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Naito C, Kosar K, Kishimoto E, Pena L, Huang Y, Hao K, Bernieh A, Kasten J, Villa C, Kishnani P, Deeksha B, Gu M, Asai A. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) modeling validates reduced GBE1 enzyme activity due to a novel variant, p.Ile694Asn, found in a patient with suspected glycogen storage disease IV. Mol Genet Metab Rep 2024; 39:101069. [PMID: 38516405 PMCID: PMC10955421 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgmr.2024.101069] [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: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Glycogen Storage disease type 4 (GSD4), a rare disease caused by glycogen branching enzyme 1 (GBE1) deficiency, affects multiple organ systems including the muscles, liver, heart, and central nervous system. Here we report a GSD4 patient, who presented with severe hepatosplenomegaly and cardiac ventricular hypertrophy. GBE1 sequencing identified two variants: a known pathogenic missense variant, c.1544G>A (p.Arg515His), and a missense variant of unknown significance (VUS), c.2081T>A (p. Ile694Asn). As a liver transplant alone can exacerbate heart dysfunction in GSD4 patients, a precise diagnosis is essential for liver transplant indication. To characterize the disease-causing variant, we modeled patient-specific GBE1 deficiency using CRISPR/Cas9 genome-edited induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Methods iPSCs from a healthy donor (iPSC-WT) were genome-edited by CRISPR/Cas9 to induce homozygous p.Ile694Asn in GBE1 (iPSC-GBE1-I694N) and differentiated into hepatocytes (iHep) or cardiomyocytes (iCM). GBE1 enzyme activity was measured, and PAS-D staining was performed to analyze polyglucosan deposition in these cells. Results iPSCGBE1-I694N differentiated into iHep and iCM exhibited reduced GBE1 protein level and enzyme activity in both cell types compared to iPSCwt. Both iHepGBE1-I694N and iCMGBE1-I694N showed polyglucosan deposits correlating to the histologic patterns of the patient's biopsies. Conclusions iPSC-based disease modeling supported a loss of function effect of p.Ile694Asn in GBE1. The modeling of GBE1 enzyme deficiency in iHep and iCM cell lines had multi-organ findings, demonstrating iPSC-based modeling usefulness in elucidating the effects of novel VUS in ultra-rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chie Naito
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Karis Kosar
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Eriko Kishimoto
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Loren Pena
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yilun Huang
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kaili Hao
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Anas Bernieh
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jennifer Kasten
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Chet Villa
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Priya Kishnani
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Duke Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Bali Deeksha
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Duke Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mingxia Gu
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Akihiro Asai
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Chen EZ, Kannan S, Murphy S, Farid M, Kwon C. Protocol for quantifying stem-cell-derived cardiomyocyte maturity using transcriptomic entropy score. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:103083. [PMID: 38781077 PMCID: PMC11145390 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103083] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The inability to quantify cardiomyocyte (CM) maturation remains a significant barrier to evaluating the effects of ongoing efforts to produce adult-like CMs from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). Here, we present a protocol to quantify stem-cell-derived CM maturity using a single-cell RNA sequencing-based metric "entropy score." We describe steps for generating an entropy score using customized R code. This tool can be used to quantify maturation levels of PSC-CMs and potentially other cell types. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kannan et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Zhelan Chen
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Suraj Kannan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sean Murphy
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Farid
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chulan Kwon
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD, USA.
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3
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Bonanini F, Singh M, Yang H, Kurek D, Harms AC, Mardinoglu A, Hankemeier T. A comparison between different human hepatocyte models reveals profound differences in net glucose production, lipid composition and metabolism in vitro. Exp Cell Res 2024; 437:114008. [PMID: 38499143 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.114008] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocytes are responsible for maintaining a stable blood glucose concentration during periods of nutrient scarcity. The breakdown of glycogen and de novo synthesis of glucose are crucial metabolic pathways deeply interlinked with lipid metabolism. Alterations in these pathways are often associated with metabolic diseases with serious clinical implications. Studying energy metabolism in human cells is challenging. Primary hepatocytes are still considered the golden standard for in vitro studies and have been instrumental in elucidating key aspects of energy metabolism found in vivo. As a result of several limitations posed by using primary cells, a multitude of alternative hepatocyte cellular models emerged as potential substitutes. Yet, there remains a lack of clarity regarding the precise applications for which these models accurately reflect the metabolic competence of primary hepatocytes. In this study, we compared primary hepatocytes, stem cell-derived hepatocytes, adult donor-derived liver organoids, immortalized Upcyte-hepatocytes and the hepatoma cell line HepG2s in their response to a glucose production challenge. We observed the highest net glucose production in primary hepatocytes, followed by organoids, stem-cell derived hepatocytes, Upcyte-hepatocytes and HepG2s. Glucogenic gene induction was observed in all tested models, as indicated by an increase in G6PC and PCK1 expression. Lipidomic analysis revealed considerable differences across the models, with organoids showing the closest similarity to primary hepatocytes in the common lipidome, comprising 347 lipid species across 19 classes. Changes in lipid profiles as a result of the glucose production challenge showed a variety of, and in some cases opposite, trends when compared to primary hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Madhulika Singh
- Metabolomics and Analytics Center, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Netherlands
| | - Hong Yang
- Science for Life Laboratory, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Amy C Harms
- Metabolomics and Analytics Center, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Netherlands
| | - Adil Mardinoglu
- Science for Life Laboratory, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Hankemeier
- Metabolomics and Analytics Center, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Netherlands.
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4
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Campinoti S, Almeida B, Goudarzi N, Bencina S, Grundland Freile F, McQuitty C, Natarajan D, Cox IJ, Le Guennec A, Khati V, Gaudenzi G, Gramignoli R, Urbani L. Rat liver extracellular matrix and perfusion bioreactor culture promote human amnion epithelial cell differentiation towards hepatocyte-like cells. J Tissue Eng 2023; 14:20417314231219813. [PMID: 38143931 PMCID: PMC10748678 DOI: 10.1177/20417314231219813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital and chronic liver diseases have a substantial health burden worldwide. The most effective treatment available for these patients is whole organ transplantation; however, due to the severely limited supply of donor livers and the side effects associated with the immunosuppressive regimen required to accept allograft, the mortality rate in patients with end-stage liver disease is annually rising. Stem cell-based therapy aims to provide alternative treatments by either cell transplantation or bioengineered construct transplantation. Human amnion epithelial cells (AEC) are a widely available, ethically neutral source of cells with the plasticity and potential of multipotent stem cells and immunomodulatory properties of perinatal cells. AEC have been proven to be able to achieve functional improvement towards hepatocyte-like cells, capable of rescuing animals with metabolic disorders; however, they showed limited metabolic activities in vitro. Decellularised extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds have gained recognition as adjunct biological support. Decellularised scaffolds maintain native ECM components and the 3D architecture instrumental of the organ, necessary to support cells' maturation and function. We combined ECM-scaffold technology with primary human AEC, which we demonstrated being equipped with essential ECM-adhesion proteins, and evaluated the effects on AEC differentiation into functional hepatocyte-like cells (HLC). This novel approach included the use of a custom 4D bioreactor to provide constant oxygenation and media perfusion to cells in 3D cultures over time. We successfully generated HLC positive for hepatic markers such as ALB, CYP3A4 and CK18. AEC-derived HLC displayed early signs of hepatocyte phenotype, secreted albumin and urea, and expressed Phase-1 and -2 enzymes. The combination of liver-specific ECM and bioreactor provides a system able to aid differentiation into HLC, indicating that the innovative perfusion ECM-scaffold technology may support the functional improvement of multipotent and pluripotent stem cells, with important repercussions in the bioengineering of constructs for transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Campinoti
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Bruna Almeida
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Negin Goudarzi
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Stefan Bencina
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Fabio Grundland Freile
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Basic and Medical Bioscience, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Claire McQuitty
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Dipa Natarajan
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - I Jane Cox
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Adrien Le Guennec
- Centre for Biomolecular Spectroscopy, Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Vamakshi Khati
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Giulia Gaudenzi
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Roberto Gramignoli
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Diagnostics, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Luca Urbani
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
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5
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Warren I, Moeller MM, Guiggey D, Chiang A, Maloy M, Ogoke O, Groth T, Mon T, Meamardoost S, Liu X, Thompson S, Szeglowski A, Thompson R, Chen P, Paulmurugan R, Yarmush ML, Kidambi S, Parashurama N. FOXA1/2 depletion drives global reprogramming of differentiation state and metabolism in a human liver cell line and inhibits differentiation of human stem cell-derived hepatic progenitor cells. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22652. [PMID: 36515690 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101506rrr] [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: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
FOXA factors are critical members of the developmental gene regulatory network (GRN) composed of master transcription factors (TF) which regulate murine cell fate and metabolism in the gut and liver. How FOXA factors dictate human liver cell fate, differentiation, and simultaneously regulate metabolic pathways is poorly understood. Here, we aimed to determine the role of FOXA2 (and FOXA1 which is believed to compensate for FOXA2) in controlling hepatic differentiation and cell metabolism in a human hepatic cell line (HepG2). siRNA mediated knockdown of FOXA1/2 in HepG2 cells significantly downregulated albumin (p < .05) and GRN TF gene expression (HNF4α, HEX, HNF1ß, TBX3) (p < .05) and significantly upregulated endoderm/gut/hepatic endoderm markers (goosecoid [GSC], FOXA3, and GATA4), gut TF (CDX2), pluripotent TF (NANOG), and neuroectodermal TF (PAX6) (p < .05), all consistent with partial/transient reprograming. shFOXA1/2 targeting resulted in similar findings and demonstrated evidence of reversibility of phenotype. RNA-seq followed by bioinformatic analysis of shFOXA1/2 knockdown HepG2 cells demonstrated 235 significant downregulated genes and 448 upregulated genes, including upregulation of markers for alternate germ layers lineages (cardiac, endothelial, muscle) and neurectoderm (eye, neural). We found widespread downregulation of glycolysis, citric acid cycle, mitochondrial genes, and alterations in lipid metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, and ketogenesis. Functional metabolic analysis agreed with these findings, demonstrating significantly diminished glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, with concomitant accumulation of lipid droplets. We hypothesized that FOXA1/2 inhibit the initiation of human liver differentiation in vitro. During human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC)-hepatic differentiation, siRNA knockdown demonstrated de-differentiation and unexpectedly, activation of pluripotency factors and neuroectoderm. shRNA knockdown demonstrated similar results and activation of SOX9 (hepatobiliary). These results demonstrate that FOXA1/2 controls hepatic and developmental GRN, and their knockdown leads to reprogramming of both differentiation and metabolism, with applications in studies of cancer, differentiation, and organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iyan Warren
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Michael M Moeller
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Daniel Guiggey
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Alexander Chiang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Mitchell Maloy
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ogechi Ogoke
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Theodore Groth
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Tala Mon
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Saber Meamardoost
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Sarah Thompson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Antoni Szeglowski
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ryan Thompson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Peter Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ramasamy Paulmurugan
- Department of Radiology, Canary Center for Early Cancer Detection and the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Martin L Yarmush
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Srivatsan Kidambi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Natesh Parashurama
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA.,Clinical and Translation Research Center (CTRC), University at Buffalo (State University of New York), Buffalo, New York, USA
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6
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Current Status and Challenges of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Liver Models in Drug Discovery. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030442. [PMID: 35159250 PMCID: PMC8834601 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry is in high need of efficient and relevant in vitro liver models, which can be incorporated in their drug discovery pipelines to identify potential drugs and their toxicity profiles. Current liver models often rely on cancer cell lines or primary cells, which both have major limitations. However, the development of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has created a new opportunity for liver disease modeling, drug discovery and liver toxicity research. hiPSCs can be differentiated to any cell of interest, which makes them good candidates for disease modeling and drug discovery. Moreover, hiPSCs, unlike primary cells, can be easily genome-edited, allowing the creation of reporter lines or isogenic controls for patient-derived hiPSCs. Unfortunately, even though liver progeny from hiPSCs has characteristics similar to their in vivo counterparts, the differentiation of iPSCs to fully mature progeny remains highly challenging and is a major obstacle for the full exploitation of these models by pharmaceutical industries. In this review, we discuss current liver-cell differentiation protocols and in vitro iPSC-based liver models that could be used for disease modeling and drug discovery. Furthermore, we will discuss the challenges that still need to be overcome to allow for the successful implementation of these models into pharmaceutical drug discovery platforms.
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7
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Peng WC, Kraaier LJ, Kluiver TA. Hepatocyte organoids and cell transplantation: What the future holds. Exp Mol Med 2021; 53:1512-1528. [PMID: 34663941 PMCID: PMC8568948 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00579-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Historically, primary hepatocytes have been difficult to expand or maintain in vitro. In this review, we will focus on recent advances in establishing hepatocyte organoids and their potential applications in regenerative medicine. First, we provide a background on the renewal of hepatocytes in the homeostatic as well as the injured liver. Next, we describe strategies for establishing primary hepatocyte organoids derived from either adult or fetal liver based on insights from signaling pathways regulating hepatocyte renewal in vivo. The characteristics of these organoids will be described herein. Notably, hepatocyte organoids can adopt either a proliferative or a metabolic state, depending on the culture conditions. Furthermore, the metabolic gene expression profile can be modulated based on the principles that govern liver zonation. Finally, we discuss the suitability of cell replacement therapy to treat different types of liver diseases and the current state of cell transplantation of in vitro-expanded hepatocytes in mouse models. In addition, we provide insights into how the regenerative microenvironment in the injured host liver may facilitate donor hepatocyte repopulation. In summary, transplantation of in vitro-expanded hepatocytes holds great potential for large-scale clinical application to treat liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weng Chuan Peng
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Lianne J Kraaier
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas A Kluiver
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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8
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Zhang L, Ma XJN, Fei YY, Han HT, Xu J, Cheng L, Li X. Stem cell therapy in liver regeneration: Focus on mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 232:108004. [PMID: 34597754 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The liver has the ability to repair itself after injury; however, a variety of pathological changes in the liver can affect its ability to regenerate, and this could lead to liver failure. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a good source of cells for regenerative medicine, as they regulate liver regeneration through different mechanisms, and their efficacy has been demonstrated by many animal experiments and clinical studies. Induced pluripotent stem cells, another good source of MSCs, have also made great progress in the establishment of organoids, such as liver disease models, and in drug screening. Owing to the recent developments in MSCs and induced pluripotent stem cells, combined with emerging technologies including graphene, nano-biomaterials, and gene editing, precision medicine and individualized clinical treatment may be realized in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, PR China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Xiao-Jing-Nan Ma
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Fei
- Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Heng-Tong Han
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Jun Xu
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Lu Cheng
- Key Laboratory Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Xun Li
- Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, PR China; Medical Frontier Innovation Research Center, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China; Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Institute of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, PR China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China.
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9
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Serras AS, Rodrigues JS, Cipriano M, Rodrigues AV, Oliveira NG, Miranda JP. A Critical Perspective on 3D Liver Models for Drug Metabolism and Toxicology Studies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:626805. [PMID: 33732695 PMCID: PMC7957963 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.626805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor predictability of human liver toxicity is still causing high attrition rates of drug candidates in the pharmaceutical industry at the non-clinical, clinical, and post-marketing authorization stages. This is in part caused by animal models that fail to predict various human adverse drug reactions (ADRs), resulting in undetected hepatotoxicity at the non-clinical phase of drug development. In an effort to increase the prediction of human hepatotoxicity, different approaches to enhance the physiological relevance of hepatic in vitro systems are being pursued. Three-dimensional (3D) or microfluidic technologies allow to better recapitulate hepatocyte organization and cell-matrix contacts, to include additional cell types, to incorporate fluid flow and to create gradients of oxygen and nutrients, which have led to improved differentiated cell phenotype and functionality. This comprehensive review addresses the drug-induced hepatotoxicity mechanisms and the currently available 3D liver in vitro models, their characteristics, as well as their advantages and limitations for human hepatotoxicity assessment. In addition, since toxic responses are greatly dependent on the culture model, a comparative analysis of the toxicity studies performed using two-dimensional (2D) and 3D in vitro strategies with recognized hepatotoxic compounds, such as paracetamol, diclofenac, and troglitazone is performed, further highlighting the need for harmonization of the respective characterization methods. Finally, taking a step forward, we propose a roadmap for the assessment of drugs hepatotoxicity based on fully characterized fit-for-purpose in vitro models, taking advantage of the best of each model, which will ultimately contribute to more informed decision-making in the drug development and risk assessment fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana S. Serras
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana S. Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Madalena Cipriano
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Armanda V. Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno G. Oliveira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana P. Miranda
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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10
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Gene Editing Correction of a Urea Cycle Defect in Organoid Stem Cell Derived Hepatocyte-like Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031217. [PMID: 33530582 PMCID: PMC7865883 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Urea cycle disorders are enzymopathies resulting from inherited deficiencies in any genes of the cycle. In severe cases, currently available therapies are marginally effective, with liver transplantation being the only definitive treatment. Donor liver availability can limit even this therapy. Identification of novel therapeutics for genetic-based liver diseases requires models that provide measurable hepatic functions and phenotypes. Advances in stem cell and genome editing technologies could provide models for the investigation of cell-based genetic diseases, as well as the platforms for drug discovery. This report demonstrates a practical, and widely applicable, approach that includes the successful reprogramming of somatic cells from a patient with a urea cycle defect, their genetic correction and differentiation into hepatic organoids, and the subsequent demonstration of genetic and phenotypic change in the edited cells consistent with the correction of the defect. While individually rare, there is a large number of other genetic-based liver diseases. The approach described here could be applied to a broad range and a large number of patients with these hepatic diseases where it could serve as an in vitro model, as well as identify successful strategies for corrective cell-based therapy.
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Gao X, Li R, Cahan P, Zhao Y, Yourick JJ, Sprando RL. Hepatocyte-like cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells using small molecules: implications of a transcriptomic study. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:393. [PMID: 32917265 PMCID: PMC7488531 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01914-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise in toxicological applications as well as in regenerative medicine. Previous efforts on hepatocyte differentiation have mostly relied on the use of growth factors (GFs) to recapitulate developmental signals under in vitro conditions. Recently, the use of small molecules (SMs) has emerged as an attractive tool to induce cell fate transition due to its superiority in terms of both quality and cost. However, HLCs derived using SMs have not been well characterized, especially on the transcriptome level. Methods HLCs were differentiated from human iPSCs using a protocol that only involves SMs and characterized by transcriptomic analysis using whole genome microarrays. Results HLCs derived using the SM protocol (HLC_SM) displayed specific hepatic marker expression and demonstrated key hepatic functions. Transcriptomic analysis of the SM-driven differentiation defined a hepatocyte differentiation track and characterized the expression of some key marker genes in major stages of hepatocyte differentiation. In addition, HLC_SM were scored with CellNet, a bioinformatics tool quantifying how closely engineered cell populations resemble their target cell type, and compared to primary human hepatocytes (PHHs), adult liver tissue, fetal liver tissue, HLCs differentiated using GFs (HLC_GF), and commercially available HLCs. Similar to HLC_GF, HLC_SM displayed a mixed phenotype of fetal and adult hepatocytes and had relatively low expression of metabolic enzymes, transporters, and nuclear receptors compared to PHHs. Finally, the differentially expressed genes in HLC_SM compared to HLC_GF and to PHHs were analyzed to identify pathways and upstream transcription regulators which could potentially be manipulated to improve the differentiation of HLCs. Conclusions Overall, the present study demonstrated the usefulness of the SM-based hepatocyte differentiation method, offered new insights into the molecular basis of hepatogenesis and associated gene regulation, and suggested ways for further improvements in hepatocyte differentiation in order to obtain more mature HLCs that could be used in toxicological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiugong Gao
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA.
| | - Rong Li
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA
| | - Patrick Cahan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yang Zhao
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Yourick
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA
| | - Robert L Sprando
- Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA
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iPSC-Derived Liver Organoids: A Journey from Drug Screening, to Disease Modeling, Arriving to Regenerative Medicine. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176215. [PMID: 32867371 PMCID: PMC7503935 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver transplantation is the most common treatment for patients suffering from liver failure that is caused by congenital diseases, infectious agents, and environmental factors. Despite a high rate of patient survival following transplantation, organ availability remains the key limiting factor. As such, research has focused on the transplantation of different cell types that are capable of repopulating and restoring liver function. The best cellular mix capable of engrafting and proliferating over the long-term, as well as the optimal immunosuppression regimens, remain to be clearly well-defined. Hence, alternative strategies in the field of regenerative medicine have been explored. Since the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) that have the potential of differentiating into a broad spectrum of cell types, many studies have reported the achievement of iPSCs differentiation into liver cells, such as hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, endothelial cells, and Kupffer cells. In parallel, an increasing interest in the study of self-assemble or matrix-guided three-dimensional (3D) organoids have paved the way for functional bioartificial livers. In this review, we will focus on the recent breakthroughs in the development of iPSCs-based liver organoids and the major drawbacks and challenges that need to be overcome for the development of future applications.
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Corbett JL, Duncan SA. iPSC-Derived Hepatocytes as a Platform for Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery. Front Med (Lausanne) 2019; 6:265. [PMID: 31803747 PMCID: PMC6873655 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2019.00265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver is one of the largest organs in the body and is responsible for a diverse repertoire of metabolic processes. Such processes include the secretion of serum proteins, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, bile acid and urea synthesis, detoxification of drugs and metabolic waste products, and vitamin and carbohydrate storage. Currently, liver disease is one of the most prevalent causes of mortality in the USA with congenital liver defects contributing to a significant proportion of these deaths. Historically the study of liver disease has been hampered by a shortage of organ donors, the subsequent scarcity of healthy tissue, and the failure of animal models to fully recapitulate human liver function. In vitro culture of hepatocytes has also proven difficult because primary hepatocytes rapidly de-differentiate in culture. Recent advances in stem cell technology have facilitated the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from various somatic cell types from patients. Such cells can be differentiated to a liver cell fate, essentially providing a limitless supply of cells with hepatocyte characteristics that can mimic the pathophysiology of liver disease. Furthermore, development of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, as well as advancement of miniaturized differentiation platforms has facilitated the development of high throughput models for the investigation of hepatocyte differentiation and drug discovery. In this review, we will explore the latest advances in iPSC-based disease modeling and drug screening platforms and examine how this technology is being used to identify new pharmacological interventions, and to advance our understanding of liver development and mechanisms of disease. We will cover how iPSC technology is being used to develop predictive models for rare diseases and how information gained from large in vitro screening experiments can be used to directly inform clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Corbett
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Stephen A Duncan
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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