection, and wound healing. Formation and cycling of HFs require dynamic interaction between different cell types of the follicles. Although the processes have been well studied, the generation of human functional HFs with a normal cycling pattern for clinical utilization has yet to be achieved. Recently, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) serve as an unlimited cell source for generating various types of cells including cells of the HFs. In this review, HF morphogenesis and cycling, different cell sources used for HF regeneration, and potential strategies for HF bioengineering using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are depicted. Challenges and perspectives toward the therapeutic use of bioengineered HFs for hair loss disorder are also discussed.

Advancing cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases

Cell-based therapies are being developed for various neurodegenerative diseases that affect the central nervous system (CNS). Concomitantly, the roles of individual cell types in neurodegenerative pathology are being uncovered by genetic and single-cell studies. With a greater understanding of cellular contributions to health and disease and with the arrival of promising approaches to modulate them, effective therapeutic cell products are now emerging. This review examines how the ability to generate diverse CNS cell types from stem cells, along with a deeper understanding of cell-type-specific functions and pathology, is advancing preclinical development of cell products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Stemming Tumoral Growth: A Matter of Grotesque Organogenesis

The earliest metazoans probably evolved from single-celled organisms which found the colonial system to be a beneficial organization. Over the course of their evolution, these primary colonial organisms increased in size, and division of labour among the cells became a remarkable feature, leading to a higher level of organization: the biological organs. Primitive metazoans were the first organisms in evolution to show organ-type structures, which set the grounds for complex organs to evolve. Throughout evolution, and concomitant with organogenesis, is the appearance of tissue-specific stem cells. Tissue-specific stem cells gave rise to multicellular living systems with distinct organs which perform specific physiological functions. This setting is a constructive role of evolution; however, rebel cells can take over the molecular mechanisms for other purposes: nowadays we know that cancer stem cells, which generate aberrant organ-like structures, are at the top of a hierarchy. Furthermore, cancer stem cells are the root of metastasis, therapy resistance, and relapse. At present, most therapeutic drugs are unable to target cancer stem cells and therefore, treatment becomes a challenging issue. We expect that future research will uncover the mechanistic “forces” driving organ growth, paving the way to the implementation of new strategies to impair human tumorigenesis.