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Zhao Z, Bai B, Wang S, Zhou Y, Yu P, Zhao Q, Yang B. Physical and psychological correlates of somatic symptom in patients with functional constipation: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:134. [PMID: 38365647 PMCID: PMC10873943 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05559-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The symptoms of functional constipation (FC) were obviously affected by mental symptoms, which was consistent with somatic symptoms. However, the characteristics of FC patients with somatic symptom remains unexplored. METHODS Clinical characteristics including somatic symptom (SOM, PHQ-15), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), quality of life (PAC-QOL), constipation (KESS), demographic variables, anatomical abnormalities and symptoms were investigated. Subsequent analyses encompassed the comparison of clinical parameters between patients with SOM + group (PHQ-15 ≥ 10) and SOM- group (PHQ-15 < 10), subgroup analysis, correlation analysis, and logistic regression. Lastly, we evaluated the somatic symptom severity (SSS) among FC patients subjected to various stressors. RESULTS Notable disparities were observed between SOM + and SOM- groups in variety of physiological and psychological variables, including gender, stressful events, sleep disorders, reduced interest, GAD-7, PHQ-15, PHQ-9, PAC-QOL, anterior rectocele, KESS, and internal anal sphincter achalasia (IASA) (P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis affirmed consistent findings across mental symptoms. Correlation analyses revealed significant associations between SSS and KESS, anterior rectocele, GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PAC-QOL (P < 0.05). Logistic regression identified PHQ-9 (OR = 7.02, CI: 2.06-27.7, P = 0.003), GAD-7 (OR = 7.18, CI: 2.00-30.7, P = 0.004), and KESS (OR = 16.8, CI: 3.09-113, P = 0.002) as independent predictors of SSS. Elevated SSS scores were significantly associated with couple, parental, and work-related stressors (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION A marked heterogeneity was observed between SOM + and SOM- patients of FC, with SOM + accompanied by more severe constipation, anxiety and depression symptoms. This finding underscores the importance of considering somatic symptoms in diagnosis and treatment of FC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifeng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology & National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, No.127, West Changle Road, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology & National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, No.127, West Changle Road, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology & National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, No.127, West Changle Road, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology & National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, No.127, West Changle Road, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Pengfei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology & National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, No.127, West Changle Road, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingchuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology & National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, No.127, West Changle Road, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology & National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, No.127, West Changle Road, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
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Otomo J, Woltjen K, Sakurai H. Uniform transgene activation in Tet-On systems depends on sustained rtTA expression. iScience 2023; 26:107685. [PMID: 37701566 PMCID: PMC10494183 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107685] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Application of the tetracycline-inducible gene expression system (Tet-On) in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has become a fundamental transgenic tool owing to its regulatable gene expression. One of the major hurdles in hiPSC application is non-uniform transgene activation. Here, we report that the supplementation of reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA) in polyclonal hiPSCs populations can achieve the uniform transgene activation of Tet-On. Furthermore, the choice of antibiotic selection markers connected by an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) can influence the expression of upstream transgenes. In particular, expression of the rtTA is more uniform in cell populations when linked to puromycin as compared to neomycin, obviating the need for sub-cloning or supplementation of rtTA. Finally, to expand the range of applications, we adopted our findings to tetracycline-inducible MyoD vector (Tet-MyoD). Our Tet-MyoD promises efficient, robust, and reproducible directed myogenic differentiation of hiPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Otomo
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Knut Woltjen
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Sakurai
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
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Waldhorn I, Turetsky T, Steiner D, Gil Y, Benyamini H, Gropp M, Reubinoff BE. Modeling sex differences in humans using isogenic induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:2732-2744. [PMID: 36427492 PMCID: PMC9768579 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological sex is a fundamental trait influencing development, reproduction, pathogenesis, and medical treatment outcomes. Modeling sex differences is challenging because of the masking effect of genetic variability and the hurdle of differentiating chromosomal versus hormonal effects. In this work we developed a cellular model to study sex differences in humans. Somatic cells from a mosaic Klinefelter syndrome patient were reprogrammed to generate isogenic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines with different sex chromosome complements: 47,XXY/46,XX/46,XY/45,X0. Transcriptional analysis of the hiPSCs revealed novel and known genes and pathways that are sexually dimorphic in the pluripotent state and during early neural development. Female hiPSCs more closely resembled the naive pluripotent state than their male counterparts. Moreover, the system enabled differentiation between the contributions of X versus Y chromosome to these differences. Taken together, isogenic hiPSCs present a novel platform for studying sex differences in humans and bear potential to promote gender-specific medicine in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ithai Waldhorn
- Hadassah Stem Cell Research Center, Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tikva Turetsky
- Hadassah Stem Cell Research Center, Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Debora Steiner
- Hadassah Stem Cell Research Center, Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yaniv Gil
- Hadassah Stem Cell Research Center, Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hadar Benyamini
- Bioinformatics Unit of the I-CORE at Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Gropp
- Hadassah Stem Cell Research Center, Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin E. Reubinoff
- Hadassah Stem Cell Research Center, Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ein Kerem, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel,Corresponding author
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Urusov FA, Glazkova DV, Tsyganova GM, Pozdyshev DV, Bogoslovskaya EV, Shipulin GA. The Titer of the Lentiviral Vector Encoding Chimeric TRIM5α-HRH Gene is Reduced Due to Expression of TRIM5α-HRH in Producer Cells and the Negative Effect of Ef1α Promoter. Mol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893322010083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Methods to Study CARD11-BCL10-MALT1 Dependent Canonical NF-κB Activation in Jurkat T Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2366:125-143. [PMID: 34236636 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1669-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Jurkat T cells have been of central importance for the discovery of signalling mediators driving NF-κB activation in response to T cell antigen receptor (TCR)/CD28 co-stimulation. The critical function of the key regulators identified in Jurkat T cells has subsequently been verified in primary murine and human T cells. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genomic editing techniques in combination with viral reconstitution are powerful tools that now enable the investigation of the exact molecular mechanisms that govern T cell signalling, especially the impact of protein-protein interactions, protein modifications, or cancer-associated gain- or loss-of-function mutations. As exemplified by the CARD11 gene encoding a key regulator of NF-κB signalling in T cells, we describe here the detailed workflow for the generation of CRISPR/Cas9 knockout (KO) Jurkat T cells and the subsequent reconstitution using a lentiviral transduction protocol. In addition, we explain the use of a stable NF-κB-dependent EGFP reporter system that enables a reliable quantification of NF-κB transcriptional activation in the reconstituted KO Jurkat T cells.
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Kim Y, Cameron PU, Lewin SR, Anderson JL. Limitations of dual-fluorescent HIV reporter viruses in a model of pre-activation latency. J Int AIDS Soc 2019; 22:e25425. [PMID: 31855322 PMCID: PMC6922067 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION HIV latency can be established in vitro following direct infection of a resting CD4+ T cell (pre-activation latency) or infection of an activated CD4+ T cell which then returns to a resting state (post-activation latency). We modified a previously published dual-fluorescent reporter virus seeking to track the establishment and reactivation of pre-activation latency in primary CD4+ T cells. METHODS A previously published dual-fluorescent reporter virus was modified so that expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) was under control of the elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1α) promoter to detect latent infection, and E2 crimson (E2CRM) was under control of the nef promoter to detect productive infection. NL4.3 that expressed GFP in place of nef was used as a positive control. We infected the Jurkat T-cell line and primary CD4+ T cells that were either unstimulated or stimulated with either the chemokine CCL19 or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)/IL-2 and quantified the expression of both fluorescent proteins by flow cytometry. The study was carried out over a period of two years from September 2016 to October 2018. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Expression of both fluorophores was detected following infection of the Jurkat T-cell line while only low levels of the latent reporter were observed following infection of primary CD4+ T cells. In unstimulated and CCL19-treated CD4+ T cells, expression of the GFP latent reporter, increased after further activation of the cells with PHA/phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that the EF1α promoter has poor constitutive expression in resting CD4+ T cells. Therefore, dual-fluorescent reporter viruses with the EF1α promoter may underestimate the frequency of latent infection in resting CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youry Kim
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyThe University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityThe University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Paul U Cameron
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityThe University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Infectious DiseasesAlfred Hospital and Monash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Sharon R Lewin
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityThe University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Infectious DiseasesAlfred Hospital and Monash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Jenny L Anderson
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityThe University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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Birger A, Ben-Dor I, Ottolenghi M, Turetsky T, Gil Y, Sweetat S, Perez L, Belzer V, Casden N, Steiner D, Izrael M, Galun E, Feldman E, Behar O, Reubinoff B. Human iPSC-derived astrocytes from ALS patients with mutated C9ORF72 show increased oxidative stress and neurotoxicity. EBioMedicine 2019; 50:274-289. [PMID: 31787569 PMCID: PMC6921360 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons (MNs). It was shown that human astrocytes with mutations in genes associated with ALS, like C9orf72 (C9) or SOD1, reduce survival of MNs. Astrocyte toxicity may be related to their dysfunction or the release of neurotoxic factors. METHODS We used human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes from ALS patients carrying C9orf72 mutations and non-affected donors. We utilized these cells to investigate astrocytic induced neuronal toxicity, changes in astrocyte transcription profile as well as changes in secretome profiles. FINDINGS We report that C9-mutated astrocytes are toxic to MNs via soluble factors. The toxic effects of astrocytes are positively correlated with the length of astrocyte propagation in culture, consistent with the age-related nature of ALS. We show that C9-mutated astrocytes downregulate the secretion of several antioxidant proteins. In line with these findings, we show increased astrocytic oxidative stress and senescence. Importantly, media conditioned by C9-astrocytes increased oxidative stress in wild type MNs. INTERPRETATION Our results suggest that dysfunction of C9-astrocytes leads to oxidative stress of themselves and MNs, which probably contributes to neurodegeneration. Our findings suggest that therapeutic strategies in familial ALS must not only target MNs but also focus on astrocytes to abrogate nervous system injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasya Birger
- The Sidney and Judy Swartz Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center of The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy & The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Israel Ben-Dor
- The Sidney and Judy Swartz Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center of The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy & The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Miri Ottolenghi
- The Sidney and Judy Swartz Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center of The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy & The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Tikva Turetsky
- The Sidney and Judy Swartz Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center of The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy & The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yaniv Gil
- The Sidney and Judy Swartz Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center of The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy & The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Sahar Sweetat
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Liat Perez
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Vitali Belzer
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Natania Casden
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Debora Steiner
- The Sidney and Judy Swartz Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center of The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy & The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Michal Izrael
- Kadimastem Ltd., Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eithan Galun
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Eva Feldman
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Oded Behar
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Benjamin Reubinoff
- The Sidney and Judy Swartz Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center of The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy & The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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The Human IL-23 Decoy Receptor Inhibits T-Cells Producing IL-17 by Genetically Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Int J Cell Biol 2018; 2018:8213912. [PMID: 30662466 PMCID: PMC6313978 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8213912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunomodulatory and self-renewable features of human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) mark their importance in regenerative medicine. Interleukin 23 (IL- 23) as a proinflammatory cytokine suppresses T regulatory cells (Treg) and promotes the response of T helper 17 (Th17) and T helper 1 (Th1) cells. This pathway starts inflammation and immunosuppression in several autoimmune diseases. The current study for producing recombinant IL- 23 decoy receptor (RIL- 23R) using hAD-MSCs as a good candidate for ex vivo cell-based gene therapy purposes reducing inflammation in autoimmune diseases. hAD-MSCs was isolated from lipoaspirate and then characterized by differentiation. RIL- 23R was designed and cloned into a pCDH-813A- 1 lentiviral vector. The transduction of hAD-MSCs was performed at MOI (multiplicity of infection) = 50 with pCDH- EFI α- RIL- 23R- PGK copGFP. Expressions of RIL- 23R and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT- 4) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real time-PCR). Self-renewing properties were assayed with OCT- 4. Bioactivity of the designed RIL- 23R was evaluated by IL- 17 and IL- 10 expression of mouse splenocytes. Cell differentiation confirmed the true isolation of hAD-MSCs from lipoaspirate. Restriction of the enzyme digestion and sequencing verified the successful cloning of RIL- 23R in the CD813A-1 lentiviral vector. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) positive transduction rate was up to 90%, and real-time PCR showed the expression level of RIL-23R. Oct-4 had a similar expression pattern with nontransduced hAD-MSCs and transduced hAD-MSCs/ RIL-23R indicating that lentiviral vector did not affect hAD-MSCs characteristics. Downregulation of IL-17 and upregulation of IL-10 showed the correct activity of the engineered hAD-MSCs. The results showed that the transduced hAD-MSCs/ RIL- 23R, expressing IL-23 decoy receptor, can give a useful approach for a basic research on cell-based gene therapy for autoimmune disorders.
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Rostami M, Haidari K, Shahbazi M. Genetically Engineered Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using HIV-Based Lentiviral Vectors as Gene Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases. Cell Reprogram 2018; 20:337-346. [PMID: 30307322 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2018.0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunomodulatory and self-renewable features of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) mark their importance in regenerative medicine. Interleukin (IL)-23 as a proinflammatory cytokine suppresses T regulatory cells and promotes the response of T helper 17 and T helper 1 cells. This pathway initiates inflammation and immunosuppression in several autoimmune diseases. The current study aimed at producing recombinant IL-23 decoy receptor (RIL-23R) using hAD-MSCs as a good candidate for ex vivo cell-based gene therapy purposes to reduce inflammation in autoimmune diseases. hAD-MSCs was isolated from lipoaspirate and then characterized by differentiation. RIL-23R was designed and cloned into a pCDH813A-1 lentiviral vector. The transduction of hAD-MSCs was performed at multiplicity of infection = 50 with pCDH-EFI α-RIL-23R-PGK copGFP. Expressions of RIL-23R and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT-4) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Self-renewing properties were assayed with OCT-4. Bioactivity of the designed RIL-23R was evaluated by IL-17 and IL-10 expression of mouse splenocytes. The results showed that the transducted hAD-MSCs/RIL-23R, expressing IL-23 decoy receptor, can provide a useful approach for a basic research on cell-based gene therapy for autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Rostami
- 1 Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences , Gorgan, Iran
| | - Kamran Haidari
- 2 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Golestan University of Medical Sciences , Gorgan, Iran
| | - Majid Shahbazi
- 3 Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences , Gorgan, Iran
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Abstract
In this chapter we illustrate protocols to investigate growth and neurotrophic factors in human and rodent (rat and mouse)-derived embryonic stem cells. The conventional two-dimensional cell monolayer system to grow embryonic stem cells is presented, focusing on the coating strategies also using extracellular matrix components. Then, different approaches for three-dimensional stem cell culture are presented, using hydrogels and scaffolds. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry, immunoenzymatic ELISA assay, and multiparametric assays to quantify growth and neurotrophic factor production are presented.
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Ben-Shushan E, Feldman E, Reubinoff BE. Notch signaling regulates motor neuron differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells 2015; 33:403-15. [PMID: 25335858 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the pMN domain of the spinal cord, Notch signaling regulates the balance between motor neuron differentiation and maintenance of the progenitor state for later oligodendrocyte differentiation. Here, we sought to study the role of Notch signaling in regulation of the switch from the pMN progenitor state to differentiated motor neurons in a human model system. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were directed to differentiate to pMN-like progenitor cells by the inductive action of retinoic acid and a Shh agonist, purmorphamine. We found that the expression of the Notch signaling effector Hes5 was induced in hESC-derived pMN-like progenitors and remained highly expressed when they were cultured under conditions favoring motor neuron differentiation. Inhibition of Notch signaling by a γ-secretase inhibitor in the differentiating pMN-like progenitor cells decreased Hes5 expression and enhanced the differentiation toward motor neurons. Conversely, over-expression of Hes5 in pMN-like progenitor cells during the differentiation interfered with retinoic acid- and purmorphamine-induced motor neuron differentiation and inhibited the emergence of motor neurons. Inhibition of Notch signaling had a permissive rather than an inductive effect on motor neuron differentiation. Our results indicate that Notch signaling has a regulatory role in the switch from the pMN progenitor to the differentiated motor neuron state. Inhibition of Notch signaling can be harnessed to enhance the differentiation of hESCs toward motor neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etti Ben-Shushan
- The Sidney and Judy Swartz Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center of The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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Michelini Z, Negri D, Biava M, Baroncelli S, Spada M, Leone P, Bona R, Blasi M, Nègre D, Klotman ME, Cara A. Murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor expressed from a bicistronic simian immunodeficiency virus-based integrase-defective lentiviral vector does not enhance T-cell responses in mice. Viral Immunol 2015; 27:512-20. [PMID: 25343523 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2014.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
As a prelude to immunization studies in nonhuman primates, we compared in mice the immunogenicity of a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-based integrase (IN)-defective lentiviral vector (IDLV) encoding the model antigen-enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP) in the presence or absence of the murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mGM-CSF) expressed from an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) sequence. BALB/c mice were immunized once intramuscularly with IDLV expressing eGFP alone or eGFP and mGM-CSF and immune responses were evaluated up to 90 days from the single intramuscular immunization. Results indicated that the mGM-CSF was unable to improve the magnitude and quality of the immune response against the eGFP transgene in the context of the SIV-based IDLV, as evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assays for interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and by intracellular cytokine staining for IFN-γ, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). These findings suggest that for vaccination purposes, the presence of mGM-CSF expressed after the IRES in a SIV-based IDLV system does not favor the improvement of the immunological response against the transgene of interest. Further studies should investigate whether the selection of a different cytokine gene might improve the immune response against the transgene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuleika Michelini
- 1 Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome, Italy
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Uchida N, Hanawa H, Yamamoto M, Shimada T. The chicken hypersensitivity site 4 core insulator blocks promoter interference in lentiviral vectors. Hum Gene Ther Methods 2013; 24:117-24. [PMID: 23448496 DOI: 10.1089/hgtb.2012.152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors, including double internal promoters, can be used to express two transgenes in a single vector construct; however, transcriptional activities from double internal promoters are often inhibited by promoter interference. To determine whether the chicken hypersensitivity site 4 insulator (cHS4) could block promoter interference, lentiviral vectors including an MSCV-U3 promoter (Mp) and an EF1α promoter (Ep) were generated, and transgene expression was evaluated among transduced cells. In the Ep-Mp configuration, transcriptional activity from Mp was much lower, while Mp-Ep had similar transcription levels from both promoters. The cHS4 core insulator increased expression levels from Mp in HeLa cells, hematopoietic cell lines, and mouse peripheral blood cells following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation transduced with the Mp-Ep configured vector. This blocking function was mainly mediated by barrier activity regions in the insulator but not by CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) binding sites. Cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) methylation did not contribute to this barrier activity. In summary, combining the cHS4 insulator in double promoter vectors can improve transgene expression levels in various cell lines and mouse hematopoietic repopulating cells. These findings are useful for developing hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Uchida
- Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8602 Japan.
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Meir YJJ, Lin A, Huang MF, Lin JR, Weirauch MT, Chou HC, Lin SJA, Wu SCY. A versatile, highly efficient, and potentially safer piggyBac transposon system for mammalian genome manipulations. FASEB J 2013; 27:4429-43. [PMID: 23896728 DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-223586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The piggyBac transposon is one of the most attractive nonviral tools for mammalian genome manipulations. Given that piggybac mobilizes in a "cut-and-paste" fashion, integrant remobilization could potentially damage the host genome. Here, we report a novel piggyBac transposon system with a series of recombinant transposases. We found that the transposition activity of wild-type (PBase) and hyperactive (hyPBase) piggyBac transposases can be significantly increased by peptide fusions in a cell-type dependent fashion, with the greatest change typically seen in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. The two most potent recombinant transposases, TPLGMH and ThyPLGMH, give a 9- and 7-fold increase, respectively, in the number of integrants in HEK293 compared with Myc-tagged PBase (MycPBase), and both display 4-fold increase in generating induced pluripotential stem cells. Interestingly, ThyPLGMH but not TPLGMH shows improved chromosomal excision activity (2.5-fold). This unique feature of TPLGMH provides the first evidence that integration activity of a transposase can be drastically improved without increasing its remobilization activity. Transposition catalyzed by ThyPLGMH is more random and occurs further from CpG islands than that catalyzed by MycPBase or TPLGMH. Our transposon system diversifies the mammalian genetic toolbox and provides a spectrum of piggyBac transposases that is better suited to different experimental purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaa-Jyuhn James Meir
- 1S.C.-Y.W., Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 333.
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Gropp M, Shilo V, Vainer G, Gov M, Gil Y, Khaner H, Matzrafi L, Idelson M, Kopolovic J, Zak NB, Reubinoff BE. Standardization of the teratoma assay for analysis of pluripotency of human ES cells and biosafety of their differentiated progeny. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45532. [PMID: 23049812 PMCID: PMC3458078 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Teratoma tumor formation is an essential criterion in determining the pluripotency of human pluripotent stem cells. However, currently there is no consistent protocol for assessment of teratoma forming ability. Here we present detailed characterization of a teratoma assay that is based on subcutaneous co-transplantation of defined numbers of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) with mitotically inactivated feeder cells and Matrigel into immunodeficient mice. The assay was highly reproducible and 100% efficient when 100,000 hESCs were transplanted. It was sensitive, promoting teratoma formation after transplantation of 100 hESCs, though larger numbers of animals and longer follow-up were required. The assay could detect residual teratoma forming cells within differentiated hESC populations however its sensitivity was decreased in the presence of differentiated cells. Our data lay the foundation, for standardization of a teratoma assay for pluripotency analysis. The assay can also be used for bio-safety analysis of pluripotent stem cell-derived differentiated progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Gropp
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and Department of Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Gilad Vainer
- The Department of Pathology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Miri Gov
- CellCure NeuroSciences Ltd., Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yaniv Gil
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and Department of Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hanita Khaner
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and Department of Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Maria Idelson
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and Department of Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Juri Kopolovic
- The Department of Pathology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Benjamin E. Reubinoff
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and Department of Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- * E-mail:
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Ovchinnikov DA, Turner JP, Titmarsh DM, Thakar NY, Sin DC, Cooper-White JJ, Wolvetang EJ. Generation of a human embryonic stem cell line stably expressing high levels of the fluorescent protein mCherry. World J Stem Cells 2012; 4:71-9. [PMID: 22993664 PMCID: PMC3443714 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v4.i7.71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Revised: 04/16/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM The generation and characterization of a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line stably expressing red fluorescent mCherry protein. METHODS Lentiviral transduction of a ubiquitously-expressed human EF-1α promoter driven mCherry transgene was performed in MEL2 hESC. Red fluore-scence was assessed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Pluripotency of stably transduced hESC was determined by immunofluorescent pluripotency marker expression, flow cytometry, teratoma assays and embryoid body-based differentiation followed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Quantification of cell motility and survival was performed with time lapse microscopy. RESULTS Constitutively fluorescently-labeled hESCs are useful tools for facile in vitro and in vivo tracking of survival, motility and cell spreading on various surfaces before and after differentiation. Here we describe the generation and characterization of a hESC line (MEL2) stably expressing red fluorescent protein, mCherry. This line was generated by random integration of a fluorescent protein-expressing cassette, driven by the ubiquitously-expressed human EF-1α promoter. Stably transfected MEL2-mCherry hESC were shown to express pluripotency markers in the nucleus (POU5F1/OCT4, NANOG and SOX2) and on the cell surface (SSEA4, TRA1-60 and TG30/CD9) and were shown to maintain a normal karyotype in long-term (for at least 35 passages) culture. MEL2-mCherry hESC further readily differentiated into representative cell types of the three germ layers in embryoid body and teratoma based assays and, importantly, maintained robust mCherry expression throughout differentiation. The cell line was next adapted to single-cell passaging, rendering it compatible with numerous bioengineering applications such as measurement of cell motility and cell spreading on various protein modified surfaces, quantification of cell attachment to nanoparticles and rapid estimation of cell survival. CONCLUSION The MEL2-mCherry hESC line conforms to the criteria of bona fide pluripotent stem cells and maintains red fluorescence throughout differentiation, making it a useful tool for bioengineering and in vivo tracking experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry A Ovchinnikov
- Dmitry A Ovchinnikov, Nilay Y Thakar, Ernst J Wolvetang, Stem Cell Engineering Group, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
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17
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Cerdan C, McIntyre BAS, Mechael R, Levadoux-Martin M, Yang J, Lee JB, Bhatia M. Activin A promotes hematopoietic fated mesoderm development through upregulation of brachyury in human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells Dev 2012; 21:2866-77. [PMID: 22548442 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2012.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of the hematopoietic system involves multiple cellular steps beginning with the formation of the mesoderm from the primitive streak, followed by emergence of precursor populations that become committed to either the endothelial or hematopoietic lineages. A number of growth factors such as activins and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are known to regulate the early specification of hematopoietic fated mesoderm, notably in amphibians. However, the potential roles of these factors in the development of mesoderm and subsequent hematopoiesis in the human have yet to be delineated. Defining the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which combinations of mesoderm-inducing factors regulate this stepwise process in human cells in vitro is central to effectively directing human embryonic stem cell (hESC) hematopoietic differentiation. Herein, using hESC-derived embryoid bodies (EBs), we show that Activin A, but not basic FGF/FGF2 (bFGF), promotes hematopoietic fated mesodermal specification from pluripotent human cells. The effect of Activin A treatment relies on the presence of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and both of the hematopoietic cytokines stem cell factor and fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor-3 ligand, and is the consequence of 2 separate mechanisms occurring at 2 different stages of human EB development from mesoderm to blood. While Activin A promotes the induction of mesoderm, as indicated by the upregulation of Brachyury expression, which represents the mesodermal precursor required for hematopoietic development, it also contributes to the expansion of cells already committed to a hematopoietic fate. As hematopoietic development requires the transition through a Brachyury+ intermediate, we demonstrate that hematopoiesis in hESCs is impaired by the downregulation of Brachyury, but is unaffected by its overexpression. These results demonstrate, for the first time, the functional significance of Brachyury in the developmental program of hematopoietic differentiation from hESCs and provide an in-depth understanding of the molecular cues that orchestrate stepwise development of hematopoiesis in a human system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Cerdan
- McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Zhang G, Tandon A. Quantitative assessment on the cloning efficiencies of lentiviral transfer vectors with a unique clone site. Sci Rep 2012; 2:1-8. [PMID: 22629482 PMCID: PMC3357496 DOI: 10.1038/srep00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 05/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are powerful tools for transgene expression in vivo and in vitro. However, the construction of LVs is of low efficiency, due to the large sizes and lack of proper clone sites. Therefore, it is critical to develop efficient strategies for cloning LVs. Here, we reported a combinatorial strategy to efficiently construct LVs using EGFP, hPlk2 wild type (WT) and mutant genes as inserts. Firstly, site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) was performed to create BamH I site for the inserts; secondly, pWPI LV was dephosphorylated after BamH I digestion; finally, the amounts and ratios of the insert and vector DNA were optimized to increase monomeric ligation. Our results showed that the total percentage of positive clones was approximately 48%±7.6%. Using this method, almost all the vectors could be constructed through two or three minipreps. Therefore, our study provided an efficient method for constructing large-size vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, 6 Queen's Park Crescent West, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H2, Canada.
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19
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Grinev VV, Seviaryn IN, Posrednik DV, Kosmacheva SM, Potapnev MP. Highly efficient transfer and stable expression of two genes upon lentivirus transduction of mesenchymal stem cells from human bone marrow. RUSS J GENET+ 2012. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795412030039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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20
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Han SSW, Williams LA, Eggan KC. Constructing and deconstructing stem cell models of neurological disease. Neuron 2011; 70:626-44. [PMID: 21609821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Among the disciplines of medicine, the study of neurological disorders is particularly challenging. The fundamental inaccessibility of the human neural types affected by disease prevents their isolation for in vitro studies of degenerative mechanisms or for drug screening efforts. However, the ability to reprogram readily accessible tissue from patients into pluripotent stem (iPS) cells may now provide a general solution to this shortage of human neurons. Gradually improving methods for directing the differentiation of patient-specific stem cells has enabled the production of several neural cell types affected by disease. Furthermore, initial studies with stem cell lines derived from individuals with pediatric, monogenic disorders have validated the stem cell approach to disease modeling, allowing relevant neural phenotypes to be observed and studied. Whether iPS cell-derived neurons will always faithfully recapitulate the same degenerative processes observed in patients and serve as platforms for drug discovery relevant to common late-onset diseases remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve S W Han
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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21
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Hadian K, Griesbach RA, Dornauer S, Wanger TM, Nagel D, Metlitzky M, Beisker W, Schmidt-Supprian M, Krappmann D. NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) interaction with linear and lys-63 ubiquitin chains contributes to NF-κB activation. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:26107-17. [PMID: 21622571 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.233163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The IκB kinase (IKK) complex acts as a gatekeeper of canonical NF-κB signaling in response to upstream stimulation. IKK activation requires sensing of ubiquitin chains by the essential IKK regulatory subunit IKKγ/NEMO. However, it has remained enigmatic whether NEMO binding to Lys-63-linked or linear ubiquitin chains is critical for triggering IKK activation. We show here that the NEMO C terminus, comprising the ubiquitin binding region and a zinc finger, has a high preference for binding to linear ubiquitin chains. However, immobilization of NEMO, which may be reminiscent of cellular oligomerization, facilitates the interaction with Lys-63 ubiquitin chains. Moreover, selective mutations in NEMO that abolish association with linear ubiquitin but do not affect binding to Lys-63 ubiquitin are only partially compromising NF-κB signaling in response to TNFα stimulation in fibroblasts and T cells. In line with this, TNFα-triggered expression of NF-κB target genes and induction of apoptosis was partially compromised by NEMO mutations that selectively impair the binding to linear ubiquitin chains. Thus, in vivo NEMO interaction with linear and Lys-63 ubiquitin chains is required for optimal IKK activation, suggesting that both type of chains are cooperating in triggering canonical NF-κB signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamyar Hadian
- Department of Cellular Signal Integration Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Toxicology, Neuherberg, Germany.
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Burga LN, Hu H, Juvekar A, Tung NM, Troyan SL, Hofstatter EW, Wulf GM. Loss of BRCA1 leads to an increase in epidermal growth factor receptor expression in mammary epithelial cells, and epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition prevents estrogen receptor-negative cancers in BRCA1-mutant mice. Breast Cancer Res 2011; 13:R30. [PMID: 21396117 PMCID: PMC3219192 DOI: 10.1186/bcr2850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2010] [Revised: 12/30/2010] [Accepted: 03/11/2011] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Women who carry a BRCA1 mutation typically develop "triple-negative" breast cancers (TNBC), defined by the absence of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor and Her2/neu. In contrast to ER-positive tumors, TNBCs frequently express high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Previously, we found a disproportionate fraction of progenitor cells in BRCA1 mutation carriers with EGFR overexpression. Here we examine the role of EGFR in mammary epithelial cells (MECs) in the emergence of BRCA1-related tumors and as a potential target for the prevention of TNBC. Methods Cultures of MECs were used to examine EGFR protein levels and promoter activity in response to BRCA1 suppression with inhibitory RNA. EGFR was assessed by immunoblot and immunofluorescence analysis, real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry. Binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to subpopulations of MECs was examined by Scatchard analysis. The responsiveness of MECs to the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib was assessed in vitro in three-dimensional cultures and in vivo. Mouse mammary tumor virus-Cre recombinase (MMTV-Cre) BRCA1flox/flox p53+/- mice were treated daily with erlotinib or vehicle control, and breast cancer-free survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Inhibition of BRCA1 in MECs led to upregulation of EGFR with an inverse correlation of BRCA1 with cellular EGFR protein levels (r2 = 0.87) and to an increase in cell surface-expressed EGFR. EGFR upregulation in response to BRCA1 suppression was mediated by transcriptional and posttranslational mechanisms. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1)-positive MECs expressed higher levels of EGFR than ALDH1-negative MECs and were expanded two- to threefold in the BRCA1-inhibited MEC population. All MECs were exquisitely sensitive to EGFR inhibition with erlotinib in vitro. EGFR inhibition in MMTV-Cre BRCA1flox/flox p53+/- female mice starting at age 3 months increased disease-free survival from 256 days in the controls to 365 days in the erlotinib-treated cohort. Conclusions We propose that even partial loss of BRCA1 leads to an overall increase in EGFR expression in MECs and to an expansion of the highly EGFR-expressing, ALDH1-positive fraction. Increased EGFR expression may confer a growth advantage to MECs with loss of BRCA1 at the earliest stages of transformation. Employing EGFR inhibition with erlotinib specifically at this premalignant stage was effective in decreasing the incidence of ER-negative breast tumors in this mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Burga
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston MA 02215, USA
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23
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Tashiro K, Kawabata K, Inamura M, Takayama K, Furukawa N, Sakurai F, Katayama K, Hayakawa T, Furue MK, Mizuguchi H. Adenovirus vector-mediated efficient transduction into human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Cell Reprogram 2011; 12:501-7. [PMID: 20726775 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2010.0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the transduction efficiency in human embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells using an adenovirus (Ad) vector. RT-PCR analysis revealed the expression of the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor, a receptor for Ad, in these cells. However, gene expression after the transduction with an Ad vector was observed only in the periphery of ES and iPS cell colonies, when human ES and iPS cells were passaged as small colonies. This suggests that the Ad vector could not enter inside the ES and iPS cell colonies by their tight connection. We thus attempted to transduce foreign genes into the dissociated form of human ES and iPS cells, which were passaged using Rho-associated kinase inhibitor. In this condition, transduction efficiency in human ES and iPS cells was markedly increased and transgene expression was observed even inside the colonies by using Ad vectors. Furthermore, Ad vector-mediated transduction did not alter the expression of undifferentiated markers such as Oct-3/4, Nanog, and SSEA-4. Our results indicate that Ad vectors are effective tools for transduction into human ES and iPS cells.
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Tian J, Alimperti S, Lei P, Andreadis ST. Lentiviral microarrays for real-time monitoring of gene expression dynamics. LAB ON A CHIP 2010; 10:1967-1975. [PMID: 20520864 DOI: 10.1039/c003153d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We developed scalable live-cell microarrays to measure gene expression dynamics in real time and in a high-throughput manner. To this end, we generated dual-promoter lentiviral vectors harboring a transcriptional regulatory element encoding for green fluorescence protein to monitor cell activation in response to exogenous stimuli and a constitutive promoter driving red fluorescence protein for internal signal normalization. Lentivirus preparations were immobilized in a microarray format and after transduction on the array surface target cells were treated with cytokines and interrogated in real time using automated fluorescence microscopy, providing rich dynamic information over a period of several days. Data normalization by red fluorescence intensity eliminated errors due to spot-to-spot variability in transduction efficiency or changes in cell proliferation upon cytokine treatment. These results suggest that the lentivirus microarray can monitor gene expression in real-time and high-throughput manner thereby providing a useful tool for quantitative measurements of gene expression dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Tian
- Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 908 Furnas Hall, Amherst, NY 14260-4200, USA
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25
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Dhara SK, Gerwe BA, Majumder A, Dodla MC, Boyd NL, Machacek DW, Hasneen K, Stice SL. Genetic manipulation of neural progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells. Tissue Eng Part A 2010; 15:3621-34. [PMID: 19795983 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2009.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors (NP) present an important tool for understanding human development and disease. Optimal utilization of NP cells, however, requires an enhanced ability to monitor these cells in vitro and in vivo. Here we report production of the first genetically modified self-renewing human embryonic stem cell-derived NP cells that express fluorescent proteins under constitutive as well as lineage-specific promoters, enabling tracking and monitoring of cell fate. Nucleofection, transfection, and lentiviral transduction were compared for optimal gene delivery to NP cells. Transduction was most efficient in terms of transgene expression (37%), cell viability (39%), and long-term reporter expression (>3 months). Further, the constitutive gene promoters, cytomegalovirus, elongation factor 1alpha, and ubiquitin-C, exhibited comparable silencing (20-30%) in NP cells over a 2-month period, suggesting their suitability for long-term reporter expression studies. Transduced NP cells maintained their progenitor state and differentiation potential, as demonstrated by expression of endogenous NP markers and neuronal markers after differentiation. We also detected reporter expression in astrocytes generated from NP cells transduced with an astrocyte-specific gene promoter, glial fibrillary acidic protein, demonstrating the usefulness of this approach. The genetically manipulated NP cells described here offer great potential for live cell-tracking experiments, and a similar approach can as well be used for expression of proteins other than reporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujoy K Dhara
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
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26
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The combined use of viral transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory elements to improve baculovirus-mediated transient gene expression in human embryonic stem cells. J Biosci Bioeng 2010; 109:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2009.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2009] [Revised: 06/18/2009] [Accepted: 06/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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27
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Idelson M, Alper R, Obolensky A, Ben-Shushan E, Hemo I, Yachimovich-Cohen N, Khaner H, Smith Y, Wiser O, Gropp M, Cohen MA, Even-Ram S, Berman-Zaken Y, Matzrafi L, Rechavi G, Banin E, Reubinoff B. Directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into functional retinal pigment epithelium cells. Cell Stem Cell 2009; 5:396-408. [PMID: 19796620 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2009.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 315] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2008] [Revised: 05/10/2009] [Accepted: 07/07/2009] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction and loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) leads to degeneration of photoreceptors in age-related macular degeneration and subtypes of retinitis pigmentosa. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) may serve as an unlimited source of RPE cells for transplantation in these blinding conditions. Here we show the directed differentiation of hESCs toward an RPE fate under defined culture conditions. We demonstrate that nicotinamide promotes the differentiation of hESCs to neural and subsequently to RPE fate. In the presence of nicotinamide, factors from the TGF-beta superfamily, which presumably pattern RPE development during embryogenesis, further direct RPE differentiation. The hESC-derived pigmented cells exhibit the morphology, marker expression, and function of authentic RPE and rescue retinal structure and function after transplantation to an animal model of retinal degeneration caused by RPE dysfunction. These results are an important step toward the future use of hESCs to replenish RPE in blinding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Idelson
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy & Department of Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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Xu CY, Gu Y, Hou WH, Que YQ, Gao SG, Cheng T, Xia NS. Tetracysteine as a reporter for gene therapy. BIOMEDICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES : BES 2009; 22:496-501. [PMID: 20337223 DOI: 10.1016/s0895-3988(10)60007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the feasibility of using tetracysteine (TC) reporter in gene therapy. METHODS Effects of TC reporter and conventional reporter genes encoding green fluorescence protein (GFP) and luciferase (Luc) on expression and function of the therapeutic gene MGMT(P140K) were compared. Cytotoxicity and drug resistance were studied by Western blot. TC reporter used in therapy was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS The TC reporter had no toxicity to cells and neither affected the expression or activity of therapeutic gene as compared to GFP and Luc. TC could be used in blood sample detection. CONCLUSION TC is a new kind of reporter gene for lentiviral vector in future gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Yu Xu
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development for Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
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An efficient and reversible transposable system for gene delivery and lineage-specific differentiation in human embryonic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell 2009; 5:332-42. [PMID: 19733544 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2009.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2009] [Revised: 05/04/2009] [Accepted: 07/21/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Unraveling the therapeutic potential of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) requires tools to modify their genome. We have engineered the PiggyBac transposable element to create an efficient system for gene delivery in hESCs. This redesigned system, named "ePiggyBac," can deliver up to 18 Kb inserts, and transgene expression is observed in almost 90% of hES cells. ePiggyBac transposons can also carry insulators, inducible expression cassettes, and short hairpin RNAs for gain- and loss-of-function approaches. In hES cells, ePiggyBac's efficiency is superior to that of viral vectors and previously described transposons, including other PiggyBac-based systems. In addition, ePiggyBac transgenes can be removed from the hESC genome without leaving any mutation. We used this system to direct hESC differentiation toward a neuronal phenotype. We then removed the transposons to obtain transgene-free neuronal precursors and neurons. The ability to create fully reversible genetic modifications represents an important step toward clinical applications of hESCs.
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Gori JL, Tian X, Swanson D, Gunther R, Shultz LD, McIvor RS, Kaufman DS. In vivo selection of human embryonic stem cell-derived cells expressing methotrexate-resistant dihydrofolate reductase. Gene Ther 2009; 17:238-49. [PMID: 19829316 PMCID: PMC2820606 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2009.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a novel source of hematopoietic and other cell populations suitable for gene therapy applications. Preclinical studies to evaluate engraftment of hESC-derived hematopoietic cells transplanted into immunodeficient mice demonstrate only limited repopulation. Expression of a drug resistance gene, such as Tyr22-dihydrofolate reductase (Tyr22-DHFR), coupled to methotrexate (MTX) chemotherapy has the potential to selectively increase engraftment of gene-modified hESC-derived cells in mouse xenografts. Here, we describe the generation of Tyr22-DHFR – GFP expressing hESCs that maintain pluripotency, produce teratomas and can differentiate into MTXr-hemato-endothelial cells. We demonstrate that MTX administered to nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient/IL-2Rγcnull (NSG) mice after injection of Tyr22-DHFR-derived cells significantly increases human CD34+ and CD45+ cell engraftment in the bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood of transplanted MTX-treated mice. These results demonstrate that MTX treatment supports selective, long-term engraftment of Tyr22-DHFR-cells in vivo, and provides a novel approach for combined human cell and gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Gori
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Tian J, Andreadis ST. Independent and high-level dual-gene expression in adult stem-progenitor cells from a single lentiviral vector. Gene Ther 2009; 16:874-84. [PMID: 19440229 PMCID: PMC2714872 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2009.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2008] [Revised: 04/02/2009] [Accepted: 04/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Expression of multiple genes from the same target cell is required in several technological and therapeutic applications such as quantitative measurements of promoter activity or in vivo tracking of stem cells. In spite of such need, reaching independent and high-level dual-gene expression cannot be reliably accomplished by current gene transfer vehicles. To address this issue, we designed a lentiviral vector carrying two transcriptional units separated by polyadenylation, terminator and insulator sequences. With this design, the expression level of both genes was as high as that yielded from lentiviral vectors containing only a single transcriptional unit. Similar results were observed with several promoters and cell types including epidermal keratinocytes, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and hair follicle stem cells. Notably, we demonstrated quantitative dynamic monitoring of gene expression in primary cells with no need for selection protocols suggesting that this optimized lentivirus may be useful in high-throughput gene expression profiling studies.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Adult Stem Cells/cytology
- Adult Stem Cells/metabolism
- Bone Marrow Cells
- Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
- Cells, Cultured
- Cloning, Molecular
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Viral/genetics
- Genetic Vectors/genetics
- Hair Follicle
- Humans
- Insulator Elements
- Lentivirus/genetics
- Luminescent Proteins/genetics
- Luminescent Proteins/metabolism
- Microscopy, Fluorescence
- Organ Specificity
- Polyadenylation
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics
- Terminator Regions, Genetic
- Transcription, Genetic
- Transduction, Genetic
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Tian
- Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Amherst, NY 14260
| | - Stelios T. Andreadis
- Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Amherst, NY 14260
- Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203
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Wu HT, Chou CK, Hung YC, Yu CK. Allotransplantation of Transgenic Mouse Ovaries Expressing Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein under the Control of the Murine Phosphoglycerate Kinase 1 Promoter. Reprod Domest Anim 2009; 45:900-6. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2009.01461.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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33
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Tzur G, Levy A, Meiri E, Barad O, Spector Y, Bentwich Z, Mizrahi L, Katzenellenbogen M, Ben-Shushan E, Reubinoff BE, Galun E. MicroRNA expression patterns and function in endodermal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. PLoS One 2008; 3:e3726. [PMID: 19015728 PMCID: PMC2581805 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2008] [Accepted: 10/27/2008] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate cognate mRNAs post-transcriptionally. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC), which exhibit the characteristics of pluripotency and self-renewal, may serve as a model to study the role of miRNAs in early human development. We aimed to determine whether endodermally-differentiated hESC demonstrate a unique miRNA expression pattern, and whether overexpression of endoderm-specific miRNA may affect hESC differentiation. METHODS miRNA expression was profiled in undifferentiated and NaButyrate-induced differentiated hESC of two lines, using microarray and quantitative RT-PCR. Then, the effect of lentiviral-based overexpression of liver-specific miR-122 on hESC differentiation was analyzed, using genomewide gene microarrays. RESULTS The miRNA profiling revealed expression of three novel miRNAs in undifferentiated and differentiated hESC. Upon NaButyrate induction, two of the most upregulated miRNAs common to both cell lines were miR-24 and miR-10a, whose target genes have been shown to inhibit endodermal differentiation. Furthermore, induction of several liver-enriched miRNAs, including miR-122 and miR-192, was observed in parallel to induction of endodermal gene expression. Stable overexpression of miR-122 in hESC was unable to direct spontaneous differentiation towards a clear endodermal fate, but rather, delayed general differentiation of these cells. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that expression of specific miRNAs correlates with that of specific genes upon differentiation, and highlight the potential role of miRNAs in endodermal differentiation of hESC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galit Tzur
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Lina Mizrahi
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Mark Katzenellenbogen
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Etti Ben-Shushan
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin E. Reubinoff
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eithan Galun
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
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Aharonowiz M, Einstein O, Fainstein N, Lassmann H, Reubinoff B, Ben-Hur T. Neuroprotective effect of transplanted human embryonic stem cell-derived neural precursors in an animal model of multiple sclerosis. PLoS One 2008; 3:e3145. [PMID: 18773082 PMCID: PMC2522282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2007] [Accepted: 08/12/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). A potential new therapeutic approach for MS is cell transplantation which may promote remyelination and suppress the inflammatory process. Methods We transplanted human embryonic stem cells (hESC)-derived early multipotent neural precursors (NPs) into the brain ventricles of mice induced with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of MS. We studied the effect of the transplanted NPs on the functional and pathological manifestations of the disease. Results Transplanted hESC-derived NPs significantly reduced the clinical signs of EAE. Histological examination showed migration of the transplanted NPs to the host white matter, however, differentiation to mature oligodendrocytes and remyelination were negligible. Time course analysis of the evolution and progression of CNS inflammation and tissue injury showed an attenuation of the inflammatory process in transplanted animals, which was correlated with the reduction of both axonal damage and demyelination. Co-culture experiments showed that hESC-derived NPs inhibited the activation and proliferation of lymph node–derived T cells in response to nonspecific polyclonal stimuli. Conclusions The therapeutic effect of transplantation was not related to graft or host remyelination but was mediated by an immunosuppressive neuroprotective mechanism. The attenuation of EAE by hESC-derived NPs, demonstrated here, may serve as the first step towards further developments of hESC for cell therapy in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Aharonowiz
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cells Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenesis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ofira Einstein
- Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenesis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nina Fainstein
- Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenesis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hans Lassmann
- Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Reubinoff
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cells Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- * E-mail: (BR); (TBH)
| | - Tamir Ben-Hur
- Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenesis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- * E-mail: (BR); (TBH)
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35
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Suter DM, Krause KH. Neural commitment of embryonic stem cells: molecules, pathways and potential for cell therapy. J Pathol 2008; 215:355-68. [PMID: 18566959 DOI: 10.1002/path.2380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The study of neuronal differentiation of embryonic stem cells has raised major interest over recent years. It allows a better understanding of fundamental aspects of neurogenesis and, at the same time, the generation of neurons as tools for various applications ranging from drug testing to cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Since the first report of human embryonic stem (ES) cells derivation, many studies have shown the possibility of directing their differentiation towards neurons. However, there are still many challenges ahead, including gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms involved and developing techniques to allow the generation of homogeneous neuronal and glial subtypes. We review the current state of knowledge of embryonic neurogenesis which has been acquired from animal models and discuss its translation into in vitro strategies of neuronal differentiation of ES cells. We also highlight several aspects of current protocols which need to be optimized to generate high-quality embryonic stem cell-derived neuronal precursors suitable for clinical applications. Finally, we discuss the potential of embryonic stem cell-derived neurons for cell replacement therapy in several central nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Suter
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
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36
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Delluc-Clavières A, Le Bec C, Van den Berghe L, Conte C, Allo V, Danos O, Prats AC. Efficient gene transfer in skeletal muscle with AAV-derived bicistronic vector using the FGF-1 IRES. Gene Ther 2008; 15:1090-8. [PMID: 18369321 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2008.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
IRESs (internal ribosome entry sites) are RNA elements behaving as translational enhancers in conditions of global translation blockade. IRESs are also useful in biotechnological applications as they allow expression of several genes from a single mRNA. Up to now, most IRES-containing vectors use the IRES from encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), highly active in transiently transfected cells but long and not flexible in its positioning relative to the gene of interest. In contrast, several IRESs identified in cellular mRNAs are short and flexible and may therefore be advantageous in gene transfer vectors such as those derived from the adeno-associated virus (AAV), where the size of the transgene expression cassette is limited. Here, we have tested bicistronic AAV-derived vectors expressing two luciferase genes separated by the EMCV- or fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1) IRES. We demonstrate that the AAV vector with the FGF-1 IRES, when administrated into the mouse muscle, leads to efficient expression of both transgenes with a stable stoechiometry, for at least 120 days. Interestingly, the bicistronic mRNA containing the FGF-1 IRES leads to transgene expression 10 times superior to that observed with EMCV, in vivo. AAV vectors featuring the FGF-1 IRES may thus be advantageous for gene therapy approaches in skeletal muscle involving coexpression of genes of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Delluc-Clavières
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U858, Toulouse, France
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37
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Bidirectional promoter interference between two widely used internal heterologous promoters in a late-generation lentiviral construct. Gene Ther 2008; 15:384-90. [PMID: 18283290 DOI: 10.1038/sj.gt.3303105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Gene transfer vectors encoding two or more genes are potentially powerful research tools and are poised to play an increasingly important role in gene therapy applications. Common strategies employed to express more than one transgene per vector include the use of multiple promoters, internal ribosome entry site (IRES) elements, splicing signals and fusion proteins. Of these, the IRES elements and multiple promoters have been most widely used. The use of multiple promoters, however, may be compromised by interference between promoters, promoter silencing and vector rearrangements or deletions. In this study, we demonstrate promoter interference between two internal heterologous promoters in the context of a late-generation lentiviral vector. The interference, involving the human cytomegalovirus-immediate-early promoter and human elongation-factor-1alpha promoter, occurred bidirectionally with both promoters markedly impairing expression of the adjacent transcription unit. The data presented not only highlight the potential for interference between these widely-used promoters, but also the value of a sequential approach to vector construction that allows such effects to be recognized.
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38
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Kim S, Kim GJ, Miyoshi H, Moon SH, Ahn SE, Lee JH, Lee HJ, Cha KY, Chung HM. Efficiency of the elongation factor-1alpha promoter in mammalian embryonic stem cells using lentiviral gene delivery systems. Stem Cells Dev 2007; 16:537-45. [PMID: 17784828 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2006.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of new technology for genetic modification in human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines has raised great hopes for achieving new ground in basic and clinical research. Recently, lentiviral vector technology has been shown to be highly effective and therefore could emerge as a popular tool for human ES cell genetic modification. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficiency of promoters in lentiviral gene delivery systems in mammalian ES cells, including mouse, monkey, and human, and to construct efficient and optimized conditions for lentivirus-mediated transfection systems. Mammalian ES cells were transfected with self-inactivating (SIN) human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-based lentiviral vectors containing the human polypeptide chain elongation factor-1alpha (EF-1alpha) promoter or cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter and analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis for the expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter gene. The efficiency of the EF-1alpha promoter was higher than that of the CMV promoter in all ES cells tested. The EF-1alpha promoter efficiently drove gene expression (14.74%) compared with CMV promoter (3.69%) in human ES cells. We generated a stable eGFP+ human ES cell line (CHA3-EGFP human ES cells) that continuously expressed high levels of EGFP ( approximately 95%) from the EF-1alpha promoter and was maintained for up to 60 weeks with undifferentiated proliferation. The established CHA3-EGFP human ES cell lines were characterized as being negative for nondifferentiation markers and teratoma formation. These results imply that genetic modification by lentiviral vectors with specific promoters in ES cells constitute a powerful tool for guided differentiation as well as gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinae Kim
- Stem Cell Research Laboratory, CHA Stem Cell Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul 135-081, Korea
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Gropp M, Reubinoff BE. Lentiviral–RNA–Interference System Mediating Homogenous and Monitored Level of Gene Silencing in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. CLONING AND STEM CELLS 2007; 9:339-45. [PMID: 17907944 DOI: 10.1089/clo.2006.0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Genetic modifications of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) that will efficiently promote stable homogenous gene silencing, and will also allow monitoring of the silencing level, may be invaluable for the study of function of genes in early human embryogenesis, differentiation, and maintenance of pluripotency of hESCs. RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) emerges as a highly efficient tool for specific knockdown of gene expression. Lentiviruses are efficient vectors for the delivery and stable expression of transgenes in hESCs. We sought to develop a lentiviral-RNAi-based system that will efficiently induce homogenous gene silencing and will allow the monitoring of its relative level in hESCs. Dual-promoter lentiviral vectors coexpressing an RNAi cassette and a reporter gene were initially used for efficient and stable induction of heterogeneous levels of gene silencing in polyclonal hESCs. This step was further combined with the isolation of transduced clones with different homogenous levels of gene silencing. The level of silencing in each of the clones correlated and could be monitored by the level of expression of the vector's reporter transgene. Thus, our system allows easy identification of clones with relatively different homogenous levels of gene silencing. Our approach would be valuable for the study of function of genes, in particular those whose role in hESCs biology depends on their level of expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Gropp
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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40
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Wilber A, Linehan JL, Tian X, Woll PS, Morris JK, Belur LR, McIvor RS, Kaufman DS. Efficient and stable transgene expression in human embryonic stem cells using transposon-mediated gene transfer. Stem Cells 2007; 25:2919-27. [PMID: 17673526 DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2007-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Efficient and stable genetic modification of human embryonic stem (ES) cells is required to realize the full scientific and potential therapeutic use of these cells. Currently, only limited success toward this goal has been achieved without using a viral vector. The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system mediates nonviral gene insertion and stable expression in target cells and tissues. Here, we demonstrate use of the nonviral SB transposon system to effectively mediate stable gene transfer in human ES cells. Transposons encoding (a) green fluorescent protein coupled to the zeocin gene or (b) the firefly luciferase (luc) gene were effectively delivered to undifferentiated human ES cells with either a DNA or RNA source of transposase. Only human ES cells cotransfected with transposon- and transposase-encoding sequences exhibited transgene expression after 1 week in culture. Molecular analysis of transposon integrants indicated that 98% of stable gene transfer resulted from transposition. Stable luc expression was observed up to 5 months in human ES cells cotransfected with a transposon along with either DNA or RNA encoding SB transposase. Genetically engineered human ES cells demonstrated the ability to differentiate into teratomas in vivo and mature hematopoietic cells in vitro while maintaining stable transgene expression. We conclude that the SB transposon system provides an effective approach with several advantages for genetic manipulation and durable gene expression in human ES cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wilber
- The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Transposon Research, Gene Therapy Program, Institute of Human Genetics, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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Abstract
The restoration of functional myocardium following heart failure still remains a formidable challenge among researchers. Irreversible damage caused by myocardial infarction is followed by left ventricular remodeling. The current pharmacologic and interventional strategies fail to regenerate dead myocardium and are usually insufficient to meet the challenge caused by necrotic cardiac myocytes. There is growing evidence, suggesting that the heart has the ability to regenerate through the activation of resident cardiac stem cells or through the recruitment of a stem cell population from other tissues such as bone marrow. These new findings belie the earlier conception about the poor regenerating ability of myocardial tissue. Stem cell therapy is a promising new approach for myocardial repair. However, it has been limited by the paucity of cell sources for functional human cardiomyocytes. Moreover, cells isolated from different sources exhibit idiosyncratic characteristics including modes of isolation, ease of expansion in culture, proliferative ability, characteristic markers, etc., which are the basis for several technical manipulations to achieve successful engraftment. Clinical trials show some evidence for the successful integration of stem cells of extracardiac origin in adult human heart with an improved functional outcome. This may be attributed to the discrepancies in the methods of detection, study subject selection (early or late post transplantation), presence of inflammation, and false identification of infiltrating leukocytes. This review discusses these issues in a comprehensive manner so that their physiological significance in animal as well as in human studies can be better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi Sharma
- Division of Pharmacology, Central Drug Research Institute, POB-173, Lucknow-226001, India
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42
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Gharwan H, Hirata RK, Wang P, Richard RE, Wang L, Olson E, Allen J, Ware CB, Russell DW. Transduction of human embryonic stem cells by foamy virus vectors. Mol Ther 2007; 15:1827-33. [PMID: 17622243 DOI: 10.1038/sj.mt.6300244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are important tools for the study of stem cell biology and may ultimately be used in cellular therapies and regenerative medicine. For hESCs to achieve their potential, stable genetic modification of the hESC genome will be required. Here we have studied the transduction of hESCs by vectors based on foamy virus (FV), an integrating retrovirus with no known pathogenicity. We find that hESCs and also ESCs derived from rhesus monkeys can be efficiently transduced by FV vectors at frequencies of 14-48%. Integration of FV vector DNA was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis, and stable expression was observed from a single integrated provirus in several clones. Transduced hESCs expressed markers characteristic of undifferentiated cells, differentiated and expressed markers from all three germ layers after serum exposure, and formed teratomas with persistent transgene expression in differentiated cells. Thus, FV vectors are promising tools for the genetic modification of hESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Gharwan
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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Hong S, Hwang DY, Yoon S, Isacson O, Ramezani A, Hawley RG, Kim KS. Functional analysis of various promoters in lentiviral vectors at different stages of in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Mol Ther 2007; 15:1630-9. [PMID: 17609656 PMCID: PMC2614215 DOI: 10.1038/sj.mt.6300251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the therapeutic potential offered by embryonic stem (ES) cells, it is critical to optimize stable gene delivery and expression at different developmental stages of ES cell differentiation. Here, we systematically analyzed lentiviral vectors containing the following promoters: the human elongation factor 1alpha (EF1alpha) promoter, the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early region enhancer-promoter, the composite CAG promoter (consisting of the CMV immediate early enhancer and the chicken beta-actin promoter), the human phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK) promoter, the murine stem cell virus (MSCV) long terminal repeat (LTR), or the gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) LTR. Our results show that the EF1alpha promoter directed robust transgene expression at every stage of mouse ES cell differentiation, whereas the CMV promoter drove transgene expression only during late stages. Similarly, the CAG and PGK promoters drove transgene expression at a significant level only during late stages. The MSCV LTR and the GALV LTR exhibited much lower promoter activities at all stages. Interestingly, mouse ES cells transduced with the EF1alpha promoter-containing lentiviral vector lost most of their transgene expression during in vitro differentiation to neural precursors and neuronal cells. Our results demonstrate that different cellular and viral promoters exhibit very distinct and dynamic properties not only in terms of promoter strength but also with respect to differentiation stage-specific activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunghoi Hong
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dong-Youn Hwang
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Soonsang Yoon
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ole Isacson
- Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ali Ramezani
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Robert G Hawley
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kwang-Soo Kim
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
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44
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Nicholas CR, Gaur M, Wang S, Pera RAR, Leavitt AD. A Method for Single-Cell Sorting and Expansion of Genetically Modified Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cells Dev 2007; 16:109-17. [PMID: 17348809 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2006.0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic modification of human embryonic stem (hES) cells is essential for studies of gene function and differentiation. The expression of transgenes may direct tissue-specific differentiation and aid in the identification of various differentiated cell types. Stable genomic integration of transgenes is optimal because hES cell differentiation can span several days to weeks and include numerous cell divisions, and establishing homogeneous modified cell lines will facilitate research studies. Herein we provide a method for producing and expanding hES cell lines from single cells that have been isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) following genetic modification by lentivirus vectors. Using this method, we have established enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP)-expressing hES cell lines that are pluripotent, contain a diploid chromosomal content, and stably express eGFP following more than 2 months of routine culture and in vivo differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory R Nicholas
- Human Embryonic Stem Cell Center, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94143-0556, USA
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45
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Saito Y. Making a stealth organ by RNA inhibition: will it fly? Transfusion 2007; 47:4-5. [PMID: 17207222 DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2007.01086.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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46
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Biton S, Gropp M, Itsykson P, Pereg Y, Mittelman L, Johe K, Reubinoff B, Shiloh Y. ATM-mediated response to DNA double strand breaks in human neurons derived from stem cells. DNA Repair (Amst) 2006; 6:128-34. [PMID: 17178256 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2006.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2006] [Accepted: 10/19/2006] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a multi-system genomic instability syndrome that is caused by loss or inactivation of the ATM protein kinase. ATM is largely nuclear in proliferating cells, and activates an extensive network of pathways in response to double strand breaks (DSBs) in the DNA by phosphorylating key proteins in these pathways. The prominent symptom of A-T is neuronal degeneration, making the elucidation of ATM's functions in neurons essential to understanding the disease. It has been suggested that ATM is cytoplasmic in neurons and functions in processes that are not associated with the DNA damage response. Recently we showed that in human neuron-like cells obtained by in vitro differentiation of neuroblastomas, ATM was largely nuclear and mediated the DSB response as in proliferating cells. We have now extended these studies to two additional model systems: neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells, and cortical neurons derived from neural stem cells. The results substantiate the notion that ATM is nuclear in human neurons and mediates the DSB response, the same as it does in proliferating cells. We present here unique and powerful model systems to further study the ATM-mediated network in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Biton
- David and Inez Myers Laboratory for Genetic Research, Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Zhou BY, Ye Z, Chen G, Gao ZP, Zhang YA, Cheng L. Inducible and Reversible Transgene Expression in Human Stem Cells After Efficient and Stable Gene Transfer. Stem Cells 2006; 25:779-89. [PMID: 17158240 DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2006-0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We report here a lentiviral vector system for regulated transgene expression. We used the tetracycline repressor fused with a transcriptional suppression domain (tTS) to specifically suppress transgene expression. Human cells were first transduced with a tTS-expressing vector and subsequently transduced with a second lentiviral vector-containing transgene controlled by a regular promoter adjacent to a high-affinity tTS-binding site (tetO). After optimizing the location of the tetO site in the latter vector, we achieved a better inducible transgene expression than the previous lentiviral vectors using the tetracycline repressor systems. In this new system, the transgene transcription from a cellular promoter such as EF1alpha or ubiquitin-C promoter is suppressed by the tTS bound to the nearby tetO site. In the presence of the tetracycline analog doxycycline (Dox), however, the tTS binding is released from the transgene vector and transcription from the promoter is restored. Thus, this system simply adds an extra level of regulation, suitable for any types of promoters (ubiquitous or cell-specific). We tested this tTS-suppressive, Dox-inducible system in 293T cells, human multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells, and three human embryonic stem cell lines, using a dual-gene vector containing the green fluorescent protein reporter or a cellular gene. We observed a tight suppression in the uninduced state. However, the suppression is reversible, and transgene expression was restored at 5 ng/ml Dox. The lentiviral vectors containing the tTS-suppressive, Dox-inducible system offer a universal, inducible, and reversible transgene expression system in essentially any mammalian cell types, including human embryonic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty Ying Zhou
- Stem Cell Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Broadway Research Building, Room 747, 733 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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