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Treschow AF, Valente MJ, Lauschke K, Holst B, Andersen AR, Vinggaard AM. Investigating the applicability domain of the hiPSC-based PluriLum assay: an embryotoxicity assessment of chemicals and drugs. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:1209-1224. [PMID: 38311648 PMCID: PMC10944425 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03675-1] [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: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
To meet the growing demand for developmental toxicity assessment of chemicals, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) are needed. Previously, we developed two 3D in vitro assays based on human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) and cardiomyocyte differentiation: the PluriBeat assay, based on assessment of beating differentiated embryoid bodies, and the PluriLum assay, a reporter gene assay based on the expression of the early cardiac marker NKX2.5; both promising assays for predicting embryotoxic effects of chemicals and drugs. In this work, we aimed to further describe the predictive power of the PluriLum assay and compare its sensitivity with PluriBeat and similar human stem cell-based assays developed by others. For this purpose, we assessed the toxicity of a panel of ten chemicals from different chemical classes, consisting of the known developmental toxicants 5-fluorouracil, all-trans retinoic acid and valproic acid, as well as the negative control compounds ascorbic acid and folic acid. In addition, the fungicides epoxiconazole and prochloraz, and three perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), PFOS, PFOA and GenX were tested. Generally, the PluriLum assay displayed higher sensitivity when compared to the PluriBeat assay. For several compounds the luminescence readout of the PluriLum assay showed effects not detected by the PluriBeat assay, including two PFAS compounds and the two fungicides. Overall, we find that the PluriLum assay has the potential to provide a fast and objective detection of developmental toxicants and has a level of sensitivity that is comparable to or higher than other in vitro assays also based on human stem cells and cardiomyocyte differentiation for assessment of developmental toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Frederik Treschow
- Cell Toxicology Team, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Maria João Valente
- Cell Toxicology Team, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Karin Lauschke
- Cell Toxicology Team, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Cell Therapy TRU, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark
| | | | - Anders Reenberg Andersen
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anne Marie Vinggaard
- Cell Toxicology Team, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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2
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Kowalski TW, Giudicelli GC, Gomes JDA, Recamonde-Mendoza M, Vianna FSL. Bioinformatics Methods for Transcriptome Analysis on Teratogenesis Testing. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2753:365-376. [PMID: 38285351 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3625-1_20] [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] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Teratogenesis testing can be challenging due to the limitations of both in vitro and in vivo models. Test-systems, based especially on human embryonic cells, have been helping to overcome the difficulties when allied to omics strategies, such as transcriptomics. In these test-systems, cells exposed to different compounds are then analyzed in microarray or RNA-seq platforms regarding the impacts of the potential teratogens in the gene expression. Nevertheless, microarray and RNA-seq dataset processing requires computational resources and bioinformatics knowledge. Here, a pipeline for microarray and RNA-seq processing is presented, aiming to help researchers from any field to interpret the main transcriptome results, such as differential gene expression, enrichment analysis, and statistical interpretation. This chapter also discusses the main difficulties that can be encountered in a transcriptome analysis and the better alternatives to overcome these issues, describing both programming codes and user-friendly tools. Finally, specific issues in the teratogenesis field, such as time-course analysis, are also described, demonstrating how the pipeline can be applied in these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thayne Woycinck Kowalski
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory Genetics Unit, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Teratogens Information System, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Câmara Giudicelli
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Julia do Amaral Gomes
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Mariana Recamonde-Mendoza
- Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Informatics, Informatics Institute, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- Post-Graduation Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Teratogens Information System, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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3
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Cherianidou A, Kappenberg F, Seidel F, Acharya A, Papazoglou P, Srinivasan SP, Hescheler J, Peng L, Leist M, Hengstler JG, Rahnenführer J, Sachinidis A. Transcriptome-based prediction of drugs, inhibiting cardiomyogenesis in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:321. [PMID: 37644023 PMCID: PMC10465524 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01616-6] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal studies for embryotoxicity evaluation of potential therapeutics and environmental factors are complex, costly, and time-consuming. Often, studies are not of human relevance because of species differences. In the present study, we recapitulated the process of cardiomyogenesis in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by modulation of the Wnt signaling pathway to identify a key cardiomyogenesis gene signature that can be applied to identify compounds and/or stress factors compromising the cardiomyogenesis process. Among the 23 tested teratogens and 16 non-teratogens, we identified three retinoids including 13-cis-retinoic acid that completely block the process of cardiomyogenesis in hiPSCs. Moreover, we have identified an early gene signature consisting of 31 genes and associated biological processes that are severely affected by the retinoids. To predict the inhibitory potential of teratogens and non-teratogens in the process of cardiomyogenesis we established the "Developmental Cardiotoxicity Index" (CDI31g) that accurately differentiates teratogens and non-teratogens to do or do not affect the differentiation of hiPSCs to functional cardiomyocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cherianidou
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Physiology, Working Group Sachinidis, 50931 Cologne, Germany Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Franziska Kappenberg
- Department of Statistics, TU Dortmund University, Vogelpothsweg 87, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Florian Seidel
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the Technical University of Dortmund (IfADo), Ardeystrasse 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Aviseka Acharya
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Physiology, Working Group Sachinidis, 50931 Cologne, Germany Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Panagiota Papazoglou
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Physiology, Working Group Sachinidis, 50931 Cologne, Germany Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sureshkumar Perumal Srinivasan
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Physiology, Working Group Sachinidis, 50931 Cologne, Germany Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hescheler
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Physiology, Working Group Sachinidis, 50931 Cologne, Germany Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Luying Peng
- Heart Health Center, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200120, Shanghai and Research Units of Origin and Regulation of Heart Rhythm, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 100730, Beijing, China
| | - Marcel Leist
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstr. 10, PO, Box M657, 78457, Constance, Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the Technical University of Dortmund (IfADo), Ardeystrasse 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jörg Rahnenführer
- Department of Statistics, TU Dortmund University, Vogelpothsweg 87, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Agapios Sachinidis
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Physiology, Working Group Sachinidis, 50931 Cologne, Germany Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
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4
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Kowalski TW, Feira MF, Lord VO, Gomes JDA, Giudicelli GC, Fraga LR, Sanseverino MTV, Recamonde-Mendoza M, Schuler-Faccini L, Vianna FSL. A New Strategy for the Old Challenge of Thalidomide: Systems Biology Prioritization of Potential Immunomodulatory Drug (IMiD)-Targeted Transcription Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11515. [PMID: 37511270 PMCID: PMC10380514 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411515] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Several molecular mechanisms of thalidomide embryopathy (TE) have been investigated, from anti-angiogenesis to oxidative stress to cereblon binding. Recently, it was discovered that thalidomide and its analogs, named immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), induced the degradation of C2H2 transcription factors (TFs). This mechanism might impact the strict transcriptional regulation of the developing embryo. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the TFs altered by IMiDs, prioritizing the ones associated with embryogenesis through transcriptome and systems biology-allied analyses. This study comprises only the experimental data accessed through bioinformatics databases. First, proteins and genes reported in the literature as altered/affected by the IMiDs were annotated. A protein systems biology network was evaluated. TFs beta-catenin (CTNNB1) and SP1 play more central roles: beta-catenin is an essential protein in the network, while SP1 is a putative C2H2 candidate for IMiD-induced degradation. Separately, the differential expressions of the annotated genes were analyzed through 23 publicly available transcriptomes, presenting 8624 differentially expressed genes (2947 in two or more datasets). Seventeen C2H2 TFs were identified as related to embryonic development but not studied for IMiD exposure; these TFs are potential IMiDs degradation neosubstrates. This is the first study to suggest an integration of IMiD molecular mechanisms through C2H2 TF degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thayne Woycinck Kowalski
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Teratogen Information System (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Biomedical Sciences Course, Centro Universitário CESUCA, Cachoeirinha 94935-630, Brazil
| | - Mariléa Furtado Feira
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Oliveira Lord
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Biomedical Sciences Course, Centro Universitário CESUCA, Cachoeirinha 94935-630, Brazil
| | - Julia do Amaral Gomes
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Câmara Giudicelli
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
| | - Lucas Rosa Fraga
- Teratogen Information System (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Medicine, Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90010-150, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa Vieira Sanseverino
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Teratogen Information System (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- School of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Mariana Recamonde-Mendoza
- Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Computer Science, Institute of Informatics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Lavinia Schuler-Faccini
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Teratogen Information System (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Teratogen Information System (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre 90035-903, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Medicine, Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil
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Branco MA, Nunes TC, Cabral JMS, Diogo MM. Developmental Toxicity Studies: The Path towards Humanized 3D Stem Cell-Based Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054857. [PMID: 36902285 PMCID: PMC10002991 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Today, it is recognized that medicines will eventually be needed during pregnancy to help prevent to, ameliorate or treat an illness, either due to gestation-related medical conditions or pre-existing diseases. Adding to that, the rate of drug prescription to pregnant women has increased over the past few years, in accordance with the increasing trend to postpone childbirth to a later age. However, in spite of these trends, information regarding teratogenic risk in humans is often missing for most of the purchased drugs. So far, animal models have been the gold standard to obtain teratogenic data, but inter-species differences have limited the suitability of those models to predict human-specific outcomes, contributing to misidentified human teratogenicity. Therefore, the development of physiologically relevant in vitro humanized models can be the key to surpassing this limitation. In this context, this review describes the pathway towards the introduction of human pluripotent stem cell-derived models in developmental toxicity studies. Moreover, as an illustration of their relevance, a particular emphasis will be placed on those models that recapitulate two very important early developmental stages, namely gastrulation and cardiac specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana A. Branco
- Collaborative Laboratory to Foster Translation and Drug Discovery, Accelbio, 3030-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
- IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Tiago C. Nunes
- IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joaquim M. S. Cabral
- IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Margarida Diogo
- IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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6
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Manuela J, David ZJ, Nicole S, Nicole C, Paul B, Erich K, Lisa SP, Claudia M, Marcel L, Stefan K. Optimization of the TeraTox assay for preclinical teratogenicity assessment. Toxicol Sci 2022; 188:17-33. [PMID: 35485993 PMCID: PMC9237991 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Current animal-free methods to assess teratogenicity of drugs under development still deliver high numbers of false negatives. To improve the sensitivity of human teratogenicity prediction, we characterized the TeraTox test, a newly developed multilineage differentiation assay using 3D human-induced pluripotent stem cells. TeraTox produces primary output concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and altered gene expression induced by each test compound. These data are fed into an interpretable machine-learning model to perform prediction, which relates to the concentration-dependent human teratogenicity potential of drug candidates. We applied TeraTox to profile 33 approved pharmaceuticals and 12 proprietary drug candidates with known in vivo data. Comparing TeraTox predictions with known human or animal toxicity, we report an accuracy of 69% (specificity: 53%, sensitivity: 79%). TeraTox performed better than 2 quantitative structure-activity relationship models and had a higher sensitivity than the murine embryonic stem cell test (accuracy: 58%, specificity: 76%, and sensitivity: 46%) run in the same laboratory. The overall prediction accuracy could be further improved by combining TeraTox and mouse embryonic stem cell test results. Furthermore, patterns of altered gene expression revealed by TeraTox may help grouping toxicologically similar compounds and possibly deducing common modes of action. The TeraTox assay and the dataset described here therefore represent a new tool and a valuable resource for drug teratogenicity assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaklin Manuela
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland.,Department for In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - Zhang Jitao David
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Schäfer Nicole
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Clemann Nicole
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Barrow Paul
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Küng Erich
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | - Sach-Peltason Lisa
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
| | | | - Leist Marcel
- Department for In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kustermann Stefan
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
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7
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Jamalpoor A, Hartvelt S, Dimopoulou M, Zwetsloot T, Brandsma I, Racz PI, Osterlund T, Hendriks G. A novel human stem cell-based biomarker assay for in vitro assessment of developmental toxicity. Birth Defects Res 2022; 114:1210-1228. [PMID: 35289129 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testing for developmental toxicity according to the current regulatory guidelines requires large numbers of animals, making these tests very resource intensive, time-consuming, and ethically debatable. Over the past decades, several alternative in vitro assays have been developed, but these often suffered from low predictability and the inability to provide a mechanistic understanding of developmental toxicity. METHODS To identify embryotoxic compounds, we developed a human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-based biomarker assay. The assay is based on the differentiation of hiPSCs into functional cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes. Proper stem cell differentiation is investigated by morphological profiling and assessment of time-dependent expression patterns of cell-specific biomarkers. In this system, a decrease in the expression of the biomarker genes and morphology disruption of the differentiated cells following compound treatment indicated teratogenicity. RESULTS The hiPSCs-based biomarker assay was validated with 21 well-established in vivo animal teratogenic and non-teratogenic compounds during cardiomyocyte and hepatocyte differentiation. The in vivo teratogenic compounds (e.g., thalidomide and valproic acid) markedly disrupted morphology, functionality, and the expression pattern of the biomarker genes in either one or both cell types. Non-teratogenic chemicals generally had no effect on the morphology of differentiated cells, nor on the expression of the biomarker genes. Compared to the in vivo classification, the assay achieved high accuracy (91%), sensitivity (91%), and specificity (90%). CONCLUSION The assay, which we named ReproTracker®, is a state-of-the-art in vitro method that can identify the teratogenicity potential of new pharmaceuticals and chemicals and signify the outcome of in vivo test systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amer Jamalpoor
- Toxys B.V., Leiden Bio Science Park, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
| | - Sabine Hartvelt
- Toxys B.V., Leiden Bio Science Park, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
| | - Myrto Dimopoulou
- Toxys B.V., Leiden Bio Science Park, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
| | - Tom Zwetsloot
- Toxys B.V., Leiden Bio Science Park, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
| | - Inger Brandsma
- Toxys B.V., Leiden Bio Science Park, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
| | - Peter I Racz
- Toxys B.V., Leiden Bio Science Park, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
| | - Torben Osterlund
- Toxys B.V., Leiden Bio Science Park, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
| | - Giel Hendriks
- Toxys B.V., Leiden Bio Science Park, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
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8
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Konala VBR, Nandakumar S, Surendran H, Datar S, Bhonde R, Pal R. Neuronal and cardiac toxicity of pharmacological compounds identified through transcriptomic analysis of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2021; 433:115792. [PMID: 34742744 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Concurrent with the '3R' principle, the embryonic stem cell test (EST) using mouse embryonic stem cells, developed in 2000, remains the solely accepted in vitro method for embryotoxicity testing. However, the scope and implementation of EST for embryotoxicity screening, compliant with regulatory requirements, are limited. This is due to its technical complexity, long testing period, labor-intensive methodology, and limited endpoint data, leading to misclassification of embryotoxic potential. In this study, we used human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived embryoid bodies (EB) as an in vitro model to investigate the embryotoxic effects of a carefully selected set of pharmacological compounds. Morphology, viability, and differentiation potential were investigated after exposing EBs to folic acid, all-trans-retinoic acid, dexamethasone, and valproic acid for 15 days. The results showed that the compounds differentially repressed cell growth, compromised morphology, and triggered apoptosis in the EBs. Further, transcriptomics was employed to compare subtle temporal changes between treated and untreated cultures. Gene ontology and pathway analysis revealed that dysregulation of a large number of genes strongly correlated with impaired neuroectoderm and cardiac mesoderm formation. This aberrant gene expression pattern was associated with several disorders of the brain like mental retardation, multiple sclerosis, stroke and of the heart like dilated cardiomyopathy, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular arrhythmia. Lastly, these in vitro findings were validated using in ovo chick embryo model. Taken together, pharmacological compound or drug-induced defective EB development from hiPSCs could potentially be used as a suitable in vitro platform for embryotoxicity screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Konala
- The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bengaluru 560064, Karnataka, India; Eyestem Research, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bengaluru 560065, Karnataka, India
| | - Swapna Nandakumar
- Eyestem Research, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bengaluru 560065, Karnataka, India
| | - Harshini Surendran
- The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bengaluru 560064, Karnataka, India; Eyestem Research, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bengaluru 560065, Karnataka, India
| | - Savita Datar
- Department of Zoology, S. P. College, Pune 411030, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ramesh Bhonde
- Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune 411018, Maharashtra, India
| | - Rajarshi Pal
- The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bengaluru 560064, Karnataka, India; Eyestem Research, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bengaluru 560065, Karnataka, India.
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9
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Li H, Lian G, Wang G, Yin Q, Su Z. A review of possible therapies for multiple sclerosis. Mol Cell Biochem 2021; 476:3261-3270. [PMID: 33886059 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-021-04119-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system with a wide range of symptoms, like executive function defect, cognitive dysfunction, blurred vision, decreased sensation, spasticity, fatigue, and other symptoms. This neurological disease is characterized by the destruction of the blood-brain barrier, loss of myelin, and damage to neurons. It is the result of immune cells crossing the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system and attacking self-antigens. Heretofore, many treatments proved that they can retard the progression of the disease even though there is no cure. Therefore, treatments aimed at improving patients' quality of life and reducing adverse drug reactions and costs are essential. In this review, the treatment approaches to alleviate the progress of MS include the following: pharmacotherapy, antibody therapy, cell therapy, gene therapy, and surgery. The current treatment methods of MS are described in terms of the prevention of myelin shedding, the promotion of myelin regeneration, and the protection of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang City, 421001, Hunan Province, China
| | - Gaojian Lian
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang City, 421001, Hunan Province, China
| | - Guang Wang
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang City, 421001, Hunan Province, China
| | - Qianmei Yin
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang City, 421001, Hunan Province, China
| | - Zehong Su
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang City, 421001, Hunan Province, China.
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10
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Parodi C, Di Fede E, Peron A, Viganò I, Grazioli P, Castiglioni S, Finnell RH, Gervasini C, Vignoli A, Massa V. Chromatin Imbalance as the Vertex Between Fetal Valproate Syndrome and Chromatinopathies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:654467. [PMID: 33959609 PMCID: PMC8093873 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.654467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to valproate (VPA), an antiepileptic drug, has been associated with fetal valproate spectrum disorders (FVSD), a clinical condition including congenital malformations, developmental delay, intellectual disability as well as autism spectrum disorder, together with a distinctive facial appearance. VPA is a known inhibitor of histone deacetylase which regulates the chromatin state. Interestingly, perturbations of this epigenetic balance are associated with chromatinopathies, a heterogeneous group of Mendelian disorders arising from mutations in components of the epigenetic machinery. Patients affected from these disorders display a plethora of clinical signs, mainly neurological deficits and intellectual disability, together with distinctive craniofacial dysmorphisms. Remarkably, critically examining the phenotype of FVSD and chromatinopathies, they shared several overlapping features that can be observed despite the different etiologies of these disorders, suggesting the possible existence of a common perturbed mechanism(s) during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Parodi
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Di Fede
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Peron
- Human Pathology and Medical Genetics, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy.,Child Neuropsychiatry Unit-Epilepsy Center, Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Ilaria Viganò
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Grazioli
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Castiglioni
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Molecular and Human Genetics and Medicine, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Cristina Gervasini
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,"Aldo Ravelli" Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Aglaia Vignoli
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Massa
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,"Aldo Ravelli" Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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11
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Jaklin M, Zhang JD, Barrow P, Ebeling M, Clemann N, Leist M, Kustermann S. Focus on germ-layer markers: A human stem cell-based model for in vitro teratogenicity testing. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 98:286-298. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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12
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Lauschke K, Rosenmai AK, Meiser I, Neubauer JC, Schmidt K, Rasmussen MA, Holst B, Taxvig C, Emnéus JK, Vinggaard AM. A novel human pluripotent stem cell-based assay to predict developmental toxicity. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:3831-3846. [PMID: 32700165 PMCID: PMC7603451 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02856-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
There is a great need for novel in vitro methods to predict human developmental toxicity to comply with the 3R principles and to improve human safety. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) are ideal for the development of such methods, because they are easy to retrieve by conversion of adult somatic cells and can differentiate into most cell types of the body. Advanced three-dimensional (3D) cultures of these cells, so-called embryoid bodies (EBs), moreover mimic the early developing embryo. We took advantage of this to develop a novel human toxicity assay to predict chemically induced developmental toxicity, which we termed the PluriBeat assay. We employed three different hiPSC lines from male and female donors and a robust microtiter plate-based method to produce EBs. We differentiated the cells into cardiomyocytes and introduced a scoring system for a quantitative readout of the assay-cardiomyocyte contractions in the EBs observed on day 7. Finally, we tested the three compounds thalidomide (2.3-36 µM), valproic acid (25-300 µM), and epoxiconazole (1.3-20 µM) on beating and size of the EBs. We were able to detect the human-specific teratogenicity of thalidomide and found the rodent toxicant epoxiconazole as more potent than thalidomide in our assay. We conclude that the PluriBeat assay is a novel method for predicting chemicals' adverse effects on embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Lauschke
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Department for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna Kjerstine Rosenmai
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ina Meiser
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, 66280, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Julia Christiane Neubauer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, 66280, Sulzbach, Germany
- Fraunhofer Project Center for Stem Cell Process Engineering, Neunerplatz 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Schmidt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, 66280, Sulzbach, Germany
| | | | - Bjørn Holst
- Bioneer A/S, Kogle Allé 2, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Camilla Taxvig
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jenny Katarina Emnéus
- Department for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anne Marie Vinggaard
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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13
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Seidel F. Reproductive toxicity of boron. EXCLI JOURNAL 2020; 19:1184-1185. [PMID: 33088258 PMCID: PMC7573189 DOI: 10.17179/excli2020-2757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Seidel
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Ardeystr. 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
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14
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Seidel F. Reproductive toxicity of benzophenone-3. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:3593-3594. [PMID: 32918560 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02865-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Seidel
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Ardeystr 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
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15
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Aluminium affects neurospheres at human in vivo relevant concentrations. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:3601-3602. [PMID: 32840640 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02889-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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16
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Bolt HM. Testing of female reproductive disorders. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:3579-3580. [PMID: 32839845 PMCID: PMC7502046 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02883-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hermann M Bolt
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Ardeystr. 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
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17
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The EU-ToxRisk method documentation, data processing and chemical testing pipeline for the regulatory use of new approach methods. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:2435-2461. [PMID: 32632539 PMCID: PMC7367925 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02802-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Hazard assessment, based on new approach methods (NAM), requires the use of batteries of assays, where individual tests may be contributed by different laboratories. A unified strategy for such collaborative testing is presented. It details all procedures required to allow test information to be usable for integrated hazard assessment, strategic project decisions and/or for regulatory purposes. The EU-ToxRisk project developed a strategy to provide regulatorily valid data, and exemplified this using a panel of > 20 assays (with > 50 individual endpoints), each exposed to 19 well-known test compounds (e.g. rotenone, colchicine, mercury, paracetamol, rifampicine, paraquat, taxol). Examples of strategy implementation are provided for all aspects required to ensure data validity: (i) documentation of test methods in a publicly accessible database; (ii) deposition of standard operating procedures (SOP) at the European Union DB-ALM repository; (iii) test readiness scoring accoding to defined criteria; (iv) disclosure of the pipeline for data processing; (v) link of uncertainty measures and metadata to the data; (vi) definition of test chemicals, their handling and their behavior in test media; (vii) specification of the test purpose and overall evaluation plans. Moreover, data generation was exemplified by providing results from 25 reporter assays. A complete evaluation of the entire test battery will be described elsewhere. A major learning from the retrospective analysis of this large testing project was the need for thorough definitions of the above strategy aspects, ideally in form of a study pre-registration, to allow adequate interpretation of the data and to ensure overall scientific/toxicological validity.
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18
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Seddek AL, Ghallab A. Fluoride: no evidence of developmental neurotoxicity due to current exposure levels in Europe. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:2543-2544. [DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02823-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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19
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Sachinidis A. Cardiotoxicity and Heart Failure: Lessons from Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Anticancer Drugs. Cells 2020; 9:cells9041001. [PMID: 32316481 PMCID: PMC7226145 DOI: 10.3390/cells9041001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are discussed as disease modeling for optimization and adaptation of therapy to each individual. However, the fundamental question is still under debate whether stem-cell-based disease modeling and drug discovery are applicable for recapitulating pathological processes under in vivo conditions. Drug treatment and exposure to different chemicals and environmental factors can initiate diseases due to toxicity effects in humans. It is well documented that drug-induced cardiotoxicity accelerates the development of heart failure (HF). Until now, investigations on the understanding of mechanisms involved in HF by anticancer drugs are hindered by limitations of the available cellular models which are relevant for human physiology and by the fact that the clinical manifestation of HF often occurs several years after its initiation. Recently, we identified similar genomic biomarkers as observed by HF after short treatment of hiPSCs-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) with different antitumor drugs such as anthracyclines and etoposide (ETP). Moreover, we identified common cardiotoxic biological processes and signal transduction pathways which are discussed as being crucial for the survival and function of cardiomyocytes and, therefore, for the development of HF. In the present review, I discuss the applicability of the in vitro cardiotoxicity test systems as modeling for discovering preventive mechanisms/targets against cardiotoxicity and, therefore, for novel HF therapeutic concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agapios Sachinidis
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Str. 39, 50931 Cologne, Germany;
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Str. 21, 50931 Cologne, Germany
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20
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Seidel F. Rosette formation and transcriptome changes for in vitro prediction of developmental toxicity. Arch Toxicol 2019; 94:349-350. [PMID: 31828356 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-019-02639-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Seidel
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Ardeystr. 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
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21
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Development of a neural rosette formation assay (RoFA) to identify neurodevelopmental toxicants and to characterize their transcriptome disturbances. Arch Toxicol 2019; 94:151-171. [PMID: 31712839 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-019-02612-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The first in vitro tests for developmental toxicity made use of rodent cells. Newer teratology tests, e.g. developed during the ESNATS project, use human cells and measure mechanistic endpoints (such as transcriptome changes). However, the toxicological implications of mechanistic parameters are hard to judge, without functional/morphological endpoints. To address this issue, we developed a new version of the human stem cell-based test STOP-tox(UKN). For this purpose, the capacity of the cells to self-organize to neural rosettes was assessed as functional endpoint: pluripotent stem cells were allowed to differentiate into neuroepithelial cells for 6 days in the presence or absence of toxicants. Then, both transcriptome changes were measured (standard STOP-tox(UKN)) and cells were allowed to form rosettes. After optimization of staining methods, an imaging algorithm for rosette quantification was implemented and used for an automated rosette formation assay (RoFA). Neural tube toxicants (like valproic acid), which are known to disturb human development at stages when rosette-forming cells are present, were used as positive controls. Established toxicants led to distinctly different tissue organization and differentiation stages. RoFA outcome and transcript changes largely correlated concerning (1) the concentration-dependence, (2) the time dependence, and (3) the set of positive hits identified amongst 24 potential toxicants. Using such comparative data, a prediction model for the RoFA was developed. The comparative analysis was also used to identify gene dysregulations that are particularly predictive for disturbed rosette formation. This 'RoFA predictor gene set' may be used for a simplified and less costly setup of the STOP-tox(UKN) assay.
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22
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Sachinidis A, Albrecht W, Nell P, Cherianidou A, Hewitt NJ, Edlund K, Hengstler JG. Road Map for Development of Stem Cell-Based Alternative Test Methods. Trends Mol Med 2019; 25:470-481. [PMID: 31130451 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Much progress has been made in establishing strategies for differentiation of induced human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). However, differentiated hiPSCs are not yet routinely used for prediction of toxicity. Here, limiting factors are summarised and possibilities for improvement are discussed, with a focus on hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes, tubular epithelial cells, and developmental toxicity. Moreover, we make recommendations for further fine-tuning of differentiation protocols for hiPSCs to hepatocyte-like cells by comparing individual steps of currently available protocols to the mechanisms occurring during embryonic development. A road map is proposed to facilitate test system development, including a description of the most useful performance metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agapios Sachinidis
- Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne (UKK), Cologne, Germany.
| | - Wiebke Albrecht
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Technical University of Dortmund (IfADo), 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Patrick Nell
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Technical University of Dortmund (IfADo), 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Anna Cherianidou
- Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne (UKK), Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Karolina Edlund
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Technical University of Dortmund (IfADo), 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Technical University of Dortmund (IfADo), 44139 Dortmund, Germany.
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23
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Doss MX, Sachinidis A. Current Challenges of iPSC-Based Disease Modeling and Therapeutic Implications. Cells 2019; 8:cells8050403. [PMID: 31052294 PMCID: PMC6562607 DOI: 10.3390/cells8050403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based disease modelling and the cell replacement therapy approach have proven to be very powerful and instrumental in biomedical research and personalized regenerative medicine as evidenced in the past decade by unraveling novel pathological mechanisms of a multitude of monogenic diseases at the cellular level and the ongoing and emerging clinical trials with iPSC-derived cell products. iPSC-based disease modelling has sparked widespread enthusiasm and has presented an unprecedented opportunity in high throughput drug discovery platforms and safety pharmacology in association with three-dimensional multicellular organoids such as personalized organs-on-chips, gene/base editing, artificial intelligence and high throughput "omics" methodologies. This critical review summarizes the progress made in the past decade with the advent of iPSC discovery in biomedical applications and regenerative medicine with case examples and the current major challenges that need to be addressed to unleash the full potential of iPSCs in clinical settings and pharmacology for more effective and safer regenerative therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Xavier Doss
- Technology Development Division, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc, 105 Digital Drive, Novato, CA 94949, USA.
| | - Agapios Sachinidis
- Institute of Neurophysiology and Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch Str. 39, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
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24
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Zearalenone causes embryotoxicity and induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in differentiated human embryonic stem cells. Toxicol In Vitro 2019; 54:243-250. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2018.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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25
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de Leeuw VC, Hessel EVS, Piersma AH. Look-alikes may not act alike: Gene expression regulation and cell-type-specific responses of three valproic acid analogues in the neural embryonic stem cell test (ESTn). Toxicol Lett 2018; 303:28-37. [PMID: 30578912 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In vitro assays to assess developmental neurotoxicity of chemicals are highly desirable. The murine neural embryonic stem cell test (ESTn) can mimic parts of early differentiation of embryonic brain and may therefore be useful for this purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this test is able to rank the toxic potencies of three valproic acid analogues and to study their mode of action by investigating their individual effects on four cell types: stem cells, neurons, astrocytes and neural crest cells. Using immunocytochemical read-outs and qPCR for cell type-specific genes, the effects of valproic acid (VPA), 2-ethylhexanoic acid (EHA) and 2-ethyl-4-methylpentanoic (EMPA) were assessed. VPA and EHA but not EMPA downregulated cell type-specific differentiation makers and upregulated stem cell related markers (Fut4, Cdh1) at different time points during differentiation. Expression of Gfap, a marker for astrocytes, was dramatically downregulated by VPA and EHA, but not by EMPA. This finding was verified using immunostainings. Based on the number and extent of genes regulated by the three compounds, relative potencies were determined as VPA > EHA > EMPA, which is consistent with in vivo developmental toxicity potency ranking of these compounds. Thus, ESTn using a combination of morphology, gene and protein expression readouts, may provide a medium-throughput system for monitoring the effects of compounds on differentiation of cell types in early brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria C de Leeuw
- Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Ellen V S Hessel
- Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Aldert H Piersma
- Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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26
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Seidel F. Highlight report: Stem cell-based developmental toxicity tests. Arch Toxicol 2018; 92:3609-3610. [PMID: 30478605 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-018-2357-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Seidel
- IfADo, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund, Ardeystr. 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
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27
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Highlight report: the need of 'fit-for-purpose' controls for cell lines used in toxicity assays. Arch Toxicol 2018; 92:3605-3606. [PMID: 30430188 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-018-2348-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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28
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Abstract
The genome revolution represents a complete change on our view of biological systems. The quantitative determination of changes in all major molecular components of the living cells, the "omics" approach, opened whole new fields for all health sciences. Genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and others, together with appropriate prediction and modeling tools, will mark the future of developmental toxicity assessment both for wildlife and humans. This is especially true for disciplines, like teratology, which rely on studies in model organisms, as studies at lower levels of organization are difficult to implement. Rodents and frogs have been the favorite models for studying human reproductive and developmental disorders for decades. Recently, the study of the development of zebrafish embryos (ZE) is becoming a major alternative tool to adult animal testing. ZE intrinsic characteristics makes this model a unique system to analyze in vivo developmental alterations that only can be studied applying in toto approaches. Moreover, under actual legislations, ZE is considered as a replacement model (and therefore, excluded from animal welfare regulations) during the first 5 days after fertilization. Here we review the most important components of the zebrafish toolbox available for analyzing early stages of embryotoxic events that could eventually lead to teratogenesis.
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29
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Delp J, Gutbier S, Cerff M, Zasada C, Niedenführ S, Zhao L, Smirnova L, Hartung T, Borlinghaus H, Schreiber F, Bergemann J, Gätgens J, Beyss M, Azzouzi S, Waldmann T, Kempa S, Nöh K, Leist M. Stage-specific metabolic features of differentiating neurons: Implications for toxicant sensitivity. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2017; 354:64-80. [PMID: 29278688 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) may be induced when chemicals disturb a key neurodevelopmental process, and many tests focus on this type of toxicity. Alternatively, DNT may occur when chemicals are cytotoxic only during a specific neurodevelopmental stage. The toxicant sensitivity is affected by the expression of toxicant targets and by resilience factors. Although cellular metabolism plays an important role, little is known how it changes during human neurogenesis, and how potential alterations affect toxicant sensitivity of mature vs. immature neurons. We used immature (d0) and mature (d6) LUHMES cells (dopaminergic human neurons) to provide initial answers to these questions. Transcriptome profiling and characterization of energy metabolism suggested a switch from predominantly glycolytic energy generation to a more pronounced contribution of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) during neuronal maturation. Therefore, we used pulsed stable isotope-resolved metabolomics (pSIRM) to determine intracellular metabolite pool sizes (concentrations), and isotopically non-stationary 13C-metabolic flux analysis (INST 13C-MFA) to calculate metabolic fluxes. We found that d0 cells mainly use glutamine to fuel the TCA. Furthermore, they rely on extracellular pyruvate to allow continuous growth. This metabolic situation does not allow for mitochondrial or glycolytic spare capacity, i.e. the ability to adapt energy generation to altered needs. Accordingly, neuronal precursor cells displayed a higher sensitivity to several mitochondrial toxicants than mature neurons differentiated from them. In summary, this study shows that precursor cells lose their glutamine dependency during differentiation while they gain flexibility of energy generation and thereby increase their resistance to low concentrations of mitochondrial toxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Delp
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Simon Gutbier
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Cerff
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Christin Zasada
- Max-Delbrück-Center of Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Sebastian Niedenführ
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Liang Zhao
- Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lena Smirnova
- Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Hartung
- Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hanna Borlinghaus
- Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Falk Schreiber
- Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany; Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jörg Bergemann
- Department of Life Sciences, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences, Sigmaringen, Germany
| | - Jochem Gätgens
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Martin Beyss
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Salah Azzouzi
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Tanja Waldmann
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Stefan Kempa
- Max-Delbrück-Center of Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Katharina Nöh
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Marcel Leist
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; CAAT-Europe, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany.
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30
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Bolt HM. Stem cells in toxicological research. Arch Toxicol 2017; 91:4029-4030. [PMID: 29143079 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-017-2120-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hermann M Bolt
- IfADo-Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund, Ardeystr. 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
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31
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Zhou Y, Tsai TL, Li WJ. Strategies to retain properties of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells ex vivo. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017; 1409:3-17. [PMID: 28984359 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been extensively used for cell therapies and tissue engineering. The current MSC strategy requires a large quantity of cells for such applications, which can be achieved through cell expansion in culture. In the body, stem cell fate is largely determined by their microenvironment, known as the niche. The complex and dynamic stem cell niche provides physical, mechanical, and chemical cues to collaboratively regulate cell activities. It remains a great challenge to maintain the properties of MSCs in culture. Constructing a microenvironment as an engineered stem cell niche in culture to maintain MSC phenotypes, properties, and functions is a viable strategy to address the issue. Here, we review the current understanding of MSC behavior in the bone marrow niche, describe different strategies to engineer an in vitro microenvironment for maintaining MSC properties and functions, and discuss previous findings on environmental factors critical to the modulation of MSC activities in engineered microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxian Zhou
- Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Tsung-Lin Tsai
- Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Wan-Ju Li
- Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
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