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Kwartler CS, Pinelo JEE. Use of iPSC-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells to Model Physiology and Pathology. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2024; 44:1523-1536. [PMID: 38695171 PMCID: PMC11209779 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.319703] [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] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The implementation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models has introduced an additional tool for identifying molecular mechanisms of disease that complement animal models. Patient-derived or CRISPR/Cas9-edited induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into smooth muscle cells (SMCs) have been leveraged to discover novel mechanisms, screen potential therapeutic strategies, and model in vivo development. The field has evolved over almost 15 years of research using hiPSC-SMCs and has made significant strides toward overcoming initial challenges such as the lineage specificity of SMC phenotypes. However, challenges both specific (eg, the lack of specific markers to thoroughly validate hiPSC-SMCs) and general (eg, a lack of transparency and consensus around methodology in the field) remain. In this review, we highlight the recent successes and remaining challenges of the hiPSC-SMC model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callie S. Kwartler
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Jose Emiliano Esparza Pinelo
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
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2
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Whitworth CP, Polacheck WJ. Vascular organs-on-chip made with patient-derived endothelial cells: technologies to transform drug discovery and disease modeling. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:339-351. [PMID: 38117223 PMCID: PMC10922379 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2294947] [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: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vascular diseases impart a tremendous burden on healthcare systems in the United States and across the world. Efforts to improve therapeutic interventions are hindered by limitations of current experimental models. The integration of patient-derived cells with organ-on-chip (OoC) technology is a promising avenue for preclinical drug screening that improves upon traditional cell culture and animal models. AREAS COVERED The authors review induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOEC) as two sources for patient-derived endothelial cells (EC). They summarize several studies that leverage patient-derived EC and OoC for precision disease modeling of the vasculature, with a focus on applications for drug discovery. They also highlight the utility of patient-derived EC in other translational endeavors, including ex vivo organogenesis and multi-organ-chip integration. EXPERT OPINION Precision disease modeling continues to mature in the academic space, but end-use by pharmaceutical companies is currently limited. To fully realize their transformative potential, OoC systems must balance their complexity with their ability to integrate with the highly standardized and high-throughput experimentation required for drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe P Whitworth
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - William J Polacheck
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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3
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Baldwin CS, Iyer S, Rao RR. The challenges and prospects of smooth muscle tissue engineering. Regen Med 2024; 19:135-143. [PMID: 38440898 PMCID: PMC10941056 DOI: 10.2217/rme-2023-0230] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Many vascular disorders arise as a result of dysfunctional smooth muscle cells. Tissue engineering strategies have evolved as key approaches to generate functional vascular smooth muscle cells for use in cell-based precision and personalized regenerative medicine approaches. This article highlights some of the challenges that exist in the field and presents some of the prospects for translating research advancements into therapeutic modalities. The article emphasizes the need for better developing synergetic intracellular and extracellular cues in the processes to generate functional vascular smooth muscle cells from different stem cell sources for use in tissue engineering strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christofer S Baldwin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Shilpa Iyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Raj R Rao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
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4
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Meijer EM, Koch SE, van Dijk CGM, Maas RGC, Chrifi I, Szymczyk W, Besseling PJ, Pomp L, Koomen VJCH, Buikema JW, Bouten CVC, Verhaar MC, Smits AIPM, Cheng C. 3D Human iPSC Blood Vessel Organoids as a Source of Flow-Adaptive Vascular Cells for Creating a Human-Relevant 3D-Scaffold Based Macrovessel Model. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200137. [PMID: 36300913 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200137] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
3D-scaffold based in vitro human tissue models accelerate disease studies and screening of pharmaceutics while improving the clinical translation of findings. Here is reported the use of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived vascular organoid cells as a new cell source for the creation of an electrospun polycaprolactone-bisurea (PCL-BU) 3D-scaffold-based, perfused human macrovessel model. A separation protocol is developed to obtain monocultures of organoid-derived endothelial cells (ODECs) and mural cells (ODMCs) from hiPSC vascular organoids. Shear stress responses of ODECs versus HUVECs and barrier function (by trans endothelial electrical resistance) are measured. PCL-BU scaffolds are seeded with ODECs and ODMCs, and tissue organization and flow adaptation are evaluated in a perfused bioreactor system. ODECs and ODMCs harvested from vascular organoids can be cryopreserved and expanded without loss of cell purity and proliferative capacity. ODECs are shear stress responsive and establish a functional barrier that self-restores after the thrombin challenge. Static bioreactor culture of ODECs/ODMCs seeded scaffolds results in a biomimetic vascular bi-layer hierarchy, which is preserved under laminar flow similar to scaffolds seeded with primary vascular cells. HiPSC-derived vascular organoids can be used as a source of functional, flow-adaptive vascular cells for the creation of 3D-scaffold based human macrovascular models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elana M Meijer
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanne E Koch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Christian G M van Dijk
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Renee G C Maas
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ihsan Chrifi
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wojciech Szymczyk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Paul J Besseling
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Pomp
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Vera J C H Koomen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Willem Buikema
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Carlijn V C Bouten
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Marianne C Verhaar
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anthal I P M Smits
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline Cheng
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Thoraxcenter Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Atkins SK, Sonawane AR, Brouwhuis R, Barrientos J, Ha A, Rogers M, Tanaka T, Okui T, Kuraoka S, Singh SA, Aikawa M, Aikawa E. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived smooth muscle cells to study cardiovascular calcification. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:925777. [PMID: 35958427 PMCID: PMC9357895 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.925777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular calcification is the lead predictor of cardiovascular events and the top cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. To date, only invasive surgical options are available to treat cardiovascular calcification despite the growing understanding of underlying pathological mechanisms. Key players in vascular calcification are vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), which transform into calcifying SMCs and secrete mineralizing extracellular vesicles that form microcalcifications, subsequently increasing plaque instability and consequential plaque rupture. There is an increasing, practical need for a large scale and inexhaustible source of functional SMCs. Here we describe an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived model of SMCs by differentiating iPSCs toward SMCs to study the pathogenesis of vascular calcification. Specifically, we characterize the proteome during iPSC differentiation to better understand the cellular dynamics during this process. First, we differentiated human iPSCs toward an induced-SMC (iSMC) phenotype in a 10-day protocol. The success of iSMC differentiation was demonstrated through morphological analysis, immunofluorescent staining, flow cytometry, and proteomics characterization. Proteomics was performed throughout the entire differentiation time course to provide a robust, well-defined starting and ending cell population. Proteomics data verified iPSC differentiation to iSMCs, and functional enrichment of proteins on different days showed the key pathways changing during iSMC development. Proteomics comparison with primary human SMCs showed a high correlation with iSMCs. After iSMC differentiation, we initiated calcification in the iSMCs by culturing the cells in osteogenic media for 17 days. Calcification was verified using Alizarin Red S staining and proteomics data analysis. This study presents an inexhaustible source of functional vascular SMCs and calcifying vascular SMCs to create an in vitro model of vascular calcification in osteogenic conditions, with high potential for future applications in cardiovascular calcification research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha K. Atkins
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Abhijeet R. Sonawane
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Abhijeet R. Sonawane,
| | - Romi Brouwhuis
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Johana Barrientos
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Anna Ha
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Maximillian Rogers
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Takeshi Tanaka
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Takehito Okui
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shiori Kuraoka
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sasha A. Singh
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Masanori Aikawa
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Elena Aikawa
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Elena Aikawa,
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Marei I, Abu Samaan T, Al-Quradaghi MA, Farah AA, Mahmud SH, Ding H, Triggle CR. 3D Tissue-Engineered Vascular Drug Screening Platforms: Promise and Considerations. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:847554. [PMID: 35310996 PMCID: PMC8931492 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.847554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the efforts devoted to drug discovery and development, the number of new drug approvals have been decreasing. Specifically, cardiovascular developments have been showing amongst the lowest levels of approvals. In addition, concerns over the adverse effects of drugs to the cardiovascular system have been increasing and resulting in failure at the preclinical level as well as withdrawal of drugs post-marketing. Besides factors such as the increased cost of clinical trials and increases in the requirements and the complexity of the regulatory processes, there is also a gap between the currently existing pre-clinical screening methods and the clinical studies in humans. This gap is mainly caused by the lack of complexity in the currently used 2D cell culture-based screening systems, which do not accurately reflect human physiological conditions. Cell-based drug screening is widely accepted and extensively used and can provide an initial indication of the drugs' therapeutic efficacy and potential cytotoxicity. However, in vitro cell-based evaluation could in many instances provide contradictory findings to the in vivo testing in animal models and clinical trials. This drawback is related to the failure of these 2D cell culture systems to recapitulate the human physiological microenvironment in which the cells reside. In the body, cells reside within a complex physiological setting, where they interact with and respond to neighboring cells, extracellular matrix, mechanical stress, blood shear stress, and many other factors. These factors in sum affect the cellular response and the specific pathways that regulate variable vital functions such as proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Although pre-clinical in vivo animal models provide this level of complexity, cross species differences can also cause contradictory results from that seen when the drug enters clinical trials. Thus, there is a need to better mimic human physiological conditions in pre-clinical studies to improve the efficiency of drug screening. A novel approach is to develop 3D tissue engineered miniaturized constructs in vitro that are based on human cells. In this review, we discuss the factors that should be considered to produce a successful vascular construct that is derived from human cells and is both reliable and reproducible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isra Marei
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Isra Marei
| | - Tala Abu Samaan
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Asmaa A. Farah
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Hong Ding
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Chris R. Triggle
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
- Chris R. Triggle
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7
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Tu C, Cunningham NJ, Zhang M, Wu JC. Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as a Screening Platform for Drug-Induced Vascular Toxicity. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:613837. [PMID: 33790786 PMCID: PMC8006367 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.613837] [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: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Evaluation of potential vascular injury is an essential part of the safety study during pharmaceutical development. Vascular liability issues are important causes of drug termination during preclinical investigations. Currently, preclinical assessment of vascular toxicity primarily relies on the use of animal models. However, accumulating evidence indicates a significant discrepancy between animal toxicity and human toxicity, casting doubt on the clinical relevance of animal models for such safety studies. While the causes of this discrepancy are expected to be multifactorial, species differences are likely a key factor. Consequently, a human-based model is a desirable solution to this problem, which has been made possible by the advent of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In particular, recent advances in the field now allow the efficient generation of a variety of vascular cells (e.g., endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and pericytes) from iPSCs. Using these cells, different vascular models have been established, ranging from simple 2D cultures to highly sophisticated vascular organoids and microfluidic devices. Toxicity testing using these models can recapitulate key aspects of vascular pathology on molecular (e.g., secretion of proinflammatory cytokines), cellular (e.g., cell apoptosis), and in some cases, tissue (e.g., endothelium barrier dysfunction) levels. These encouraging data provide the rationale for continuing efforts in the exploration, optimization, and validation of the iPSC technology in vascular toxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyi Tu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Nathan J Cunningham
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Mao Zhang
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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Shen M, Quertermous T, Fischbein MP, Wu JC. Generation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Methods, Applications, and Considerations. Circ Res 2021; 128:670-686. [PMID: 33818124 PMCID: PMC10817206 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.120.318049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The developmental origin of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) has been increasingly recognized as a major determinant for regional susceptibility or resistance to vascular diseases. As a human material-based complement to animal models and human primary cultures, patient induced pluripotent stem cell iPSC-derived VSMCs have been leveraged to conduct basic research and develop therapeutic applications in vascular diseases. However, iPSC-VSMCs (induced pluripotent stem cell VSMCs) derived by most existing induction protocols are heterogeneous in developmental origins. In this review, we summarize signaling networks that govern in vivo cell fate decisions and in vitro derivation of distinct VSMC progenitors, as well as key regulators that terminally specify lineage-specific VSMCs. We then highlight the significance of leveraging patient-derived iPSC-VSMCs for vascular disease modeling, drug discovery, and vascular tissue engineering and discuss several obstacles that need to be circumvented to fully unleash the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells for precision vascular medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengcheng Shen
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | - Thomas Quertermous
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | | | - Joseph C. Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
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