1
|
Ruan D, Xuan Y, Tam TTKK, Li Z, Wang X, Xu S, Herrmann D, Niemann H, Lai L, Gao X, Nowak-Imialek M, Liu P. An optimized culture system for efficient derivation of porcine expanded potential stem cells from preimplantation embryos and by reprogramming somatic cells. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:1710-1749. [PMID: 38509352 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-00958-4] [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: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Pigs share anatomical and physiological traits with humans and can serve as a large-animal model for translational medicine. Bona fide porcine pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) could facilitate testing cell and drug therapies. Agriculture and biotechnology may benefit from the ability to produce immune cells for studying animal infectious diseases and to readily edit the porcine genome in stem cells. Isolating porcine PSCs from preimplantation embryos has been intensively attempted over the past decades. We previously reported the derivation of expanded potential stem cells (EPSCs) from preimplantation embryos and by reprogramming somatic cells of multiple mammalian species, including pigs. Porcine EPSCs (pEPSCs) self-renew indefinitely, differentiate into embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages, and permit precision genome editing. Here we present a highly reproducible experimental procedure and data of an optimized and robust porcine EPSC culture system and its use in deriving new pEPSC lines from preimplantation embryos and reprogrammed somatic cells. No particular expertise is required for the protocols, which take ~4-6 weeks to complete. Importantly, we successfully established pEPSC lines from both in vitro fertilized and somatic cell nuclear transfer-derived embryos. These new pEPSC lines proliferated robustly over long-term passaging and were amenable to both simple indels and precision genome editing, with up to 100% targeting efficiency. The pEPSCs differentiated into embryonic cell lineages in vitro and teratomas in vivo, and into porcine trophoblast stem cells in human trophoblast stem cell medium. We show here that pEPSCs have unique epigenetic features, particularly H3K27me3 levels substantially lower than fibroblasts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Degong Ruan
- Center for Translational Stem Cell Biology, Science Park, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yiyi Xuan
- Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Consortium, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Timothy Theodore Ka Ki Tam
- Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Consortium, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, China
| | - ZhuoXuan Li
- Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Consortium, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Consortium, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shao Xu
- Center for Translational Stem Cell Biology, Science Park, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Doris Herrmann
- Institute of Farm Animal Genetics, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Mariensee, Neustadt, Germany
| | - Heiner Niemann
- Hannover Medical School (MHH), Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover, Germany
| | - Liangxue Lai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuefei Gao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Monika Nowak-Imialek
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany.
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar-Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Pentao Liu
- Center for Translational Stem Cell Biology, Science Park, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
- Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Consortium, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Larson EL, Joo DJ, Nelson ED, Amiot BP, Aravalli RN, Nyberg SL. Fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase gene as a knockout target for hepatic chimerism and donor liver production. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:2577-2588. [PMID: 34678209 PMCID: PMC8581169 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A reliable source of human hepatocytes and transplantable livers is needed. Interspecies embryo complementation, which involves implanting donor human stem cells into early morula/blastocyst stage animal embryos, is an emerging solution to the shortage of transplantable livers. We review proposed mutations in the recipient embryo to disable hepatogenesis, and discuss the advantages of using fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase knockouts and other genetic modifications to disable hepatogenesis. Interspecies blastocyst complementation using porcine recipients for primate donors has been achieved, although percentages of chimerism remain persistently low. Recent investigation into the dynamic transcriptomes of pigs and primates have created new opportunities to intimately match the stage of developing animal embryos with one of the many varieties of human induced pluripotent stem cell. We discuss techniques for decreasing donor cell apoptosis, targeting donor tissue to endodermal structures to avoid neural or germline chimerism, and decreasing the immunogenicity of chimeric organs by generating donor endothelium.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen L Larson
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Dong Jin Joo
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Erek D Nelson
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Bruce P Amiot
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Rajagopal N Aravalli
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Scott L Nyberg
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nelson ED, Larson E, Joo DJ, Mao S, Glorioso J, Abu Rmilah A, Zhou W, Jia Y, Mounajjed T, Shi M, Bois M, Wood A, Jin F, Whitworth K, Wells K, Spate A, Samuel M, Minshew A, Walters E, Rinaldo P, Lillegard J, Johnson A, Amiot B, Hickey R, Prather R, Platt JL, Nyberg SL. Limited Expansion of Human Hepatocytes in FAH/RAG2-Deficient Swine. Tissue Eng Part A 2021; 28:150-160. [PMID: 34309416 PMCID: PMC8892989 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2021.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mammalian liver's regenerative ability has led researchers to engineer animals as incubators for expansion of human hepatocytes. The expansion properties of human hepatocytes in immunodeficient mice are well known. However, little has been reported about larger animals that are more scalable and practical for clinical purposes. Therefore, we engineered immunodeficient swine to support expansion of human hepatocytes and identify barriers to their clinical application. METHODS Immunodeficient swine were engineered by knockout of recombinase activating gene 2 (RAG2) and fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH). Immature human hepatocytes (ihHCs) were injected into fetal swine by intrauterine cell transplantation (IUCT) at day 40 of gestation. Human albumin was measured as a marker of engraftment. Cytotoxicity against ihHCs was measured in transplanted piglets and control swine. RESULTS Higher levels of human albumin were detected in cord blood of newborn FAH/RAG2-deficient (FR) pigs compared to immunocompetent controls (196.26 ng/dL vs 39.29 ng/dL, p = 0.008), indicating successful engraftment of ihHC after IUCT and adaptive immunity in the fetus. Although rare hepatocytes staining positively for human albumin were observed, levels of human albumin did not rise after birth but declined suggesting rejection of xenografted ihHCs. Cytotoxicity against ihHCs increased after birth 3.8% (95% CI: [2.1%, 5.4%], p < 0.001) and correlated inversely to declining levels of human albumin (p = 2.1 x 10-5, R2 = 0.17). Circulating numbers of T-cells and B-cells were negligible in FR pigs. However, circulating natural killer (NK) cells exerted cytotoxicity against ihHCs. NK cell activity was lower in immunodeficient piglets after IUCT than naive controls (30.4% vs 40.1% (p = 0.011, 95% CI for difference [2.7%, 16.7%]). CONCLUSION Immature human hepatocytes successfully engrafted in FR swine after IUCT. NK cells were a significant barrier to expansion of hepatocytes. New approaches are needed to overcome this hurdle and allow large scale expansion of human hepatocytes in immunodeficient swine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erek David Nelson
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, 100 First St NW, Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905-0002;
| | - Ellen Larson
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Dong Jin Joo
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Shennen Mao
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Jaime Glorioso
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Anan Abu Rmilah
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Wei Zhou
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Yao Jia
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Taofic Mounajjed
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Min Shi
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Melanie Bois
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Adam Wood
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Fang Jin
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Immunology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Kristin Whitworth
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Kevin Wells
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Anna Spate
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Melissa Samuel
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Anna Minshew
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Eric Walters
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Piero Rinaldo
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Joeseph Lillegard
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Aaron Johnson
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Immunology, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Bruce Amiot
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Raymond Hickey
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| | - Randall Prather
- University of Missouri, 14716, National Swine Resource and Research Center, Division of Animal Sciences, Columbia, Missouri, United States;
| | - Jeffrey L Platt
- University of Michigan Michigan Medicine, 21614, Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States;
| | - Scott Lyle Nyberg
- Mayo Clinic Minnesota, 4352, Surgery, Rochester, Minnesota, United States;
| |
Collapse
|