1
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Sleiman Y, Reisqs JB, Boutjdir M. Differentiation of Sinoatrial-like Cardiomyocytes as a Biological Pacemaker Model. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9155. [PMID: 39273104 PMCID: PMC11394733 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179155] [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: 07/20/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are widely used for disease modeling and pharmacological screening. However, their application has mainly focused on inherited cardiopathies affecting ventricular cardiomyocytes, leading to extensive knowledge on generating ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs. Electronic pacemakers, despite their utility, have significant disadvantages, including lack of hormonal responsiveness, infection risk, limited battery life, and inability to adapt to changes in heart size. Therefore, developing an in vitro multiscale model of the human sinoatrial node (SAN) pacemaker using hiPSC-CM and SAN-like cardiomyocyte differentiation protocols is essential. This would enhance the understanding of SAN-related pathologies and support targeted therapies. Generating SAN-like cardiomyocytes offers the potential for biological pacemakers and specialized conduction tissues, promising significant benefits for patients with conduction system defects. This review focuses on arrythmias related to pacemaker dysfunction, examining protocols' advantages and drawbacks for generating SAN-like cardiomyocytes from hESCs/hiPSCs, and discussing therapeutic approaches involving their engraftment in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Sleiman
- Cardiovascular Research Program, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY 11209, USA
| | - Jean-Baptiste Reisqs
- Cardiovascular Research Program, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY 11209, USA
| | - Mohamed Boutjdir
- Cardiovascular Research Program, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY 11209, USA
- Department of Medicine, Cell Biology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, New York, NY 11203, USA
- Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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2
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Kobeissi H, Gao X, DePalma SJ, Ewoldt JK, Wang MC, Das SL, Jilberto J, Nordsletten D, Baker BM, Chen CS, Lejeune E. MicroBundlePillarTrack: A Python package for automated segmentation, tracking, and analysis of pillar deflection in cardiac microbundles. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2405.11096v2. [PMID: 39184538 PMCID: PMC11343223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Movies of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived engineered cardiac tissue (microbundles) contain abundant information about structural and functional maturity. However, extracting these data in a reproducible and high-throughput manner remains a major challenge. Furthermore, it is not straightforward to make direct quantitative comparisons across the multiple in vitro experimental platforms employed to fabricate these tissues. Here, we present "MicroBundlePillarTrack," an open-source optical flow-based package developed in Python to track the deflection of pillars in cardiac microbundles grown on experimental platforms with two different pillar designs ("Type 1" and "Type 2" design). Our software is able to automatically segment the pillars, track their displacements, and output time-dependent metrics for contractility analysis, including beating amplitude and rate, contractile force, and tissue stress. Because this software is fully automated, it will allow for both faster and more reproducible analyses of larger datasets and it will enable more reliable cross-platform comparisons as compared to existing approaches that require manual steps and are tailored to a specific experimental platform. To complement this open-source software, we share a dataset of 1,540 brightfield example movies on which we have tested our software. Through sharing this data and software, our goal is to directly enable quantitative comparisons across labs, and facilitate future collective progress via the biomedical engineering open-source data and software ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Kobeissi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Xining Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Samuel J. DePalma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Jourdan K. Ewoldt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Miranda C. Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Shoshana L. Das
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Javiera Jilberto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - David Nordsletten
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s Health Partners, King’s College London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Brendon M. Baker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Christopher S. Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Emma Lejeune
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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3
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Nahon DM, Moerkens R, Aydogmus H, Lendemeijer B, Martínez-Silgado A, Stein JM, Dostanić M, Frimat JP, Gontan C, de Graaf MNS, Hu M, Kasi DG, Koch LS, Le KTT, Lim S, Middelkamp HHT, Mooiweer J, Motreuil-Ragot P, Niggl E, Pleguezuelos-Manzano C, Puschhof J, Revyn N, Rivera-Arbelaez JM, Slager J, Windt LM, Zakharova M, van Meer BJ, Orlova VV, de Vrij FMS, Withoff S, Mastrangeli M, van der Meer AD, Mummery CL. Standardizing designed and emergent quantitative features in microphysiological systems. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:941-962. [PMID: 39187664 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01236-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Microphysiological systems (MPSs) are cellular models that replicate aspects of organ and tissue functions in vitro. In contrast with conventional cell cultures, MPSs often provide physiological mechanical cues to cells, include fluid flow and can be interlinked (hence, they are often referred to as microfluidic tissue chips or organs-on-chips). Here, by means of examples of MPSs of the vascular system, intestine, brain and heart, we advocate for the development of standards that allow for comparisons of quantitative physiological features in MPSs and humans. Such standards should ensure that the in vivo relevance and predictive value of MPSs can be properly assessed as fit-for-purpose in specific applications, such as the assessment of drug toxicity, the identification of therapeutics or the understanding of human physiology or disease. Specifically, we distinguish designed features, which can be controlled via the design of the MPS, from emergent features, which describe cellular function, and propose methods for improving MPSs with readouts and sensors for the quantitative monitoring of complex physiology towards enabling wider end-user adoption and regulatory acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis M Nahon
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Renée Moerkens
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Bas Lendemeijer
- Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Adriana Martínez-Silgado
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen M Stein
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Cristina Gontan
- Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Michel Hu
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dhanesh G Kasi
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Lena S Koch
- University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Kieu T T Le
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sangho Lim
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Joram Mooiweer
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Eva Niggl
- Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jens Puschhof
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Nele Revyn
- Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jelle Slager
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Laura M Windt
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Sebo Withoff
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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4
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Risato G, Brañas Casas R, Cason M, Bueno Marinas M, Pinci S, De Gaspari M, Visentin S, Rizzo S, Thiene G, Basso C, Pilichou K, Tiso N, Celeghin R. In Vivo Approaches to Understand Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Perspectives on Animal Models. Cells 2024; 13:1264. [PMID: 39120296 PMCID: PMC11311808 DOI: 10.3390/cells13151264] [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: 06/25/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is a hereditary cardiac disorder characterized by the gradual replacement of cardiomyocytes with fibrous and adipose tissue, leading to ventricular wall thinning, chamber dilation, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Despite advances in treatment, disease management remains challenging. Animal models, particularly mice and zebrafish, have become invaluable tools for understanding AC's pathophysiology and testing potential therapies. Mice models, although useful for scientific research, cannot fully replicate the complexity of the human AC. However, they have provided valuable insights into gene involvement, signalling pathways, and disease progression. Zebrafish offer a promising alternative to mammalian models, despite the phylogenetic distance, due to their economic and genetic advantages. By combining animal models with in vitro studies, researchers can comprehensively understand AC, paving the way for more effective treatments and interventions for patients and improving their quality of life and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Risato
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, I-35131 Padua, Italy;
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy;
| | | | - Marco Cason
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Maria Bueno Marinas
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Serena Pinci
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Monica De Gaspari
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Silvia Visentin
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy;
| | - Stefania Rizzo
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Gaetano Thiene
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Cristina Basso
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Kalliopi Pilichou
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Natascia Tiso
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, I-35131 Padua, Italy;
| | - Rudy Celeghin
- Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, I-35128 Padua, Italy; (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.B.M.); (S.P.); (M.D.G.); (S.R.); (G.T.); (C.B.); (K.P.); (R.C.)
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5
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Kobeissi H, Gao X, DePalma SJ, Ewoldt JK, Wang MC, Das SL, Jilberto J, Nordsletten D, Baker BM, Chen CS, Lejeune E. MicroBundlePillarTrack: A Python package for automated segmentation, tracking, and analysis of pillar deflection in cardiac microbundles. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001231. [PMID: 39114859 PMCID: PMC11304080 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Movies of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived engineered cardiac tissue (microbundles) contain abundant information about structural and functional maturity. However, extracting these data in a reproducible and high-throughput manner remains a major challenge. Furthermore, it is not straightforward to make direct quantitative comparisons across the multiple in vitro experimental platforms employed to fabricate these tissues. Here, we present "MicroBundlePillarTrack," an open-source optical flow-based package developed in Python to track the deflection of pillars in cardiac microbundles grown on experimental platforms with two different pillar designs ("Type 1" and "Type 2" design). Our software is able to automatically segment the pillars, track their displacements, and output time-dependent metrics for contractility analysis, including beating amplitude and rate, contractile force, and tissue stress. Because this software is fully automated, it will allow for both faster and more reproducible analyses of larger datasets and it will enable more reliable cross-platform comparisons as compared to existing approaches that require manual steps and are tailored to a specific experimental platform. To complement this open-source software, we share a dataset of 1,540 brightfield example movies on which we have tested our software. Through sharing this data and software, our goal is to directly enable quantitative comparisons across labs, and facilitate future collective progress via the biomedical engineering open-source data and software ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Kobeissi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Xining Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Samuel J. DePalma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Jourdan K. Ewoldt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Miranda C. Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Shoshana L. Das
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Javiera Jilberto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - David Nordsletten
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s Health Partners, King's College London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Brendon M. Baker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Christopher S. Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Emma Lejeune
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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6
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Arslan U, van den Hil FE, Mummery CL, Orlova V. Generation and Characterization of hiPSC-Derived Vascularized-, Perfusable Cardiac Microtissues-on-Chip. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e1097. [PMID: 39036931 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.1097] [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: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
In the heart in vivo, vasculature forms a semi-permeable endothelial barrier for selective nutrient and (immune) cell delivery to the myocardium and removal of waste products. Crosstalk between the vasculature and the heart cells regulates homeostasis in health and disease. To model heart development and disease in vitro it is important that essential features of this crosstalk are captured. Cardiac organoid and microtissue models often integrate endothelial cells (ECs) to form microvascular networks inside the 3D structure. However, in static culture without perfusion, these networks may fail to show essential functionality. Here, we describe a protocol to generate an in vitro model of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived vascularized cardiac microtissues on a microfluidic organ-on-chip platform (VMToC) in which the blood vessels are perfusable. First, prevascularized cardiac microtissues (MT) are formed by combining hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, ECs, and cardiac fibroblasts in a pre-defined ratio. Next, these prevascularized MTs are integrated in the chips in a fibrin hydrogel containing additional vascular cells, which self-organize into tubular structures. The MTs become vascularized through anastomosis between the pre-existing microvasculature in the MT and the external vascular network. The VMToCs are then ready for downstream structural and functional assays and basic characterization. Using this protocol, cardiac MTs can be efficiently and robustly vascularized and perfused within 7 days. In vitro vascularized organoid and MT models have the potential to transition current 3D cardiac models to more physiologically relevant organ models that allow the role of the endothelial barrier in drug and inflammatory response to be investigated. © 2024 The Author(s). Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: Generation of VMToC Support Protocol 1: Functional Characterization of VMToC Support Protocol 2: Structural Characterization of VMToC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulgu Arslan
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Francijna E van den Hil
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Valeria Orlova
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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7
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Kobeissi H, Jilberto J, Karakan MÇ, Gao X, DePalma SJ, Das SL, Quach L, Urquia J, Baker BM, Chen CS, Nordsletten D, Lejeune E. MicroBundleCompute: Automated segmentation, tracking, and analysis of subdomain deformation in cardiac microbundles. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298863. [PMID: 38530829 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Advancing human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) technology will lead to significant progress ranging from disease modeling, to drug discovery, to regenerative tissue engineering. Yet, alongside these potential opportunities comes a critical challenge: attaining mature hiPSC-CM tissues. At present, there are multiple techniques to promote maturity of hiPSC-CMs including physical platforms and cell culture protocols. However, when it comes to making quantitative comparisons of functional behavior, there are limited options for reliably and reproducibly computing functional metrics that are suitable for direct cross-system comparison. In addition, the current standard functional metrics obtained from time-lapse images of cardiac microbundle contraction reported in the field (i.e., post forces, average tissue stress) do not take full advantage of the available information present in these data (i.e., full-field tissue displacements and strains). Thus, we present "MicroBundleCompute," a computational framework for automatic quantification of morphology-based mechanical metrics from movies of cardiac microbundles. Briefly, this computational framework offers tools for automatic tissue segmentation, tracking, and analysis of brightfield and phase contrast movies of beating cardiac microbundles. It is straightforward to implement, runs without user intervention, requires minimal input parameter setting selection, and is computationally inexpensive. In this paper, we describe the methods underlying this computational framework, show the results of our extensive validation studies, and demonstrate the utility of exploring heterogeneous tissue deformations and strains as functional metrics. With this manuscript, we disseminate "MicroBundleCompute" as an open-source computational tool with the aim of making automated quantitative analysis of beating cardiac microbundles more accessible to the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Kobeissi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Javiera Jilberto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - M Çağatay Karakan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Xining Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Samuel J DePalma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Shoshana L Das
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Lani Quach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Urquia
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York Institute of Technology, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Brendon M Baker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Christopher S Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - David Nordsletten
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's Health Partners, King's College London, King's Health Partners, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Lejeune
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
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8
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Yang Y, Yang H, Kiskin FN, Zhang JZ. The new era of cardiovascular research: revolutionizing cardiovascular research with 3D models in a dish. MEDICAL REVIEW (2021) 2024; 4:68-85. [PMID: 38515776 PMCID: PMC10954298 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2023-0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular research has heavily relied on studies using patient samples and animal models. However, patient studies often miss the data from the crucial early stage of cardiovascular diseases, as obtaining primary tissues at this stage is impracticable. Transgenic animal models can offer some insights into disease mechanisms, although they usually do not fully recapitulate the phenotype of cardiovascular diseases and their progression. In recent years, a promising breakthrough has emerged in the form of in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cardiovascular models utilizing human pluripotent stem cells. These innovative models recreate the intricate 3D structure of the human heart and vessels within a controlled environment. This advancement is pivotal as it addresses the existing gaps in cardiovascular research, allowing scientists to study different stages of cardiovascular diseases and specific drug responses using human-origin models. In this review, we first outline various approaches employed to generate these models. We then comprehensively discuss their applications in studying cardiovascular diseases by providing insights into molecular and cellular changes associated with cardiovascular conditions. Moreover, we highlight the potential of these 3D models serving as a platform for drug testing to assess drug efficacy and safety. Despite their immense potential, challenges persist, particularly in maintaining the complex structure of 3D heart and vessel models and ensuring their function is comparable to real organs. However, overcoming these challenges could revolutionize cardiovascular research. It has the potential to offer comprehensive mechanistic insights into human-specific disease processes, ultimately expediting the development of personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yang
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Fedir N. Kiskin
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Joe Z. Zhang
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
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9
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Correia CD, Ferreira A, Fernandes MT, Silva BM, Esteves F, Leitão HS, Bragança J, Calado SM. Human Stem Cells for Cardiac Disease Modeling and Preclinical and Clinical Applications—Are We on the Road to Success? Cells 2023; 12:1727. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.3390/cells12131727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are pointed out by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the leading cause of death, contributing to a significant and growing global health and economic burden. Despite advancements in clinical approaches, there is a critical need for innovative cardiovascular treatments to improve patient outcomes. Therapies based on adult stem cells (ASCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have emerged as promising strategies to regenerate damaged cardiac tissue and restore cardiac function. Moreover, the generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells has opened new avenues for disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine applications, with fewer ethical concerns than those associated with ESCs. Herein, we provide a state-of-the-art review on the application of human pluripotent stem cells in CVD research and clinics. We describe the types and sources of stem cells that have been tested in preclinical and clinical trials for the treatment of CVDs as well as the applications of pluripotent stem-cell-derived in vitro systems to mimic disease phenotypes. How human stem-cell-based in vitro systems can overcome the limitations of current toxicological studies is also discussed. Finally, the current state of clinical trials involving stem-cell-based approaches to treat CVDs are presented, and the strengths and weaknesses are critically discussed to assess whether researchers and clinicians are getting closer to success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia D. Correia
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Anita Ferreira
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Mónica T. Fernandes
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- School of Health, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Bárbara M. Silva
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Filipa Esteves
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Helena S. Leitão
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - José Bragança
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sofia M. Calado
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
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10
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Correia CD, Ferreira A, Fernandes MT, Silva BM, Esteves F, Leitão HS, Bragança J, Calado SM. Human Stem Cells for Cardiac Disease Modeling and Preclinical and Clinical Applications-Are We on the Road to Success? Cells 2023; 12:1727. [PMID: 37443761 PMCID: PMC10341347 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are pointed out by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the leading cause of death, contributing to a significant and growing global health and economic burden. Despite advancements in clinical approaches, there is a critical need for innovative cardiovascular treatments to improve patient outcomes. Therapies based on adult stem cells (ASCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have emerged as promising strategies to regenerate damaged cardiac tissue and restore cardiac function. Moreover, the generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells has opened new avenues for disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine applications, with fewer ethical concerns than those associated with ESCs. Herein, we provide a state-of-the-art review on the application of human pluripotent stem cells in CVD research and clinics. We describe the types and sources of stem cells that have been tested in preclinical and clinical trials for the treatment of CVDs as well as the applications of pluripotent stem-cell-derived in vitro systems to mimic disease phenotypes. How human stem-cell-based in vitro systems can overcome the limitations of current toxicological studies is also discussed. Finally, the current state of clinical trials involving stem-cell-based approaches to treat CVDs are presented, and the strengths and weaknesses are critically discussed to assess whether researchers and clinicians are getting closer to success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia D. Correia
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (C.D.C.); (A.F.); (M.T.F.); (B.M.S.); (F.E.); (H.S.L.); (J.B.)
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Anita Ferreira
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (C.D.C.); (A.F.); (M.T.F.); (B.M.S.); (F.E.); (H.S.L.); (J.B.)
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Mónica T. Fernandes
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (C.D.C.); (A.F.); (M.T.F.); (B.M.S.); (F.E.); (H.S.L.); (J.B.)
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- School of Health, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Bárbara M. Silva
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (C.D.C.); (A.F.); (M.T.F.); (B.M.S.); (F.E.); (H.S.L.); (J.B.)
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Filipa Esteves
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (C.D.C.); (A.F.); (M.T.F.); (B.M.S.); (F.E.); (H.S.L.); (J.B.)
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Helena S. Leitão
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (C.D.C.); (A.F.); (M.T.F.); (B.M.S.); (F.E.); (H.S.L.); (J.B.)
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - José Bragança
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (C.D.C.); (A.F.); (M.T.F.); (B.M.S.); (F.E.); (H.S.L.); (J.B.)
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sofia M. Calado
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (C.D.C.); (A.F.); (M.T.F.); (B.M.S.); (F.E.); (H.S.L.); (J.B.)
- Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve—Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
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11
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Abstract
The heart is the first functional organ established during embryogenesis. Investigating heart development and disease is a fascinating and crucial field of research because cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, there is great interest in establishing in vitro models for recapitulating both physiological and pathological aspects of human heart development, tissue function and malfunction. Derived from pluripotent stem cells, a large variety of three-dimensional cardiac in vitro models have been introduced in recent years. In this At a Glance article, we discuss the available methods to generate such models, grouped according to the following classification: cardiac organoids, cardiac microtissues and engineered cardiac tissues. For these models, we provide a systematic overview of their applications for disease modeling and therapeutic development, as well as their advantages and limitations to assist scientists in choosing the most suitable model for their research purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lika Drakhlis
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery (HTTG), REBIRTH - Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany
- Authors for correspondence (; )
| | - Robert Zweigerdt
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery (HTTG), REBIRTH - Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany
- Authors for correspondence (; )
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12
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Prajapati C, Koivumäki J, Pekkanen-Mattila M, Aalto-Setälä K. Sex differences in heart: from basics to clinics. Eur J Med Res 2022; 27:241. [PMID: 36352432 PMCID: PMC9647968 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-022-00880-z] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences exist in the structure and function of human heart. The patterns of ventricular repolarization in normal electrocardiograms (ECG) differ in men and women: men ECG pattern displays higher T-wave amplitude and increased ST angle. Generally, women have longer QT duration because of reduced repolarization reserve, and thus, women are more susceptible for the occurrence of torsades de pointes associated with drugs prolonging ventricular repolarization. Sex differences are also observed in the prevalence, penetrance and symptom severity, and also in the prognosis of cardiovascular disease. Generally, women live longer, have less clinical symptoms of cardiac diseases, and later onset of symptoms than men. Sex hormones also play an important role in regulating ventricular repolarization, suggesting that hormones directly influence various cellular functions and adrenergic regulation. From the clinical perspective, sex-based differences in heart physiology are widely recognized, but in daily practice, cardiac diseases are often underdiagnosed and untreated in the women. The underlying mechanisms of sex differences are, however, poorly understood. Here, we summarize sex-dependent differences in normal cardiac physiology, role of sex hormones, and differences in drug responses. Furthermore, we also discuss the importance of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in further understanding the mechanism of differences in women and men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Prajapati
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Jussi Koivumäki
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Mari Pekkanen-Mattila
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Katriina Aalto-Setälä
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
- Heart Center, Tampere University Hospital, Ensitie 4, 33520 Tampere, Finland
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13
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Wang EY, Zhao Y, Okhovatian S, Smith JB, Radisic M. Intersection of stem cell biology and engineering towards next generation in vitro models of human fibrosis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1005051. [PMID: 36338120 PMCID: PMC9630603 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1005051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Human fibrotic diseases constitute a major health problem worldwide. Fibrosis involves significant etiological heterogeneity and encompasses a wide spectrum of diseases affecting various organs. To date, many fibrosis targeted therapeutic agents failed due to inadequate efficacy and poor prognosis. In order to dissect disease mechanisms and develop therapeutic solutions for fibrosis patients, in vitro disease models have gone a long way in terms of platform development. The introduction of engineered organ-on-a-chip platforms has brought a revolutionary dimension to the current fibrosis studies and discovery of anti-fibrotic therapeutics. Advances in human induced pluripotent stem cells and tissue engineering technologies are enabling significant progress in this field. Some of the most recent breakthroughs and emerging challenges are discussed, with an emphasis on engineering strategies for platform design, development, and application of machine learning on these models for anti-fibrotic drug discovery. In this review, we discuss engineered designs to model fibrosis and how biosensor and machine learning technologies combine to facilitate mechanistic studies of fibrosis and pre-clinical drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Yan Wang
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yimu Zhao
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sargol Okhovatian
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jacob B. Smith
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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14
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Zech ATL, Prondzynski M, Singh SR, Pietsch N, Orthey E, Alizoti E, Busch J, Madsen A, Behrens CS, Meyer-Jens M, Mearini G, Lemoine MD, Krämer E, Mosqueira D, Virdi S, Indenbirken D, Depke M, Salazar MG, Völker U, Braren I, Pu WT, Eschenhagen T, Hammer E, Schlossarek S, Carrier L. ACTN2 Mutant Causes Proteopathy in Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172745. [PMID: 36078153 PMCID: PMC9454684 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variants in α-actinin-2 (ACTN2) are associated with several forms of (cardio)myopathy. We previously reported a heterozygous missense (c.740C>T) ACTN2 gene variant, associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and characterized by an electro-mechanical phenotype in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). Here, we created with CRISPR/Cas9 genetic tools two heterozygous functional knock-out hiPSC lines with a second wild-type (ACTN2wt) and missense ACTN2 (ACTN2mut) allele, respectively. We evaluated their impact on cardiomyocyte structure and function, using a combination of different technologies, including immunofluorescence and live cell imaging, RNA-seq, and mass spectrometry. This study showed that ACTN2mut presents a higher percentage of multinucleation, protein aggregation, hypertrophy, myofibrillar disarray, and activation of both the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the autophagy-lysosomal pathway as compared to ACTN2wt in 2D-cultured hiPSC-CMs. Furthermore, the expression of ACTN2mut was associated with a marked reduction of sarcomere-associated protein levels in 2D-cultured hiPSC-CMs and force impairment in engineered heart tissues. In conclusion, our study highlights the activation of proteolytic systems in ACTN2mut hiPSC-CMs likely to cope with ACTN2 aggregation and therefore directs towards proteopathy as an additional cellular pathology caused by this ACTN2 variant, which may contribute to human ACTN2-associated cardiomyopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia T. L. Zech
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maksymilian Prondzynski
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sonia R. Singh
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Niels Pietsch
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ellen Orthey
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Erda Alizoti
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Josefine Busch
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Madsen
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Charlotta S. Behrens
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Moritz Meyer-Jens
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Giulia Mearini
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marc D. Lemoine
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Krämer
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Diogo Mosqueira
- Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Sanamjeet Virdi
- Heinrich-Pette-Institute, Leibniz Institute of Virology, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Indenbirken
- Heinrich-Pette-Institute, Leibniz Institute of Virology, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maren Depke
- Department for Functional Genomics, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Manuela Gesell Salazar
- Department for Functional Genomics, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Uwe Völker
- Department for Functional Genomics, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ingke Braren
- Vector Facility, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - William T. Pu
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Thomas Eschenhagen
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elke Hammer
- Department for Functional Genomics, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Saskia Schlossarek
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lucie Carrier
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-40-7410-57208
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15
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Tam PKH, Wong KKY, Atala A, Giobbe GG, Booth C, Gruber PJ, Monone M, Rafii S, Rando TA, Vacanti J, Comer CD, Elvassore N, Grikscheit T, de Coppi P. Regenerative medicine: postnatal approaches. THE LANCET. CHILD & ADOLESCENT HEALTH 2022; 6:654-666. [PMID: 35963270 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-4642(22)00193-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Paper 2 of the paediatric regenerative medicine Series focuses on recent advances in postnatal approaches. New gene, cell, and niche-based technologies and their combinations allow structural and functional reconstitution and simulation of complex postnatal cell, tissue, and organ hierarchies. Organoid and tissue engineering advances provide human disease models and novel treatments for both rare paediatric diseases and common diseases affecting all ages, such as COVID-19. Preclinical studies for gastrointestinal disorders are directed towards oesophageal replacement, short bowel syndrome, enteric neuropathy, biliary atresia, and chronic end-stage liver failure. For respiratory diseases, beside the first human tracheal replacement, more complex tissue engineering represents a promising solution to generate transplantable lungs. Genitourinary tissue replacement and expansion usually involve application of biocompatible scaffolds seeded with patient-derived cells. Gene and cell therapy approaches seem appropriate for rare paediatric diseases of the musculoskeletal system such as spinal muscular dystrophy, whereas congenital diseases of complex organs, such as the heart, continue to challenge new frontiers of regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kwong Hang Tam
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau Special Administrative Region, China; Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
| | - Kenneth Kak Yuen Wong
- Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Giovanni Giuseppe Giobbe
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Claire Booth
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter J Gruber
- Department of Surgery, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mimmi Monone
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shahin Rafii
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas A Rando
- Paul F Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Vacanti
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Organ Fabrication, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mass General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carly D Comer
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Organ Fabrication, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mass General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicola Elvassore
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK; Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Tracy Grikscheit
- Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paolo de Coppi
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK; Department of Specialist Neonatal and Paediatric Surgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.
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16
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Wang M, Tu X. The Genetics and Epigenetics of Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients Without Structural Heart Disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:891399. [PMID: 35783865 PMCID: PMC9240357 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.891399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ventricular arrhythmia without structural heart disease is an arrhythmic disorder that occurs in structurally normal heart and no transient or reversible arrhythmia factors, such as electrolyte disorders and myocardial ischemia. Ventricular arrhythmias without structural heart disease can be induced by multiple factors, including genetics and environment, which involve different genetic and epigenetic regulation. Familial genetic analysis reveals that cardiac ion-channel disorder and dysfunctional calcium handling are two major causes of this type of heart disease. Genome-wide association studies have identified some genetic susceptibility loci associated with ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, yet relatively few loci associated with no structural heart disease. The effects of epigenetics on the ventricular arrhythmias susceptibility genes, involving non-coding RNAs, DNA methylation and other regulatory mechanisms, are gradually being revealed. This article aims to review the knowledge of ventricular arrhythmia without structural heart disease in genetics, and summarizes the current state of epigenetic regulation.
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17
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Yiangou L, Blanch-Asensio A, de Korte T, Miller DC, van Meer BJ, Mol MPH, van den Brink L, Brandão KO, Mummery CL, Davis RP. Optogenetic reporters delivered as mRNA facilitate repeatable action potential and calcium handling assessment in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. Stem Cells 2022; 40:655-668. [PMID: 35429386 PMCID: PMC9332902 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxac029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Electrical activity and intracellular Ca 2+ transients are key features of cardiomyocytes. They can be measured using organic voltage- and Ca 2+-sensitive dyes but their photostability and phototoxicity means they are unsuitable for long-term measurements. Here, we investigated whether genetically-encoded voltage and Ca 2+ indicators (GEVIs and GECIs) delivered as modified mRNA (modRNA) into human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) would be accurate alternatives allowing measurements over long periods. These indicators were detected in hiPSC-CMs for up to 7 days after transfection and did not affect responses to proarrhythmic compounds. Furthermore, using the GEVI ASAP2f we observed action potential prolongation in long QT syndrome models, while the GECI jRCaMP1b facilitated the repeated evaluation of Ca 2+ handling responses for various tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This study demonstrated that modRNAs encoding optogenetic constructs report cardiac physiology in hiPSC-CMs without toxicity or the need for stable integration, illustrating their value as alternatives to organic dyes or other gene delivery methods for expressing transgenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loukia Yiangou
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Blanch-Asensio
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Tessa de Korte
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Duncan C Miller
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
- Present Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Berend J van Meer
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Mervyn P H Mol
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Lettine van den Brink
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Karina O Brandão
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Richard P Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
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18
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Wickramasinghe NM, Sachs D, Shewale B, Gonzalez DM, Dhanan-Krishnan P, Torre D, LaMarca E, Raimo S, Dariolli R, Serasinghe MN, Mayourian J, Sebra R, Beaumont K, Iyengar S, French DL, Hansen A, Eschenhagen T, Chipuk JE, Sobie EA, Jacobs A, Akbarian S, Ischiropoulos H, Ma'ayan A, Houten SM, Costa K, Dubois NC. PPARdelta activation induces metabolic and contractile maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Cell Stem Cell 2022; 29:559-576.e7. [PMID: 35325615 PMCID: PMC11072853 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) provide an unprecedented opportunity to study human heart development and disease, but they are functionally and structurally immature. Here, we induce efficient human PSC-CM (hPSC-CM) maturation through metabolic-pathway modulations. Specifically, we find that peroxisome-proliferator-associated receptor (PPAR) signaling regulates glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in an isoform-specific manner. While PPARalpha (PPARa) is the most active isoform in hPSC-CMs, PPARdelta (PPARd) activation efficiently upregulates the gene regulatory networks underlying FAO, increases mitochondrial and peroxisome content, enhances mitochondrial cristae formation, and augments FAO flux. PPARd activation further increases binucleation, enhances myofibril organization, and improves contractility. Transient lactate exposure, which is frequently used for hPSC-CM purification, induces an independent cardiac maturation program but, when combined with PPARd activation, still enhances oxidative metabolism. In summary, we investigate multiple metabolic modifications in hPSC-CMs and identify a role for PPARd signaling in inducing the metabolic switch from glycolysis to FAO in hPSC-CMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadeera M Wickramasinghe
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - David Sachs
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bhavana Shewale
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - David M Gonzalez
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Priyanka Dhanan-Krishnan
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Denis Torre
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Elizabeth LaMarca
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Serena Raimo
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rafael Dariolli
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Madhavika N Serasinghe
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Joshua Mayourian
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Robert Sebra
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kristin Beaumont
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Srinivas Iyengar
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mount Sinai Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Deborah L French
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arne Hansen
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
| | | | - Jerry E Chipuk
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Eric A Sobie
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Adam Jacobs
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Harry Ischiropoulos
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Avi Ma'ayan
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sander M Houten
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kevin Costa
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nicole C Dubois
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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19
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Arslan U, Orlova VV, Mummery CL. Perspectives for Future Use of Cardiac Microtissues from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:4605-4609. [PMID: 35315663 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disorders remain a critical health issue worldwide. While animals have been used extensively as experimental models to investigate heart disease mechanisms and develop drugs, their inherent drawbacks have shifted focus to more human-relevant alternatives. Human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (hESCs and hiPSCs, collectively called hPSCs) have been identified as a source of different cardiac cells, but to date, they have rarely offered functional and structural maturity of the adult human heart. However, the combination of patient derived hPSCs with microphysiological tissue engineering approaches has presented new opportunities to study heart development and disease and identify drug targets. These models often closely mimic specific aspects of the native heart tissue including intercellular crosstalk and microenvironmental cues such that maturation occurs and relevant disease phenotypes are revealed. Most recently, organ-on-chip technology based on microfluidic devices has been combined with stem cell derived organoids and microtissues to create vascularized structures that can be subjected to fluidic flow and to which immune cells can be added to mimic inflammation of tissue postinjury. Similarly, the integration of nerve cells in these models can provide insight into how the cardiac nervous system affects heart pathology, for example, after myocardial infarction. Here, we consider these models and approaches in the context of cardiovascular disease together with their applications and readouts. We reflect on perspectives for their future implementation in understanding disease mechanisms and the drug discovery pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulgu Arslan
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Einthovenweg 20, 2333ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Valeria V Orlova
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Einthovenweg 20, 2333ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Einthovenweg 20, 2333ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
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20
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Zheng Z, Song Y, Lian J. What Is the Potential for Lumacaftor as a Chemical Chaperone in Promoting hERG Trafficking? Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:801927. [PMID: 35282377 PMCID: PMC8913575 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.801927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zequn Zheng
- Department of Cardiovascular, Medical College, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Ningbo Institute for Medicine & Biomedical Engineering Combined Innovation, Ningbo, China
| | - Yongfei Song
- Ningbo Institute for Medicine & Biomedical Engineering Combined Innovation, Ningbo, China
- Department of Cardiovascular, Lihuili Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jiangfang Lian
- Ningbo Institute for Medicine & Biomedical Engineering Combined Innovation, Ningbo, China
- Department of Cardiovascular, Lihuili Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- *Correspondence: Jiangfang Lian
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21
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van den Brink L, Brandão KO, Yiangou L, Blanch-Asensio A, Mol MPH, Mummery CL, Verkerk AO, Davis RP. The Linkage Phase of the Polymorphism KCNH2-K897T Influences the Electrophysiological Phenotype in hiPSC Models of LQT2. Front Physiol 2022; 12:755642. [PMID: 34992545 PMCID: PMC8726482 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.755642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
While rare mutations in ion channel genes are primarily responsible for inherited cardiac arrhythmias, common genetic variants are also an important contributor to the clinical heterogeneity observed among mutation carriers. The common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) KCNH2-K897T is associated with QT interval duration, but its influence on the disease phenotype in patients with long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2) remains unclear. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), coupled with advances in gene editing technologies, are proving an invaluable tool for modeling cardiac genetic diseases and identifying variants responsible for variability in disease expressivity. In this study, we have used isogenic hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) to establish the functional consequences of having the KCNH2-K897T SNP in cis- or trans-orientation with LQT2-causing missense variants either within the pore-loop domain (KCNH2A561T/WT) or tail region (KCNH2N996I/WT) of the potassium ion channel, human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG). When KCNH2-K897T was on the same allele (cis) as the primary mutation, the hERG channel in hiPSC-CMs exhibited faster activation and deactivation kinetics compared to their trans-oriented counterparts. Consistent with this, hiPSC-CMs with KCNH2-K897T in cis orientation had longer action and field potential durations. Furthermore, there was an increased occurrence of arrhythmic events upon pharmacological blocking of hERG. Collectively, these results indicate that the common polymorphism KCNH2-K897T differs in its influence on LQT2-causing KCNH2 mutations depending on whether it is present in cis or trans. This study corroborates hiPSC-CMs as a powerful platform to investigate the modifying effects of common genetic variants on inherited cardiac arrhythmias and aids in unraveling their contribution to the variable expressivity of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lettine van den Brink
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Karina O Brandão
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Loukia Yiangou
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Albert Blanch-Asensio
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Mervyn P H Mol
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Richard P Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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22
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Kusena JWT, Shariatzadeh M, Thomas RJ, Wilson SL. Understanding cell culture dynamics: a tool for defining protocol parameters for improved processes and efficient manufacturing using human embryonic stem cells. Bioengineered 2021; 12:979-996. [PMID: 33757391 PMCID: PMC8806349 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1902696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Standardization is crucial when culturing cells including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) which are valuable for therapy development and disease modeling. Inherent issues regarding reproducibility of protocols are problematic as they hinder translation to good manufacturing practice (GMP), thus reducing clinical efficacy and uptake. Pluripotent cultures require standardization to ensure that input material is consistent prior to differentiation, as inconsistency of input cells creates end-product variation. To improve protocols, developers first must understand the cells they are working with and their related culture dynamics. This innovative work highlights key conditions required for optimized and cost-effective bioprocesses compared to generic protocols typically implemented. This entailed investigating conditions affecting growth, metabolism, and phenotype dynamics to ensure cell quality is appropriate for use. Results revealed critical process parameters (CPPs) including feeding regime and seeding density impact critical quality attributes (CQAs) including specific metabolic rate (SMR) and specific growth rate (SGR). This implied that process understanding, and control is essential to maintain key cell characteristics, reduce process variation and retain CQAs. Examination of cell dynamics and CPPs permitted the formation of a defined protocol for culturing H9 hESCs. The authors recommend that H9 seeding densities of 20,000 cells/cm2, four-day cultures or three-day cultures following a recovery passage from cryopreservation and 100% medium exchange after 48 hours are optimal. These parameters gave ~SGR of 0.018 hour-1 ± 1.5x10-3 over three days and cell viabilities ≥95%±0.4, while producing cells which highly expressed pluripotent and proliferation markers, Oct3/4 (>99% positive) and Ki-67 (>99% positive).
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Affiliation(s)
- J W T Kusena
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK
| | - M Shariatzadeh
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK
| | - R J Thomas
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK
| | - S L Wilson
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK
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23
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Carlos-Oliveira M, Lozano-Juan F, Occhetta P, Visone R, Rasponi M. Current strategies of mechanical stimulation for maturation of cardiac microtissues. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:717-727. [PMID: 34765047 PMCID: PMC8555032 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00841-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The most advanced in vitro cardiac models are today based on the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); however, the maturation of cardiomyocytes (CMs) has not yet been fully achieved. Therefore, there is a rising need to move towards models capable of promoting an adult-like cardiomyocytes phenotype. Many strategies have been applied such as co-culture of cardiomyocytes, with fibroblasts and endothelial cells, or conditioning them through biochemical factors and physical stimulations. Here, we focus on mechanical stimulation as it aims to mimic the different mechanical forces that heart receives during its development and the post-natal period. We describe the current strategies and the mechanical properties necessary to promote a positive response in cardiac tissues from different cell sources, distinguishing between passive stimulation, which includes stiffness, topography and static stress and active stimulation, encompassing cyclic strain, compression or perfusion. We also highlight how mechanical stimulation is applied in disease modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carlos-Oliveira
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Ferran Lozano-Juan
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy.,BiomimX S.r.l., Via G. Durando 38/A, 20158 Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Occhetta
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Roberta Visone
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Rasponi
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy
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24
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Tyumentseva MA, Tyumentsev AI, Akimkin VG. Protocol for assessment of the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas RNP delivery to different types of target cells. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259812. [PMID: 34752487 PMCID: PMC8577758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delivery of CRISPR/Cas RNPs to target cells still remains the biggest bottleneck to genome editing. Many efforts are made to develop efficient CRISPR/Cas RNP delivery methods that will not affect viability of target cell dramatically. Popular current methods and protocols of CRISPR/Cas RNP delivery include lipofection and electroporation, transduction by osmocytosis and reversible permeabilization and erythrocyte-based methods. METHODS In this study we will assess the efficiency and optimize current CRISPR/Cas RNP delivery protocols to target cells. We will conduct our work using molecular cloning, protein expression and purification, cell culture, flow cytometry (immunocytochemistry) and cellular imaging techniques. DISCUSSION This will be the first extensive comparative study of popular current methods and protocols of CRISPR/Cas RNP delivery to human cell lines and primary cells. All protocols will be optimized and characterized using the following criteria i) protein delivery and genome editing efficacy; ii) viability of target cells after delivery (post-transduction recovery); iii) scalability of delivery process; iv) cost-effectiveness of the delivery process and v) intellectual property rights. Some methods will be considered 'research-use only', others will be recommended for scaling and application in the development of cell-based therapies.
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25
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Sleiman Y, Lacampagne A, Meli AC. "Ryanopathies" and RyR2 dysfunctions: can we further decipher them using in vitro human disease models? Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:1041. [PMID: 34725342 PMCID: PMC8560800 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04337-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The regulation of intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis is fundamental to maintain normal functions in many cell types. The ryanodine receptor (RyR), the largest intracellular calcium release channel located on the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER), plays a key role in the intracellular Ca2+ handling. Abnormal type 2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2) function, associated to mutations (ryanopathies) or pathological remodeling, has been reported, not only in cardiac diseases, but also in neuronal and pancreatic disorders. While animal models and in vitro studies provided valuable contributions to our knowledge on RyR2 dysfunctions, the human cell models derived from patients’ cells offer new hope for improving our understanding of human clinical diseases and enrich the development of great medical advances. We here discuss the current knowledge on RyR2 dysfunctions associated with mutations and post-translational remodeling. We then reviewed the novel human cellular technologies allowing the correlation of patient’s genome with their cellular environment and providing approaches for personalized RyR-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Sleiman
- PhyMedExp, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Alain Lacampagne
- PhyMedExp, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Albano C Meli
- PhyMedExp, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
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26
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Cell Transdifferentiation and Reprogramming in Disease Modeling: Insights into the Neuronal and Cardiac Disease Models and Current Translational Strategies. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102558. [PMID: 34685537 PMCID: PMC8533873 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell transdifferentiation and reprogramming approaches in recent times have enabled the manipulation of cell fate by enrolling exogenous/artificial controls. The chemical/small molecule and regulatory components of transcription machinery serve as potential tools to execute cell transdifferentiation and have thereby uncovered new avenues for disease modeling and drug discovery. At the advanced stage, one can believe these methods can pave the way to develop efficient and sensitive gene therapy and regenerative medicine approaches. As we are beginning to learn about the utility of cell transdifferentiation and reprogramming, speculations about its applications in translational therapeutics are being largely anticipated. Although clinicians and researchers are endeavoring to scale these processes, we lack a comprehensive understanding of their mechanism(s), and the promises these offer for targeted and personalized therapeutics are scarce. In the present report, we endeavored to provide a detailed review of the original concept, methods and modalities enrolled in the field of cellular transdifferentiation and reprogramming. A special focus is given to the neuronal and cardiac systems/diseases towards scaling their utility in disease modeling and drug discovery.
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27
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Isogenic Sets of hiPSC-CMs Harboring Distinct KCNH2 Mutations Differ Functionally and in Susceptibility to Drug-Induced Arrhythmias. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 15:1127-1139. [PMID: 33176122 PMCID: PMC7664051 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in KCNH2 can lead to long QT syndrome type 2. Variable disease manifestation observed with this channelopathy is associated with the location and type of mutation within the protein, complicating efforts to predict patient risk. Here, we demonstrated phenotypic differences in cardiomyocytes derived from isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) genetically edited to harbor mutations either within the pore or tail region of the ion channel. Electrophysiological analysis confirmed that the mutations prolonged repolarization of the hiPSC-CMs, with differences between the mutations evident in monolayer cultures. Blocking the hERG channel revealed that the pore-loop mutation conferred greater susceptibility to arrhythmic events. These findings showed that subtle phenotypic differences related to KCNH2 mutations could be captured by hiPSC-CMs under genetically matched conditions. Moreover, the results support hiPSC-CMs as strong candidates for evaluating the underlying severity of individual KCNH2 mutations in humans, which could facilitate patient risk stratification. Mutation-specific differences detected in hiPSC-CMs with same genetic background APD and FPD in the hERG pore variant hiPSC-CMs more prolonged than the tail variant The pore variant was also more susceptible to drug-induced arrhythmic events Potential strategy to determine KCNH2 mutation-specific arrhythmic risk
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28
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Perspectives on hiPSC-Derived Muscle Cells as Drug Discovery Models for Muscular Dystrophies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179630. [PMID: 34502539 PMCID: PMC8431796 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscular dystrophies are a heterogeneous group of inherited diseases characterized by the progressive degeneration and weakness of skeletal muscles, leading to disability and, often, premature death. To date, no effective therapies are available to halt or reverse the pathogenic process, and meaningful treatments are urgently needed. From this perspective, it is particularly important to establish reliable in vitro models of human muscle that allow the recapitulation of disease features as well as the screening of genetic and pharmacological therapies. We herein review and discuss advances in the development of in vitro muscle models obtained from human induced pluripotent stem cells, which appear to be capable of reproducing the lack of myofiber proteins as well as other specific pathological hallmarks, such as inflammation, fibrosis, and reduced muscle regenerative potential. In addition, these platforms have been used to assess genetic correction strategies such as gene silencing, gene transfer and genome editing with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), as well as to evaluate novel small molecules aimed at ameliorating muscle degeneration. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges related to in vitro drug testing and provide a critical view of potential therapeutic developments to foster the future clinical translation of preclinical muscular dystrophy studies.
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29
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Abstract
Cardiac congenital disabilities are the most common organ malformations, but we still do not understand how they arise in the human embryo. Moreover, although cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death globally, the development of new therapies is lagging compared with other fields. One major bottleneck hindering progress is the lack of self-organizing human cardiac models that recapitulate key aspects of human heart development, physiology and disease. Current in vitro cardiac three-dimensional systems are either engineered constructs or spherical aggregates of cardiomyocytes and other cell types. Although tissue engineering enables the modeling of some electro-mechanical properties, it falls short of mimicking heart development, morphogenetic defects and many clinically relevant aspects of cardiomyopathies. Here, we review different approaches and recent efforts to overcome these challenges in the field using a new generation of self-organizing embryonic and cardiac organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Hofbauer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan M Jahnel
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sasha Mendjan
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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30
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Fusco-Allison G, Li DK, Hunter B, Jackson D, Bannon PG, Lal S, O'Sullivan JF. Optimizing the discovery and assessment of therapeutic targets in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. ESC Heart Fail 2021; 8:3643-3655. [PMID: 34342166 PMCID: PMC8497375 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.13504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need for models that faithfully replicate heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), now recognized as the most common form of heart failure in the world. In vitro approaches have several shortcomings, most notably the immature nature of stem cell‐derived human cardiomyocytes [induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)] and the relatively short lifespan of primary cardiomyocytes. Three‐dimensional ‘organoids’ incorporating mature iPSCs with other cell types such as endothelial cells and fibroblasts are a significant advance, but lack the complexity of true myocardium. Animal models can replicate many features of human HFpEF, and rodent models are the most common, and recent attempts to incorporate haemodynamic, metabolic, and ageing contributions are encouraging. Differences relating to species, physiology, heart rate, and heart size are major limitations for rodent models. Porcine models mitigate many of these shortcomings and approximate human physiology more closely, but cost and time considerations limit their potential for widespread use. Ex vivo analysis of failing hearts from animal models offer intriguing possibilities regarding cardiac substrate utilisation, but are ultimately subject to the same constrains as the animal models from which the hearts are obtained. Ex vivo approaches using human myocardial biopsies can uncover new insights into pathobiology leveraging myocardial energetics, substrate turnover, molecular changes, and systolic/diastolic function. In collaboration with a skilled cardiothoracic surgeon, left ventricular endomyocardial biopsies can be obtained at the time of valvular surgery in HFpEF patients. Critically, these tissues maintain their disease phenotype, preserving inter‐relationship of myocardial cells and extracellular matrix. This review highlights a novel approach, where ultra‐thin myocardial tissue slices from human HFpEF hearts can be used to assess changes in myocardial structure and function. We discuss current approaches to modelling HFpEF, describe in detail the novel tissue slice model, expand on exciting opportunities this model provides, and outline ways to improve this model further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Fusco-Allison
- Precision Cardiovascular Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Heart Research Institute, Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Desmond K Li
- Precision Cardiovascular Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Heart Research Institute, Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Benjamin Hunter
- Precision Cardiovascular Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dan Jackson
- Precision Cardiovascular Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Discipline of Surgery, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul G Bannon
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Discipline of Surgery, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sean Lal
- Precision Cardiovascular Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Cardiology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John F O'Sullivan
- Precision Cardiovascular Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Heart Research Institute, Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Cardiology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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31
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Yang Q, Xiao Z, Lv X, Zhang T, Liu H. Fabrication and Biomedical Applications of Heart-on-a-chip. Int J Bioprint 2021; 7:370. [PMID: 34286153 PMCID: PMC8287510 DOI: 10.18063/ijb.v7i3.370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart diseases have become the main killer threatening human health, and various methods have been developed to study heart disease. Among them, heart-on-a-chip has emerged in recent years as a method for constructing disease (or normal) models in vitro and is considered as a promising tool to study heart diseases. Compared with other methods, the advantages of heart-on-a-chip include the high portability, high throughput, and the capability to mimic microenvironments in vivo. It has shown a great potential in disease mechanism study and drug screening. In this paper, we review the recent advances in heart-on-a-chip, including the fabrication methods (e.g., 3D bioprinting) and biomedical applications. By analyzing the structure of the existing heart-on-a-chip, we proposed that a highly integrated heart-on-a-chip includes four elements: Microfluidic chips, cells/microtissues, microactuators to construct the microenvironment, and microsensors for results readout. Finally, the current challenges and future directions of heart-on-a-chip are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingzhen Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710049, P.R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710049, P.R. China
- Micro-/Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710049, P.R. China
- Research Institute of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311215, P.R. China
| | - Zhanfeng Xiao
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710049, P.R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710049, P.R. China
| | - Xuemeng Lv
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710049, P.R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710049, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Zhang
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Han Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Chinese Medicine and Respiratory Diseases Co-constructed by Henan Province and Education Ministry of P.R. China, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450016, P.R. China
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32
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Verkerk AO, Marchal GA, Zegers JG, Kawasaki M, Driessen AHG, Remme CA, de Groot JR, Wilders R. Patch-Clamp Recordings of Action Potentials From Human Atrial Myocytes: Optimization Through Dynamic Clamp. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:649414. [PMID: 33912059 PMCID: PMC8072333 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.649414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Consequently, novel therapies are being developed. Ultimately, the impact of compounds on the action potential (AP) needs to be tested in freshly isolated human atrial myocytes. However, the frequent depolarized state of these cells upon isolation seriously hampers reliable AP recordings. Purpose: We assessed whether AP recordings from single human atrial myocytes could be improved by providing these cells with a proper inward rectifier K+ current (IK1), and consequently with a regular, non-depolarized resting membrane potential (RMP), through “dynamic clamp”. Methods: Single myocytes were enzymatically isolated from left atrial appendage tissue obtained from patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing minimally invasive surgical ablation. APs were elicited at 1 Hz and measured using perforated patch-clamp methodology, injecting a synthetic IK1 to generate a regular RMP. The injected IK1 had strong or moderate rectification. For comparison, a regular RMP was forced through injection of a constant outward current. A wide variety of ion channel blockers was tested to assess their modulatory effects on AP characteristics. Results: Without any current injection, RMPs ranged from −9.6 to −86.2 mV in 58 cells. In depolarized cells (RMP positive to −60 mV), RMP could be set at −80 mV using IK1 or constant current injection and APs could be evoked upon stimulation. AP duration differed significantly between current injection methods (p < 0.05) and was shortest with constant current injection and longest with injection of IK1 with strong rectification. With moderate rectification, AP duration at 90% repolarization (APD90) was similar to myocytes with regular non-depolarized RMP, suggesting that a synthetic IK1 with moderate rectification is the most appropriate for human atrial myocytes. Importantly, APs evoked using each injection method were still sensitive to all drugs tested (lidocaine, nifedipine, E-4031, low dose 4-aminopyridine, barium, and apamin), suggesting that the major ionic currents of the atrial cells remained functional. However, certain drug effects were quantitatively dependent on the current injection approach used. Conclusion: Injection of a synthetic IK1 with moderate rectification facilitates detailed AP measurements in human atrial myocytes. Therefore, dynamic clamp represents a promising tool for testing novel antiarrhythmic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gerard A Marchal
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan G Zegers
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Makiri Kawasaki
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Antoine H G Driessen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Carol Ann Remme
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joris R de Groot
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ronald Wilders
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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33
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Wong LY, Glatz JFC, Wang S, Geraets IME, Vanherle S, Wijngaard AVD, Brunner H, Luiken JJFP, Nabben M. Comparison of human and rodent cell models to study myocardial lipid-induced insulin resistance. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2021; 167:102267. [PMID: 33751940 DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2021.102267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Isolated or cultured cells have proven to be valuable model systems to investigate cellular (patho)biology and for screening of the efficacy of drugs or their possible side-effects. Pluripotent stem cells (PSC) can be readily obtained from healthy individuals as well as from diseased patients, and protocols have been developed to differentiate these cells into cardiomyocytes. Hence, these cellular models are moving center stage for a broader application. In this review, we focus on comparing mouse HL-1 cardiomyocytes, isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes, human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) for the study of metabolic aspects of cardiac functioning in health and disease. Various studies have reported that these cellular models are suitable for assessing substrate uptake and utilization, in that each display an adequate and similar response to physiological triggers, in particular the presence of insulin. Likewise, disease conditions, such as excess lipid supply, similarly affect each of these rodent and human cardiomyocyte models. It is concluded that PSC-CMs obtained from patients with cardiogenetic abnormalities are promising models to evaluate the functional consequence of gene variants with unknown significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Yen Wong
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan F C Glatz
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Genetics & Cell Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center+ and FHML, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Shujin Wang
- Department of Genetics & Cell Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center+ and FHML, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ilvy M E Geraets
- Department of Genetics & Cell Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center+ and FHML, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Sabina Vanherle
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Arthur van den Wijngaard
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Han Brunner
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Joost J F P Luiken
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Genetics & Cell Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center+ and FHML, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Miranda Nabben
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Genetics & Cell Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center+ and FHML, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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34
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Disease Modeling and Disease Gene Discovery in Cardiomyopathies: A Molecular Study of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Generated Cardiomyocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073311. [PMID: 33805011 PMCID: PMC8037452 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The in vitro modeling of cardiac development and cardiomyopathies in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) provides opportunities to aid the discovery of genetic, molecular, and developmental changes that are causal to, or influence, cardiomyopathies and related diseases. To better understand the functional and disease modeling potential of iPSC-differentiated CMs and to provide a proof of principle for large, epidemiological-scale disease gene discovery approaches into cardiomyopathies, well-characterized CMs, generated from validated iPSCs of 12 individuals who belong to four sibships, and one of whom reported a major adverse cardiac event (MACE), were analyzed by genome-wide mRNA sequencing. The generated CMs expressed CM-specific genes and were highly concordant in their total expressed transcriptome across the 12 samples (correlation coefficient at 95% CI =0.92 ± 0.02). The functional annotation and enrichment analysis of the 2116 genes that were significantly upregulated in CMs suggest that generated CMs have a transcriptomic and functional profile of immature atrial-like CMs; however, the CMs-upregulated transcriptome also showed high overlap and significant enrichment in primary cardiomyocyte (p-value = 4.36 × 10−9), primary heart tissue (p-value = 1.37 × 10−41) and cardiomyopathy (p-value = 1.13 × 10−21) associated gene sets. Modeling the effect of MACE in the generated CMs-upregulated transcriptome identified gene expression phenotypes consistent with the predisposition of the MACE-affected sibship to arrhythmia, prothrombotic, and atherosclerosis risk.
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35
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Yiangou L, Davis RP, Mummery CL. Using Cardiovascular Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for COVID-19 Research: Why the Heart Fails. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:385-397. [PMID: 33306986 PMCID: PMC7833904 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak that became a pandemic in 2020, causing more than 30 million infections and 1 million deaths to date. As the scientific community has looked for vaccines and drugs to treat or eliminate the virus, unexpected features of the disease have emerged. Apart from respiratory complications, cardiovascular disease has emerged as a major indicator of poor prognosis in COVID-19. It has therefore become of utmost importance to understand how SARS-CoV-2 damages the heart. Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) cardiovascular derivatives were rapidly recognized as an invaluable tool to address this, not least because one of the major receptors for the virus is not recognized by SARS-CoV-2 in mice. Here, we outline how hPSC-derived cardiovascular cells have been utilized to study COVID-19, and their potential for further understanding the cardiac pathology and in therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loukia Yiangou
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Richard P Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, the Netherlands.
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36
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Verkerk AO, Wilders R. Dynamic Clamp in Electrophysiological Studies on Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes-Why and How? J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2021; 77:267-279. [PMID: 33229908 DOI: 10.1097/fjc.0000000000000955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) are supposed to be a good human-based model, with virtually unlimited cell source, for studies on mechanisms underlying cardiac development and cardiac diseases, and for identification of drug targets. However, a major drawback of hPSC-CMs as a model system, especially for electrophysiological studies, is their depolarized state and associated spontaneous electrical activity. Various approaches are used to overcome this drawback, including the injection of "synthetic" inward rectifier potassium current (IK1), which is computed in real time, based on the recorded membrane potential ("dynamic clamp"). Such injection of an IK1-like current results in quiescent hPSC-CMs with a nondepolarized resting potential that show "adult-like" action potentials on stimulation, with functional availability of the most important ion channels involved in cardiac electrophysiology. These days, dynamic clamp has become a widely appreciated electrophysiological tool. However, setting up a dynamic clamp system can still be laborious and difficult, both because of the required hardware and the implementation of the dedicated software. In the present review, we first summarize the potential mechanisms underlying the depolarized state of hPSC-CMs and the functional consequences of this depolarized state. Next, we explain how an existing manual patch clamp setup can be extended with dynamic clamp. Finally, we shortly validate the extended setup with atrial-like and ventricular-like hPSC-CMs. We feel that dynamic clamp is a highly valuable tool in the field of cellular electrophysiological studies on hPSC-CMs and hope that our directions for setting up such dynamic clamp system may prove helpful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; and
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Wilders
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; and
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37
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Microelectrode Arrays: A Valuable Tool to Analyze Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. Stem Cells 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-77052-5_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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38
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Sumer SA, Hoffmann S, Laue S, Campbell B, Raedecke K, Frajs V, Clauss S, Kääb S, Janssen JWG, Jauch A, Laugwitz KL, Dorn T, Moretti A, Rappold GA. Precise Correction of Heterozygous SHOX2 Mutations in hiPSCs Derived from Patients with Atrial Fibrillation via Genome Editing and Sib Selection. Stem Cell Reports 2020; 15:999-1013. [PMID: 32976766 PMCID: PMC7562944 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer unprecedented opportunities for the investigation of multigenic disease, personalized medicine, and stem cell therapy. For heterogeneous diseases such as atrial fibrillation (AF), however, precise correction of the associated mutation is crucial. Here, we generated and corrected hiPSC lines from two AF patients carrying different heterozygous SHOX2 mutations. We developed a strategy for the scarless correction of heterozygous mutations, based on stochastic enrichment by sib selection, followed by allele quantification via digital PCR and next-generation sequencing to detect isogenic subpopulations. This allowed enriching edited cells 8- to 20-fold. The method does not require antibiotic selection or cell sorting and can be easily combined with base-and-prime editing approaches. Our strategy helps to overcome low efficiencies of homology-dependent repair in hiPSCs and facilitates the generation of isogenic control lines that represent the gold standard for modeling complex diseases in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Alexander Sumer
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sandra Hoffmann
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Svenja Laue
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar - Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Bavaria, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Birgit Campbell
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar - Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Kristin Raedecke
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Viktoria Frajs
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Clauss
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine I, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich (LMU), 81675 Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Stefan Kääb
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine I, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich (LMU), 81675 Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Johannes W G Janssen
- Department of Human Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Anna Jauch
- Department of Human Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Karl-Ludwig Laugwitz
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar - Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Bavaria, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tatjana Dorn
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar - Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Alessandra Moretti
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar - Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Bavaria, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gudrun A Rappold
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany.
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39
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Protze SI, Lee JH, Keller GM. Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular Cells: From Developmental Biology to Therapeutic Applications. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 25:311-327. [PMID: 31491395 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Advances in our understanding of cardiovascular development have provided a roadmap for the directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to the major cell types found in the heart. In this Perspective, we review the state of the field in generating and maturing cardiovascular cells from hPSCs based on our fundamental understanding of heart development. We then highlight their applications for studying human heart development, modeling disease-performing drug screening, and cell replacement therapy. With the advancements highlighted here, the promise that hPSCs will deliver new treatments for degenerative and debilitating diseases may soon be fulfilled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie I Protze
- McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Jee Hoon Lee
- BlueRock Therapeutics ULC, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Gordon M Keller
- McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
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40
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Branco MA, Cabral JM, Diogo MM. From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to 3D Cardiac Microtissues: Progress, Applications and Challenges. Bioengineering (Basel) 2020; 7:E92. [PMID: 32785039 PMCID: PMC7552661 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering7030092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The knowledge acquired throughout the years concerning the in vivo regulation of cardiac development has promoted the establishment of directed differentiation protocols to obtain cardiomyocytes (CMs) and other cardiac cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), which play a crucial role in the function and homeostasis of the heart. Among other developments in the field, the transition from homogeneous cultures of CMs to more complex multicellular cardiac microtissues (MTs) has increased the potential of these models for studying cardiac disorders in vitro and for clinically relevant applications such as drug screening and cardiotoxicity tests. This review addresses the state of the art of the generation of different cardiac cells from hPSCs and the impact of transitioning CM differentiation from 2D culture to a 3D environment. Additionally, current methods that may be employed to generate 3D cardiac MTs are reviewed and, finally, the adoption of these models for in vitro applications and their adaptation to medium- to high-throughput screening settings are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maria Margarida Diogo
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal; (M.A.B.); (J.M.S.C.)
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41
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Constantinou C, Miranda AMA, Chaves P, Bellahcene M, Massaia A, Cheng K, Samari S, Rothery SM, Chandler AM, Schwarz RP, Harding SE, Punjabi P, Schneider MD, Noseda M. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes as a target platform for paracrine protection by cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13016. [PMID: 32747668 PMCID: PMC7400574 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69495-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ischemic heart disease remains the foremost cause of death globally, with survivors at risk for subsequent heart failure. Paradoxically, cell therapies to offset cardiomyocyte loss after ischemic injury improve long-term cardiac function despite a lack of durable engraftment. An evolving consensus, inferred preponderantly from non-human models, is that transplanted cells benefit the heart via early paracrine signals. Here, we tested the impact of paracrine signals on human cardiomyocytes, using human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) as the target of mouse and human cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells (cMSC) with progenitor-like features. In co-culture and conditioned medium studies, cMSCs markedly inhibited human cardiomyocyte death. Little or no protection was conferred by mouse tail tip or human skin fibroblasts. Consistent with the results of transcriptomic profiling, functional analyses showed that the cMSC secretome suppressed apoptosis and preserved cardiac mitochondrial transmembrane potential. Protection was independent of exosomes under the conditions tested. In mice, injecting cMSC-conditioned media into the infarct border zone reduced apoptotic cardiomyocytes > 70% locally. Thus, hPSC-CMs provide an auspicious, relevant human platform to investigate extracellular signals for cardiac muscle survival, substantiating human cardioprotection by cMSCs, and suggesting the cMSC secretome or its components as potential cell-free therapeutic products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrystalla Constantinou
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Antonio M A Miranda
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Patricia Chaves
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Mohamed Bellahcene
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Andrea Massaia
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Kevin Cheng
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Sara Samari
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Stephen M Rothery
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Anita M Chandler
- Kardia Therapeutics, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, BioScience Research Collaborative, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Richard P Schwarz
- Kardia Therapeutics, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- CV Ventures, LLC, Blue Bell, PA, 19422, USA
| | - Sian E Harding
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Prakash Punjabi
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, W12 0HS, UK
| | - Michael D Schneider
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Michela Noseda
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.
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42
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Slaats RH, Schwach V, Passier R. Metabolic environment in vivo as a blueprint for differentiation and maturation of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2020; 1866:165881. [PMID: 32562698 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Patient-derived human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) are increasingly being used for disease modeling, drug screening and regenerative medicine. However, to date, an immature, fetal-like, phenotype of hPSC-CMs restrains their full potential. Increasing evidence suggests that the metabolic state, particularly important for provision of sufficient energy in highly active contractile CMs and anabolic and regulatory processes, plays an important role in CM maturation, which affects crucial functional aspects of CMs, such as contractility and electrophysiology. During embryonic development the heart is subjected to metabolite concentrations that differ substantially from that of hPSC-derived cardiac cell cultures. A deeper understanding of the environmental and metabolic cues during embryonic heart development and how these change postnatally, will provide a framework for optimizing cell culture conditions and maturation of hPSC-CMs. Maturation of hPSC-CMs will improve the predictability of disease modeling, drug screening and drug safety assessment and broadens their applicability for personalized and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf H Slaats
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Verena Schwach
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Passier
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands; Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Genova E, Cavion F, Lucafò M, Pelin M, Lanzi G, Masneri S, Ferraro RM, Fazzi EM, Orcesi S, Decorti G, Tommasini A, Giliani S, Stocco G. Biomarkers and Precision Therapy for Primary Immunodeficiencies: An
In Vitro
Study Based on Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From Patients. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2020; 108:358-367. [DOI: 10.1002/cpt.1837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Genova
- PhD Course in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
- Department of Life Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
| | - Federica Cavion
- Department of Life Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
| | - Marianna Lucafò
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Trieste Italy
| | - Marco Pelin
- Department of Life Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
| | - Gaetana Lanzi
- ″Angelo Nocivelli” Institute for Molecular Medicine ASST Spedali Civili Brescia Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine University of Brescia Brescia Italy
| | - Stefania Masneri
- ″Angelo Nocivelli” Institute for Molecular Medicine ASST Spedali Civili Brescia Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine University of Brescia Brescia Italy
| | - Rosalba Monica Ferraro
- ″Angelo Nocivelli” Institute for Molecular Medicine ASST Spedali Civili Brescia Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine University of Brescia Brescia Italy
| | - Elisa Maria Fazzi
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit ASST Spedali Civili Brescia Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences University of Brescia Brescia Italy
| | - Simona Orcesi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences University of Pavia Italy
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit IRCCS Mondino Foundation Pavia Italy
| | - Giuliana Decorti
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Trieste Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
| | - Alberto Tommasini
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Trieste Italy
| | - Silvia Giliani
- ″Angelo Nocivelli” Institute for Molecular Medicine ASST Spedali Civili Brescia Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine University of Brescia Brescia Italy
| | - Gabriele Stocco
- Department of Life Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
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44
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Cell-based therapies for the treatment of myocardial infarction: lessons from cardiac regeneration and repair mechanisms in non-human vertebrates. Heart Fail Rev 2020; 24:133-142. [PMID: 30421074 DOI: 10.1007/s10741-018-9750-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Ischemic cardiomyopathy is the cardiovascular condition with the highest impact on the Western population. In mammals (humans included), prolonged ischemia in the ventricular walls causes the death of cardiomyocytes (myocardial infarction, MI). The loss of myocardial mass is soon compensated by the formation of a reparative, non-contractile fibrotic scar that ultimately affects heart performance. Despite the enormous clinical relevance of MI, no effective therapy is available for the long-term treatment of this condition. Moreover, since the human heart is not able to undergo spontaneous regeneration, many researchers aim at designing cell-based therapies that allow for the substitution of dead cardiomyocytes by new, functional ones. So far, the majority of such strategies rely on the injection of different progenitor/stem cells to the infarcted heart. These cardiovascular progenitors, which are expected to differentiate into cardiomyocytes de novo, seldom give rise to new cardiac muscle. In this context, the most important challenge in the field is to fully disclose the molecular and cellular mechanisms that could promote active myocardial regeneration after cardiac damage. Accordingly, we suggest that such strategy should be inspired by the unique regenerative and reparative responses displayed by non-human animal models, from the restricted postnatal myocardial regeneration abilities of the murine heart to the full ventricular regeneration of some bony fishes (e.g., zebrafish). In this review article, we will discuss about current scientific approaches to study cardiac reparative and regenerative phenomena using animal models.
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45
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Ulmer BM, Eschenhagen T. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for studying energy metabolism. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1867:118471. [PMID: 30954570 PMCID: PMC7042711 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cardiomyocyte energy metabolism is altered in heart failure, and primary defects of metabolic pathways can cause heart failure. Studying cardiac energetics in rodent models has principal shortcomings, raising the question to which extent human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) can provide an alternative. As metabolic maturation of CM occurs mostly after birth during developmental hypertrophy, the immaturity of hiPSC-CM is an important limitation. Here we shortly review the physiological drivers of metabolic maturation and concentrate on methods to mature hiPSC-CM with the goal to benchmark the metabolic state of hiPSC-CM against in vivo data and to see how far known abnormalities in inherited metabolic disorders can be modeled in hiPSC-CM. The current data indicate that hiPSC-CM, despite their immature, approximately mid-fetal state of energy metabolism, faithfully recapitulate some basic metabolic disease mechanisms. Efforts to improve their metabolic maturity are underway and shall improve the validity of this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bärbel M Ulmer
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Heart Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas Eschenhagen
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Heart Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Hamburg, Germany.
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46
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van den Brink L, Grandela C, Mummery CL, Davis RP. Inherited cardiac diseases, pluripotent stem cells, and genome editing combined-the past, present, and future. Stem Cells 2020; 38:174-186. [PMID: 31664757 PMCID: PMC7027796 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Research on mechanisms underlying monogenic cardiac diseases such as primary arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies has until recently been hampered by inherent limitations of heterologous cell systems, where mutant genes are expressed in noncardiac cells, and physiological differences between humans and experimental animals. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have proven to be a game changer by providing new opportunities for studying the disease in the specific cell type affected, namely the cardiomyocyte. hiPSCs are particularly valuable because not only can they be differentiated into unlimited numbers of these cells, but they also genetically match the individual from whom they were derived. The decade following their discovery showed the potential of hiPSCs for advancing our understanding of cardiovascular diseases, with key pathophysiological features of the patient being reflected in their corresponding hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (the past). Now, recent advances in genome editing for repairing or introducing genetic mutations efficiently have enabled the disease etiology and pathogenesis of a particular genotype to be investigated (the present). Finally, we are beginning to witness the promise of hiPSC in personalized therapies for individual patients, as well as their application in identifying genetic variants responsible for or modifying the disease phenotype (the future). In this review, we discuss how hiPSCs could contribute to improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of an individual with a suspected genetic cardiac disease, thereby developing better risk stratification and clinical management strategies for these potentially lethal but treatable disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lettine van den Brink
- Department of Anatomy and EmbryologyLeiden University Medical CenterRC LeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Catarina Grandela
- Department of Anatomy and EmbryologyLeiden University Medical CenterRC LeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Christine L. Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and EmbryologyLeiden University Medical CenterRC LeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Richard P. Davis
- Department of Anatomy and EmbryologyLeiden University Medical CenterRC LeidenThe Netherlands
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47
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Broeders M, Herrero-Hernandez P, Ernst MPT, van der Ploeg AT, Pijnappel WWMP. Sharpening the Molecular Scissors: Advances in Gene-Editing Technology. iScience 2020; 23:100789. [PMID: 31901636 PMCID: PMC6941877 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.100789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to precisely modify human genes has been made possible by the development of tools such as meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas. These now make it possible to generate targeted deletions, insertions, gene knock outs, and point variants; to modulate gene expression by targeting transcription factors or epigenetic machineries to DNA; or to target and modify RNA. Endogenous repair mechanisms are used to make the modifications required in DNA; they include non-homologous end joining, homology-directed repair, homology-independent targeted integration, microhomology-mediated end joining, base-excision repair, and mismatch repair. Off-target effects can be monitored using in silico prediction and sequencing and minimized using Cas proteins with higher accuracy, such as high-fidelity Cas9, enhanced-specificity Cas9, and hyperaccurate Cas9. Alternatives to Cas9 have been identified, including Cpf1, Cas12a, Cas12b, and smaller Cas9 orthologs such as CjCas9. Delivery of gene-editing components is performed ex vivo using standard techniques or in vivo using AAV, lipid nanoparticles, or cell-penetrating peptides. Clinical development of gene-editing technology is progressing in several fields, including immunotherapy in cancer treatment, antiviral therapy for HIV infection, and treatment of genetic disorders such as β-thalassemia, sickle cell disease, lysosomal storage disorders, and retinal dystrophy. Here we review these technological advances and the challenges to their clinical implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Broeders
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pablo Herrero-Hernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martijn P T Ernst
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ans T van der Ploeg
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - W W M Pim Pijnappel
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands; Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands.
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48
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van den Brink L, Brandão KO, Yiangou L, Mol MPH, Grandela C, Mummery CL, Verkerk AO, Davis RP. Cryopreservation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes is not detrimental to their molecular and functional properties. Stem Cell Res 2020; 43:101698. [PMID: 31945612 PMCID: PMC7611364 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2019.101698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have emerged as a powerful platform for in vitro modelling of cardiac diseases, safety pharmacology and drug screening. All these applications require large quantities of well-characterised and standardised batches of hiPSC-CMs. Cryopreservation of hiPSC-CMs without affecting their biochemical or biophysical phenotype is essential for facilitating this, but ideally requires the cells being unchanged by the freeze-thaw procedure. We therefore compared the in vitro functional and molecular characteristics of fresh and cryopreserved hiPSC-CMs generated from multiple independent hiPSC lines. While the frozen hiPSC-CMs exhibited poorer replating than their freshly-derived counterparts, there was no difference in the proportion of cardiomyocytes retrieved from the mixed population when this was factored in, although for several lines a higher percentage of ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs were recovered following cryopreservation. Furthermore, cryopreserved hiPSC-CMs from one line exhibited longer action potential durations. These results provide evidence that cryopreservation does not compromise the in vitro molecular, physiological and mechanical properties of hiPSC-CMs, though can lead to an enrichment in ventricular myocytes. It also validates this procedure for storing hiPSC-CMs, thereby allowing the same batch of hiPSC-CMs to be used for multiple applications and evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lettine van den Brink
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Karina O Brandão
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Loukia Yiangou
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mervyn P H Mol
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Catarina Grandela
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Richard P Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands.
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49
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Zhao Y, Rafatian N, Wang EY, Wu Q, Lai BFL, Lu RX, Savoji H, Radisic M. Towards chamber specific heart-on-a-chip for drug testing applications. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2020; 165-166:60-76. [PMID: 31917972 PMCID: PMC7338250 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Modeling of human organs has long been a task for scientists in order to lower the costs of therapeutic development and understand the pathological onset of human disease. For decades, despite marked differences in genetics and etiology, animal models remained the norm for drug discovery and disease modeling. Innovative biofabrication techniques have facilitated the development of organ-on-a-chip technology that has great potential to complement conventional animal models. However, human organ as a whole, more specifically the human heart, is difficult to regenerate in vitro, in terms of its chamber specific orientation and its electrical functional complexity. Recent progress with the development of induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation protocols, made recapitulating the complexity of the human heart possible through the generation of cells representative of atrial & ventricular tissue, the sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node and Purkinje fibers. Current heart-on-a-chip approaches incorporate biological, electrical, mechanical, and topographical cues to facilitate tissue maturation, therefore improving the predictive power for the chamber-specific therapeutic effects targeting adult human. In this review, we will give a summary of current advances in heart-on-a-chip technology and provide a comprehensive outlook on the challenges involved in the development of human physiologically relevant heart-on-a-chip.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimu Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Naimeh Rafatian
- Division of Cardiology and Peter Munk Cardiac Center, University of Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2N2, Canada
| | - Erika Yan Wang
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Qinghua Wu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Benjamin F L Lai
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Rick Xingze Lu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Houman Savoji
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada; Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada.
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50
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Bub G, Daniels MJ. Feasibility of Using Adjunctive Optogenetic Technologies in Cardiomyocyte Phenotyping - from the Single Cell to the Whole Heart. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2020; 21:752-764. [PMID: 30961485 PMCID: PMC7527548 DOI: 10.2174/1389201020666190405182251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In 1791, Galvani established that electricity activated excitable cells. In the two centuries that followed, electrode stimulation of neuronal, skeletal and cardiac muscle became the adjunctive method of choice in experimental, electrophysiological, and clinical arenas. This approach underpins breakthrough technologies like implantable cardiac pacemakers that we currently take for granted. However, the contact dependence, and field stimulation that electrical depolarization delivers brings inherent limitations to the scope and experimental scale that can be achieved. Many of these were not exposed until reliable in vitro stem-cell derived experimental materials, with genotypes of interest, were produced in the numbers needed for multi-well screening platforms (for toxicity or efficacy studies) or the 2D or 3D tissue surrogates required to study propagation of depolarization within multicellular constructs that mimic clinically relevant arrhythmia in the heart or brain. Here the limitations of classical electrode stimulation are discussed. We describe how these are overcome by optogenetic tools which put electrically excitable cells under the control of light. We discuss how this enables studies in cardiac material from the single cell to the whole heart scale. We review the current commercial platforms that incorporate optogenetic stimulation strategies, and summarize the global literature to date on cardiac applications of optogenetics. We show that the advantages of optogenetic stimulation relevant to iPS-CM based screening include independence from contact, elimination of electrical stimulation artefacts in field potential measuring approaches such as the multi-electrode array, and the ability to print re-entrant patterns of depolarization at will on 2D cardiomyocyte monolayers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew J. Daniels
- Address correspondence to this author at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Core Technology Facility, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9NT, UK; Tel: +441865234913; E-mails: ;
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