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Berkowitz CL, Luks VL, Puc M, Peranteau WH. Molecular and Cellular In Utero Therapy. Clin Perinatol 2022; 49:811-820. [PMID: 36328600 DOI: 10.1016/j.clp.2022.06.005] [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: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Significant advances in maternal-fetal medicine and gene sequencing technology have fostered a new frontier of in utero molecular and cellular therapeutics, including gene editing, enzyme replacement therapy, and stem cell transplantation to treat single-gene disorders with limited postnatal treatment strategies. In utero therapies take advantage of unique developmental properties of the fetus to allow for the correction of monogenic disorders before irreversible disease pathology develops. While early preclinical studies in animal models are encouraging, more studies are needed to further evaluate their safety and efficacy prior to widespread clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara L Berkowitz
- Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Valerie L Luks
- Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marcelina Puc
- Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - William H Peranteau
- Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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2
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Chen JC. Immunological Consequences of In Utero Exposure to Foreign Antigens. Front Immunol 2021; 12:638435. [PMID: 33936052 PMCID: PMC8082100 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.638435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunologic tolerance refers to a state of immune nonreactivity specific to particular antigens as an important issue in the field of transplantation and the management of autoimmune diseases. Tolerance conceptually originated from Owen’s observation of blood cell sharing in twin calves. Owen’s conceptual framework subsequently constituted the backbone of Medawar’s “actively acquired tolerance” as the major tenet of modern immunology. Based upon this knowledge, the delivery of genetically distinct hematopoietic stem cells into pre-immune fetuses represented a novel and unique approach to their engraftment without the requirement of myeloablation or immunosuppression. It might also make fetal recipients commit donor alloantigens to memory of their patterns as “self” so as to create a state of donor-specific tolerance. Over the years, the effort made experimentally or clinically toward in utero marrow transplantation could not reliably yield sufficient hematopoietic chimerism for curing candidate diseases as anticipated, nor did allogeneic graft tolerance universally develop as envisaged by Medawar following in utero exposure to various forms of alloantigens from exosomes, lymphocytes or marrow cells. Enduring graft tolerance was only conditional on a state of significant hematopoietic chimerism conferred by marrow inocula. Notably, fetal exposure to ovalbumin, oncoprotein and microbial antigens did not elicit immune tolerance, but instead triggered an event of sensitization to the antigens inoculated. These fetal immunogenic events might be clinically relevant to prenatal imprinting of atopy, immune surveillance against developmental tumorigenesis, and prenatal immunization against infectious diseases. Briefly, the immunological consequences of fetal exposure to foreign antigens could be tolerogenic or immunogenic, relying upon the type or nature of antigens introduced. Thus, the classical school of “actively acquired tolerance” might oversimplify the interactions between developing fetal immune system and antigens. Such interactions might rely upon fetal macrophages, which showed up earlier than lymphocytes and were competent to phagocytose foreign antigens so as to bridge toward antigen-specific adaptive immunity later on in life. Thus, innate fetal macrophages may be the potential basis for exploring how the immunological outcome of fetal exposure to foreign antigens is determined to improve the likelihood and reliability of manipulating fetal immune system toward tolerization or immunization to antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeng-Chang Chen
- Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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Jeon H, Asano K, Wakimoto A, Kulathunga K, Tran MTN, Nakamura M, Yokomizo T, Hamada M, Takahashi S. Generation of reconstituted hemato-lymphoid murine embryos by placental transplantation into embryos lacking HSCs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4374. [PMID: 33623082 PMCID: PMC7902833 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83652-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to increase the contribution of donor HSC cells, irradiation and DNA alkylating agents have been commonly used as experimental methods to eliminate HSCs for adult mice. But a technique of HSC deletion for mouse embryo for increase contribution of donor cells has not been published. Here, we established for the first time a procedure for placental HSC transplantation into E11.5 Runx1-deficient mice mated with G1-HRD-Runx1 transgenic mice (Runx1-/-::Tg mice) that have no HSCs in the fetal liver. Following the transplantation of fetal liver cells from mice (allogeneic) or rats (xenogeneic), high donor cell chimerism was observed in Runx1-/-::Tg embryos. Furthermore, chimerism analysis and colony assay data showed that donor fetal liver hematopoietic cells contributed to both white blood cells and red blood cells. Moreover, secondary transplantation into adult recipient mice indicated that the HSCs in rescued Runx1-/-::Tg embryos had normal abilities. These results suggest that mice lacking fetal liver HSCs are a powerful tool for hematopoiesis reconstruction during the embryonic stage and can potentially be used in basic research on HSCs or xenograft models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyojung Jeon
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.,Laboratory of Stem Cell Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Keigo Asano
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Arata Wakimoto
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Kaushalya Kulathunga
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.,Ph.D. Program in Human Biology, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, P.O. Box 01, Hidellana, Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
| | - Mai Thi Nhu Tran
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Megumi Nakamura
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Tomomasa Yokomizo
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Michito Hamada
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan. .,Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.
| | - Satoru Takahashi
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan. .,Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan. .,International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.
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Iwai S, Okada A, Sasano K, Endo M, Yamazaki S, Wang X, Shimbo T, Tomimatsu T, Kimura T, Tamai K. Controlled induction of immune tolerance by mesenchymal stem cells transferred by maternal microchimerism. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 539:83-88. [PMID: 33461067 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Feto-maternal immune tolerance is established during pregnancy; however, its mechanism and maintenance remain underexplored. Here, we investigated whether mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) as non-inherited maternal antigens (NIMAs) transferred by maternal microchimerism could induce immune tolerance. We showed that MSCs had a potential equivalent to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to induce immune tolerance and that MSCs were essential to induce tolerance to MSC-specific antigens. Furthermore, we demonstrated that MSCs as NIMAs transferred by maternal microchimerism could induce robust immune tolerance that can be further enhanced using a drug. Our data shed light on induction of immune tolerance and serve as a foundation to develop new therapies using maternally derived cells for autoimmune or genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayuri Iwai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Aiko Okada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kei Sasano
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Endo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan; StemRIM Institute of Regeneration-Inducing Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Children's and Women's Health, Division of Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Sho Yamazaki
- Department of Stem Cell Therapy Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; StemRIM Inc, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Stem Cell Therapy Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; StemRIM Inc, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takashi Shimbo
- Department of Stem Cell Therapy Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; StemRIM Institute of Regeneration-Inducing Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Takuji Tomimatsu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tadashi Kimura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Katsuto Tamai
- Department of Stem Cell Therapy Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
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Mattar CNZ, Tan YW, Johana N, Biswas A, Tan LG, Choolani M, Bakkour S, Johnson M, Chan JKY, Flake AW. Fetoscopic versus Ultrasound-Guided Intravascular Delivery of Maternal Bone Marrow Cells in Fetal Macaques: A Technical Model for Intrauterine Haemopoietic Cell Transplantation. Fetal Diagn Ther 2019; 46:175-186. [PMID: 30661073 DOI: 10.1159/000493791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Significant limitations with existing treatments for major haemoglobinopathies motivate the development of effective intrauterine therapy. We assessed the feasibility of fetoscopic and ultrasound-guided intrauterine haemopoietic cell transplantation (IUHCT) in macaque fetuses in early gestation when haemopoietic and immunological ontogeny is anticipated to enable long-term donor cell engraftment. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fluorescent-labelled bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells from 10 pregnant Macaca fascicularis were injected into their fetuses at E71-114 (18.9-170.0E+6 cells/fetus) by fetoscopic intravenous (n = 7) or ultrasound (US)-guided intracardiac injections, with sacrifice at 24 h to examine donor-cell distribution. RESULTS Operating times ranged from 35 to 118 min. Chorionic membrane tenting and intrachorionic haemorrhage were observed only with fetoscopy (n = 2). Labelled cells were stereoscopically visualised in lung, spleen, liver, and placenta. Donor-cell chimerism was highest in liver, spleen, and heart by flow cytometry, placenta by unique polymorphism qPCR, and was undetected in blood. Chimerism was 2-3 log-fold lower in individual organs by qPCR than by flow cytometry. DISCUSSION Both fetoscopic and US-guided IUHCT were technically feasible, but fetoscopy caused more intraoperative complications in our pilot series. The discrepancy in chimerism detection predicts the challenges in long-term surveillance of donor-cell chimerism. Further studies of long-term outcomes in the non-human primate are valuable for the development of clinical protocols for IUHCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Citra N Z Mattar
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yi-Wan Tan
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nuryanti Johana
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Arijit Biswas
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lay-Geok Tan
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahesh Choolani
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sonia Bakkour
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mark Johnson
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jerry K Y Chan
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore, .,Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore,
| | - Alan W Flake
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Abstract
Advances in our understanding of stem cells, gene editing, prenatal imaging and fetal interventions have opened up new opportunities for the treatment of congenital diseases either through in-utero stem cell transplantation or in-utero gene therapy. Improvements in ultrasound-guided access to the fetal vasculature have also enhanced the safety and efficacy of cell delivery. The fetal environment offers accessible stem cell niches, localized cell populations with large proliferative potential, and an immune system that is able to acquire donor-specific tolerance. In-utero therapy seeks to take advantage of these factors and has the potential to cure diseases prior to the onset of symptoms, a strategy that offers substantial social and economic benefits. In this article, we examine previous studies in animal models as well as clinical attempts at in-utero therapy. We also discuss the barriers to successful in-utero therapy and future strategies for overcoming these obstacles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Witt
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tippi C MacKenzie
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William H Peranteau
- Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Almeida-Porada G, Atala A, Porada CD. In utero stem cell transplantation and gene therapy: rationale, history, and recent advances toward clinical application. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2016; 5:16020. [PMID: 27069953 PMCID: PMC4813605 DOI: 10.1038/mtm.2016.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in high-throughput molecular testing have made it possible to diagnose most genetic disorders relatively early in gestation with minimal risk to the fetus. These advances should soon allow widespread prenatal screening for the majority of human genetic diseases, opening the door to the possibility of treatment/correction prior to birth. In addition to the obvious psychological and financial benefits of curing a disease in utero, and thereby enabling the birth of a healthy infant, there are multiple biological advantages unique to fetal development, which provide compelling rationale for performing potentially curative treatments, such as stem cell transplantation or gene therapy, prior to birth. Herein, we briefly review the fields of in utero transplantation (IUTx) and in utero gene therapy and discuss the biological hurdles that have thus far restricted success of IUTx to patients with immunodeficiencies. We then highlight several recent experimental breakthroughs in immunology, hematopoietic/marrow ontogeny, and in utero cell delivery, which have collectively provided means of overcoming these barriers, thus setting the stage for clinical application of these highly promising therapies in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graça Almeida-Porada
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anthony Atala
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher D Porada
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
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