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Sartori-Maldonado R, Montaser H, Soppa I, Eurola S, Juutila J, Balaz M, Puttonen H, Otonkoski T, Saarimäki-Vire J, Wartiovaara K. Thymidylate synthase disruption to limit cell proliferation in cell therapies. Mol Ther 2024; 32:2535-2548. [PMID: 38867450 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Stem and progenitor cells hold great promise for regenerative medicine and gene therapy approaches. However, transplantation of living cells entails a fundamental risk of unwanted growth, potentially exacerbated by CRISPR-Cas9 or other genetic manipulations. Here, we describe a safety system to control cell proliferation while allowing robust and efficient cell manufacture, without any added genetic elements. Inactivating TYMS, a key nucleotide metabolism enzyme, in several cell lines resulted in cells that proliferate only when supplemented with exogenous thymidine. Under supplementation, TYMS-/--pluripotent stem cells proliferate, produce teratomas, and successfully differentiate into potentially therapeutic cell types such as pancreatic β cells. Our results suggest that supplementation with exogenous thymidine affects stem cell proliferation, but not the function of stem cell-derived cells. After differentiation, postmitotic cells do not require thymidine in vitro or in vivo, as shown by the production of functional human insulin in mice up to 5 months after implantation of stem cell-derived pancreatic tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocio Sartori-Maldonado
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hossam Montaser
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Inkeri Soppa
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Solja Eurola
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juhana Juutila
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Melanie Balaz
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Henri Puttonen
- Department of Pathology, Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Timo Otonkoski
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jonna Saarimäki-Vire
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kirmo Wartiovaara
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Clinical Genetics, Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
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2
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Netsrithong R, Garcia-Perez L, Themeli M. Engineered T cells from induced pluripotent stem cells: from research towards clinical implementation. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1325209. [PMID: 38283344 PMCID: PMC10811463 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1325209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived T (iT) cells represent a groundbreaking frontier in adoptive cell therapies with engineered T cells, poised to overcome pivotal limitations associated with conventional manufacturing methods. iPSCs offer an off-the-shelf source of therapeutic T cells with the potential for infinite expansion and straightforward genetic manipulation to ensure hypo-immunogenicity and introduce specific therapeutic functions, such as antigen specificity through a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Importantly, genetic engineering of iPSC offers the benefit of generating fully modified clonal lines that are amenable to rigorous safety assessments. Critical to harnessing the potential of iT cells is the development of a robust and clinically compatible production process. Current protocols for genetic engineering as well as differentiation protocols designed to mirror human hematopoiesis and T cell development, vary in efficiency and often contain non-compliant components, thereby rendering them unsuitable for clinical implementation. This comprehensive review centers on the remarkable progress made over the last decade in generating functional engineered T cells from iPSCs. Emphasis is placed on alignment with good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards, scalability, safety measures and quality controls, which constitute the fundamental prerequisites for clinical application. In conclusion, the focus on iPSC as a source promises standardized, scalable, clinically relevant, and potentially safer production of engineered T cells. This groundbreaking approach holds the potential to extend hope to a broader spectrum of patients and diseases, leading in a new era in adoptive T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratchapong Netsrithong
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Laura Garcia-Perez
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maria Themeli
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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3
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Efficient Genetic Safety Switches for Future Application of iPSC-Derived Cell Transplants. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11060565. [PMID: 34204193 PMCID: PMC8234706 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11060565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell products hold great promise as a potential cell source in personalized medicine. As concerns about the potential risk of graft-related severe adverse events, such as tumor formation from residual pluripotent cells, currently restrict their applicability, we established an optimized tool for therapeutic intervention that allows drug-controlled, specific and selective ablation of either iPSCs or the whole graft through genetic safety switches. To identify the best working system, different tools for genetic iPSC modification, promoters to express safety switches and different safety switches were combined. Suicide effects were slightly stronger when the suicide gene was delivered through lentiviral (LV) vectors compared to integration into the AAVS1 locus through TALEN technology. An optimized HSV-thymidine kinase and the inducible Caspase 9 both mediated drug-induced, efficient in vitro elimination of transgene-positive iPSCs. Choice of promoter allowed selective elimination of distinct populations within the graft: the hOct4 short response element restricted transgene expression to iPSCs, while the CAGs promoter ubiquitously drove expression in iPSCs and their progeny. Remarkably, both safety switches were able to prevent in vivo teratoma development and even effectively eliminated established teratomas formed by LV CAGs-transgenic iPSCs. These optimized tools to increase safety provide an important step towards clinical application of iPSC-derived transplants.
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Villodre ES, Felipe KB, Oyama MZ, Oliveira FHD, Lopez PLDC, Solari C, Sevlever G, Guberman A, Lenz G. Silencing of the transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc or Nanog has different effect on teratoma growth. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 517:324-329. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.07.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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5
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Tieng V, Cherpin O, Gutzwiller E, Zambon AC, Delgado C, Salmon P, Dubois-Dauphin M, Krause KH. Elimination of proliferating cells from CNS grafts using a Ki67 promoter-driven thymidine kinase. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2016; 6:16069. [PMID: 27990449 PMCID: PMC5129875 DOI: 10.1038/mtm.2016.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-based cell therapy is an attractive concept for neurodegenerative diseases, but can lead to tumor formation. This is particularly relevant as proliferating neural precursors rather than postmitotic mature neurons need to be transplanted. Thus, safety mechanisms to eliminate proliferating cells are needed. Here, we propose a suicide gene approach, based on cell cycle-dependent promoter Ki67-driven expression of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK). We generated a PSC line expressing this construct and induced neural differentiation. In vitro, proliferating PSC and early neural precursor cells (NPC) were killed by exposure to ganciclovir. In vivo, transplantation of PSC led to tumor formation, which was prevented by early ganciclovir treatment. Transplanted NPC did not lead to tumor formation and their survival and neural maturation were not affected by ganciclovir. In conclusion, the cell cycle promoter-driven suicide gene approach described in this study allows killing of proliferating undifferentiated precursor cells without expression of the suicide gene in mature neurons. This approach could also be of use for other stem cell-based therapies where the final target consists of postmitotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vannary Tieng
- Department of pathology and immunology, Geneva medical school, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of genetic medicine and laboratory, Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ophelie Cherpin
- Department of pathology and immunology, Geneva medical school, University of Geneva , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eveline Gutzwiller
- Department of pathology and immunology, Geneva medical school, University of Geneva , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexander C Zambon
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Science, Keck Graduate Institute , Claremont, California, USA
| | - Christophe Delgado
- Department of pathology and immunology, Geneva medical school, University of Geneva , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Salmon
- Department of basic neurosciences, Geneva medical school, University of Geneva , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Michel Dubois-Dauphin
- Department of pathology and immunology, Geneva medical school, University of Geneva , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karl-Heinz Krause
- Department of pathology and immunology, Geneva medical school, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of genetic medicine and laboratory, Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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6
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Tanabe K, Haag D, Wernig M. Direct somatic lineage conversion. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:20140368. [PMID: 26416679 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The predominant view of embryonic development and cell differentiation has been that rigid and even irreversible epigenetic marks are laid down along the path of cell specialization ensuring the proper silencing of unrelated lineage programmes. This model made the prediction that specialized cell types are stable and cannot be redirected into other lineages. Accordingly, early attempts to change the identity of somatic cells had little success and was limited to conversions between closely related cell types. Nuclear transplantation experiments demonstrated, however, that specialized cells even from adult mammals can be reprogrammed into a totipotent state. The discovery that a small combination of transcription factors can reprogramme cells to pluripotency without the need of oocytes further supported the view that these epigenetic barriers can be overcome much easier than assumed, but the extent of this flexibility was still unclear. When we showed that a differentiated mesodermal cell can be directly converted to a differentiated ectodermal cell without a pluripotent intermediate, it was suggested that in principle any cell type could be converted into any other cell type. Indeed, the work of several groups in recent years has provided many more examples of direct somatic lineage conversions. Today, the question is not anymore whether a specific cell type can be generated by direct reprogramming but how it can be induced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Tanabe
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel Haag
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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7
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Tomizawa M, Shinozaki F, Motoyoshi Y, Sugiyama T, Yamamoto S, Ishige N. Hepatocyte selection medium eliminating induced pluripotent stem cells among primary human hepatocytes. World J Methodol 2015; 5:108-114. [PMID: 26413482 PMCID: PMC4572022 DOI: 10.5662/wjm.v5.i3.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic insufficiency is a fatal liver disease with a significant decrease in functioning hepatocytes. If hepatocytes could be generated from human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells and transplanted into patients with hepatic insufficiency, the disease may become curable. However, a major limitation to this therapeutic strategy is due to the tumorigenicity of hiPS cells and their ability to form cancer. Current methods for eliminating unwanted hiPS cells use genetic manipulation or reagents that are potentially hazardous for hepatocytes; therefore, revised methods are necessary and anticipated. Glucose and arginine are essential cell culture medium ingredients for the survival of most cells, including hiPS cells. However, hepatocytes can produce its own glucose and arginine through galactokinase and ornithine transcarbamylase, respectively. Therefore, it was hypothesized that unwanted hiPS cells could be eliminated in a medium without glucose and arginine, and supplemented with galactose and ornithine instead. This modified medium has been established as hepatocyte selection medium (HSM). So far, attempts to generate a pure colony of mature hepatocytes from hiPS cells have not been successful. After establishment of co-culture in HSM, primary human hepatocytes survive while hiPS cells die within three days. Our latest results regarding a modification of HSM will be introduced in this manuscript.
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8
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Ando M, Nishimura T, Yamazaki S, Yamaguchi T, Kawana-Tachikawa A, Hayama T, Nakauchi Y, Ando J, Ota Y, Takahashi S, Nishimura K, Ohtaka M, Nakanishi M, Miles JJ, Burrows SR, Brenner MK, Nakauchi H. A Safeguard System for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Rejuvenated T Cell Therapy. Stem Cell Reports 2015; 5:597-608. [PMID: 26321144 PMCID: PMC4624898 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2015.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has created promising new avenues for therapies in regenerative medicine. However, the tumorigenic potential of undifferentiated iPSCs is a major safety concern for clinical translation. To address this issue, we demonstrated the efficacy of suicide gene therapy by introducing inducible caspase-9 (iC9) into iPSCs. Activation of iC9 with a specific chemical inducer of dimerization (CID) initiates a caspase cascade that eliminates iPSCs and tumors originated from iPSCs. We introduced this iC9/CID safeguard system into a previously reported iPSC-derived, rejuvenated cytotoxic T lymphocyte (rejCTL) therapy model and confirmed that we can generate rejCTLs from iPSCs expressing high levels of iC9 without disturbing antigen-specific killing activity. iC9-expressing rejCTLs exert antitumor effects in vivo. The system efficiently and safely induces apoptosis in these rejCTLs. These results unite to suggest that the iC9/CID safeguard system is a promising tool for future iPSC-mediated approaches to clinical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Ando
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Toshinobu Nishimura
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Satoshi Yamazaki
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yamaguchi
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Ai Kawana-Tachikawa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan; AIDS Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Tomonari Hayama
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Yusuke Nakauchi
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Jun Ando
- Department of Hematology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Yasunori Ota
- Department of Pathology, Research Hospital, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Satoshi Takahashi
- Division of Molecular Therapy, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Ken Nishimura
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Manami Ohtaka
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8562, Japan
| | - Mahito Nakanishi
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8562, Japan
| | - John J Miles
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Scott R Burrows
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Malcolm K Brenner
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital, Feigin Center, 1102 Bates Avenue, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hiromitsu Nakauchi
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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An Inducible Caspase-9 Suicide Gene to Improve the Safety of Therapy Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Mol Ther 2015; 23:1475-85. [PMID: 26022733 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2015.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) hold promise for regenerative therapies, though there are several safety concerns including the risk of oncogenic transformation or unwanted adverse effects associated with hiPSC or their differentiated progeny. Introduction of the inducible caspase-9 (iC9) suicide gene, which is activated by a specific chemical inducer of dimerization (CID), is one of the most appealing safety strategies for cell therapies and is currently being tested in multicenter clinical trials. Here, we show that the iC9 suicide gene with a human EF1α promoter can be introduced into hiPSC by lentiviral transduction. The transduced hiPSC maintain their pluripotency, including their capacity for unlimited self-renewal and the potential to differentiate into three germ layer tissues. Transduced hiPSC are eliminated within 24 hours of exposure to pharmacological levels of CID in vitro, with induction of apoptosis in 94-99% of the cells. Importantly, the iC9 suicide gene can eradicate tumors derived from hiPSC in vivo. In conclusion, we have developed a direct and efficient hiPSC killing system that provides a necessary safety mechanism for therapies using hiPSC. We believe that our iC9 suicide gene will be of value in clinical applications of hiPSC-based therapy.
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Stem cells: the pursuit of genomic stability. Int J Mol Sci 2014; 15:20948-67. [PMID: 25405730 PMCID: PMC4264205 DOI: 10.3390/ijms151120948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells harbor significant potential for regenerative medicine as well as basic and clinical translational research. Prior to harnessing their reparative nature for degenerative diseases, concerns regarding their genetic integrity and mutation acquisition need to be addressed. Here we review pluripotent and multipotent stem cell response to DNA damage including differences in DNA repair kinetics, specific repair pathways (homologous recombination vs. non-homologous end joining), and apoptotic sensitivity. We also describe DNA damage and repair strategies during reprogramming and discuss potential genotoxic agents that can reduce the inherent risk for teratoma formation and mutation accumulation. Ensuring genomic stability in stem cell lines is required to achieve the quality control standards for safe clinical application.
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11
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Wu C, Hong SG, Winkler T, Spencer DM, Jares A, Ichwan B, Nicolae A, Guo V, Larochelle A, Dunbar CE. Development of an inducible caspase-9 safety switch for pluripotent stem cell-based therapies. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2014; 1:14053. [PMID: 26052521 PMCID: PMC4448736 DOI: 10.1038/mtm.2014.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) therapies offer a promising path for patient-specific regenerative medicine. However, tumor formation from residual undifferentiated iPSC or transformation of iPSC or their derivatives is a risk. Inclusion of a suicide gene is one approach to risk mitigation. We introduced a dimerizable-“inducible caspase-9” (iCasp9) suicide gene into mouse iPSC (miPSC) and rhesus iPSC (RhiPSC) via a lentivirus, driving expression from either a cytomegalovirus (CMV), elongation factor-1 α (EF1α) or pluripotency-specific EOS-C(3+) promoter. Exposure of the iPSC to the synthetic chemical dimerizer, AP1903, in vitro induced effective apoptosis in EF1α-iCasp9-expressing (EF1α)-iPSC, with less effective killing of EOS-C(3+)-iPSC and CMV-iPSC, proportional to transgene expression in these cells. AP1903 treatment of EF1α-iCasp9 miPSC in vitro delayed or prevented teratomas. AP1903 administration following subcutaneous or intravenous delivery of EF1α-iPSC resulted in delayed teratoma progression but did not ablate tumors. EF1α-iCasp9 expression was downregulated during in vitro and in vivo differentiation due to DNA methylation at CpG islands within the promoter, and methylation, and thus decreased expression, could be reversed by 5-azacytidine treatment. The level and stability of suicide gene expression will be important for the development of suicide gene strategies in iPSC regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanfeng Wu
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - So Gun Hong
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas Winkler
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Alexander Jares
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian Ichwan
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alina Nicolae
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Vicky Guo
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Andre Larochelle
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Cynthia E Dunbar
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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12
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Wyles SP, Yamada S, Oommen S, Maleszewski JJ, Beraldi R, Martinez-Fernandez A, Terzic A, Nelson TJ. Inhibition of DNA topoisomerase II selectively reduces the threat of tumorigenicity following induced pluripotent stem cell-based myocardial therapy. Stem Cells Dev 2014; 23:2274-82. [PMID: 25036735 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2014.0259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology creates new opportunities for transplant-based therapeutic strategies. The potential for clinical translation is currently hindered by the risk of dysregulated cell growth. Pluripotent stem cells reprogrammed by three-factor (Sox2, Klf, and Oct4) and four-factor (Sox2, Klf, Oct4, and c-Myc) strategies result in the capacity for teratogenic growth from residual pluripotent progeny upon in vivo transplantation. However, these pluripotent stem cells also have a stage-specific hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents that may allow separation of lineage-specific therapeutic subpopulation of cells. We aimed to demonstrate the selective effect of DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor, etoposide, in eliminating pluripotent cells in the early cardiac progenitor population thus decreasing the effect of teratoma formation. Immunodeficient murine hearts were infarcted and received implantation of a therapeutic dose of cardiac progenitors derived from partially differentiated iPSCs. Etoposide-treated cell implantation reduced mass formation in the intracardiac and extracardiac chest cavity compared with the same dose of iPSC-derived cardiac progenitors in the control untreated group. In vivo bioluminescence imaging confirmed the localization and engraftment of transplanted cells in the myocardium postinjection in both groups. Comparatively, the equivalent cell population without etoposide treatment demonstrated a greater incidence and size of teratoma formation. Hence, pretreatment with genotoxic etoposide significantly lowered the threat of teratogenicity by purging the contaminating pluripotent cells, establishing an adjunctive therapy to further harness the clinical value of iPSC-derived cardiac regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saranya P Wyles
- 1 Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota
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