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Abbas N, You K, Getachew A, Wu F, Hussain M, Huang X, Chen Y, Pan T, Li Y. Kupffer cells abrogate homing and repopulation of allogeneic hepatic progenitors in injured liver site. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:48. [PMID: 38378583 PMCID: PMC10877762 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03656-w] [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: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allogeneic hepatocyte transplantation is an emerging approach to treat acute liver defects. However, durable engraftment of the transplanted cells remains a daunting task, as they are actively cleared by the recipient's immune system. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the innate or adaptive immune cells-derived responses against allogeneic transplanted hepatic cells is the key to rationalize cell-based therapies. METHODS Here, we induced an acute inflammatory regenerative niche (3-96 h) on the surface of the liver by the application of cryo-injury (CI) to systematically evaluate the innate immune response against transplanted allogeneic hepatic progenitors in a sustained micro-inflammatory environment. RESULTS The resulting data highlighted that the injured site was significantly repopulated by alternating numbers of innate immune cells, including neutrophils, monocytes and Kupffer cells (KCs), from 3 to 96 h. The transplanted allo-HPs, engrafted 6 h post-injury, were collectively eliminated by the innate immune response within 24 h of transplantation. Selective depletion of the KCs demonstrated a delayed recruitment of monocytes from day 2 to day 6. In addition, the intrasplenic engraftment of the hepatic progenitors 54 h post-transplantation was dismantled by KCs, while a time-dependent better survival and translocation of the transplanted cells into the injured site could be observed in samples devoid of KCs. CONCLUSION Overall, this study provides evidence that KCs ablation enables a better survival and integration of allo-HPs in a sustained liver inflammatory environment, having implications for rationalizing the cell-based therapeutic interventions against liver defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasir Abbas
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health (CRMH), Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kai You
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Anteneh Getachew
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Feima Wu
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Muzammal Hussain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Xinping Huang
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Tingcai Pan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yinxiong Li
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou, 510000, China.
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
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Telles-Silva KA, Pacheco L, Chianca F, Komatsu S, Chiovatto C, Zatz M, Goulart E. iPSC-derived cells for whole liver bioengineering. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1338762. [PMID: 38384436 PMCID: PMC10879941 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1338762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver bioengineering stands as a prominent alternative to conventional hepatic transplantation. Through liver decellularization and/or bioprinting, researchers can generate acellular scaffolds to overcome immune rejection, genetic manipulation, and ethical concerns that often accompany traditional transplantation methods, in vivo regeneration, and xenotransplantation. Hepatic cell lines derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can repopulate decellularized and bioprinted scaffolds, producing an increasingly functional organ potentially suitable for autologous use. In this mini-review, we overview recent advancements in vitro hepatocyte differentiation protocols, shedding light on their pivotal role in liver recellularization and bioprinting, thereby offering a novel source for hepatic transplantation. Finally, we identify future directions for liver bioengineering research that may allow the implementation of these systems for diverse applications, including drug screening and liver disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayque Alves Telles-Silva
- Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center (HUG-CEL), Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Small Molecule Discovery Center, Genentech Hall, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Lara Pacheco
- Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center (HUG-CEL), Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Chianca
- Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center (HUG-CEL), Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Komatsu
- Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center (HUG-CEL), Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Chiovatto
- Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center (HUG-CEL), Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mayana Zatz
- Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center (HUG-CEL), Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ernesto Goulart
- Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center (HUG-CEL), Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Liu S, Wang J, Chen S, Han Z, Wu H, Chen H, Duan Y. C/EBPβ Coupled with E2F2 Promoted the Proliferation of hESC-Derived Hepatocytes through Direct Binding to the Promoter Regions of Cell-Cycle-Related Genes. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030497. [PMID: 36766839 PMCID: PMC9914899 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) hold the potential to solve the problem of the shortage of functional hepatocytes in clinical applications and drug development. However, a large number of usable hepatocytes derived from hESCs cannot be effectively obtained due to the limited proliferation capacity. In this study, we found that enhancement of liver transcription factor C/EBPβ during hepatic differentiation could not only significantly promote the expression of hepatic genes, such as albumin, alpha fetoprotein, and alpha-1 antitrypsin, but also dramatically reinforce proliferation-related phenotypes, including increasing the expression of proliferative genes, such as CDC25C, CDC45L, and PCNA, and the activation of cell cycle and DNA replication pathways. In addition, the analysis of CUT&Tag sequencing further revealed that C/EBPβ is directly bound to the promoter region of proliferating genes to promote cell proliferation; this interaction between C/EBPβ and DNA sequences of the promoters was verified by luciferase assay. On the contrary, the knockdown of C/EBPβ could significantly inhibit the expression of the aforementioned proliferative genes. RNA transcriptome analysis and GSEA enrichment indicated that the E2F family was enriched, and the expression of E2F2 was changed with the overexpression or knockdown of C/EBPβ. Moreover, the results of CUT&Tag sequencing showed that C/EBPβ also directly bound the promoter of E2F2, regulating E2F2 expression. Interestingly, Co-IP analysis exhibited a direct binding between C/EBPβ and E2F2 proteins, and this interaction between these two proteins was also verified in the LO2 cell line, a hepatic progenitor cell line. Thus, our results demonstrated that C/EBPβ first initiated E2F2 expression and then coupled with E2F2 to regulate the expression of proliferative genes in hepatocytes during the differentiation of hESCs. Therefore, our findings open a new avenue to provide an in vitro efficient approach to generate proliferative hepatocytes to potentially meet the demands for use in cell-based therapeutics as well as for pharmaceutical and toxicological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoupei Liu
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Sen Chen
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zonglin Han
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Haibin Wu
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Honglin Chen
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Correspondence: (H.C.); (Y.D.)
| | - Yuyou Duan
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Translational Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Correspondence: (H.C.); (Y.D.)
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Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Provides Novel Molecular Events for the Differentiation and Maturation of Hepatocytes during the Liver Development of Zebrafish. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092264. [PMID: 36140365 PMCID: PMC9496063 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver plays an essential role in multiple biological functions including metabolism, detoxification, digestion, coagulation, and homeostasis in vertebrates. The specification and differentiation of embryonic hepatoblasts, the proliferation of hepatocytes, and the hepatic tissue architecture are well documented, but molecular events governing the maturation of hepatocytes during liver development remain largely unclear. In this study, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of hepatocytes that were sorted by flow cytometry from developing zebrafish embryos at 60, 72, and 96 hpf. We identified 667 up-regulated and 3640 down-regulated genes in hepatocytes between 60 and 72 hpf, 606 up-regulated and 3924 down-regulated genes between 60 and 96 hpf, and 1693 up-regulated genes and 1508 down-regulated genes between 72 and 96 hpf. GO enrichment analysis revealed that key biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions in hepatocytes between 60 to 72 hpf, such as cell cycle, DNA replication, DNA repair, RNA processing, and transcription regulation, are mainly associated with the proliferation of hepatocytes. In addition to biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions for cell proliferation, molecular functions for carbohydrate metabolism were enriched in hepatocytes during 72 to 96 hpf. KEGG enrichment analysis identified key signaling pathways, such as cell cycle, RNA degradation, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, ErbB and Hedgehog signaling, basal transcription factors, Wnt signaling, and glycan degradation, which are closely associated with cell proliferation or carbohydrate metabolism in hepatocytes between 60 to 72 hpf. Newly enriched signaling pathways in hepatocytes during 72 to 96 hpf include metabolisms of pyrimidine, purine, nicotinate and nicotinamide, caffeine, glycine, serine and threonine, ABC transporters, and p53 signaling that function in metabolisms of lipid, protein and energy, cellular secretion, or detoxification, indicating the functional maturation of hepatocytes between 72 to 96 hpf. These findings provide novel clues for further understanding the functional differentiation and maturation of hepatocytes during liver development.
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Liu J, Yuan Z, Wang Q. Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Strategies to Treat Acute Liver Failure: Current Status and Future Directions. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2022; 10:692-699. [PMID: 36062278 PMCID: PMC9396313 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2021.00353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver disease has long been a heavy health and economic burden worldwide. Once the disease is out of control and progresses to end-stage or acute organ failure, orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the only therapeutic alternative, and it requires appropriate donors and aggressive administration of immunosuppressive drugs. Therefore, hepatocyte transplantation (HT) and bioartificial livers (BALs) have been proposed as effective treatments for acute liver failure (ALF) in clinics. Although human primary hepatocytes (PHs) are an ideal cell source to support these methods, the large demand and superior viability of PH is needed, which restrains its wide usage. Thus, a finding alternative to meet the quantity and quality of hepatocytes is urgent. In this context, human pluripotent stem cells (PSC), which have unlimited proliferative and differential potential, derived hepatocytes are a promising renewable cell source. Recent studies of the differentiation of PSC into hepatocytes has provided evidence that supports their clinical application. In this review, we discuss the recent status and future directions of the potential use of PSC-derived hepatocytes in treating ALF. We also discuss opportunities and challenges of how to promote such strategies in the common applications in clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingfeng Liu
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Rheumatism and Immunology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Correspondence to: Jingfeng Liu, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen University Town, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-0572, Tel: +86-755-86392288, E-mail: ; Qingwen Wang, Department of Rheumatism and Immunology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, 1120 Lianhua Rd, Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, China. Tel: +86-755-83923333, E-mail:
| | - Zhiming Yuan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Qingwen Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Rheumatism and Immunology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Correspondence to: Jingfeng Liu, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen University Town, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-0572, Tel: +86-755-86392288, E-mail: ; Qingwen Wang, Department of Rheumatism and Immunology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, 1120 Lianhua Rd, Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, China. Tel: +86-755-83923333, E-mail:
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Pan T, Wang N, Zhang J, Yang F, Chen Y, Zhuang Y, Xu Y, Fang J, You K, Lin X, Li Y, Li S, Liang K, Li YX, Gao Y. Efficiently generate functional hepatic cells from human pluripotent stem cells by complete small-molecule strategy. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:159. [PMID: 35410439 PMCID: PMC8996222 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-02831-1] [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: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Various methods have been developed to generate hepatic cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that rely on the combined use of multiple expensive growth factors, limiting industrial-scale production and widespread applications. Small molecules offer an attractive alternative to growth factors for producing hepatic cells since they are more economical and relatively stable. METHODS We dissect small-molecule combinations and identify the ideal cocktails to achieve an optimally efficient and cost-effective strategy for hepatic cells differentiation, expansion, and maturation. RESULTS We demonstrated that small-molecule cocktail CIP (including CHIR99021, IDE1, and PD0332991) efficiently induced definitive endoderm (DE) formation via increased endogenous TGF-β/Nodal signaling. Furthermore, we identified that combining Vitamin C, Dihexa, and Forskolin (VDF) could substitute growth factors to induce hepatic specification. The obtained hepatoblasts (HBs) could subsequently expand and mature into functional hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) by the established chemical formulas. Thus, we established a stepwise strategy with complete small molecules for efficiently producing scalable HBs and functionally matured HLCs. The small-molecule-derived HLCs displayed typical functional characteristics as mature hepatocytes in vitro and repopulating injured liver in vivo. CONCLUSION Our current small-molecule-based hepatic generation protocol presents an efficient and cost-effective platform for the large-scale production of functional human hepatic cells for cell-based therapy and drug discovery using.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingcai Pan
- General Surgery Center, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou , Guangdong, China.,Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Jiaye Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Models, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Yuanqi Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Yingying Xu
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Ji Fang
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Kai You
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Xianhua Lin
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Yang Li
- General Surgery Center, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou , Guangdong, China
| | - Shao Li
- General Surgery Center, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou , Guangdong, China
| | - Kangyan Liang
- General Surgery Center, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou , Guangdong, China
| | - Yin-Xiong Li
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
| | - Yi Gao
- General Surgery Center, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou , Guangdong, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Bluhmki T, Traub S, Müller AK, Bitzer S, Schruf E, Bammert MT, Leist M, Gantner F, Garnett JP, Heilker R. Functional human iPSC-derived alveolar-like cells cultured in a miniaturized 96‑Transwell air-liquid interface model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17028. [PMID: 34426605 PMCID: PMC8382767 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96565-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to circumvent the limited access and donor variability of human primary alveolar cells, directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into alveolar-like cells, provides a promising tool for respiratory disease modeling and drug discovery assays. In this work, a unique, miniaturized 96-Transwell microplate system is described where hiPSC-derived alveolar-like cells were cultured at an air-liquid interface (ALI). To this end, hiPSCs were differentiated into lung epithelial progenitor cells (LPCs) and subsequently matured into a functional alveolar type 2 (AT2)-like epithelium with monolayer-like morphology. AT2-like cells cultured at the physiological ALI conditions displayed characteristics of AT2 cells with classical alveolar surfactant protein expressions and lamellar-body like structures. The integrity of the epithelial barriers between the AT2-like cells was confirmed by applying a custom-made device for 96-parallelized transepithelial electric resistance (TEER) measurements. In order to generate an IPF disease-like phenotype in vitro, the functional AT2-like cells were stimulated with cytokines and growth factors present in the alveolar tissue of IPF patients. The cytokines stimulated the secretion of pro-fibrotic biomarker proteins both on the mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) and protein level. Thus, the hiPSC-derived and cellular model system enables the recapitulation of certain IPF hallmarks, while paving the route towards a miniaturized medium throughput approach of pharmaceutical drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Bluhmki
- Department of Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany.
| | - Stefanie Traub
- Trenzyme GmbH, Byk-Gulden-Str. 2, 78467, Constance, Germany
| | | | - Sarah Bitzer
- Department of Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Eva Schruf
- Department of Immunology & Respiratory Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Marie-Therese Bammert
- Department of Immunology & Respiratory Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Marcel Leist
- In-vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, University of Konstanz, 78457, Constance, Germany
| | - Florian Gantner
- Department of Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, C. H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - James P Garnett
- Department of Immunology & Respiratory Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Ralf Heilker
- Department of Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
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Pasqua M, Di Gesù R, Chinnici CM, Conaldi PG, Francipane MG. Generation of Hepatobiliary Cell Lineages from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Applications in Disease Modeling and Drug Screening. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8227. [PMID: 34360991 PMCID: PMC8348238 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The possibility to reproduce key tissue functions in vitro from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is offering an incredible opportunity to gain better insight into biological mechanisms underlying development and disease, and a tool for the rapid screening of drug candidates. This review attempts to summarize recent strategies for specification of iPSCs towards hepatobiliary lineages -hepatocytes and cholangiocytes-and their use as platforms for disease modeling and drug testing. The application of different tissue-engineering methods to promote accurate and reliable readouts is discussed. Space is given to open questions, including to what extent these novel systems can be informative. Potential pathways for improvement are finally suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Pasqua
- Fondazione Ri.MED, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (M.P.); (R.D.G.); (C.M.C.)
| | - Roberto Di Gesù
- Fondazione Ri.MED, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (M.P.); (R.D.G.); (C.M.C.)
| | - Cinzia Maria Chinnici
- Fondazione Ri.MED, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (M.P.); (R.D.G.); (C.M.C.)
- Dipartimento della Ricerca, IRCCS ISMETT, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
| | | | - Maria Giovanna Francipane
- Fondazione Ri.MED, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (M.P.); (R.D.G.); (C.M.C.)
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
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