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Ghorbani N, Shiri M, Alian M, Yaghubi R, Shafaghi M, Hojjat H, Pahlavan S, Davoodi J. A Non-Apoptotic Pattern of Caspase-9/Caspase-3 Activation During Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Cardiomyocytes. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2400026. [PMID: 38640919 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202400026] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
In vitro studies have demonstrated that the differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into cardiomyocytes requires activation of caspases through the mitochondrial pathway. These studies have relied on synthetic substrates for activity measurements, which can be misleading due to potential none-specific hydrolysis of these substrates by proteases other than caspases. Hence, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation are investigated during the differentiation of human ESCs (hESCs) by directly assessing caspase-9 and -3 cleavage. Western blot reveals the presence of the cleaved caspase-9 prior to and during the differentiation of human ESCs (hESCs) into cardiomyocytes at early stages, which diminishes as the differentiation progresses, without cleavage and activation of endogenous procaspase-3. Activation of exogenous procaspase-3 by endogenous caspase-9 and subsequent cleavage of chromogenic caspase-3 substrate i.e. DEVD-pNA during the course of differentiation confirmes that endogenous caspase-9 has the potency to recognize and activate procaspase-3, but for reasons that are unknown to us fails to do so. These observations suggest the existence of distinct mechanisms of caspase regulation in differentiation as compared to apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis suggests the presence of caspase-9 regulators, which may influence proteolytic function under specific conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Ghorbani
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
| | - Mahshad Shiri
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, 1665659911, Iran
| | - Maedeh Alian
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
| | - Roham Yaghubi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614411, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Shafaghi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, 1665659911, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Hojjat
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
| | - Sara Pahlavan
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, 1665659911, Iran
| | - Jamshid Davoodi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
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2
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Stankiewicz LN, Rossi FMV, Zandstra PW. Rebuilding and rebooting immunity with stem cells. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:597-616. [PMID: 38593798 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.03.012] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Advances in modern medicine have enabled a rapid increase in lifespan and, consequently, have highlighted the immune system as a key driver of age-related disease. Immune regeneration therapies present exciting strategies to address age-related diseases by rebooting the host's primary lymphoid tissues or rebuilding the immune system directly via biomaterials or artificial tissue. Here, we identify important, unanswered questions regarding the safety and feasibility of these therapies. Further, we identify key design parameters that should be primary considerations guiding technology design, including timing of application, interaction with the host immune system, and functional characterization of the target patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Stankiewicz
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Fabio M V Rossi
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Peter W Zandstra
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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3
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Souralova T, Hulinova D, Jeseta M, Ventruba P, Hampl A, Koutna I. Truncated vitronectin with E-cadherin enables the xeno-free derivation of human embryonic stem cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15062. [PMID: 37700192 PMCID: PMC10497536 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42236-5] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have unique abilities that enable their use in cell therapy, disease modeling, and drug development. Their derivation is usually performed using a feeder layer, which is undefined and can potentially cause a contamination by xeno components, therefore there is a tendency to replace feeders with xeno-free defined substrates in recent years. Three hESC lines were successfully derived on the vitronectin with a truncated N-terminus (VTN-N) in combination with E-cadherin in xeno-free conditions for the first time, and their undifferentiated state, hESC morphology, and standard karyotypes together with their potential to differentiate into three germ layers were confirmed. These results support the conclusion that the VTN-N/E-cadherin is a suitable substrate for the xeno-free derivation of hESCs and can be used for the derivation of hESCs according to good manufacturing practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Souralova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, Cell and Tissue Engineering Facility, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Daniela Hulinova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, Cell and Tissue Engineering Facility, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Jeseta
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Center of Assisted Reproduction, Masaryk University Brno and University Hospital, Obilni Trh 11, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Ventruba
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Center of Assisted Reproduction, Masaryk University Brno and University Hospital, Obilni Trh 11, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ales Hampl
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, Cell and Tissue Regeneration, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Irena Koutna
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- International Clinical Research Center, Cell and Tissue Engineering Facility, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
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4
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Tam RW, Keung AJ. Profiling transcriptomic responses of human stem cell-derived medium spiny neuron-like cells to exogenous phasic and tonic neurotransmitters. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 126:103876. [PMID: 37385515 PMCID: PMC10528483 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103876] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptomic responses to neurotransmitters contribute to the complex processes driving memory and addiction. Advances in both measurement methods and experimental models continue to improve our understanding of this regulatory layer. Here we focus on the experimental potential of stem cell derived neurons, currently the only ethical model that can be used in reductionist and experimentally perturbable studies of human cells. Prior work has focused on generating distinct cell types from human stem cells, and has also shown their utility in modeling development and cellular phenotypes related to neurodegeneration. Here we seek an understanding of how stem cell derived neural cultures respond to perturbations experienced during development and disease progression. This work profiles transcriptomic responses of human medium spiny neuron-like cells with three specific goals. We first characterize transcriptomic responses to dopamine and dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists presented in dosing patterns mimicking acute, chronic, and withdrawal regimens. We also assess transcriptomic responses to low and persistent tonic levels of dopamine, acetylcholine, and glutamate to better mimic the in vivo environment. Finally, we identify similar and distinct responses between hMSN-like cells derived from H9 and H1 stem cell lines, providing some context for the extent of variability these types of systems will likely pose for experimentalists. The results here suggest future optimizations of human stem cell derived neurons to increase their in vivo relevance and the biological insights that can be garnered from these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W Tam
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, United States of America
| | - Albert J Keung
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, United States of America.
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5
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iPSCs in Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Unique Platform for Clinical Research and Personalized Medicine. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12091485. [PMID: 36143270 PMCID: PMC9500601 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12091485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past, several animal disease models were developed to study the molecular mechanism of neurological diseases and discover new therapies, but the lack of equivalent animal models has minimized the success rate. A number of critical issues remain unresolved, such as high costs for developing animal models, ethical issues, and lack of resemblance with human disease. Due to poor initial screening and assessment of the molecules, more than 90% of drugs fail during the final step of the human clinical trial. To overcome these limitations, a new approach has been developed based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The discovery of iPSCs has provided a new roadmap for clinical translation research and regeneration therapy. In this article, we discuss the potential role of patient-derived iPSCs in neurological diseases and their contribution to scientific and clinical research for developing disease models and for developing a roadmap for future medicine. The contribution of humaniPSCs in the most common neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, diabetic neuropathy, stroke, and spinal cord injury) were examined and ranked as per their published literature on PUBMED. We have observed that Parkinson’s disease scored highest, followed by Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, we also explored recent advancements in the field of personalized medicine, such as the patient-on-a-chip concept, where iPSCs can be grown on 3D matrices inside microfluidic devices to create an in vitro disease model for personalized medicine.
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6
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Assessing Drug-Induced Mitochondrial Toxicity in Cardiomyocytes: Implications for Preclinical Cardiac Safety Evaluation. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071313. [PMID: 35890211 PMCID: PMC9319223 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced cardiotoxicity not only leads to the attrition of drugs during development, but also contributes to the high morbidity and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases. Comprehensive testing for proarrhythmic risks of drugs has been applied in preclinical cardiac safety assessment for over 15 years. However, other mechanisms of cardiac toxicity have not received such attention. Of them, mitochondrial impairment is a common form of cardiotoxicity and is known to account for over half of cardiovascular adverse-event-related black box warnings imposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although it has been studied in great depth, mitochondrial toxicity assessment has not yet been incorporated into routine safety tests for cardiotoxicity at the preclinical stage. This review discusses the main characteristics of mitochondria in cardiomyocytes, drug-induced mitochondrial toxicities, and high-throughput screening strategies for cardiomyocytes, as well as their proposed integration into preclinical safety pharmacology. We emphasize the advantages of using adult human primary cardiomyocytes for the evaluation of mitochondrial morphology and function, and the need for a novel cardiac safety testing platform integrating mitochondrial toxicity and proarrhythmic risk assessments in cardiac safety evaluation.
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7
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Tannenbaum SE, Reubinoff BE. Advances in hPSC expansion towards therapeutic entities: A review. Cell Prolif 2022; 55:e13247. [PMID: 35638399 PMCID: PMC9357360 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13247] [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: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
For use in regenerative medicine, large‐scale manufacturing of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) under current good manufacturing practice (cGMPs) is required. Much progress has been made since culturing under static two‐dimensional (2D) conditions on feeders, including feeder‐free cultures, conditioned and xeno‐free media, and three‐dimensional (3D) dynamic suspension expansion. With the advent of horizontal‐blade and vertical‐wheel bioreactors, scale‐out for large‐scale production of differentiated hPSCs became possible; control of aggregate size, shear stress, fluid hydrodynamics, batch‐feeding strategies, and other process parameters became a reality. Moving from substantially manipulated processes (i.e., 2D) to more automated ones allows easer compliance to current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs), and thus easier regulatory approval. Here, we review the current advances in the field of hPSC culturing, advantages, and challenges in bioreactor use, and regulatory areas of concern with respect to these advances. Manufacturing trends to reduce risk and streamline large‐scale manufacturing will bring about easier, faster regulatory approval for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelly E Tannenbaum
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin E Reubinoff
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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8
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Martinelli I, Tayebati SK, Tomassoni D, Nittari G, Roy P, Amenta F. Brain and Retinal Organoids for Disease Modeling: The Importance of In Vitro Blood–Brain and Retinal Barriers Studies. Cells 2022; 11:cells11071120. [PMID: 35406683 PMCID: PMC8997725 DOI: 10.3390/cells11071120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain and retinal organoids are functional and dynamic in vitro three-dimensional (3D) structures derived from pluripotent stem cells that spontaneously organize themselves to their in vivo counterparts. Here, we review the main literature data of how these organoids have been developed through different protocols and how they have been technically analyzed. Moreover, this paper reviews recent advances in using organoids to model neurological and retinal diseases, considering their potential for translational applications but also pointing out their limitations. Since the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and blood–retinal barrier (BRB) are understood to play a fundamental role respectively in brain and eye functions, both in health and in disease, we provide an overview of the progress in the development techniques of in vitro models as reliable and predictive screening tools for BBB and BRB-penetrating compounds. Furthermore, we propose potential future directions for brain and retinal organoids, in which dedicated biobanks will represent a novel tool for neuroscience and ophthalmology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Martinelli
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (S.K.T.); (G.N.); (F.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Seyed Khosrow Tayebati
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (S.K.T.); (G.N.); (F.A.)
| | - Daniele Tomassoni
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (D.T.); (P.R.)
| | - Giulio Nittari
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (S.K.T.); (G.N.); (F.A.)
| | - Proshanta Roy
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (D.T.); (P.R.)
| | - Francesco Amenta
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (S.K.T.); (G.N.); (F.A.)
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9
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Current Status and Challenges of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Liver Models in Drug Discovery. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030442. [PMID: 35159250 PMCID: PMC8834601 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry is in high need of efficient and relevant in vitro liver models, which can be incorporated in their drug discovery pipelines to identify potential drugs and their toxicity profiles. Current liver models often rely on cancer cell lines or primary cells, which both have major limitations. However, the development of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has created a new opportunity for liver disease modeling, drug discovery and liver toxicity research. hiPSCs can be differentiated to any cell of interest, which makes them good candidates for disease modeling and drug discovery. Moreover, hiPSCs, unlike primary cells, can be easily genome-edited, allowing the creation of reporter lines or isogenic controls for patient-derived hiPSCs. Unfortunately, even though liver progeny from hiPSCs has characteristics similar to their in vivo counterparts, the differentiation of iPSCs to fully mature progeny remains highly challenging and is a major obstacle for the full exploitation of these models by pharmaceutical industries. In this review, we discuss current liver-cell differentiation protocols and in vitro iPSC-based liver models that could be used for disease modeling and drug discovery. Furthermore, we will discuss the challenges that still need to be overcome to allow for the successful implementation of these models into pharmaceutical drug discovery platforms.
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10
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Faulkner-Jones A, Zamora V, Hortigon-Vinagre MP, Wang W, Ardron M, Smith GL, Shu W. A Bioprinted Heart-on-a-Chip with Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes for Drug Evaluation. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:bioengineering9010032. [PMID: 35049741 PMCID: PMC8773426 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, we show that valve-based bioprinting induces no measurable detrimental effects on human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). The aim of the current study was three-fold: first, to assess the response of hiPSC-CMs to several hydrogel formulations by measuring electrophysiological function; second, to customise a new microvalve-based cell printing mechanism in order to deliver hiPSC-CMs suspensions, and third, to compare the traditional manual pipetting cell-culture method and cardiomyocytes dispensed with the bioprinter. To achieve the first and third objectives, iCell2 (Cellular Dynamics International) hiPSC-CMs were used. The effects of well-known drugs were tested on iCell2 cultured by manual pipetting and bioprinting. Despite the results showing that hydrogels and their cross-linkers significantly reduced the electrophysiological performance of the cells compared with those cultured on fibronectin, the bio-ink droplets containing a liquid suspension of live cardiomyocytes proved to be an alternative to standard manual handling and could reduce the number of cells required for drug testing, with no significant differences in drug-sensitivity between both approaches. These results provide a basis for the development of a novel bioprinter with nanolitre resolution to decrease the required number of cells and to automate the cell plating process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Faulkner-Jones
- Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK; (A.F.-J.); (W.W.)
| | - Victor Zamora
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain;
| | - Maria P. Hortigon-Vinagre
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Ciencias, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-924-289-300 (ext. 89053)
| | - Wenxing Wang
- Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK; (A.F.-J.); (W.W.)
| | - Marcus Ardron
- Renishaw PLC, Research Avenue North, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK;
| | - Godfrey L. Smith
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK;
- Clyde Biosciences, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Wenmiao Shu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NW, UK;
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11
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Chang M, Bogacheva MS, Lou YR. Challenges for the Applications of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Liver Organoids. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:748576. [PMID: 34660606 PMCID: PMC8517247 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.748576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The current organoid culture systems allow pluripotent and adult stem cells to self-organize to form three-dimensional (3D) structures that provide a faithful recapitulation of the architecture and function of in vivo organs. In particular, human pluripotent stem cell-derived liver organoids (PSC-LOs) can be used in regenerative medicine and preclinical applications, such as disease modeling and drug discovery. New bioengineering tools, such as microfluidics, biomaterial scaffolds, and 3D bioprinting, are combined with organoid technologies to increase the efficiency of hepatic differentiation and enhance the functional maturity of human PSC-LOs by precise control of cellular microenvironment. Long-term stabilization of hepatocellular functions of in vitro liver organoids requires the combination of hepatic endodermal, endothelial, and mesenchymal cells. To improve the biological function and scalability of human PSC-LOs, bioengineering methods have been used to identify diverse and zonal hepatocyte populations in liver organoids for capturing heterogeneous pathologies. Therefore, constructing engineered liver organoids generated from human PSCs will be an extremely versatile tool in in vitro disease models and regenerative medicine in future. In this review, we aim to discuss the recent advances in bioengineering technologies in liver organoid culture systems that provide a timely and necessary study to model disease pathology and support drug discovery in vitro and to generate cell therapy products for transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyang Chang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Administration, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mariia S. Bogacheva
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yan-Ru Lou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Administration, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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