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Kabaria SR, Bae Y, Ehmann ME, Beitz AM, Dorn BA, Peterman EL, Love KS, Ploessl DS, Galloway KE. Programmable promoter editing for precise control of transgene expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.19.599813. [PMID: 38948694 PMCID: PMC11212971 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.19.599813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Subtle changes in gene expression direct cells to distinct cellular states. Identifying and controlling dose-dependent transgenes requires tools for precisely titrating expression. To this end, we developed a framework called DIAL for building editable promoters that allows for fine-scale, heritable changes in transgene expression. Using DIAL, we increase expression by recombinase-mediated excision of spacers between the binding sites of a synthetic zinc-finger transcription factor and the core promoter. By nesting varying numbers and lengths of spacers, DIAL generates a tunable range of unimodal setpoints from a single promoter construct. Through small-molecule control of transcription factors and recombinases, DIAL supports temporally defined, user-guided control of transgene expression. Integration of DIAL promoters into lentivirus allows for efficient delivery to primary cells. As promoter editing generates stable states, DIAL setpoints are heritable, facilitating mapping of transgene levels to phenotypes. The highly modular and extensible DIAL framework opens up new opportunities for screening and tailoring transgene expression to regulate gene and cell-based therapies. Highlights Promoter editing generates a range of unimodal setpoints from DIAL, a synthetic promoter systemLength of the excisable spacer and identity of the zinc-finger activator tune setpointsNested, excisable spacers expand the number of unimodal setpointsDIAL generates stable setpoints that are robust to varying transactivator levelsDIAL transmits transient inputs into heritable statesThe TET-DIAL system enables small molecule activation of defined setpointsDIAL controls expression in primary cells and iPSCs; regulates physiologically-relevant transgenes. One Sentence Summary DIAL offers an extensible framework for designing synthetic promoters that generate heritable setpoints of gene expression and performs across a range of cell types and delivery systems.
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Fathi-Karkan S, Sargazi S, Shojaei S, Farasati Far B, Mirinejad S, Cordani M, Khosravi A, Zarrabi A, Ghavami S. Biotin-functionalized nanoparticles: an overview of recent trends in cancer detection. NANOSCALE 2024. [PMID: 38899396 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00634h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical bio-sensing is a potent and efficient method for converting various biological recognition events into voltage, current, and impedance electrical signals. Biochemical sensors are now a common part of medical applications, such as detecting blood glucose levels, detecting food pathogens, and detecting specific cancers. As an exciting feature, bio-affinity couples, such as proteins with aptamers, ligands, paired nucleotides, and antibodies with antigens, are commonly used as bio-sensitive elements in electrochemical biosensors. Biotin-avidin interactions have been utilized for various purposes in recent years, such as targeting drugs, diagnosing clinically, labeling immunologically, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, and separating or purifying biomolecular compounds. The interaction between biotin and avidin is widely regarded as one of the most robust and reliable noncovalent interactions due to its high bi-affinity and ability to remain selective and accurate under various reaction conditions and bio-molecular attachments. More recently, there have been numerous attempts to develop electrochemical sensors to sense circulating cancer cells and the measurement of intracellular levels of protein thiols, formaldehyde, vitamin-targeted polymers, huwentoxin-I, anti-human antibodies, and a variety of tumor markers (including alpha-fetoprotein, epidermal growth factor receptor, prostate-specific Ag, carcinoembryonic Ag, cancer antigen 125, cancer antigen 15-3, etc.). Still, the non-specific binding of biotin to endogenous biotin-binding proteins present in biological samples can result in false-positive signals and hinder the accurate detection of cancer biomarkers. This review summarizes various categories of biotin-functional nanoparticles designed to detect such biomarkers and highlights some challenges in using them as diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Fathi-Karkan
- Natural Products and Medicinal Plants Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, 94531-55166 Iran.
- Department of Advanced Sciences and Technologies in Medicine, School of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd 9414974877, Iran.
| | - Saman Sargazi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute of Cellular and Molecular Sciences in Infectious Diseases, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
| | - Shirin Shojaei
- Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Bahareh Farasati Far
- Department of Chemistry, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Shekoufeh Mirinejad
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute of Cellular and Molecular Sciences in Infectious Diseases, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
| | - Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Arezoo Khosravi
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istanbul Okan University, Istanbul 34959, Turkiye.
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istinye University, Istanbul 34396, Turkiye.
- Department of Research Analytics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai - 600 077, India
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
- Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, University of Technology in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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Wang Y, Huang R, Lu Y, Liu M, Mo R. Immuno-protective vesicle-crosslinked hydrogel for allogenic transplantation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5176. [PMID: 38890279 PMCID: PMC11189436 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49135-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The longevity of grafts remains a major challenge in allogeneic transplantation due to immune rejection. Systemic immunosuppression can impair graft function and can also cause severe adverse effects. Here, we report a local immuno-protective strategy to enhance post-transplant persistence of allografts using a mesenchymal stem cell membrane-derived vesicle (MMV)-crosslinked hydrogel (MMV-Gel). MMVs are engineered to upregulate expression of Fas ligand (FasL) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). The MMVs are retained within the hydrogel by crosslinking. The immuno-protective microenvironment of the hydrogel protects allografts by presenting FasL and PD-L1. The binding of these ligands to T effector cells, the dominant contributors to graft destruction and rejection, results in apoptosis of T effector cells and generation of regulatory T cells. We demonstrate that implantation with MMV-Gel prolongs the survival and function of grafts in mouse models of allogeneic pancreatic islet cells and skin transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Renqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yougong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Mingqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Ran Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
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4
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Galvan S, Teixeira AP, Fussenegger M. Enhancing cell-based therapies with synthetic gene circuits responsive to molecular stimuli. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024. [PMID: 38867466 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology aims to contribute to the development of next-generation patient-specific cell-based therapies for chronic diseases especially through the construction of sophisticated synthetic gene switches to enhance the safety and spatiotemporal controllability of engineered cells. Indeed, switches that sense and process specific cues, which may be either externally administered triggers or endogenous disease-associated molecules, have emerged as powerful tools for programming and fine-tuning therapeutic outputs. Living engineered cells, often referred to as designer cells, incorporating such switches are delivered to patients either as encapsulated cell implants or by infusion, as in the case of the clinically approved CAR-T cell therapies. Here, we review recent developments in synthetic gene switches responsive to molecular stimuli, spanning regulatory mechanisms acting at the transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational levels. We also discuss current challenges facing clinical translation of cell-based therapies employing these devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Galvan
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ana P Teixeira
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Godoi MM, Reis EM, Koepp J, Ferreira J. Perspective from developers: Tissue-engineered products for skin wound healing. Int J Pharm 2024; 660:124319. [PMID: 38866084 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124319] [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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Tissue-engineered products (TEPs) are at the forefront of developmental medicines, precisely where monoclonal antibodies and recombinant cytokines were 30 years ago. TEPs development for treating skin wounds has become a fast-growing field as it offers the potential to find novel therapeutic approaches for treating pathologies that currently have limited or no effective alternatives. This review aims to provide the reader with the process of translating an idea from the laboratory bench to clinical practice, specifically in the context of TEPs designing for skin wound healing. It encompasses historical perspectives, approved therapies, and offers a distinctive insight into the regulatory framework in Brazil. We explore the essential guidelines for quality testing, and nonclinical proof-of-concept considering the Brazilian Network of Experts in Advanced Therapies (RENETA) and International Standards and Guidelines (ICH e ISO). Adopting a multifaceted approach, our discussion incorporates scientific and industrial perspectives, addressing quality, biosafety, non-clinical viability, clinical trial and real-word data for pharmacovigilance demands. This comprehensive analysis presents a panoramic view of the development of skin TEPs, offering insights into the evolving landscape of this dynamic and promising field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuella Machado Godoi
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina- UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
| | - Emily Marques Reis
- Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina- UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Biocelltis Biotecnologia, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Janice Koepp
- Biocelltis Biotecnologia, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Juliano Ferreira
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina- UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
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Sripada SA, Hosseini M, Ramesh S, Wang J, Ritola K, Menegatti S, Daniele MA. Advances and opportunities in process analytical technologies for viral vector manufacturing. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 74:108391. [PMID: 38848795 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108391] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Viral vectors are an emerging, exciting class of biologics whose application in vaccines, oncology, and gene therapy has grown exponentially in recent years. Following first regulatory approval, this class of therapeutics has been vigorously pursued to treat monogenic disorders including orphan diseases, entering hundreds of new products into pipelines. Viral vector manufacturing supporting clinical efforts has spurred the introduction of a broad swath of analytical techniques dedicated to assessing the diverse and evolving panel of Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) of these products. Herein, we provide an overview of the current state of analytics enabling measurement of CQAs such as capsid and vector identities, product titer, transduction efficiency, impurity clearance etc. We highlight orthogonal methods and discuss the advantages and limitations of these techniques while evaluating their adaptation as process analytical technologies. Finally, we identify gaps and propose opportunities in enabling existing technologies for real-time monitoring from hardware, software, and data analysis viewpoints for technology development within viral vector biomanufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sobhana A Sripada
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Mahshid Hosseini
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Srivatsan Ramesh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Junhyeong Wang
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Kimberly Ritola
- North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning (NC-VVIRAL), North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Neuroscience Center, Brain Initiative Neurotools Vector Core, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA; North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning (NC-VVIRAL), North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center, North Carolina State University, 890 Main Campus Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Michael A Daniele
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning (NC-VVIRAL), North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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Aljamal D, Iyengar PS, Nguyen TT. Translational Challenges in Drug Therapy and Delivery Systems for Treating Chronic Lower Extremity Wounds. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:750. [PMID: 38931872 PMCID: PMC11207742 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite several promising preclinical studies performed over the past two decades, there remains a paucity of market-approved drugs to treat chronic lower extremity wounds in humans. This translational gap challenges our understanding of human chronic lower extremity wounds and the design of wound treatments. Current targeted drug treatments and delivery systems for lower extremity wounds rely heavily on preclinical animal models meant to mimic human chronic wounds. However, there are several key differences between animal preclinical wound models and the human chronic wound microenvironment, which can impact the design of targeted drug treatments and delivery systems. To explore these differences, this review delves into recent new drug technologies and delivery systems designed to address the chronic wound microenvironment. It also highlights preclinical models used to test drug treatments specific for the wound microenvironments of lower extremity diabetic, venous, ischemic, and burn wounds. We further discuss key differences between preclinical wound models and human chronic wounds that may impact successful translational drug treatment design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny Aljamal
- Chan School of Medicine, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA 01655, USA; (D.A.); (P.S.I.)
| | - Priya S. Iyengar
- Chan School of Medicine, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA 01655, USA; (D.A.); (P.S.I.)
| | - Tammy T. Nguyen
- Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
- Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
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8
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Mody H, Sutaria DS, Miles D. Clinical Pharmacology Considerations for the "Off-the-Shelf" Allogeneic Cell Therapies. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2024; 115:1233-1250. [PMID: 38501153 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.3241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies have garnered unprecedented clinical success with multiple regulatory approvals for the treatment of various hematological malignancies. However, there are still several clinical challenges that limit their broad utilization for aggressive disease conditions. To address some of these challenges, allogeneic cell therapies are evaluated as an alternative approach. As compared with autologous products, they offer several advantages, such as a more standardized "off the shelf" product, reduced manufacturing complexity, and no requirement of bridging therapy. As with autologous CAR-T therapies, allogeneic cell therapies also present clinical pharmacology challenges due to their in vivo living nature, unique pharmacokinetics or cellular kinetics (CKs), and complex dose-exposure-response relationships that are impacted by various patient- and product-related factors. On top of that, allogeneic cell therapies present additional unique challenges, including attenuated in vivo persistence and graft-vs.-host disease risk as compared with autologous counterparts. This review draws comparison between autologous and allogeneic cell therapies, summarizing key engineering aspects unique to allogeneic cell therapy. Clinical pharmacology learnings from emerging clinical data of allogeneic cell therapy programs are also highlighted, with particular emphasis on CK, dose-exposure-response relationship, lymphodepletion regimen, repeat dosing, and patient- and product-related factors that can impact CK and patient outcomes. There are specific unique challenges and opportunities arising from the development of allogeneic cell therapies, especially in optimizing lymphodepletion and establishing a regimen for repeat dosing. This review highlights how clinical pharmacologists are well positioned to help address these challenges by leveraging novel clinical pharmacology and modeling and simulation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardik Mody
- Clinical Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Dale Miles
- Clinical Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, USA
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Huayamares SG, Loughrey D, Kim H, Dahlman JE, Sorscher EJ. Nucleic acid-based drugs for patients with solid tumours. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024; 21:407-427. [PMID: 38589512 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00883-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The treatment of patients with advanced-stage solid tumours typically involves a multimodality approach (including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy and/or immunotherapy), which is often ultimately ineffective. Nucleic acid-based drugs, either as monotherapies or in combination with standard-of-care therapies, are rapidly emerging as novel treatments capable of generating responses in otherwise refractory tumours. These therapies include those using viral vectors (also referred to as gene therapies), several of which have now been approved by regulatory agencies, and nanoparticles containing mRNAs and a range of other nucleotides. In this Review, we describe the development and clinical activity of viral and non-viral nucleic acid-based treatments, including their mechanisms of action, tolerability and available efficacy data from patients with solid tumours. We also describe the effects of the tumour microenvironment on drug delivery for both systemically administered and locally administered agents. Finally, we discuss important trends resulting from ongoing clinical trials and preclinical testing, and manufacturing and/or stability considerations that are expected to underpin the next generation of nucleic acid agents for patients with solid tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian G Huayamares
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David Loughrey
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hyejin Kim
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - James E Dahlman
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Eric J Sorscher
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Flores ER, Sawyer WG. Engineering cancer's end: An interdisciplinary approach to confront the complexities of cancer. Cancer Cell 2024:S1535-6108(24)00185-5. [PMID: 38848721 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Cancer engineering is an interdisciplinary approach that promises to confront the complexities of cancer and accelerate transformative discoveries by integrating innovative fields across engineering and the physical sciences with a focus on cancer. We offer a conceptual framework for the hallmarks of cancer engineering, integrating 12 fields: system dynamics; imaging, radiation, and spectroscopy; robotics and controls; solid mechanics; fluid mechanics; chemistry and nanomaterials; mathematics and simulation; cellular and protein engineering; kinetics and thermodynamics; materials science; manufacturing and biofabrication; and microsystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa R Flores
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Cancer Biology and Evolution Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - W Gregory Sawyer
- Department of BioEngineering, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Cancer Biology and Evolution Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
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11
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Kong X, Zhang J, Chen S, Wang X, Xi Q, Shen H, Zhang R. Immune checkpoint inhibitors: breakthroughs in cancer treatment. Cancer Biol Med 2024; 21:j.issn.2095-3941.2024.0055. [PMID: 38801082 PMCID: PMC11208906 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2024.0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, immunotherapies have increasingly been considered as first-line treatments for most cancers. One such treatment is immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), which has demonstrated promising results against various solid tumors in clinical trials. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are currently available as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). These ICIs target specific immune checkpoints, including cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). Clinical trial results strongly support the feasibility of this immunotherapeutic approach. However, a substantial proportion of patients with cancer develop resistance or tolerance to treatment, owing to tumor immune evasion mechanisms that counteract the host immune response. Consequently, substantial research focus has been aimed at identifying additional ICIs or synergistic inhibitory receptors to enhance the effectiveness of anti-PD-1, anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1), and anti-CTLA-4 treatments. Recently, several immune checkpoint molecular targets have been identified, such as T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT), mucin domain containing-3 (TIM-3), lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA), B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA), and signal-regulatory protein α (SIRPα). Functional mAbs targeting these molecules are under development. CTLA-4, PD-1/PD-L1, and other recently discovered immune checkpoint proteins with distinct structures are at the forefront of research. This review discusses these structures, as well as clinical progress in mAbs targeting these immune checkpoint molecules and their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqing Kong
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jinyi Zhang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shuwei Chen
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xianyang Wang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qing Xi
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Han Shen
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Rongxin Zhang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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12
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Wang JP, Hung CH, Liou YH, Liu CC, Yeh KH, Wang KY, Lai ZS, Chatterjee B, Hsu TC, Lee TL, Shyu YC, Hsiao PW, Chen LY, Chuang TJ, Yu CHA, Liao NS, Shen CKJ. Long-term hematopoietic transfer of the anti-cancer and lifespan-extending capabilities of a genetically engineered blood system by transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells. eLife 2024; 12:RP88275. [PMID: 38752723 PMCID: PMC11098557 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
A causal relationship exists among the aging process, organ decay and disfunction, and the occurrence of various diseases including cancer. A genetically engineered mouse model, termed Klf1K74R/K74R or Klf1(K74R), carrying mutation on the well-conserved sumoylation site of the hematopoietic transcription factor KLF1/EKLF has been generated that possesses extended lifespan and healthy characteristics, including cancer resistance. We show that the healthy longevity characteristics of the Klf1(K74R) mice, as exemplified by their higher anti-cancer capability, are likely gender-, age-, and genetic background-independent. Significantly, the anti-cancer capability, in particular that against melanoma as well as hepatocellular carcinoma, and lifespan-extending property of Klf1(K74R) mice, could be transferred to wild-type mice via transplantation of their bone marrow mononuclear cells at a young age of the latter. Furthermore, NK(K74R) cells carry higher in vitro cancer cell-killing ability than wild-type NK cells. Targeted/global gene expression profiling analysis has identified changes in the expression of specific proteins, including the immune checkpoint factors PDCD and CD274, and cellular pathways in the leukocytes of the Klf1(K74R) that are in the directions of anti-cancer and/or anti-aging. This study demonstrates the feasibility of developing a transferable hematopoietic/blood system for long-term anti-cancer and, potentially, for anti-aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Ping Wang
- The Ph.D. Program in Medicine Neuroscience, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chun-Hao Hung
- The Ph.D. Program in Medicine Neuroscience, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yae-Huei Liou
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Ching-Chen Liu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Kun-Hai Yeh
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Keh-Yang Wang
- The Ph.D. Program in Medicine Neuroscience, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | | | - Biswanath Chatterjee
- The Ph.D. Program in Medicine Neuroscience, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Tzu-Chi Hsu
- The Ph.D. Program in Medicine Neuroscience, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Tung-Liang Lee
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Chang Gung Memorial HospitalKeelungTaiwan
- Pro-Clintech Co. LtdKeelungTaiwan
| | - Yu-Chiau Shyu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and TechnologyTaoyuanTaiwan
- Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung BranchKeelungTaiwan
| | - Pei-Wen Hsiao
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical CenterTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Liuh-Yow Chen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | | | | | - Nan-Shih Liao
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - C-K James Shen
- The Ph.D. Program in Medicine Neuroscience, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
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13
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Nguyen DT, Han SY, Kozlowski F, Seisenbaeva GA, Kessler VG, Kim BJ, Choi IS. Biphasic water-oil systems for functional augmentation of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus nanoencapsulated in luteolin-Fe 3+ shells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:5330-5333. [PMID: 38666704 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc01603c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell nanoencapsulation (SCNE) has great potential in the enhancement of therapeutic effects of probiotic microbes. However, the material scope has been limited to water-soluble compounds to avoid non-biocompatible organic solvents that are harmful to living cells. In this work, the SCNE of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus with water-insoluble luteolin and Fe3+ ions is achieved by the vortex-assisted, biphasic water-oil system. The process creates L. acidophilus nanoencapsulated in the luteolin-Fe3+ shells that empower the cells with extrinsic properties, such as resistance to lysozyme attack, anti-ROS ability, and α-amylase-inhibition activity, as well as sustaining viability under acidic conditions. The proposed protocol, embracing water-insoluble flavonoids as shell components in SCNE, will be an advanced add-on to the chemical toolbox for the manipulation of living cells at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Tai Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sang Yeong Han
- Department of Chemistry, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Filip Kozlowski
- Department of Molecular Sciences, SLU, Uppsala 75007, Sweden
| | | | - Vadim G Kessler
- Department of Molecular Sciences, SLU, Uppsala 75007, Sweden
| | - Beom Jin Kim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44776, Republic of Korea
| | - Insung S Choi
- Department of Chemistry, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
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14
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Zhang K, Wan P, Wang L, Wang Z, Tan F, Li J, Ma X, Cen J, Yuan X, Liu Y, Sun Z, Cheng X, Liu Y, Liu X, Hu J, Zhong G, Li D, Xia Q, Hui L. Efficient expansion and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene correction of patient-derived hepatocytes for treatment of inherited liver diseases. Cell Stem Cell 2024:S1934-5909(24)00177-2. [PMID: 38772378 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.04.022] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Cell-based ex vivo gene therapy in solid organs, especially the liver, has proven technically challenging. Here, we report a feasible strategy for the clinical application of hepatocyte therapy. We first generated high-quality autologous hepatocytes through the large-scale expansion of patient-derived hepatocytes. Moreover, the proliferating patient-derived hepatocytes, together with the AAV2.7m8 variant identified through screening, enabled CRISPR-Cas9-mediated targeted integration efficiently, achieving functional correction of pathogenic mutations in FAH or OTC. Importantly, these edited hepatocytes repopulated the injured mouse liver at high repopulation levels and underwent maturation, successfully treating mice with tyrosinemia following transplantation. Our study combines ex vivo large-scale cell expansion and gene editing in patient-derived transplantable hepatocytes, which holds potential for treating human liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Ping Wan
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Liren Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Fangzhi Tan
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Xiaolong Ma
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jin Cen
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yang Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Genome Editing Research Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhen Sun
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xi Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yuanhua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xuhao Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Genome Editing Research Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jiazhi Hu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Genome Editing Research Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guisheng Zhong
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - Dali Li
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
| | - Qiang Xia
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200001, China.
| | - Lijian Hui
- Key Laboratory of Multi-Cell Systems, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
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15
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Sousa AR, Cunha AF, Santos-Coquillat A, Estrada BH, Spiller KL, Barão M, Rodrigues AF, Simões S, Vilaça A, Ferreira L, Oliveira MB, Mano JF. Shape-Versatile Fixed Cellular Materials for Multiple Target Immunomodulation. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2405367. [PMID: 38739450 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202405367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Therapeutic cells are usually administered as living agents, despite the risks of undesired cell migration and acquisition of unpredictable phenotypes. Additionally, most cell-based therapies rely on the administration of single cells, often associated with rapid in vivo clearance. 3D cellular materials may be useful to prolong the effect of cellular therapies and offer the possibility of creating structural volumetric constructs. Here, the manufacturing of shape-versatile fixed cell-based materials with immunomodulatory properties is reported. Living cell aggregates with different shapes (spheres and centimeter-long fibers) are fixed using a method compatible with maintenance of structural integrity, robustness, and flexibility of 3D constructs. The biological properties of living cells can be modulated before fixation, rendering an in vitro anti-inflammatory effect toward human macrophages, in line with a decreased activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway that preponderantly correlated with the surface area of the materials. These findings are further corroborated in vivo in mouse skin wounds. Contact with fixed materials also reduces the proliferation of activated primary T lymphocytes, while promoting regulatory populations. The fixation of cellular constructs is proposed as a versatile phenotypic stabilization method that can be easily implemented to prepare immunomodulatory materials with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Sousa
- Department of Chemistry, CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Ana F Cunha
- Department of Chemistry, CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Ana Santos-Coquillat
- Department of Chemistry, CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Beatriz Hernaez Estrada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kara L Spiller
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Marta Barão
- CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
| | - Artur Filipe Rodrigues
- CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
| | - Susana Simões
- CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
| | - Andreia Vilaça
- CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
| | - Lino Ferreira
- CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
- FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
| | - Mariana B Oliveira
- Department of Chemistry, CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - João F Mano
- Department of Chemistry, CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
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16
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Gregorio NE, DeForest CA. PhoCoil: An Injectable and Photodegradable Single-component Recombinant Protein Hydrogel for Localized Therapeutic Cell Delivery. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.07.592971. [PMID: 38766128 PMCID: PMC11100756 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.592971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogel biomaterials offer great promise for 3D cell culture and therapeutic delivery. Despite many successes, challenges persist in that gels formed from natural proteins are only marginally tunable while those derived from synthetic polymers lack intrinsic bioinstructivity. Towards the creation of biomaterials with both excellent biocompatibility and customizability, recombinant protein-based hydrogels have emerged as molecularly defined and user-programmable platforms that mimic the proteinaceous nature of the extracellular matrix. Here, we introduce PhoCoil, a dynamically tunable recombinant hydrogel formed from a single protein component with unique multi-stimuli responsiveness. Physical crosslinking through coiled-coil interactions promotes rapid shear-thinning and self-healing behavior, rendering the gel injectable, while an included photodegradable motif affords on-demand network dissolution via visible light. PhoCoil gel photodegradation can be spatiotemporally and lithographically controlled in a dose-dependent manner, through complex tissue, and without harm to encapsulated cells. We anticipate that PhoCoil will enable new applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cole A. DeForest
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington
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17
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Filippi J, Casti P, Antonelli G, Murdocca M, Mencattini A, Corsi F, D'Orazio M, Pecora A, De Luca M, Curci G, Ghibelli L, Sangiuolo F, Neale SL, Martinelli E. Cell Electrokinetic Fingerprint: A Novel Approach Based on Optically Induced Dielectrophoresis (ODEP) for In-Flow Identification of Single Cells. SMALL METHODS 2024:e2300923. [PMID: 38693090 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
A novel optically induced dielectrophoresis (ODEP) system that can operate under flow conditions is designed for automatic trapping of cells and subsequent induction of 2D multi-frequency cell trajectories. Like in a "ping-pong" match, two virtual electrode barriers operate in an alternate mode with varying frequencies of the input voltage. The so-derived cell motions are characterized via time-lapse microscopy, cell tracking, and state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms, like the wavelet scattering transform (WST). As a cell-electrokinetic fingerprint, the dynamic of variation of the cell displacements happening, over time, is quantified in response to different frequency values of the induced electric field. When tested on two biological scenarios in the cancer domain, the proposed approach discriminates cellular dielectric phenotypes obtained, respectively, at different early phases of drug-induced apoptosis in prostate cancer (PC3) cells and for differential expression of the lectine-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) transcript levels in human colorectal adenocarcinoma (DLD-1) cells. The results demonstrate increased discrimination of the proposed system and pose an additional basis for making ODEP-based assays addressing cancer heterogeneity for precision medicine and pharmacological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Filippi
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
- Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Studies on Lab-on-Chip and Organ-on-Chip Applications (ICLOC), Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Paola Casti
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
- Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Studies on Lab-on-Chip and Organ-on-Chip Applications (ICLOC), Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Gianni Antonelli
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
- Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Studies on Lab-on-Chip and Organ-on-Chip Applications (ICLOC), Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Michela Murdocca
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Arianna Mencattini
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
- Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Studies on Lab-on-Chip and Organ-on-Chip Applications (ICLOC), Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Francesca Corsi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Michele D'Orazio
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
- Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Studies on Lab-on-Chip and Organ-on-Chip Applications (ICLOC), Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pecora
- Italian Nation Research Council (CNR), Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Massimiliano De Luca
- Italian Nation Research Council (CNR), Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Giorgia Curci
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
- Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Studies on Lab-on-Chip and Organ-on-Chip Applications (ICLOC), Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Federica Sangiuolo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Steven L Neale
- James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Eugenio Martinelli
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
- Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Studies on Lab-on-Chip and Organ-on-Chip Applications (ICLOC), Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
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18
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Giraudot C, Alazard-Dany N, Lambert V. [Closed-loop synthetic gene circuits for cell-based therapies]. Med Sci (Paris) 2024; 40:437-444. [PMID: 38819279 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2024054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in synthetic biology have paved the way for new cellular therapies, using cells capable of autonomously treating chronic diseases. These cells integrate a set of genes functioning in a closed-loop synthetic circuit, delivering a therapeutic effector in response to a specific pathological signal. While promising in mice, these therapies face clinical challenges related to safety and feasibility of in vivo implementation. The latest generations of synthetic circuits aim to address these issues through advanced bioengineering strategies outlined in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clélia Giraudot
- École normale supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France - Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy-l'Étoile, France
| | - Nathalie Alazard-Dany
- École normale supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
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19
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Cerneckis J, Cai H, Shi Y. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs): molecular mechanisms of induction and applications. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:112. [PMID: 38670977 PMCID: PMC11053163 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01809-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has transformed in vitro research and holds great promise to advance regenerative medicine. iPSCs have the capacity for an almost unlimited expansion, are amenable to genetic engineering, and can be differentiated into most somatic cell types. iPSCs have been widely applied to model human development and diseases, perform drug screening, and develop cell therapies. In this review, we outline key developments in the iPSC field and highlight the immense versatility of the iPSC technology for in vitro modeling and therapeutic applications. We begin by discussing the pivotal discoveries that revealed the potential of a somatic cell nucleus for reprogramming and led to successful generation of iPSCs. We consider the molecular mechanisms and dynamics of somatic cell reprogramming as well as the numerous methods available to induce pluripotency. Subsequently, we discuss various iPSC-based cellular models, from mono-cultures of a single cell type to complex three-dimensional organoids, and how these models can be applied to elucidate the mechanisms of human development and diseases. We use examples of neurological disorders, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and cancer to highlight the diversity of disease-specific phenotypes that can be modeled using iPSC-derived cells. We also consider how iPSC-derived cellular models can be used in high-throughput drug screening and drug toxicity studies. Finally, we discuss the process of developing autologous and allogeneic iPSC-based cell therapies and their potential to alleviate human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Cerneckis
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Hongxia Cai
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Yanhong Shi
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
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20
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Gomes CM, Sebastião MJ, Silva G, Moura F, Simão D, Gomes-Alves P, Alves PM, Brito C. Miniaturization of hiPSC-derived 3D neural cultures in stirred-tank bioreactors for parallelized preclinical assessment of rAAV. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1379597. [PMID: 38737536 PMCID: PMC11082387 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1379597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Engineered 3D models employing human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derivatives have the potential to recapitulate the cell diversity and structure found in the human central nervous system (CNS). Therefore, these complex cellular systems offer promising human models to address the safety and potency of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), such as gene therapies. Specifically, recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are currently considered highly attractive for CNS gene therapy due to their broad tropism, low toxicity, and moderate immunogenicity. To accelerate the clinical translation of rAAVs, in-depth preclinical evaluation of efficacy and safety in a human setting is primordial. The integration of hiPSC-derived CNS models in rAAV development will require, amongst other factors, robust, small-scale, high-throughput culture platforms that can feed the preclinical trials. Methods: Herein, we pioneer the miniaturization and parallelization of a 200 mL stirred-tank bioreactor-based 3D brain cell culture derived from hiPSCs. We demonstrate the applicability of the automated miniaturized Ambr® 15 Cell Culture system for the maintenance of hiPSC-derived neurospheroids (iNSpheroids), composed of neuronal and glial cells. Critical process parameters were optimized, namely, cell density and agitation mode. Results: Under optimized conditions, stable iNSpheroid cultures were attained in the microbioreactors for at least 15 days, with high cell viability and astrocytic and neuronal phenotype maintenance. This culture setup allowed the parallelization of different rAAVs, in different multiplicity of infections (MOIs), to address rAAV-host interactions at a preclinical scale. The iNSpheroids were exposed to rAAV2- and rAAV9-eGFP in the microbioreactors. Transgene expression was detected 14 days post-transduction, revealing different astrocyte/neuron tropism of the two serotypes. Discussion: We advocate that the iNSpheroid cultures in miniaturized bioreactors are reliable and reproducible screening tools for addressing rAAV transduction and tropism, compatible with preclinical demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina M. Gomes
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Gabriela Silva
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Filipa Moura
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Daniel Simão
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Paula M. Alves
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Catarina Brito
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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21
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Feng X, Zhang H, Yang S, Cui D, Wu Y, Qi X, Su Z. From stem cells to pancreatic β-cells: strategies, applications, and potential treatments for diabetes. Mol Cell Biochem 2024:10.1007/s11010-024-04999-x. [PMID: 38642274 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-024-04999-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Loss and functional failure of pancreatic β-cells results in disruption of glucose homeostasis and progression of diabetes. Although whole pancreas or pancreatic islet transplantation serves as a promising approach for β-cell replenishment and diabetes therapy, the severe scarcity of donor islets makes it unattainable for most diabetic patients. Stem cells, particularly induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are promising for the treatment of diabetes owing to their self-renewal capacity and ability to differentiate into functional β-cells. In this review, we first introduce the development of functional β-cells and their heterogeneity and then turn to highlight recent advances in the generation of β-cells from stem cells and their potential applications in disease modeling, drug discovery and clinical therapy. Finally, we have discussed the current challenges in developing stem cell-based therapeutic strategies for improving the treatment of diabetes. Although some significant technical hurdles remain, stem cells offer great hope for patients with diabetes and will certainly transform future clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingrong Feng
- Molecular Medicine Research Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 1 Keyuan 4th Road, Gaopeng Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Molecular Medicine Research Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 1 Keyuan 4th Road, Gaopeng Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Shanshan Yang
- Molecular Medicine Research Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 1 Keyuan 4th Road, Gaopeng Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Daxin Cui
- Molecular Medicine Research Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 1 Keyuan 4th Road, Gaopeng Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yanting Wu
- Molecular Medicine Research Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 1 Keyuan 4th Road, Gaopeng Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaocun Qi
- Molecular Medicine Research Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 1 Keyuan 4th Road, Gaopeng Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhiguang Su
- Molecular Medicine Research Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 1 Keyuan 4th Road, Gaopeng Street, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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22
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Rothschild LJ, Averesch NJH, Strychalski EA, Moser F, Glass JI, Cruz Perez R, Yekinni IO, Rothschild-Mancinelli B, Roberts Kingman GA, Wu F, Waeterschoot J, Ioannou IA, Jewett MC, Liu AP, Noireaux V, Sorenson C, Adamala KP. Building Synthetic Cells─From the Technology Infrastructure to Cellular Entities. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:974-997. [PMID: 38530077 PMCID: PMC11037263 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The de novo construction of a living organism is a compelling vision. Despite the astonishing technologies developed to modify living cells, building a functioning cell "from scratch" has yet to be accomplished. The pursuit of this goal alone has─and will─yield scientific insights affecting fields as diverse as cell biology, biotechnology, medicine, and astrobiology. Multiple approaches have aimed to create biochemical systems manifesting common characteristics of life, such as compartmentalization, metabolism, and replication and the derived features, evolution, responsiveness to stimuli, and directed movement. Significant achievements in synthesizing each of these criteria have been made, individually and in limited combinations. Here, we review these efforts, distinguish different approaches, and highlight bottlenecks in the current research. We look ahead at what work remains to be accomplished and propose a "roadmap" with key milestones to achieve the vision of building cells from molecular parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn J. Rothschild
- Space Science
& Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research
Center, Moffett
Field, California 94035-1000, United States
- Department
of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Nils J. H. Averesch
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | | | - Felix Moser
- Synlife, One Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-1661, United States
| | - John I. Glass
- J.
Craig
Venter Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Rolando Cruz Perez
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Blue
Marble
Space Institute of Science at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035-1000, United
States
| | - Ibrahim O. Yekinni
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Brooke Rothschild-Mancinelli
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0150, United States
| | | | - Feilun Wu
- J. Craig
Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Jorik Waeterschoot
- Mechatronics,
Biostatistics and Sensors (MeBioS), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Ion A. Ioannou
- Department
of Chemistry, MSRH, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Michael C. Jewett
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Allen P. Liu
- Mechanical
Engineering & Biomedical Engineering, Cellular and Molecular Biology,
Biophysics, Applied Physics, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- Physics
and Nanotechnology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Carlise Sorenson
- Department
of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Katarzyna P. Adamala
- Department
of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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23
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Cheng R, Wang S. Cell-mediated nanoparticle delivery systems: towards precision nanomedicine. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024:10.1007/s13346-024-01591-0. [PMID: 38615157 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01591-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Cell-mediated nanoparticle delivery systems (CMNDDs) utilize cells as carriers to deliver the drug-loaded nanoparticles. Unlike the traditional nanoparticle drug delivery approaches, CMNDDs take the advantages of cell characteristics, such as the homing capabilities of stem cells, inflammatory chemotaxis of neutrophils, prolonged blood circulation of red blood cells, and internalization of macrophages. Subsequently, CMNDDs can easily prolong the blood circulation, cross biological barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier and the bone marrow-blood barrier, and rapidly arrive at the diseased areas. Such advantageous properties make CMNDDs promising delivery candidates for precision targeting. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in CMNDDs fabrication and biomedical applications. Specifically, ligand-receptor interactions, non-covalent interactions, covalent interactions, and internalization are commonly applied in constructing CMNDDs in vitro. By hitchhiking cells, such as macrophages, red blood cells, monocytes, neutrophils, and platelets, nanoparticles can be internalized or attached to cells to construct CMNDDs in vivo. Then we highlight the recent application of CMNDDs in treating different diseases, such as cancer, central nervous system disorders, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, with a brief discussion about challenges and future perspectives in the end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Cheng
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Shiqi Wang
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland.
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24
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Bhattacharyya T, Mallett CL, Shapiro EM. MRI-Based Cell Tracking of OATP-Expressing Cell Transplants by Pre-Labeling with Gd-EOB-DTPA. Mol Imaging Biol 2024; 26:233-239. [PMID: 38448775 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-024-01904-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE A critical step in cell-based therapies is determining the exact position of transplanted cells immediately post-transplant. Here, we devised a method to detect cell transplants immediately post-transplant, using a clinical gadolinium-based contrast agent. These cells were detected as hyperintense signals using a clinically familiar T1-weighted MRI protocol. PROCEDURES HEK293 cells were stably transduced to express human OATP1B3, a hepatic organic anion transporting polypeptide that transports Gd-EOB-DTPA into cells that express the transporters, the intracellular accumulation of which cells causes signal enhancement on T1-weighted MRI. Cells were pre-labeled prior to injection in media containing Gd-EOB-DTPA for MRI evaluation and indocyanine green for cryofluorescence tomography validation. Labeled cells were injected into chicken hearts, in vitro, after which MRI and cryofluorescence tomography were performed in sequence. RESULTS OATP1B3-expressing cells had substantially reduced T1 following labeling with Gd-EOB-DTPA in culture. Following their implantation into chicken heart, these cells were robustly identified in T1-weighted MRI, with image-derived injection volumes of cells commensurate with intended injection volumes. Cryofluorescence tomography showed that the areas of signal enhancement in MRI overlapped with areas of indocyanine green signal, indicating that MRI signal enhancement was due to the transplanted cells. CONCLUSIONS OATP1B3-expressing cells can be pre-labeled with Gd-EOB-DTPA prior to injection into tissue, affording the use of clinically familiar T1-weighted MRI to robustly detect cell transplants immediately after transplant. This procedure is easily generalizable and has potential advantages over the use of iron oxide based cell labeling agents and imaging procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tapas Bhattacharyya
- Molecular and Cellular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, 846 Service Rd, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Christiane L Mallett
- Molecular and Cellular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, 846 Service Rd, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Erik M Shapiro
- Molecular and Cellular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, 846 Service Rd, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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25
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Beltran-Rendon C, Price CJ, Glen K, Stacey A, Barbaric I, Thomas RJ. Modeling the selective growth advantage of genetically variant human pluripotent stem cells to identify opportunities for manufacturing process control. Cytotherapy 2024; 26:383-392. [PMID: 38349312 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS The appearance of genetically variant populations in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) cultures represents a concern for research and clinical applications. Genetic variations may alter hPSC differentiation potential or cause phenotype variation in differentiated cells. Further, variants may have properties such as proliferative rate, or response to the culture environment, that differ from wild-type cells. As such, understanding the behavior of these variants in culture, and any potential operational impact on manufacturing processes, will be necessary to control quality of putative hPSC-based products that include a proportion of variant threshold in their quality specification. METHODS Here we show a computational model that mathematically describes the growth dynamics between commonly occurring genetically variant hPSCs and their counterpart wild-type cells in culture. RESULTS We show that our model is capable of representing the growth behaviors of both wild-type and variant hPSCs in individual and co-culture systems. CONCLUSIONS This representation allows us to identify three critical process parameters that drive critical quality attributes when genetically variant cells are present within the system: total culture density, proportion of variant cells within the culture system and variant cell overgrowth. Lastly, we used our model to predict how the variability of these parameters affects the prevalence of both populations in culture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher J Price
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK; The Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK; INSIGNEO Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Katie Glen
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Adrian Stacey
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Ivana Barbaric
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK; The Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK; INSIGNEO Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Robert J Thomas
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
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26
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Bhatt B, García-Díaz P, Foight GW. Synthetic transcription factor engineering for cell and gene therapy. Trends Biotechnol 2024; 42:449-463. [PMID: 37865540 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic transcription factors (synTFs) that control beneficial transgene expression are an important method to increase the safety and efficacy of cell and gene therapy. Reliance on synTF components from non-human sources has slowed progress in the field because of concerns about immunogenicity and inducer drug properties. Recent advances in human-derived DNA-binding domains (DBDs) and transcriptional activation domains (TADs) paired with novel control modules responsive to clinically approved small molecules have poised the synTF field to overcome these hurdles. Advances include controllers inducible by autonomous signaling inputs and more complex, multi-input synTF circuits. Demonstrations of advanced control strategies with human-derived transcription factor components in clinically relevant vectors and in vivo models will facilitate progression into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhoomi Bhatt
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pablo García-Díaz
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Glenna Wink Foight
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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27
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Harding J, Vintersten-Nagy K, Yang H, Tang JK, Shutova M, Jong ED, Lee JH, Massumi M, Oussenko T, Izadifar Z, Zhang P, Rogers IM, Wheeler MB, Lye SJ, Sung HK, Li C, Izadifar M, Nagy A. Immune-privileged tissues formed from immunologically cloaked mouse embryonic stem cells survive long term in allogeneic hosts. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:427-442. [PMID: 37996616 PMCID: PMC11087263 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01133-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The immunogenicity of transplanted allogeneic cells and tissues is a major hurdle to the advancement of cell therapies. Here we show that the overexpression of eight immunomodulatory transgenes (Pdl1, Cd200, Cd47, H2-M3, Fasl, Serpinb9, Ccl21 and Mfge8) in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is sufficient to immunologically 'cloak' the cells as well as tissues derived from them, allowing their survival for months in outbred and allogeneic inbred recipients. Overexpression of the human orthologues of these genes in human ESCs abolished the activation of allogeneic human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and their inflammatory responses. Moreover, by using the previously reported FailSafe transgene system, which transcriptionally links a gene essential for cell division with an inducible and cell-proliferation-dependent kill switch, we generated cloaked tissues from mESCs that served as immune-privileged subcutaneous sites that protected uncloaked allogeneic and xenogeneic cells from rejection in immune-competent hosts. The combination of cloaking and FailSafe technologies may allow for the generation of safe and allogeneically accepted cell lines and off-the-shelf cell products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Harding
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kristina Vintersten-Nagy
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Huijuan Yang
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean Kit Tang
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Shutova
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric D Jong
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ju Hee Lee
- Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammad Massumi
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tatiana Oussenko
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zohreh Izadifar
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Puzheng Zhang
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ian M Rogers
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael B Wheeler
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen J Lye
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hoon-Ki Sung
- Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - ChengJin Li
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammad Izadifar
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andras Nagy
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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28
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Recktenwald M, Hutt E, Davis L, MacAulay J, Daringer NM, Galie PA, Staehle MM, Vega SL. Engineering transcriptional regulation for cell-based therapies. SLAS Technol 2024; 29:100121. [PMID: 38340892 DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2024.100121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
A major aim in the field of synthetic biology is developing tools capable of responding to user-defined inputs by activating therapeutically relevant cellular functions. Gene transcription and regulation in response to external stimuli are some of the most powerful and versatile of these cellular functions being explored. Motivated by the success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, transmembrane receptor-based platforms have been embraced for their ability to sense extracellular ligands and to subsequently activate intracellular signal transduction. The integration of transmembrane receptors with transcriptional activation platforms has not yet achieved its full potential. Transient expression of plasmid DNA is often used to explore gene regulation platforms in vitro. However, applications capable of targeting therapeutically relevant endogenous or stably integrated genes are more clinically relevant. Gene regulation may allow for engineered cells to traffic into tissues of interest and secrete functional proteins into the extracellular space or to differentiate into functional cells. Transmembrane receptors that regulate transcription have the potential to revolutionize cell therapies in a myriad of applications, including cancer treatment and regenerative medicine. In this review, we will examine current engineering approaches to control transcription in mammalian cells with an emphasis on systems that can be selectively activated in response to extracellular signals. We will also speculate on the potential therapeutic applications of these technologies and examine promising approaches to expand their capabilities and tighten the control of gene regulation in cellular therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Recktenwald
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Evan Hutt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Leah Davis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - James MacAulay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Nichole M Daringer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Peter A Galie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Mary M Staehle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Sebastián L Vega
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA.
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29
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Xu S, Wang Q, Ma W. Cytokines and soluble mediators as architects of tumor microenvironment reprogramming in cancer therapy. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2024; 76:12-21. [PMID: 38431507 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Navigating the intricate landscape of the tumor microenvironment (TME) unveils a pivotal arena for cancer therapeutics, where cytokines and soluble mediators emerge as double-edged swords in the fight against cancer. This review ventures beyond traditional perspectives, illuminating the nuanced interplay of these elements as both allies and adversaries in cancer dynamics. It critically evaluates the evolving paradigms of TME reprogramming, spotlighting innovative strategies that target the sophisticated network of cytokines and mediators. Special focus is placed on unveiling the therapeutic potential of novel cytokines and mediators, particularly their synergistic interactions with extracellular vesicles, which represent underexplored conduits for therapeutic targeting. Addressing a significant gap in current research, we explore the untapped potential of these biochemical players in orchestrating immune responses, tumor proliferation, and metastasis. The review advocates for a paradigm shift towards exploiting these dynamic interactions within the TME, aiming to transcend conventional treatments and pave the way for a new era of precision oncology. Through a critical synthesis of recent advancements, we highlight the imperative for innovative approaches that harness the full spectrum of cytokine and mediator activities, setting the stage for breakthrough therapies that offer heightened specificity, reduced toxicity, and improved patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suling Xu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315020, China.
| | - Qingqing Wang
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Wenxue Ma
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, and Sanford Stem Cell Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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30
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Sun C, Serra C, Kalicharan BH, Harding J, Rao M. Challenges and Considerations of Preclinical Development for iPSC-Based Myogenic Cell Therapy. Cells 2024; 13:596. [PMID: 38607035 PMCID: PMC11011706 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell therapies derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer a promising avenue in the field of regenerative medicine due to iPSCs' expandability, immune compatibility, and pluripotent potential. An increasing number of preclinical and clinical trials have been carried out, exploring the application of iPSC-based therapies for challenging diseases, such as muscular dystrophies. The unique syncytial nature of skeletal muscle allows stem/progenitor cells to integrate, forming new myonuclei and restoring the expression of genes affected by myopathies. This characteristic makes genome-editing techniques especially attractive in these therapies. With genetic modification and iPSC lineage specification methodologies, immune-compatible healthy iPSC-derived muscle cells can be manufactured to reverse the progression of muscle diseases or facilitate tissue regeneration. Despite this exciting advancement, much of the development of iPSC-based therapies for muscle diseases and tissue regeneration is limited to academic settings, with no successful clinical translation reported. The unknown differentiation process in vivo, potential tumorigenicity, and epigenetic abnormality of transplanted cells are preventing their clinical application. In this review, we give an overview on preclinical development of iPSC-derived myogenic cell transplantation therapies including processes related to iPSC-derived myogenic cells such as differentiation, scaling-up, delivery, and cGMP compliance. And we discuss the potential challenges of each step of clinical translation. Additionally, preclinical model systems for testing myogenic cells intended for clinical applications are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congshan Sun
- Vita Therapeutics, Baltimore, MD 21043, USA (M.R.)
| | - Carlo Serra
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | | | - Mahendra Rao
- Vita Therapeutics, Baltimore, MD 21043, USA (M.R.)
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31
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Ichise T, Ichise H, Shimizu Y. Development of a Mouse Experimental System for the In Vivo Characterization of Bioengineered Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells. Cells 2024; 13:582. [PMID: 38607021 PMCID: PMC11011746 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Human adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) are an important resource for cell-based therapies. However, the dynamics of ADSCs after transplantation and their mechanisms of action in recipients remain unclear. Herein, we generated genetically engineered mouse ADSCs to clarify their biodistribution and post-transplantation status and to analyze their role in recipient mesenchymal tissue modeling. Immortalized ADSCs (iADSCs) retained ADSC characteristics such as stromal marker gene expression and differentiation potential. iADSCs expressing a fluorescent reporter gene were seeded into biocompatible nonwoven fabric sheets and transplanted into the dorsal subcutaneous region of neonatal mice. Transplanted donor ADSCs were distributed as CD90-positive stromal cells on the sheets and survived 1 month after transplantation. Although accumulation of T lymphocytes or macrophages inside the sheet was not observed with or without donor cells, earlier migration and accumulation of recipient blood vascular endothelial cells (ECs) inside the sheet was observed in the presence of donor cells. Thus, our mouse model can help in studying the interplay between donor ADSCs and recipient cells over a 1-month period. This system may be of value for assessing and screening bioengineered ADSCs in vivo for optimal cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeko Ichise
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of the Ryukyus Hospital, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan
| | - Hirotake Ichise
- Institute for Animal Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan
| | - Yusuke Shimizu
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of the Ryukyus Hospital, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan
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32
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Wang L, Wei X, He X, Xiao S, Shi Q, Chen P, Lee J, Guo X, Liu H, Fan Y. Osteoinductive Dental Pulp Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicle-Loaded Multifunctional Hydrogel for Bone Regeneration. ACS NANO 2024; 18:8777-8797. [PMID: 38488479 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c11542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) show great potential for promoting bone tissue regeneration. However, normal EVs (Nor-EVs) have a limited ability to direct tissue-specific regeneration. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the osteogenic capacity of EV-based systems for repairing extensive bone defects. Herein, we show that hydrogels loaded with osteoinductive dental pulp stem cell-derived EVs (Ost-EVs) enhanced bone tissue remodeling, resulting in a 2.23 ± 0.25-fold increase in the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) compared to the hydrogel control group. Moreover, Ost-EVs led to a higher expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (1.88 ± 0.16 of Ost-EVs relative to Nor-EVs) and the formation of orange-red calcium nodules (1.38 ± 0.10 of Ost-EVs relative to Nor-EVs) in vitro. RNA sequencing revealed that Ost-EVs showed significantly high miR-1246 expression. An ideal hydrogel implant should also adhere to surrounding moist tissues. In this study, we were drawn to mussel-inspired adhesive modification, where the hydrogel carrier was crafted from hyaluronic acid (HA) and polyethylene glycol derivatives, showcasing impressive tissue adhesion, self-healing capabilities, and the ability to promote bone growth. The modified HA (mHA) hydrogel was also responsive to environmental stimuli, making it an effective carrier for delivering EVs. In an ectopic osteogenesis animal model, the Ost-EV/hydrogel system effectively alleviated inflammation, accelerated revascularization, and promoted tissue mineralization. We further used a rat femoral condyle defect model to evaluate the in situ osteogenic ability of the Ost-EVs/hydrogel system. Collectively, our results suggest that Ost-EVs combined with biomaterial-based hydrogels hold promising potential for treating bone defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University) of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Xinbo Wei
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University) of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Xi He
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University) of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Shengzhao Xiao
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University) of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Qiusheng Shi
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University) of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Peng Chen
- Department of Ultrasound, The Third Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, P.R. China
| | - Jesse Lee
- Arova Biosciences, Inc., Life Sciences Innovation Hub, Calgary Alberta T2L 1Y8, Canada
| | - Ximin Guo
- Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, P.R. China
| | - Haifeng Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University) of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University) of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
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Rashidi N, Slater A, Peregrino G, Santin M. A novel, microfluidic high-throughput single-cell encapsulation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE. MATERIALS IN MEDICINE 2024; 35:19. [PMID: 38526655 DOI: 10.1007/s10856-024-06785-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The efficacy of stem-cell therapy depends on the ability of the transplanted cells to escape early immunological reactions and to be retained at the site of transplantation. The use of tissue engineering scaffolds or injectable biomaterials as carriers has been proposed, but they still present limitations linked to a reliable manufacturing process, surgical practice and clinical outcomes. Alginate microbeads are potential candidates for the encapsulation of mesenchymal stromal cells with the aim of providing a delivery carrier suitable for minimally-invasive and scaffold-free transplantation, tissue-adhesive properties and protection from the immune response. However, the formation of stable microbeads relies on the cross-linking of alginate with divalent calcium ions at concentrations that are toxic for the cells, making control over the beads' size and a single-cell encapsulation unreliable. The present work demonstrates the efficiency of an innovative, high throughput, and reproducible microfluidic system to produce single-cell, calcium-free alginate coatings of human mesenchymal stromal cells. Among the various conditions tested, visible light and confocal microscopy following staining of the cell nuclei by DAPI showed that the microfluidic system yielded an optimal single-cell encapsulation of 2000 cells/min in 2% w/v alginate microcapsules of reproducible morphology and an average size of 28.2 ± 3.7 µm. The adhesive properties of the alginate microcapsules, the viability of the encapsulated cells and their ability to escape the alginate microcapsule were demonstrated by the relatively rapid adherence of the beads onto tissue culture plastic and the cells' ability to gradually disrupt the microcapsule shell after 24 h and proliferate. To mimic the early inflammatory response upon transplantation, the encapsulated cells were exposed to proliferating macrophages at different cell seeding densities for up to 2 days and the protection effect of the microcapsule on the cells assessed by time-lapse microscopy showing a shielding effect for up to 48 h. This work underscores the potential of microfluidic systems to precisely encapsulate cells by good manufacturing practice standards while favouring cell retention on substrates, viability and proliferation upon transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Rashidi
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices, University of Brighton, Huxley Building Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Huxley Building Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
| | - Alex Slater
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices, University of Brighton, Huxley Building Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Huxley Building Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
| | - Giordana Peregrino
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices, University of Brighton, Huxley Building Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Huxley Building Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
| | - Matteo Santin
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices, University of Brighton, Huxley Building Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK.
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Huxley Building Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK.
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Zama N, Toda S. Designer cell therapy for tissue regeneration. Inflamm Regen 2024; 44:15. [PMID: 38491394 PMCID: PMC10941617 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-024-00327-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell therapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for blood cancers, has emerged as a powerful new modality for cancer treatment. Therapeutic cells differ significantly from conventional drugs, such as small molecules and biologics, as they possess cellular information processing abilities to recognize and respond to abnormalities in the body. This capability enables the targeted delivery of therapeutic factors to specific locations and times. Various types of designer cells have been developed and tested to overcome the shortcomings of CAR T cells and expand their functions in the treatment of solid tumors. In particular, synthetic receptor technologies are a key to designing therapeutic cells that specifically improve tumor microenvironment. Such technologies demonstrate great potential for medical applications to regenerate damaged tissues as well that are difficult to cure with conventional drugs. In this review, we introduce recent developments in next-generation therapeutic cells for cancer treatment and discuss the application of designer therapeutic cells for tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noyuri Zama
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa , 920-1192, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa , 920-1192, Japan
| | - Satoshi Toda
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa , 920-1192, Japan.
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Du R, Flynn MJ, Honsa M, Jungmann R, Elowitz MB. miRNA circuit modules for precise, tunable control of gene expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.583048. [PMID: 38559239 PMCID: PMC10979901 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.583048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The ability to express transgenes at specified levels is critical for understanding cellular behaviors, and for applications in gene and cell therapy. Transfection, viral vectors, and other gene delivery methods produce varying protein expression levels, with limited quantitative control, while targeted knock-in and stable selection are inefficient and slow. Active compensation mechanisms can improve precision, but the need for additional proteins or lack of tunability have prevented their widespread use. Here, we introduce a toolkit of compact, synthetic miRNA-based circuit modules that provide precise, tunable control of transgenes across diverse cell types. These circuits, termed DIMMERs (Dosage-Invariant miRNA-Mediated Expression Regulators) use multivalent miRNA regulatory interactions within an incoherent feed-forward loop architecture to achieve nearly uniform protein expression over more than two orders of magnitude variation in underlying gene dosages or transcription rates. They also allow coarse and fine control of expression, and are portable, functioning across diverse cell types. In addition, a heuristic miRNA design algorithm enables the creation of orthogonal circuit variants that independently control multiple genes in the same cell. These circuits allowed dramatically improved CRISPR imaging, and super-resolution imaging of EGFR receptors with transient transfections. The toolbox provided here should allow precise, tunable, dosage-invariant expression for research, gene therapy, and other biotechnology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongrong Du
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael J. Flynn
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Monique Honsa
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany; Faculty of Physics, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Ralf Jungmann
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany; Faculty of Physics, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael B. Elowitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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36
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Wang J, Zhao Z, Yang K, Bai Y. Research progress in cell therapy for oral diseases: focus on cell sources and strategies to optimize cell function. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1340728. [PMID: 38515628 PMCID: PMC10955105 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1340728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, cell therapy has come to play an important therapeutic role in oral diseases. This paper reviews the active role of mesenchymal stem cells, immune cell sources, and other cells in oral disorders, and presents data supporting the role of cell therapy in oral disorders, including bone and tooth regeneration, oral mucosal disorders, oral soft tissue defects, salivary gland dysfunction, and orthodontic tooth movement. The paper will first review the progress of cell optimization strategies for oral diseases, including the use of hormones in combination with stem cells, gene-modified regulatory cells, epigenetic regulation of cells, drug regulation of cells, cell sheets/aggregates, cell-binding scaffold materials and hydrogels, nanotechnology, and 3D bioprinting of cells. In summary, we will focus on the therapeutic exploration of these different cell sources in oral diseases and the active application of the latest cell optimization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yuxing Bai
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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37
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Baghdassarian HM, Lewis NE. Resource allocation in mammalian systems. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 71:108305. [PMID: 38215956 PMCID: PMC11182366 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Cells execute biological functions to support phenotypes such as growth, migration, and secretion. Complementarily, each function of a cell has resource costs that constrain phenotype. Resource allocation by a cell allows it to manage these costs and optimize their phenotypes. In fact, the management of resource constraints (e.g., nutrient availability, bioenergetic capacity, and macromolecular machinery production) shape activity and ultimately impact phenotype. In mammalian systems, quantification of resource allocation provides important insights into higher-order multicellular functions; it shapes intercellular interactions and relays environmental cues for tissues to coordinate individual cells to overcome resource constraints and achieve population-level behavior. Furthermore, these constraints, objectives, and phenotypes are context-dependent, with cells adapting their behavior according to their microenvironment, resulting in distinct steady-states. This review will highlight the biological insights gained from probing resource allocation in mammalian cells and tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hratch M Baghdassarian
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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38
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Liao YM, Hsu SH, Chiou SS. Harnessing the Transcriptional Signatures of CAR-T-Cells and Leukemia/Lymphoma Using Single-Cell Sequencing Technologies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2416. [PMID: 38397092 PMCID: PMC10889174 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy has greatly improved outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory hematological malignancies. However, challenges such as treatment resistance, relapse, and severe toxicity still hinder its widespread clinical application. Traditional transcriptome analysis has provided limited insights into the complex transcriptional landscape of both leukemia cells and engineered CAR-T-cells, as well as their interactions within the tumor microenvironment. However, with the advent of single-cell sequencing techniques, a paradigm shift has occurred, providing robust tools to unravel the complexities of these factors. These techniques enable an unbiased analysis of cellular heterogeneity and molecular patterns. These insights are invaluable for precise receptor design, guiding gene-based T-cell modification, and optimizing manufacturing conditions. Consequently, this review utilizes modern single-cell sequencing techniques to clarify the transcriptional intricacies of leukemia cells and CAR-Ts. The aim of this manuscript is to discuss the potential mechanisms that contribute to the clinical failures of CAR-T immunotherapy. We examine the biological characteristics of CAR-Ts, the mechanisms that govern clinical responses, and the intricacies of adverse events. By exploring these aspects, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of CAR-T therapy, which will ultimately lead to improved clinical outcomes and broader therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Mei Liao
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan;
| | - Shih-Hsien Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center of Applied Genomics, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Shyh-Shin Chiou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan;
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center of Applied Genomics, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
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Chang CR, Vykunta VS, Goodman DB, Muldoon JJ, Nyberg WA, Liu C, Allain V, Rothrock A, Wang CH, Marson A, Shy BR, Eyquem J. Ultra-high efficiency T cell reprogramming at multiple loci with SEED-Selection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.06.576175. [PMID: 38370809 PMCID: PMC10871224 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.06.576175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Multiplexed reprogramming of T cell specificity and function can generate powerful next-generation cellular therapies. However, current manufacturing methods produce heterogenous mixtures of partially engineered cells. Here, we develop a one-step process to enrich for unlabeled cells with knock-ins at multiple target loci using a family of repair templates named Synthetic Exon/Expression Disruptors (SEEDs). SEED engineering associates transgene integration with the disruption of a paired endogenous surface protein, allowing non-modified and partially edited cells to be immunomagnetically depleted (SEED-Selection). We design SEEDs to fully reprogram three critical loci encoding T cell specificity, co-receptor expression, and MHC expression, with up to 98% purity after selection for individual modifications and up to 90% purity for six simultaneous edits (three knock-ins and three knockouts). These methods are simple, compatible with existing clinical manufacturing workflows, and can be readily adapted to other loci to facilitate production of complex gene-edited cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Chang
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vivasvan S Vykunta
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel B Goodman
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joseph J Muldoon
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William A Nyberg
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chang Liu
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vincent Allain
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR976, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Allison Rothrock
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charlotte H Wang
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian R Shy
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Justin Eyquem
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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40
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Teixeira AP, Fussenegger M. Synthetic Gene Circuits for Regulation of Next-Generation Cell-Based Therapeutics. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2309088. [PMID: 38126677 PMCID: PMC10885662 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Arming human cells with synthetic gene circuits enables to expand their capacity to execute superior sensing and response actions, offering tremendous potential for innovative cellular therapeutics. This can be achieved by assembling components from an ever-expanding molecular toolkit, incorporating switches based on transcriptional, translational, or post-translational control mechanisms. This review provides examples from the three classes of switches, and discusses their advantages and limitations to regulate the activity of therapeutic cells in vivo. Genetic switches designed to recognize internal disease-associated signals often encode intricate actuation programs that orchestrate a reduction in the sensed signal, establishing a closed-loop architecture. Conversely, switches engineered to detect external molecular or physical cues operate in an open-loop fashion, switching on or off upon signal exposure. The integration of such synthetic gene circuits into the next generation of chimeric antigen receptor T-cells is already enabling precise calibration of immune responses in terms of magnitude and timing, thereby improving the potency and safety of therapeutic cells. Furthermore, pre-clinical engineered cells targeting other chronic diseases are gathering increasing attention, and this review discusses the path forward for achieving clinical success. With synthetic biology at the forefront, cellular therapeutics holds great promise for groundbreaking treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana P. Teixeira
- Department of Biosystems Science and EngineeringETH ZurichKlingelbergstrasse 48BaselCH‐4056Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and EngineeringETH ZurichKlingelbergstrasse 48BaselCH‐4056Switzerland
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of BaselKlingelbergstrasse 48BaselCH‐4056Switzerland
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41
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Zhou Z, Wang J, Jiang C, Xu K, Xu T, Yu X, Fang J, Yang Y, Dai X. Advances in Hydrogels for Meniscus Tissue Engineering: A Focus on Biomaterials, Crosslinking, Therapeutic Additives. Gels 2024; 10:114. [PMID: 38391445 PMCID: PMC10887778 DOI: 10.3390/gels10020114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Meniscus tissue engineering (MTE) has emerged as a promising strategy for meniscus repair and regeneration. As versatile platforms, hydrogels have gained significant attention in this field, as they possess tunable properties that allow them to mimic native extracellular matrices and provide a suitable microenvironment. Additionally, hydrogels can be minimally invasively injected and can be adjusted to match the shape of the implant site. They can conveniently and effectively deliver bioactive additives and demonstrate good compatibility with other functional materials. These inherent qualities have made hydrogel a promising candidate for therapeutic approaches in meniscus repair and regeneration. This article provides a comprehensive review of the advancements made in the research on hydrogel application for meniscus tissue engineering. Firstly, the biomaterials and crosslinking strategies used in the formation of hydrogels are summarized and analyzed. Subsequently, the role of therapeutic additives, including cells, growth factors, and other active products, in facilitating meniscus repair and regeneration is thoroughly discussed. Furthermore, we summarize the key issues for designing hydrogels used in MTE. Finally, we conclude with the current challenges encountered by hydrogel applications and suggest potential solutions for addressing these challenges in the field of MTE. We hope this review provides a resource for researchers and practitioners interested in this field, thereby facilitating the exploration of new design possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuxing Zhou
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Clinical Research Center of Motor System Disease of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Jiajie Wang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Clinical Research Center of Motor System Disease of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Chaoqian Jiang
- School of Materials and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Kaiwang Xu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Clinical Research Center of Motor System Disease of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Tengjing Xu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Clinical Research Center of Motor System Disease of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Xinning Yu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Clinical Research Center of Motor System Disease of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Jinghua Fang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Clinical Research Center of Motor System Disease of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yanyu Yang
- School of Materials and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Xuesong Dai
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Clinical Research Center of Motor System Disease of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
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Takahashi K, Galloway KE. RNA-based controllers for engineering gene and cell therapies. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 85:103026. [PMID: 38052131 PMCID: PMC11214845 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.103026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Engineered RNA-based genetic controllers provide compact, tunable, post-transcriptional gene regulation. As RNA devices are generally small, these devices are portable to DNA and RNA viral vectors. RNA tools have recently expanded to allow reading and editing of endogenous RNAs for profiling and programming of transcriptional states. With their expanded capabilities and highly compact, modular, and programmable nature, RNA-based controllers will support greater safety, efficacy, and performance in gene and cell-based therapies. In this review, we highlight RNA-based controllers and their potential as user-guided and autonomous systems for control of gene and cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Takahashi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, 25 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kate E Galloway
- Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, 25 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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43
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Roy B, Pekec T, Yuan L, Shivashankar GV. Implanting mechanically reprogrammed fibroblasts for aged tissue regeneration and wound healing. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14032. [PMID: 38010905 PMCID: PMC10861198 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-based therapies are essential for tissue regeneration and wound healing during aging. Autologous transplantation of aging cells is ineffective due to their increased senescence and reduced tissue remodeling capabilities. Alternatively, implanting reprogrammed aged cells provides unique opportunities. In this paper, we demonstrate the implantation of partially reprogrammed aged human dermal fibroblasts into in vitro aged skin models for tissue regeneration and wound healing. The partially reprogrammed cells were obtained using our previously reported, highly efficient mechanical approach. Implanted cells showed enhanced expression of extracellular matrix proteins in the large area of aged tissue. In addition, the implanted cells at wound sites showed increased extracellular matrix protein synthesis and matrix alignment. Transcriptome analysis, combined with chromatin biomarkers, revealed these implanted cells upregulated tissue regeneration and wound healing pathways. Collectively our results provide a novel, nongenetic, partial reprogramming of aged cells for cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibhas Roy
- Division of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer InstituteVilligenSwitzerland
| | - Tina Pekec
- Division of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer InstituteVilligenSwitzerland
| | - Luezhen Yuan
- Division of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer InstituteVilligenSwitzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and TechnologyETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - G. V. Shivashankar
- Division of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer InstituteVilligenSwitzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and TechnologyETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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Gao Z, Sheng T, Zhang W, Feng H, Yu J, Gu Z, Zhang Y. Microneedle-Mediated Cell Therapy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304124. [PMID: 37899686 PMCID: PMC10885673 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Microneedles have emerged as a promising platform for transdermal drug delivery with prominent advantages, such as enhanced permeability, mitigated pain, and improved patient adherence. While microneedles have primarily been employed for delivering small molecules, nucleic acids, peptides, and proteins, recent researches have demonstrated their prospect in combination with cell therapy. Cell therapy involving administration or transplantation of living cells (e.g. T cells, stem cells, and pancreatic cells) has gained significant attention in preclinical and clinical applications for various disease treatments. However, the effectiveness of systemic cell delivery may be restricted in localized conditions like solid tumors and skin disorders due to limited penetration and accumulation into the lesions. In this perspective, an overview of recent advances in microneedle-assisted cell delivery for immunotherapy, tissue regeneration, and hormone modulation, with respect to their mechanical property, cell loading capacity, as well as viability and bioactivity of the loaded cells is provided. Potential challenges and future perspectives with microneedle-mediated cell therapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqi Gao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Tao Sheng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Wentao Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Huiheng Feng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Jicheng Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Liangzhu LaboratoryZhejiang University Medical CenterHangzhou311121China
- Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang UniversityJinhua321299China
- Department of General SurgerySir Run Run Shaw HospitalSchool of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310016China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release SystemsZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Zhen Gu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Liangzhu LaboratoryZhejiang University Medical CenterHangzhou311121China
- Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang UniversityJinhua321299China
- Department of General SurgerySir Run Run Shaw HospitalSchool of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310016China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release SystemsZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and FunctionalizationDepartment of Polymer Science and EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release SystemsZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Department of Burns and Wound Care CenterSecond Affiliated HospitalSchool of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310009China
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45
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Kalim M, Jing R, Li X, Jiang Z, Zheng N, Wang Z, Wei G, Lu Y. Essentials of CAR-T Therapy and Associated Microbial Challenges in Long Run Immunotherapy. JOURNAL OF CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 6:22-50. [PMID: 38883270 PMCID: PMC11172397 DOI: 10.33696/immunology.6.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has shown potential in improving outcomes for individuals with hematological malignancies. However, achieving long-term full remission for blood cancer remains challenging due to severe life-threatening toxicities such as limited anti-tumor efficacy, antigen escape, trafficking restrictions, and limited tumor invasion. Furthermore, the interactions between CAR-T cells and their host tumor microenvironments have a significant impact on CAR-T function. To overcome these considerable hurdles, fresh methodologies and approaches are needed to produce more powerful CAR-T cells with greater anti-tumor activity and less toxicity. Despite advances in CAR-T research, microbial resistance remains a significant obstacle. In this review, we discuss and describe the basics of CAR-T structures, generations, challenges, and potential risks of infections in CAR-T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Kalim
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rui Jing
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhiwu Jiang
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ningbo Zheng
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Guo Wei
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yong Lu
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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46
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Tran SD. Artificial intelligence, cell therapies, acupuncture, and tight junctions: Advances in salivary research. Oral Dis 2024; 30:63-64. [PMID: 37899736 DOI: 10.1111/odi.14796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon D Tran
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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47
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Abuharb AI, Alzarroug AF, Algahtani SN, Alghamdi HK, Alosaimi FA, Alsuwayna N, Almughira AI. The Impact and Implications of Regenerative Medicine in Urology. Cureus 2024; 16:e52264. [PMID: 38352111 PMCID: PMC10863929 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Urology focuses on the treatment of genitourinary disorders through therapies ranging from lifestyle changes to advanced surgeries; the field has recently incorporated robotic and minimally invasive technologies that have improved patient outcomes and reduced hospital stays and complications. However, these methods still have certain limitations. Regenerative medicine, focusing on natural repair abilities, can be an effective and safer alternative. This review aims to examine the impact of regenerative medicine in urology. We adopted a systematic review design by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. An exhaustive online literature search involving the databases PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Google Scholar was conducted spanning the period between January 2010 and October 2023. Data were extracted from studies on regenerative medicine in urology with a special focus on efficacy and safety. Data from 16 studies were analyzed, which showed that cell therapy, biological materials, and tissue engineering are generally used in the field of urinary diseases. The main applications include the regeneration of urinary tissue, the correction of urinary incontinence, the treatment of erectile dysfunction, the reconstruction of ureteric defects, and the formation of bladder tissue. The study findings generally lack definitive conclusions on effectiveness and safety. While our results indicate that regenerative medicine is successful on a subjective level, more clinical trials are needed to establish its effectiveness and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah I Abuharb
- College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU
| | | | - Saad N Algahtani
- College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU
| | - Hatan K Alghamdi
- College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU
| | - Fahad A Alosaimi
- College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU
| | - Nasser Alsuwayna
- College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU
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48
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Yin H, Xie C, Zuo Z, Xie D, Wang Q. A CTL-Inspired Killing System Using Ultralow-Dose Chemical-Drugs to Induce a Pyroptosis-Mediated Antitumor Immune Function. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2309839. [PMID: 38102944 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
A Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-inspired system capable of using ultralow-dose chemical drugs to manipulate cell death is needed to investigate the antitumor immunotherapy. Recent studies reveal pyroptosis promotes antitumor immune function. However, high-dose chemotherapy leads to cytokine release syndrome by pyroptosis. Therefore, pyroptosis-inducing ultralow-dose chemotherapy is potential in preclinical and clinical research, but its efficacy, safety, and the antitumor immune responses are not clear. Here, a near-infrared light controllable killing system (BIK system) is established by which ultralow-dose doxorubicin can be spatiotemporally transported to tumor cells and mediate efficient pyroptosis. This BIK system reduces total drug consumption to less than one-thirtieth the common dose in vitro. Moreover, this BIK system exhibited good tumor targeting and tumor penetration. This system is applied for pyroptosis-induced antitumor therapies, which shows less than ≈25 µg kg-1 doxorubicin is sufficient for tumor regression with negligible injuries to major organs. The antitumor immune function are proven to correlate with the impressive efficacy of pyroptosis-inducing ultralow-dose chemotherapy. This study provides new insights into the design of nanoassisted systems for activating the antitumor immunity by microstimulation; the application of the BIK system suggests that ultralow-dose chemotherapy is sufficient for inducing a robust pyroptosis-mediated antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yin
- Institute for Advanced Research, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 305006, P. R. China
| | - Congying Xie
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Basic Science and Translational Research of Radiation Oncology, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 305006, P. R. China
| | - Zhigui Zuo
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 305006, P. R. China
| | - Danli Xie
- Institute for Advanced Research, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 305006, P. R. China
| | - Qinyang Wang
- Institute for Advanced Research, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 305006, P. R. China
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Basic Science and Translational Research of Radiation Oncology, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 305006, P. R. China
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Su L, Jin D, Wang Y, Wang Q, Pan C, Jiang S, Yang H, Yang Z, Wang X, Xia N, Chan KF, Chiu PWY, Sung JJY, Zhang L. Modularized microrobot with lock-and-detachable modules for targeted cell delivery in bile duct. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj0883. [PMID: 38100592 PMCID: PMC10848723 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj0883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The magnetic microrobots promise benefits in minimally invasive cell-based therapy. However, they generally suffer from an inevitable compromise between their magnetic responsiveness and biomedical functions. Herein, we report a modularized microrobot consisting of magnetic actuation (MA) and cell scaffold (CS) modules. The MA module with strong magnetism and pH-responsive deformability and the CS module with cell loading-release capabilities were fabricated by three-dimensional printing technique. Subsequently, assembly of modules was performed by designing a shaft-hole structure and customizing their relative dimensions, which enabled magnetic navigation in complex environments, while not deteriorating the cellular functionalities. On-demand disassembly at targeted lesion was then realized to facilitate CS module delivery and retrieval of the MA module. Furthermore, the feasibility of proposed system was validated in an in vivo rabbit bile duct. Therefore, this work presents a modular design-based strategy that enables uncompromised fabrication of multifunctional microrobots and stimulates their development for future cell-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Su
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dongdong Jin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Yuqiong Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qinglong Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chengfeng Pan
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shuai Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Haojin Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhengxin Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Neng Xia
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kai Fung Chan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Multi-Scale Medical Robotics Center, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Chow Yuk Ho Technology Centre for Innovative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Philip Wai Yan Chiu
- Multi-Scale Medical Robotics Center, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Chow Yuk Ho Technology Centre for Innovative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joseph Jao-Yiu Sung
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Multi-Scale Medical Robotics Center, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CUHK T Stone Robotics Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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50
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Hernández-Melchor D, López-Bayghen E, Padilla-Viveros A. The patent landscape in the field of stem cell therapy: closing the gap between research and clinic. F1000Res 2023; 11:997. [PMID: 38481536 PMCID: PMC10933573 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.123799.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stem cell technology is a powerful tool ready to respond to the needs of modern medicine that is experiencing rapid technological development. Given its potential in therapeutic applications, intellectual property rights (IPR) as a protection resource of knowledge are a relevant topic. Patent eligibility of stem cells has been controversial as restrictions to access the fundamental technologies open a gap between research and clinic. Therefore, we depicted the current patent landscape in the field to discuss if this approach moves forward in closing this breach by examining patent activity over the last decade from a transdisciplinary perspective. Stem cell therapeutic applications is an area of continuous growth where patent filing through the PCT is the preferred strategy. Patenting activity is concentrated in the USA, European Union, and Australia; this accumulation in a few key players leads to governance, regulation, and inequality concerns. To boost wealthiness and welfare in society - stem cell therapies' ultimate goal - while at post-pandemic recovery, critical elements in the field of IPR rise to overcome current limitations: to promote bridge builders able to connect the research and business worlds, regulatory updates, novel financing models, new vehicles (startups, spinouts, and spin-offs), and alternative figures of intellectual property.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinorah Hernández-Melchor
- Science, Technology and Society Program, . Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City, 07360, Mexico
- Departamento de Toxicología, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City, 07360, Mexico
| | - Esther López-Bayghen
- Departamento de Toxicología, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City, 07360, Mexico
| | - América Padilla-Viveros
- Science, Technology and Society Program, . Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City, 07360, Mexico
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