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Var SR, Strell P, Johnson ST, Roman A, Vasilakos Z, Low WC. Transplanting Microglia for Treating CNS Injuries and Neurological Diseases and Disorders, and Prospects for Generating Exogenic Microglia. Cell Transplant 2023; 32:9636897231171001. [PMID: 37254858 PMCID: PMC10236244 DOI: 10.1177/09636897231171001] [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: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia are associated with a wide range of both neuroprotective and neuroinflammatory functions in the central nervous system (CNS) during development and throughout lifespan. Chronically activated and dysfunctional microglia are found in many diseases and disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and CNS-related injuries, and can accelerate or worsen the condition. Transplantation studies designed to replace and supplement dysfunctional microglia with healthy microglia offer a promising strategy for addressing microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and pathologies. This review will cover microglial involvement in neurological diseases and disorders and CNS-related injuries, current microglial transplantation strategies, and different approaches and considerations for generating exogenic microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna R. Var
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical
School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, Medical School,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Phoebe Strell
- Stem Cell Institute, Medical School,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical
Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sether T. Johnson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical
School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, Medical School,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Alex Roman
- Department of Neuroscience, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Zoey Vasilakos
- Stem Cell Institute, Medical School,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Walter C. Low
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical
School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, Medical School,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical
Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Brown JL, Voth JP, Person K, Low WC. A Technological and Regulatory Review on Human-Animal Chimera Research: The Current Landscape of Biology, Law, and Public Opinion. Cell Transplant 2023; 32:9636897231183112. [PMID: 37599386 PMCID: PMC10467371 DOI: 10.1177/09636897231183112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Organ transplantation is a highly utilized treatment for many medical conditions, yet the number of patients waiting for organs far exceeds the number available. The challenges and limitations currently associated with organ transplantation and technological advances in gene editing techniques have led scientists to pursue alternate solutions to the donor organ shortage. Growing human organs in animals and harvesting those organs for transplantation into humans is one such solution. These chimeric animals usually have certain genes necessary for a specific organ's development inhibited at an early developmental stage, followed by the addition of cultured pluripotent human cells to fill that developmental niche. The result is a chimeric animal that contains human organs which are available for transplant into a patient, circumventing some of the limitations currently involved in donor organ transplantation. In this review, we will discuss both the current scientific and legal landscape of human-animal chimera (HAC) research. We present an overview of the technological advances that allow for the creation of HACs, the patents that currently exist on these methods, as well as current public attitude and understanding that can influence HAC research policy. We complement our scientific and public attitude discussion with a regulatory overview of chimera research at both the national and state level, while also contrasting current U.S. legislation with regulations in other countries. Overall, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the legal and scientific barriers to conducting research on HACs for the generation of transplantable human organs, as well as provide recommendations for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Brown
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Law School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Joseph P. Voth
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kennedy Person
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Walter C. Low
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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3
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In vitro and in vivo functions of T cells produced in complemented thymi of chimeric mice generated by blastocyst complementation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3242. [PMID: 35217706 PMCID: PMC8881621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07159-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocyst complementation is an intriguing way of generating humanized animals for organ preparation in regenerative medicine and establishing novel models for drug development. Confirming that complemented organs and cells work normally in chimeric animals is critical to demonstrating the feasibility of blastocyst complementation. Here, we generated thymus-complemented chimeric mice, assessed the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 antibody in tumor-bearing chimeric mice, and then investigated T-cell function. Thymus-complemented chimeric mice were generated by injecting C57BL/6 (B6) embryonic stem cells into Foxn1nu/nu morulae or blastocysts. Flow cytometry data showed that the chimeric mouse thymic epithelial cells (TECs) were derived from the B6 cells. T cells appeared outside the thymi. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that the TEC gene-expression profile was comparable to that in B6 mice. Splenic T cells of chimeric mice responded very well to anti-CD3 stimulation in vitro; CD4+ and CD8+ T cells proliferated and produced IFNγ, IL-2, and granzyme B, as in B6 mice. Anti-PD-L1 antibody treatment inhibited MC38 tumor growth in chimeric mice. Moreover, in the chimeras, anti-PD-L1 antibody restored T-cell activation by significantly decreasing PD-1 expression on T cells and increasing IFNγ-producing T cells in the draining lymph nodes and tumors. T cells produced by complemented thymi thus functioned normally in vitro and in vivo. To successfully generate humanized animals by blastocyst complementation, both verification of the function and gene expression profiling of complemented organs/cells in interspecific chimeras will be important in the near future.
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Wen B, Wang G, Li E, Kolesnichenko OA, Tu Z, Divanovic S, Kalin TV, Kalinichenko VV. In vivo generation of bone marrow from embryonic stem cells in interspecies chimeras. eLife 2022; 11:74018. [PMID: 36178184 PMCID: PMC9578712 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Generation of bone marrow (BM) from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) promises to accelerate the development of future cell therapies for life-threatening disorders. However, such approach is limited by technical challenges to produce a mixture of functional BM progenitor cells able to replace all hematopoietic cell lineages. Herein, we used blastocyst complementation to simultaneously produce BM cell lineages from mouse ESCs in a rat. Based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis and single-cell RNA sequencing, mouse ESCs differentiated into multiple hematopoietic and stromal cell types that were indistinguishable from normal mouse BM cells based on gene expression signatures and cell surface markers. Receptor-ligand interactions identified Cxcl12-Cxcr4, Lama2-Itga6, App-Itga6, Comp-Cd47, Col1a1-Cd44, and App-Il18rap as major signaling pathways between hematopoietic progenitors and stromal cells. Multiple hematopoietic progenitors, including hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in mouse-rat chimeras derived more efficiently from mouse ESCs, whereas chondrocytes predominantly derived from rat cells. In the dorsal aorta and fetal liver of mouse-rat chimeras, mouse HSCs emerged and expanded faster compared to endogenous rat cells. Sequential BM transplantation of ESC-derived cells from mouse-rat chimeras rescued lethally irradiated syngeneic mice and demonstrated long-term reconstitution potential of donor HSCs. Altogether, a fully functional BM was generated from mouse ESCs using rat embryos as 'bioreactors'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingqiang Wen
- Center for Lung Regenerative Medicine, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Guolun Wang
- Center for Lung Regenerative Medicine, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Enhong Li
- Center for Lung Regenerative Medicine, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Olena A Kolesnichenko
- Center for Lung Regenerative Medicine, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Zhaowei Tu
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Senad Divanovic
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine of the University of CincinnatiCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Tanya V Kalin
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine of the University of CincinnatiCincinnatiUnited States,Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Vladimir V Kalinichenko
- Center for Lung Regenerative Medicine, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine of the University of CincinnatiCincinnatiUnited States,Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States,Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
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Crane AT, Aravalli RN, Asakura A, Grande AW, Krishna VD, Carlson DF, Cheeran MCJ, Danczyk G, Dutton JR, Hackett PB, Hu WS, Li L, Lu WC, Miller ZD, O'Brien TD, Panoskaltsis-Mortari A, Parr AM, Pearce C, Ruiz-Estevez M, Shiao M, Sipe CJ, Toman NG, Voth J, Xie H, Steer CJ, Low WC. Interspecies Organogenesis for Human Transplantation. Cell Transplant 2019; 28:1091-1105. [PMID: 31426664 PMCID: PMC6767879 DOI: 10.1177/0963689719845351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocyst complementation combined with gene editing is an emerging approach in the
field of regenerative medicine that could potentially solve the worldwide problem of organ
shortages for transplantation. In theory, blastocyst complementation can generate fully
functional human organs or tissues, grown within genetically engineered livestock animals.
Targeted deletion of a specific gene(s) using gene editing to cause deficiencies in organ
development can open a niche for human stem cells to occupy, thus generating human
tissues. Within this review, we will focus on the pancreas, liver, heart, kidney, lung,
and skeletal muscle, as well as cells of the immune and nervous systems. Within each of
these organ systems, we identify and discuss (i) the common causes of organ failure; (ii)
the current state of regenerative therapies; and (iii) the candidate genes to knockout and
enable specific exogenous organ development via the use of blastocyst complementation. We
also highlight some of the current barriers limiting the success of blastocyst
complementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Crane
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Rajagopal N Aravalli
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Atsushi Asakura
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Andrew W Grande
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | | | | | - Maxim C-J Cheeran
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA
| | - Georgette Danczyk
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - James R Dutton
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Perry B Hackett
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Wei-Shou Hu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Wei-Cheng Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Zachary D Miller
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Timothy D O'Brien
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA
| | | | - Ann M Parr
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Clairice Pearce
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | | | - Maple Shiao
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | | | - Nikolas G Toman
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Joseph Voth
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Hui Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Clifford J Steer
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Walter C Low
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
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Pluripotent stem cell-derived organogenesis in the rat model system. Transgenic Res 2019; 28:287-297. [PMID: 31254209 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-019-00161-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Rats make an excellent model system for studying xenotransplantation since, like mice pluripotent stem cell lines, such as embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells as well as gene knock-outs are also available for rats, besides rats have larger organs. The emergence of new genome-editing tools combined with stem cell technology, has revolutionized biomedical research including the field of regenerative medicine. The aim of this manuscript is to provide an overview of the recent progresses in stem cell-derived organ regeneration involving "gene knock-out" and "blastocyst complementation" in the rat model system. Knocking-out Pdx1, Foxn1, and Sall1 genes have successfully generated rat models lacking the pancreas, thymus, and kidney, respectively. When allogeneic (rat) or xenogeneic (mouse) pluripotent stem cells were microinjected into blastocyst-stage rat embryos that had been designed to carry a suitable organogenetic niche, devoid of specific organs, the complemented blastocysts were able to develop to full-term chimeric rat offspring containing stem cell-derived functional organs in their respective niches. Thus, organs with a tridimensional structure can be generated with pluripotent stem cells in vivo, accelerating regenerative medical research, which is crucial for organ-based transplantation therapies. However, to address ethical concerns, public consent after informed discussions is essential before production of human organs within domestic animals.
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Jansson L, Larsson J. Normal hematopoietic stem cell function in mice with enforced expression of the Hippo signaling effector YAP1. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32013. [PMID: 22363786 PMCID: PMC3283704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2011] [Accepted: 01/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway has recently been implicated in the regulation of organ size and stem cells in multiple tissues. The transcriptional cofactor yes-associated protein 1 (Yap1) is the most downstream effector of Hippo signaling and is functionally repressed by the upstream components of the pathway. Overexpression of YAP1 stimulates proliferation of stem and progenitor cells in many tissues, consistent with inhibition of Hippo signaling. To study the role of Hippo signaling in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), we created a transgenic model with inducible YAP1 expression exclusively within the hematopoietic system. Following 3 months induction, examination of blood and bone marrow in the induced mice revealed no changes in the distribution of the hematopoietic lineages compared to control mice. Moreover, the progenitor cell compartment was unaltered as determined by colony forming assays and immunophenotyping. To address whether YAP1 affects the quantity and function of HSCs we performed competitive transplantation experiments. We show that ectopic YAP1 expression does not influence HSC function neither during steady state nor in situations of hematopoietic stress. This is in sharp contrast to effects seen on stem- and progenitor cells in other organs and suggests highly tissue specific functions of the Hippo pathway in regulation of stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Jansson
- Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jonas Larsson
- Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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Eckardt S, McLaughlin KJ, Willenbring H. Mouse chimeras as a system to investigate development, cell and tissue function, disease mechanisms and organ regeneration. Cell Cycle 2011; 10:2091-9. [PMID: 21606677 DOI: 10.4161/cc.10.13.16360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeras are organisms composed of at least two genetically distinct cell lineages originating from different zygotes. In the laboratory, mouse chimeras can be produced experimentally; various techniques allow combining different early stage mouse embryos with each other or with pluripotent stem cells. Identification of the progeny of the different lineages in chimeras permits to follow cell fate and function, enabling correlation of genotype with phenotype. Mouse chimeras have become a tool to investigate critical developmental processes, including cell specification, differentiation, patterning, and the function of specific genes. In addition, chimeras can also be generated to address biological processes in the adult, including mechanisms underlying diseases or tissue repair and regeneration. This review summarizes the different types of chimeras and how they have been generated and provides examples of how mouse chimeras offer a unique and powerful system to investigate questions pertaining to cell and tissue function in the developing and adult organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigrid Eckardt
- Center for Molecular and Human Genetics, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
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