A Scalable Suspension Platform for Generating High-Density Cultures of Universal Red Blood Cells from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.
Stem Cell Reports 2020;
16:182-197. [PMID:
33306988 PMCID:
PMC7897557 DOI:
10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.11.008]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Universal red blood cells (RBCs) differentiated from O-negative human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) could find applications in transfusion medicine. Given that each transfusion unit of blood requires 2 trillion RBCs, efficient bioprocesses need to be developed for large-scale in vitro generation of RBCs.
We have developed a scalable suspension agitation culture platform for differentiating hiPSC-microcarrier aggregates into functional RBCs and have demonstrated scalability of the process starting with 6 well plates and finally demonstrating in 500 mL spinner flasks. Differentiation of the best-performing hiPSCs generated 0.85 billion erythroblasts in 50 mL cultures with cell densities approaching 1.7 × 107 cells/mL. Functional (oxygen binding, hemoglobin characterization, membrane integrity, and fluctuations) and transcriptomics evaluations showed minimal differences between hiPSC-derived and adult-derived RBCs.
The scalable agitation suspension culture differentiation process we describe here could find applications in future large-scale production of RBCs in controlled bioreactors.
Scalable process for differentiating hiPSC-microcarrier aggregates into RBCs
Erythroid differentiation potential of multiple hiPSC lines was evaluated
hiPSC RBCs and adult RBCs revealed minor differences functionally and transcriptionally
Co-culture of hiPSC RBCs with OP9 cells (2D and 3D) promoted improved enucleation
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