Mapping the stem cell state: eight novel human embryonic stem and embryonal carcinoma cell antibodies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wright, A; Andrews, N; Bardsley, K

2011-01-01

The antigenic profile of human embryonic stem (ES) and embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells has served as a key element of their characterization, with a common panel of surface and intracellular markers now widely used. Such markers have been used to identify cells within the 'undifferentiated state...... of reactivity for all antibodies against both ES and EC cells, suggesting that these markers will afford recognition of unique sub-states within the undifferentiated stem cell compartment....... and EC cells, and herein describe their characterization. The reactivity of these antibodies against a range of cell lines is reported, as well as their developmental regulation, basic biochemistry and reactivity in immunohistochemistry of testicular germ cell tumours. Our data reveal a range...

Protein arginine methyltransferase 7-mediated microRNA-221 repression maintains Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 levels in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Tsai-Yu; Lee, Sung-Hun; Dhar, Shilpa S; Lee, Min Gyu

2018-03-16

The stemness maintenance of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) requires pluripotency transcription factors, including Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2. We have previously reported that protein arginine methyltransferase 7 (PRMT7), an epigenetic modifier, is an essential pluripotency factor that maintains the stemness of mouse ESCs, at least in part, by down-regulating the expression of the anti-stemness microRNA (miRNA) miR-24-2. To gain greater insight into the molecular basis underlying PRMT7-mediated maintenance of mouse ESC stemness, we searched for new PRMT7-down-regulated anti-stemness miRNAs. Here, we show that miR-221 gene-encoded miR-221-3p and miR-221-5p are anti-stemness miRNAs whose expression levels in mouse ESCs are directly repressed by PRMT7. Notably, both miR-221-3p and miR-221-5p targeted the 3' untranslated regions of mRNA transcripts of the major pluripotency factors Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 to antagonize mouse ESC stemness. Moreover, miR-221-5p silenced also the expression of its own transcriptional repressor PRMT7. Transfection of miR-221-3p and miR-221-5p mimics induced spontaneous differentiation of mouse ESCs. CRISPR-mediated deletion of the miR-221 gene, as well as specific antisense inhibitors of miR-221-3p and miR-221-5p, inhibited the spontaneous differentiation of PRMT7-depleted mouse ESCs. Taken together, these findings reveal that the PRMT7-mediated repression of miR-221-3p and miR-221-5p expression plays a critical role in maintaining mouse ESC stemness. Our results also establish miR-221-3p and miR-221-5p as anti-stemness miRNAs that target Oct4 , Nanog , and Sox2 mRNAs in mouse ESCs. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Porcine embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hall, Vanessa Jane

2008-01-01

The development of porcine embryonic stem cell lines (pESC) has received renewed interest given the advances being made in the production of immunocompatible transgenic pigs. However, difficulties are evident in the production of pESCs in-vitro. This may largely be attributable to differences...

Inference of Transcriptional Network for Pluripotency in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aburatani, S

2015-01-01

In embryonic stem cells, various transcription factors (TFs) maintain pluripotency. To gain insights into the regulatory system controlling pluripotency, I inferred the regulatory relationships between the TFs expressed in ES cells. In this study, I applied a method based on structural equation modeling (SEM), combined with factor analysis, to 649 expression profiles of 19 TF genes measured in mouse Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs). The factor analysis identified 19 TF genes that were regulated by several unmeasured factors. Since the known cell reprogramming TF genes (Pou5f1, Sox2 and Nanog) are regulated by different factors, each estimated factor is considered to be an input for signal transduction to control pluripotency in mouse ESCs. In the inferred network model, TF proteins were also arranged as unmeasured factors that control other TFs. The interpretation of the inferred network model revealed the regulatory mechanism for controlling pluripotency in ES cells

In vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into functional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-22

Aug 22, 2011 ... hepatocyte transplantation therapy and toxicity screening in drug discovery. Key words: Embryonic stem cells, hepatic-like cells, in vitro differentiation, sodium butyrate, ... from embryonic stem (ES) cell or induced pluripotent.

Probing Embryonic Stem Cell Autocrine and Paracrine Signaling Using Microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Przybyla, Laralynne; Voldman, Joel

2012-07-01

Although stem cell fate is traditionally manipulated by exogenously altering the cells' extracellular signaling environment, the endogenous autocrine and paracrine signals produced by the cells also contribute to their two essential processes: self-renewal and differentiation. Autocrine and/or paracrine signals are fundamental to both embryonic stem cell self-renewal and early embryonic development, but the nature and contributions of these signals are often difficult to fully define using conventional methods. Microfluidic techniques have been used to explore the effects of cell-secreted signals by controlling cell organization or by providing precise control over the spatial and temporal cellular microenvironment. Here we review how such techniques have begun to be adapted for use with embryonic stem cells, and we illustrate how many remaining questions in embryonic stem cell biology could be addressed using microfluidic technologies.

The ethics of patenting human embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Audrey R

2009-09-01

Just as human embryonic stem cell research has generated controversy about the uses of human embryos for research and therapeutic applications, human embryonic stem cell patents raise fundamental ethical issues. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted foundational patents, including a composition of matter (or product) patent to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the University of Wisconsin-Madison's intellectual property office. In contrast, the European Patent Office rejected the same WARF patent application for ethical reasons. This article assesses the appropriateness of these patents placing the discussion in the context of the deontological and consequentialist ethical issues related to human embryonic stem cell patenting. It advocates for a patent system that explicitly takes ethical factors into account and explores options for new types of intellectual property arrangements consistent with ethical concerns.

CD34+ Testicular Stromal Cells Support Long-Term Expansion of Embryonic and Adult Stem and Progenitor Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jiyeon; Seandel, Marco; Falciatori, Ilaria; Wen, Duancheng; Rafii, Shahin

2010-01-01

Stem cells reside in specialized microenvironments created by supporting stromal cells that orchestrate self-renewal and lineage-specific differentiation. However, the precise identity of the cellular and molecular pathways that support self-renewal of stem cells is not known. For example, long-term culture of prototypical stem cells, such as adult spermatogonial stem and progenitor cells (SPCs), in vitro has been impeded by the lack of an optimal stromal cell line that initiates and sustains proliferation of these cells. Indeed, current methods, including the use of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), have not been efficient and have generally led to inconsistent results. Here, we report the establishment of a novel CD34-positive cell line, referred to as JK1, derived from mouse testicular stromal cells that not only facilitated long-term SPC culture but also allowed faithful generation of SPCs and multipotent stem cells. SPCs generated on JK1 maintained key features of germ line stem cells, including expression of PLZF, DAZL, and GCNA. Furthermore, these feeders also promoted the long-term cultivation of other types of primitive cells including multi-potent adult spermatogonial-derived stem cells, pluripotent murine embryonic stem cells, and embryonic germ cells derived from primordial germ cells. Stem cells could be passaged serially and still maintained expression of characteristic markers such as OCT4 and NANOG in vitro, as well as the ability to generate all three germ layers in vivo. These results indicate that the JK1 cell line is capable of promoting long-term culture of primitive cells. As such, this cell line allows for identification of stromal-derived factors that support long-term proliferation of various types of stem cells and constitutes a convenient alternative to other types of feeder layers. PMID:18669907

Culture conditions for bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells isolated from blastocysts after external fertilization

OpenAIRE

Jin, Muzi; Wu, Asga; Dorzhin, Sergei; Yue, Qunhua; Ma, Yuzhen; Liu, Dongjun

2012-01-01

Although isolation and characterization of embryonic stem cells have been successful in cattle, maintenance of bovine embryonic stem cells in culture remains difficult. In this study, we compared different methods of cell passaging, feeder cell layers and medium conditions for bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells. We found that a murine embryonic fibroblast feeder layer is more suitable for embryonic stem cell-like cells than bovine embryonic fibroblasts. When murine embryonic fibroblasts we...

Craniopharyngiomas express embryonic stem cell markers (SOX2, OCT4, KLF4, and SOX9) as pituitary stem cells but do not coexpress RET/GFRA3 receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Lavandeira, Montserrat; Saez, Carmen; Diaz-Rodriguez, Esther; Perez-Romero, Sihara; Senra, Ana; Dieguez, Carlos; Japon, Miguel A; Alvarez, Clara V

2012-01-01

Adult stem cells maintain some markers expressed by embryonic stem cells and express other specific markers depending on the organ where they reside. Recently, stem/progenitor cells in the rodent and human pituitary have been characterized as expressing GFRA2/RET, PROP1, and stem cell markers such as SOX2 and OCT4 (GPS cells). Our objective was to detect other specific markers of the pituitary stem cells and to investigate whether craniopharyngiomas (CRF), a tumor potentially derived from Rathke's pouch remnants, express similar markers as normal pituitary stem cells. We conducted mRNA and Western blot studies in pituitary extracts, and immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence on sections from normal rat and human pituitaries and 20 CRF (18 adamantinomatous and two papillary). Normal pituitary GPS stem cells localized in the marginal zone (MZ) express three key embryonic stem cell markers, SOX2, OCT4, and KLF4, in addition to SOX9 and PROP1 and β-catenin overexpression. They express the RET receptor and its GFRA2 coreceptor but also express the coreceptor GFRA3 that could be detected in the MZ of paraffin pituitary sections. CRF maintain the expression of SOX2, OCT4, KLF4, SOX9, and β-catenin. However, RET and GFRA3 expression was altered in CRF. In 25% (five of 20), both RET and GFRA3 were detected but not colocalized in the same cells. The other 75% (15 of 20) lose the expression of RET, GFRA3, or both proteins simultaneously. Human pituitary adult stem/progenitor cells (GPS) located in the MZ are characterized by expression of embryonic stem cell markers SOX2, OCT4, and KLF4 plus the specific pituitary embryonic factor PROP1 and the RET system. Redundancy in RET coreceptor expression (GFRA2 and GFRA3) suggest an important systematic function in their physiological behavior. CRF share the stem cell markers suggesting a common origin with GPS. However, the lack of expression of the RET/GFRA system could be related to the cell mislocation and deregulated

Generation of Corneal Keratocytes from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertsenberg, Andrew J; Funderburgh, James L

2016-01-01

Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC) offer an important resource as a limitless supply of any differentiated cell type of the human body. Keratocytes, cells from the corneal stroma, may have the potential for restoration of vision in cell therapy and biomedical engineering applications, but these specialized cells are not readily expanded in vitro. Here we describe a two-part method to produce keratocytes from the H1 hESC cell line. The hESC cells, maintained and expanded in feeder-free culture medium are first differentiated to neural crest cells using the stromal-derived inducing activity (SDIA) of the PA6 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line. The resulting neural crest cells are selected by their expression of cell-surface CD271 and subsequently cultured as 3D pellets in a defined differentiation medium to induce a keratocyte phenotype.

Chromatin in embryonic stem cell neuronal differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Meshorer, E

2007-03-01

Chromatin, the basic regulatory unit of the eukaryotic genetic material, is controlled by epigenetic mechanisms including histone modifications, histone variants, DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling. Cellular differentiation involves large changes in gene expression concomitant with alterations in genome organization and chromatin structure. Such changes are particularly evident in self-renewing pluripotent embryonic stem cells, which begin, in terms of cell fate, as a tabula rasa, and through the process of differentiation, acquire distinct identities. Here I describe the changes in chromatin that accompany neuronal differentiation, particularly of embryonic stem cells, and discuss how chromatin serves as the master regulator of cellular destiny.

Plasma membrane proteomics of human embryonic stem cells and human embryonal carcinoma cells.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dormeyer, W.; van Hoof, D.; Braam, S.R.; Heck, A.J.R.; Mummery, C.L.; Krijgsveld, J.

2008-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are of immense interest in regenerative medicine as they can self-renew indefinitely and can give rise to any adult cell type. Human embryonal carcinoma cells (hECCs) are the malignant counterparts of hESCs found in testis tumors. hESCs that have acquired

Essential alterations of heparan sulfate during the differentiation of embryonic stem cells to Sox1-enhanced green fluorescent protein-expressing neural progenitor cells.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Johnson, C.E.; Crawford, B.E.; Stavridis, M.; Dam, G.B. ten; Wat, A.L.; Rushton, G.; Ward, C.M.; Wilson, V.; Kuppevelt, A.H.M.S.M. van; Esko, J.D.; Smith, A.; Gallagher, J.T.; Merry, C.L.

2007-01-01

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can be cultured in conditions that either maintain pluripotency or allow differentiation to the three embryonic germ layers. Heparan sulfate (HS), a highly polymorphic glycosaminoglycan, is a critical cell surface coreceptor in embryogenesis, and in this paper we describe

Diploid, but not haploid, human embryonic stem cells can be derived from microsurgically repaired tripronuclear human zygotes

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yong; Li, Rong; Huang, Jin; Yu, Yang; Qiao, Jie

2013-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells have shown tremendous potential in regenerative medicine, and the recent progress in haploid embryonic stem cells provides new insights for future applications of embryonic stem cells. Disruption of normal fertilized embryos remains controversial; thus, the development of a new source for human embryonic stem cells is important for their usefulness. Here, we investigated the feasibility of haploid and diploid embryo reconstruction and embryonic stem cell derivation using microsurgically repaired tripronuclear human zygotes. Diploid and haploid zygotes were successfully reconstructed, but a large proportion of them still had a tripolar spindle assembly. The reconstructed embryos developed to the blastocyst stage, although the loss of chromosomes was observed in these zygotes. Finally, triploid and diploid human embryonic stem cells were derived from tripronuclear and reconstructed zygotes (from which only one pronucleus was removed), but haploid human embryonic stem cells were not successfully derived from the reconstructed zygotes when two pronuclei were removed. Both triploid and diploid human embryonic stem cells showed the general characteristics of human embryonic stem cells. These results indicate that the lower embryo quality resulting from abnormal spindle assembly contributed to the failure of the haploid embryonic stem cell derivation. However, the successful derivation of diploid embryonic stem cells demonstrated that microsurgical tripronuclear zygotes are an alternative source of human embryonic stem cells. In the future, improving spindle assembly will facilitate the application of triploid zygotes to the field of haploid embryonic stem cells. PMID:23255130

Effects of different feeder layers on culture of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Shan; Cao, Guifang; Liu, Dongjun

2014-12-01

To find a suitable feeder layer is important for successful culture conditions of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells. In this study, expression of pluripotency-related genes OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG in bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells on mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers at 1-5 passages were monitored in order to identify the possible reason that bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells could not continue growth and passage. Here, we developed two novel feeder layers, mixed embryonic fibroblast feeder layers of mouse and bovine embryonic fibroblast at different ratios and sources including mouse fibroblast cell lines. The bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells generated in our study displayed typical stem cell morphology and expressed specific markers such as OCT4, stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 and 4, alkaline phosphatase, SOX2, and NANOG mRNA levels. When feeder layers and cell growth factors were removed, the bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells formed embryoid bodies in a suspension culture. Furthermore, we compared the expression of the pluripotent markers during bovine embryonic stem cell-like cell in culture on mixed embryonic fibroblast feeder layers, including mouse fibroblast cell lines feeder layers and mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results suggested that mixed embryonic fibroblast and sources including mouse fibroblast cell lines feeder layers were more suitable for long-term culture and growth of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells than mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers. The findings may provide useful experimental data for the establishment of an appropriate culture system for bovine embryonic stem cell lines.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy in Crohn’s Disease: A Case Report

Science.gov (United States)

Shroff, Geeta

2016-01-01

Patient: Male, 21 Final Diagnosis: Crohn’s disease Symptoms: Intolerance to specific foods • abdominal pain and diarrhea Medication: Human embryonic stem cell therapy Clinical Procedure: Human embryonic stem cell transplantation Specialty: Gastroenterology Objective: Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment Background: Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, mainly the colon and ileum, related with ulcers and fistulae. It is estimated to affect 565 000 people in the United States. Currently available therapies, such as antibiotics, thiopurines, and anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha agents, are only observed to reduce the complications associated with Crohn’s disease and to improve quality of life, but cannot cure the disease. Stem cell therapy appears to have certain advantages over conventional therapies. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of human embryonic stem cell therapy in a patient with Crohn’s disease. Case Report: A 21-year-old male with chief complaints of intolerance to specific foods, abdominal pain, and diarrhea underwent human embryonic stem cell therapy for two months. After undergoing human embryonic stem cell therapy, the patient showed symptomatic relief. He had no complaints of back pain, abdominal pain, or diarrhea and had improved digestion. The patient had no signs and symptoms of skin infection, and had improved limb stamina, strength, and endurance. The condition of patient was stable after the therapy. Conclusions: Human embryonic stem cell therapy might serve as a new optimistic treatment approach for Crohn’s disease. PMID:26923312

Embryonic stem cells require Wnt proteins to prevent differentiation to epiblast stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. ten Berge (Derk); D. Kurek (Dorota); T. Blauwkamp (Tim); W. Koole (Wouter); A. Maas (Alex); E. Eroglu (Elif); R.K. Siu (Ronald); R. Nusse (Roel)

2011-01-01

textabstractPluripotent stem cells exist in naive and primed states, epitomized by mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and the developmentally more advanced epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs; ref.). In the naive state of ESCs, the genome has an unusual open conformation and possesses a minimum of repressive

Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Adherent Cell Differentiation and Cytotoxicity (ACDC) assay

Science.gov (United States)

The Embryonic Stem Cell Test (EST) is an assay which evaluates xenobiotic-induced effects using three endpoints: mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) differentiation, mESC viability, and 3T3-cell viability. Our research goal was to develop an improved high-throughput assay by establi...

Human embryonic stem cells: preclinical perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarda Kanchan

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs have been extensively discussed in public and scientific communities for their potential in treating diseases and injuries. However, not much has been achieved in turning them into safe therapeutic agents. The hurdles in transforming hESCs to therapies start right with the way these cells are derived and maintained in the laboratory, and goes up-to clinical complications related to need for patient specific cell lines, gender specific aspects, age of the cells, and several post transplantation uncertainties. The different types of cells derived through directed differentiation of hESC and used successfully in animal disease and injury models are described briefly. This review gives a brief outlook on the present and the future of hESC based therapies, and talks about the technological advances required for a safe transition from laboratory to clinic.

Signed weighted gene co-expression network analysis of transcriptional regulation in murine embryonic stem cells

OpenAIRE

Zhou Qing; Plath Kathrin; Fan Guoping; Mason Mike J; Horvath Steve

2009-01-01

Abstract Background Recent work has revealed that a core group of transcription factors (TFs) regulates the key characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells: pluripotency and self-renewal. Current efforts focus on identifying genes that play important roles in maintaining pluripotency and self-renewal in ES cells and aim to understand the interactions among these genes. To that end, we...

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy in Crohn's Disease: A Case Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Shroff, Geeta

2016-02-29

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, mainly the colon and ileum, related with ulcers and fistulae. It is estimated to affect 565,000 people in the United States. Currently available therapies, such as antibiotics, thiopurines, and anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha agents, are only observed to reduce the complications associated with Crohn's disease and to improve quality of life, but cannot cure the disease. Stem cell therapy appears to have certain advantages over conventional therapies. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of human embryonic stem cell therapy in a patient with Crohn's disease. A 21-year-old male with chief complaints of intolerance to specific foods, abdominal pain, and diarrhea underwent human embryonic stem cell therapy for two months. After undergoing human embryonic stem cell therapy, the patient showed symptomatic relief. He had no complaints of back pain, abdominal pain, or diarrhea and had improved digestion. The patient had no signs and symptoms of skin infection, and had improved limb stamina, strength, and endurance. The condition of patient was stable after the therapy. Human embryonic stem cell therapy might serve as a new optimistic treatment approach for Crohn's disease.

Combinatorial binding in human and mouse embryonic stem cells identifies conserved enhancers active in early embryonic development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Göke

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Transcription factors are proteins that regulate gene expression by binding to cis-regulatory sequences such as promoters and enhancers. In embryonic stem (ES cells, binding of the transcription factors OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG is essential to maintain the capacity of the cells to differentiate into any cell type of the developing embryo. It is known that transcription factors interact to regulate gene expression. In this study we show that combinatorial binding is strongly associated with co-localization of the transcriptional co-activator Mediator, H3K27ac and increased expression of nearby genes in embryonic stem cells. We observe that the same loci bound by Oct4, Nanog and Sox2 in ES cells frequently drive expression in early embryonic development. Comparison of mouse and human ES cells shows that less than 5% of individual binding events for OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG are shared between species. In contrast, about 15% of combinatorial binding events and even between 53% and 63% of combinatorial binding events at enhancers active in early development are conserved. Our analysis suggests that the combination of OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG binding is critical for transcription in ES cells and likely plays an important role for embryogenesis by binding at conserved early developmental enhancers. Our data suggests that the fast evolutionary rewiring of regulatory networks mainly affects individual binding events, whereas "gene regulatory hotspots" which are bound by multiple factors and active in multiple tissues throughout early development are under stronger evolutionary constraints.

Tracking the mechanical dynamics of human embryonic stem cell chromatin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hinde Elizabeth

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A plastic chromatin structure has emerged as fundamental to the self-renewal and pluripotent capacity of embryonic stem (ES cells. Direct measurement of chromatin dynamics in vivo is, however, challenging as high spatiotemporal resolution is required. Here, we present a new tracking-based method which can detect high frequency chromatin movement and quantify the mechanical dynamics of chromatin in live cells. Results We use this method to study how the mechanical properties of chromatin movement in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs are modulated spatiotemporally during differentiation into cardiomyocytes (CM. Notably, we find that pluripotency is associated with a highly discrete, energy-dependent frequency of chromatin movement that we refer to as a ‘breathing’ state. We find that this ‘breathing’ state is strictly dependent on the metabolic state of the cell and is progressively silenced during differentiation. Conclusions We thus propose that the measured chromatin high frequency movements in hESCs may represent a hallmark of pluripotency and serve as a mechanism to maintain the genome in a transcriptionally accessible state. This is a result that could not have been observed without the high spatial and temporal resolution provided by this novel tracking method.

Human embryonic stem cells handbook

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlo Alberto Redi

2013-03-01

Full Text Available After the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine was awarded jointly to Sir John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent it became imperative to write down the review for a book entirely devoted to human embryonic stem cells (hES, those cells that are a urgent need for researchers, those cells that rekindle the ethical debates and finally, last but not least, those cells whose study paved the way to obtain induced pluripotent stem cells by the OSKC’s Yamanaka method (the OSKC acronim refers, for those not familiar with the topic, to the four stemness genes used to transfect somatic fibroblasts: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc....

Guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Committee on Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, National Research Council

2005-01-01

Since 1998, the volume of research being conducted using human embryonic stem (hES) cells has expanded primarily using private funds because of restrictions on the use of federal funds for such research...

Dynamic changes in energy metabolism upon embryonic stem cell differentiation support developmental toxicant identification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dartel, van D.A.M.; Schulpen, S.H.; Theunissen, P.T.; Bunschoten, A.; Piersma, A.H.; Keijer, J.

2014-01-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESC) are widely used to study embryonic development and to identify developmental toxicants. Particularly, the embryonic stem cell test (EST) is well known as in vitro model to identify developmental toxicants. Although it is clear that energy metabolism plays a crucial role in

Cyclic mechanical strain maintains Nanog expression through PI3K/Akt signaling in mouse embryonic stem cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horiuchi, Rie [Division of Regenerative Medical Engineering, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Akimoto, Takayuki, E-mail: akimoto@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Division of Regenerative Medical Engineering, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Consolidated Research Institute for Advanced Science and Medical Care, Waseda University, 513 Waseda-tsurumaki, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-0041 (Japan); Hong, Zhang [Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Consolidated Research Institute for Advanced Science and Medical Care, Waseda University, 513 Waseda-tsurumaki, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-0041 (Japan); Ushida, Takashi [Division of Regenerative Medical Engineering, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

2012-08-15

Mechanical strain has been reported to affect the proliferation/differentiation of many cell types; however, the effects of mechanotransduction on self-renewal as well as pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells remains unknown. To investigate the effects of mechanical strain on mouse ES cell fate, we examined the expression of Nanog, which is an essential regulator of self-renewal and pluripotency as well as Nanog-associated intracellular signaling during uniaxial cyclic mechanical strain. The mouse ES cell line, CCE was plated onto elastic membranes, and we applied 10% strain at 0.17 Hz. The expression of Nanog was reduced during ES cell differentiation in response to the withdrawal of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF); however, two days of cyclic mechanical strain attenuated this reduction of Nanog expression. On the other hand, the cyclic mechanical strain promoted PI3K-Akt signaling, which is reported as an upstream of Nanog transcription. The cyclic mechanical strain-induced Akt phosphorylation was blunted by the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. Furthermore, cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of actin polymerization, also inhibited the mechanical strain-induced increase in phospho-Akt. These findings imply that mechanical force plays a role in regulating Nanog expression in ES cells through the actin cytoskeleton-PI3K-Akt signaling. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The expression of Nanog, which is an essential regulator of 'stemness' was reduced during embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cyclic mechanical strain attenuated the reduction of Nanog expression. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cyclic mechanical strain promoted PI3K-Akt signaling and mechanical strain-induced Akt phosphorylation was blunted by the PI3K inhibitor and an inhibitor of actin polymerization.

Generation of stomach tissue from mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Noguchi, Taka-aki K; Ninomiya, Naoto; Sekine, Mari; Komazaki, Shinji; Wang, Pi-Chao; Asashima, Makoto; Kurisaki, Akira

2015-08-01

Successful pluripotent stem cell differentiation methods have been developed for several endoderm-derived cells, including hepatocytes, β-cells and intestinal cells. However, stomach lineage commitment from pluripotent stem cells has remained a challenge, and only antrum specification has been demonstrated. We established a method for stomach differentiation from embryonic stem cells by inducing mesenchymal Barx1, an essential gene for in vivo stomach specification from gut endoderm. Barx1-inducing culture conditions generated stomach primordium-like spheroids, which differentiated into mature stomach tissue cells in both the corpus and antrum by three-dimensional culture. This embryonic stem cell-derived stomach tissue (e-ST) shared a similar gene expression profile with adult stomach, and secreted pepsinogen as well as gastric acid. Furthermore, TGFA overexpression in e-ST caused hypertrophic mucus and gastric anacidity, which mimicked Ménétrier disease in vitro. Thus, in vitro stomach tissue derived from pluripotent stem cells mimics in vivo development and can be used for stomach disease models.

Generation and Characterization of Erythroid Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: An Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai-Hsin Chang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Because of the imbalance in the supply and demand of red blood cells (RBCs, especially for alloimmunized patients or patients with rare blood phenotypes, extensive research has been done to generate therapeutic quantities of mature RBCs from hematopoietic stem cells of various sources, such as bone marrow, peripheral blood, and cord blood. Since human embryonic stem cells (hESCs and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs can be maintained indefinitely in vitro, they represent potentially inexhaustible sources of donor-free RBCs. In contrast to other ex vivo stem-cell-derived cellular therapeutics, tumorigenesis is not a concern, as RBCs can be irradiated without marked adverse effects on in vivo function. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the recent publications relevant to the generation and characterization of hESC- and iPSC-derived erythroid cells and discuss challenges to be met before the eventual realization of clinical usage of these cells.

Effects of different feeder layers on culture of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells in vitro

OpenAIRE

Cong, Shan; Cao, Guifang; Liu, Dongjun

2014-01-01

To find a suitable feeder layer is important for successful culture conditions of bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells. In this study, expression of pluripotency-related genes OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG in bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells on mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers at 1–5 passages were monitored in order to identify the possible reason that bovine embryonic stem cell-like cells could not continue growth and passage. Here, we developed two novel feeder layers, mixed embryonic ...

Impact of transient down-regulation of DREAM in human embryonic stem cell pluripotency

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A. Fontán-Lozano

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Little is known about the functions of downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM in embryonic stem cells (ESCs. However, DREAM interacts with cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB in a Ca2+-dependent manner, preventing CREB binding protein (CBP recruitment. Furthermore, CREB and CBP are involved in maintaining ESC self-renewal and pluripotency. However, a previous knockout study revealed the protective function of DREAM depletion in brain aging degeneration and that aging is accompanied by a progressive decline in stem cells (SCs function. Interestingly, we found that DREAM is expressed in different cell types, including human ESCs (hESCs, human adipose-derived stromal cells (hASCs, human bone marrow-derived stromal cells (hBMSCs, and human newborn foreskin fibroblasts (hFFs, and that transitory inhibition of DREAM in hESCs reduces their pluripotency, increasing differentiation. We stipulate that these changes are partly mediated by increased CREB transcriptional activity. Overall, our data indicates that DREAM acts in the regulation of hESC pluripotency and could be a target to promote or prevent differentiation in embryonic cells.

Asynchronous replication and autosome-pair non-equivalence in human embryonic stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devkanya Dutta

Full Text Available A number of mammalian genes exhibit the unusual properties of random monoallelic expression and random asynchronous replication. Such exceptional genes include genes subject to X inactivation and autosomal genes including odorant receptors, immunoglobulins, interleukins, pheromone receptors, and p120 catenin. In differentiated cells, random asynchronous replication of interspersed autosomal genes is coordinated at the whole chromosome level, indicative of chromosome-pair non-equivalence. Here we have investigated the replication pattern of the random asynchronously replicating genes in undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells, using fluorescence in situ hybridization based assay. We show that allele-specific replication of X-linked genes and random monoallelic autosomal genes occur in human embryonic stem cells. The direction of replication is coordinated at the whole chromosome level and can cross the centromere, indicating the existence of autosome-pair non-equivalence in human embryonic stem cells. These results suggest that epigenetic mechanism(s that randomly distinguish between two parental alleles are emerging in the cells of the inner cell mass, the source of human embryonic stem cells.

Photo-transfection of mouse embryonic stem cells with plasmid DNA using femtosecond laser pulses

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Thobakgale, Lebogang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This presentation is about the photo-transfection of mouse embryonic stem cells with plasmid DNA using femtosecond laser pulses. It outlines the background on embryonic stem cells (ES) and phototransfection....

Characterization and comparison of osteoblasts derived from mouse embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ma, Ming San; Kannan, Vishnu; de Vries, Anneriek E; Czepiel, Marcin; Wesseling, Evelyn; Balasubramaniyan, Veerakumar; Kuijer, Roelof; Vissink, Arjan; Copray, Sjef; Raghoebar, Gerry

New developments in stem cell biology offer alternatives for the reconstruction of critical-sized bone defects. One of these developments is the use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. These stem cells are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells, but can be generated from adult somatic cells and

Regulatory RNA Key Player in p53-Mediated Apoptosis in Embryonic Stem Cells | Center for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) must maintain the integrity of their genomes or risk passing potentially deleterious mutations on to numerous tissues. Thus, ESCs have a unique genome surveillance system and easily undergo apoptosis or differentiation when DNA damage is detected. The protein p53 is known to promote differentiation in mouse ESCs (mESCs), but its role in DNA

RISC-mediated control of selected chromatin regulators stabilizes ground state pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandolfini, Luca; Luzi, Ettore; Bressan, Dario; Ucciferri, Nadia; Bertacchi, Michele; Brandi, Rossella; Rocchiccioli, Silvia; D'Onofrio, Mara; Cremisi, Federico

2016-05-06

Embryonic stem cells are intrinsically unstable and differentiate spontaneously if they are not shielded from external stimuli. Although the nature of such instability is still controversial, growing evidence suggests that protein translation control may play a crucial role. We performed an integrated analysis of RNA and proteins at the transition between naïve embryonic stem cells and cells primed to differentiate. During this transition, mRNAs coding for chromatin regulators are specifically released from translational inhibition mediated by RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). This suggests that, prior to differentiation, the propensity of embryonic stem cells to change their epigenetic status is hampered by RNA interference. The expression of these chromatin regulators is reinstated following acute inactivation of RISC and it correlates with loss of stemness markers and activation of early cell differentiation markers in treated embryonic stem cells. We propose that RISC-mediated inhibition of specific sets of chromatin regulators is a primary mechanism for preserving embryonic stem cell pluripotency while inhibiting the onset of embryonic developmental programs.

A population of serumdeprivation-induced bone marrow stem cells (SD-BMSC) expresses marker typical for embryonic and neural stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauerzweig, Steven; Munsch, Thomas; Lessmann, Volkmar; Reymann, Klaus G.; Braun, Holger

2009-01-01

The bone marrow represents an easy accessible source of adult stem cells suitable for various cell based therapies. Several studies in recent years suggested the existence of pluripotent stem cells within bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) expressing marker proteins of both embryonic and tissue committed stem cells. These subpopulations were referred to as MAPC, MIAMI and VSEL-cells. Here we describe SD-BMSC (serumdeprivation-induced BMSC) which are induced as a distinct subpopulation after complete serumdeprivation. SD-BMSC are generated from small-sized nestin-positive BMSC (S-BMSC) organized as round-shaped cells in the top layer of BMSC-cultures. The generation of SD-BMSC is caused by a selective proliferation of S-BMSC and accompanied by changes in both morphology and gene expression. SD-BMSC up-regulate not only markers typical for neural stem cells like nestin and GFAP, but also proteins characteristic for embryonic cells like Oct4 and SOX2. We hypothesize, that SD-BMSC like MAPC, MIAMI and VSEL-cells represent derivatives from a single pluripotent stem cell fraction within BMSC exhibiting characteristics of embryonic and tissue committed stem cells. The complete removal of serum might offer a simple way to specifically enrich this fraction of pluripotent embryonic like stem cells in BMSC cultures

Embryonic Stem Cells and their Genetic Modification

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 13; Issue 2. Embryonic Stem Cells and their Genetic Modification - The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2007. Mitradas M Panicker. General Article Volume 13 Issue 2 February 2008 pp 172-180 ...

the production of mouse embryonic stem cells

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

MADU

What history tells us VII. Twenty-five years ago: the production of mouse embryonic stem cells ... cells into the cavity of the blastocyst, it will be possible to test the effect of .... to the use of efficient immunosuppressive drugs like cyclosporin – was ...

Erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA) blocks differentiation and maintains the expression of pluripotency markers in human embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Peter; Adams, David R; Abraham, Achamma; Allcock, Robert W; Jiang, Zhong; McCahill, Angela; Gilmour, Jane; McAbney, John; Kaupisch, Alexandra; Kane, Nicole M; Baillie, George S; Baker, Andrew H; Milligan, Graeme; Houslay, Miles D; Mountford, Joanne C

2010-12-15

hESCs (human embryonic stem cells) have enormous potential for use in pharmaceutical development and therapeutics; however, to realize this potential, there is a requirement for simple and reproducible cell culture methods that provide adequate numbers of cells of suitable quality. We have discovered a novel way of blocking the spontaneous differentiation of hESCs in the absence of exogenous cytokines by supplementing feeder-free conditions with EHNA [erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine], an established inhibitor of ADA (adenosine deaminase) and cyclic nucleotide PDE2 (phosphodiesterase 2). hESCs maintained in feeder-free conditions with EHNA for more than ten passages showed no reduction in hESC-associated markers including NANOG, POU5F1 (POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1, also known as Oct-4) and SSEA4 (stage-specific embryonic antigen 4) compared with cells maintained in feeder-free conditions containing bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor). Spontaneous differentiation was reversibly suppressed by the addition of EHNA, but, upon removing EHNA, hESC populations underwent efficient spontaneous, multi-lineage and directed differentiation. EHNA also acts as a strong blocker of directed neuronal differentiation. Chemically distinct inhibitors of ADA and PDE2 lacked the capacity of EHNA to suppress hESC differentiation, suggesting that the effect is not driven by inhibition of either ADA or PDE2. Preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis found the differentiation-blocking properties of EHNA to reside in a pharmacophore comprising a close adenine mimetic with an extended hydrophobic substituent in the 8- or 9-position. We conclude that EHNA and simple 9-alkyladenines can block directed neuronal and spontaneous differentiation in the absence of exogenous cytokine addition, and may provide a useful replacement for bFGF in large-scale or cGMP-compliant processes.

Phosphorylation dynamics during early differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hoof, D.; Munoz, J.; Braam, S.R.; Pinkse, M.W.H.; Linding, R.; Heck, A.J.R.; Mummery, C.L.; Krijgsveld, J.

2009-01-01

Pluripotent stem cells self-renew indefinitely and possess characteristic protein-protein networks that remodel during differentiation. How this occurs is poorly understood. Using quantitative mass spectrometry, we analyzed the (phospho)proteome of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) during

Cardiomyocytes derived from embryonic stem cells resemble cardiomyocytes of the embryonic heart tube

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fijnvandraat, Arnoud C.; van Ginneken, Antoni C. G.; de Boer, Piet A. J.; Ruijter, Jan M.; Christoffels, Vincent M.; Moorman, Antoon F. M.; Lekanne Deprez, Ronald H.

2003-01-01

OBJECTIVE: After formation of the linear heart tube a chamber-specific program of gene expression becomes active that underlies the formation of the chamber myocardium. To assess whether this program is recapitulated in in vitro differentiated embryonic stem cells, we performed qualitative and

Pluripotency factors in embryonic stem cells regulate differentiation into germ layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Matt; Liu, Siyuan John; Zou, Ling-Nan; Smith, Zack; Meissner, Alexander; Ramanathan, Sharad

2011-06-10

Cell fate decisions are fundamental for development, but we do not know how transcriptional networks reorganize during the transition from a pluripotent to a differentiated cell state. Here, we asked how mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) leave the pluripotent state and choose between germ layer fates. By analyzing the dynamics of the transcriptional circuit that maintains pluripotency, we found that Oct4 and Sox2, proteins that maintain ESC identity, also orchestrate germ layer fate selection. Oct4 suppresses neural ectodermal differentiation and promotes mesendodermal differentiation; Sox2 inhibits mesendodermal differentiation and promotes neural ectodermal differentiation. Differentiation signals continuously and asymmetrically modulate Oct4 and Sox2 protein levels, altering their binding pattern in the genome, and leading to cell fate choice. The same factors that maintain pluripotency thus also integrate external signals and control lineage selection. Our study provides a framework for understanding how complex transcription factor networks control cell fate decisions in progenitor cells. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cyclic mechanical strain maintains Nanog expression through PI3K/Akt signaling in mouse embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horiuchi, Rie; Akimoto, Takayuki; Hong, Zhang; Ushida, Takashi

2012-01-01

Mechanical strain has been reported to affect the proliferation/differentiation of many cell types; however, the effects of mechanotransduction on self-renewal as well as pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells remains unknown. To investigate the effects of mechanical strain on mouse ES cell fate, we examined the expression of Nanog, which is an essential regulator of self-renewal and pluripotency as well as Nanog-associated intracellular signaling during uniaxial cyclic mechanical strain. The mouse ES cell line, CCE was plated onto elastic membranes, and we applied 10% strain at 0.17 Hz. The expression of Nanog was reduced during ES cell differentiation in response to the withdrawal of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF); however, two days of cyclic mechanical strain attenuated this reduction of Nanog expression. On the other hand, the cyclic mechanical strain promoted PI3K-Akt signaling, which is reported as an upstream of Nanog transcription. The cyclic mechanical strain-induced Akt phosphorylation was blunted by the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. Furthermore, cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of actin polymerization, also inhibited the mechanical strain-induced increase in phospho-Akt. These findings imply that mechanical force plays a role in regulating Nanog expression in ES cells through the actin cytoskeleton-PI3K-Akt signaling. -- Highlights: ► The expression of Nanog, which is an essential regulator of “stemness” was reduced during embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. ► Cyclic mechanical strain attenuated the reduction of Nanog expression. ► Cyclic mechanical strain promoted PI3K-Akt signaling and mechanical strain-induced Akt phosphorylation was blunted by the PI3K inhibitor and an inhibitor of actin polymerization.

Directional differentiation of chicken embryonic stem cells into ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-01

Aug 1, 2011 ... In this study, the differentiation potential of chicken ES cells was investigated ... Key words: Chicken embryonic stem cells, in vitro, directional differentiation, .... synthesized by using the Revert Aid first strand cDNA synthesis kit.

L1TD1 Is a Marker for Undifferentiated Human Embryonic Stem Cells

OpenAIRE

Wong, Raymond Ching-Bong; Ibrahim, Abel; Fong, Helen; Thompson, Noelle; Lock, Leslie F.; Donovan, Peter J.

2011-01-01

Background Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are stem cells capable of differentiating into cells representative of the three primary embryonic germ layers. There has been considerable interest in understanding the mechanisms regulating stem cell pluripotency, which will ultimately lead to development of more efficient methods to derive and culture hESC. In particular, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog are transcription factors known to be important in maintenance of hESC. However, many of the downstream ...

Patently controversial: markets, morals, and the President's proposal for embryonic stem cell research.

Science.gov (United States)

Fins, Joseph J; Schachter, Madeleine

2002-09-01

This essay considers the implications of President George W. Bush's proposal for human embryonic stem cell research. Through the perspective of patent law, privacy, and informed consent, we elucidate the ongoing controversy about the moral standing of human embryonic stem cells and their derivatives and consider how the inconsistencies in the president's proposal will affect clinical practice and research.

Collagen Type I Improves the Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells towards Definitive Endoderm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Camilla Holzmann; Petersen, Dorthe Roenn; Møller, Jonas Bech

2015-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells have the ability to generate all cell types in the body and can potentially provide an unlimited source of cells for cell replacement therapy to treat degenerative diseases such as diabetes. Current differentiation protocols of human embryonic stem cells towards insulin...... and consistent differentiation of stem cells to definitive endoderm. The results shed light on the importance of extracellular matrix proteins for differentiation and also points to a cost effective and easy method to improve differentiation....... embryonic stem cells to the definitive endoderm lineage. The percentage of definitive endoderm cells after differentiation on collagen I and fibronectin was >85% and 65%, respectively. The cells on collagen I substrates displayed different morphology and gene expression during differentiation as assessed...

Endogenous, very small embryonic-like stem cells: critical review, therapeutic potential and a look ahead.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhartiya, Deepa; Shaikh, Ambreen; Anand, Sandhya; Patel, Hiren; Kapoor, Sona; Sriraman, Kalpana; Parte, Seema; Unni, Sreepoorna

2016-12-01

Both pluripotent very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were reported in 2006. In 2012, a Nobel Prize was awarded for iPS technology whereas even today the very existence of VSELs is not well accepted. The underlying reason is that VSELs exist in low numbers, remain dormant under homeostatic conditions, are very small in size and do not pellet down at 250-280g. The VSELs maintain life-long tissue homeostasis, serve as a backup pool for adult stem cells and are mobilized under stress conditions. An imbalance in VSELs function (uncontrolled proliferation) may result in cancer. The electronic database 'Medline/Pubmed' was systematically searched with the subject heading term 'very small embryonic-like stem cells'. The most primitive stem cells that undergo asymmetric cell divisions to self-renew and give rise to progenitors still remain elusive in the hematopoietic system and testes, while the presence of stem cells in ovary is still being debated. We propose to review the available literature on VSELs, the methods of their isolation and characterization, their ontogeny, how they compare with embryonic stem (ES) cells, primordial germ cells (PGCs) and iPS cells, and their role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. The review includes a look ahead on how VSELs will result in paradigm shifts in basic reproductive biology. Adult tissue-specific stem cells including hematopoietic, spermatogonial, ovarian and mesenchymal stem cells have good proliferation potential and are indeed committed progenitors (with cytoplasmic OCT-4), which arise by asymmetric cell divisions of pluripotent VSELs (with nuclear OCT-4). VSELs are the most primitive stem cells and postulated to be an overlapping population with the PGCs. Rather than migrating only to the gonads, PGCs migrate and survive in various adult body organs throughout life as VSELs. VSELs express both pluripotent and PGC-specific markers and are epigenetically and developmentally

Bio-engineering inslulin-secreting cells from embryonic stem cells: a review of progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Roche, E; Sepulcre, M P; Enseñat-Waser, R; Maestre, I; Reig, J A; Soria, B

2003-07-01

According to the Edmonton protocol, human islet transplantation can result in insulin independency for periods longer than 3 years. However, this therapy for type 1 diabetes is limited by the scarcity of cadaveric donors. Owing to the ability of embryonic stem cells to expand in vitro and differentiate into a variety of cell types, research has focused on ways to manipulate these cells to overcome this problem. It has been demonstrated that mouse embryonic stem cells can differentiate into insulin-containing cells, restoring normoglycaemia in diabetic mice. To this end, mouse embryonic stem cells were transfected with a DNA construct that provides resistance to neomycin under the control of the regulatory regions of the human insulin gene. However, this protocol has a very low efficiency, needing improvements for this technology to be transferred to human stem cells. Optimum protocols will be instrumental in the production of an unlimited source of cells that synthesise, store and release insulin in a physiological manner. The review focuses on the alternative source of tissue offered by embryonic stem cells for regenerative medicine in diabetes and some key points that should be considered in order for a definitive protocol for in vitro differentiation to be established.

Argonaute-2-null embryonic stem cells are retarded in self-renewal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Present address: Institute of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India ... [Chandra Shekar P, Naim A, Partha Sarathi D and Kumar S 2011 Argonaute-2-null embryonic stem cells are retarded in self-renewal ..... Research, India.

Nuclear accumulation and activation of p53 in embryonic stem cells after DNA damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Solozobova, Valeriya; Rolletschek, Alexandra; Blattner, Christine

2009-06-17

P53 is a key tumor suppressor protein. In response to DNA damage, p53 accumulates to high levels in differentiated cells and activates target genes that initiate cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Since stem cells provide the proliferative cell pool within organisms, an efficient DNA damage response is crucial. In proliferating embryonic stem cells, p53 is localized predominantly in the cytoplasm. DNA damage-induced nuclear accumulation of p53 in embryonic stem cells activates transcription of the target genes mdm2, p21, puma and noxa. We observed bi-phasic kinetics for nuclear accumulation of p53 after ionizing radiation. During the first wave of nuclear accumulation, p53 levels were increased and the p53 target genes mdm2, p21 and puma were transcribed. Transcription of noxa correlated with the second wave of nuclear accumulation. Transcriptional activation of p53 target genes resulted in an increased amount of proteins with the exception of p21. While p21 transcripts were efficiently translated in 3T3 cells, we failed to see an increase in p21 protein levels after IR in embryonal stem cells. In embryonic stem cells where (anti-proliferative) p53 activity is not necessary, or even unfavorable, p53 is retained in the cytoplasm and prevented from activating its target genes. However, if its activity is beneficial or required, p53 is allowed to accumulate in the nucleus and activates its target genes, even in embryonic stem cells.

Improved genetic manipulation of human embryonic stem cells.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braam, S.R.; Denning, C.; van den Brink, S.; Kats, P.; Hochstenbach, R.; Passier, R.; Mummery, C.L.

2008-01-01

Low efficiency of transfection limits the ability to genetically manipulate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), and differences in cell derivation and culture methods require optimization of transfection protocols. We transiently transferred multiple independent hESC lines with different growth

Early gene regulation of osteogenesis in embryonic stem cells

KAUST Repository

Kirkham, Glen R.

2012-01-01

The early gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that mediate stem cell differentiation are complex, and the underlying regulatory associations can be difficult to map accurately. In this study, the expression profiles of the genes Dlx5, Msx2 and Runx2 in mouse embryonic stem cells were monitored over a 48 hour period after exposure to the growth factors BMP2 and TGFβ1. Candidate GRNs of early osteogenesis were constructed based on published experimental findings and simulation results of Boolean and ordinary differential equation models were compared with our experimental data in order to test the validity of these models. Three gene regulatory networks were found to be consistent with the data, one of these networks exhibited sustained oscillation, a behaviour which is consistent with the general view of embryonic stem cell plasticity. The work cycle presented in this paper illustrates how mathematical modelling can be used to elucidate from gene expression profiles GRNs that are consistent with experimental data. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Synthetic niches for differentiation of human embryonic stem cells bypassing embryoid body formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yarong; Fox, Victoria; Lei, Yuning; Hu, Biliang; Joo, Kye-Il; Wang, Pin

2014-07-01

The unique self-renewal and pluripotency features of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) offer the potential for unlimited development of novel cell therapies. Currently, hESCs are cultured and differentiated using methods, such as monolayer culture and embryoid body (EB) formation. As such, achieving efficient differentiation into higher order structures remains a challenge, as well as maintaining cell viability during differentiation into homogeneous cell populations. Here, we describe the application of highly porous polymer scaffolds as synthetic stem cell niches. Bypassing the EB formation step, these scaffolds are capable of three-dimensional culture of undifferentiated hESCs and subsequent directed differentiation into three primary germ layers. H9 hESCs were successfully maintained and proliferated in biodegradable polymer scaffolds based on poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). The results showed that cells within PLGA scaffolds retained characteristics of undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, the scaffolds allowed differentiation towards the lineage of interest by the addition of growth factors to the culture system. The in vivo transplantation study revealed that the scaffolds could provide a microenvironment that enabled hESCs to interact with their surroundings, thereby promoting cell differentiation. Therefore, this approach, which provides a unique culture/differentiation system for hESCs, will find its utility in various stem cell-based tissue-engineering applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ZFP57 maintains the parent-of-origin-specific expression of the imprinted genes and differentially affects non-imprinted targets in mouse embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riso, Vincenzo; Cammisa, Marco; Kukreja, Harpreet

2016-01-01

ZFP57 is necessary for maintaining repressive epigenetic modifications at Imprinting control regions (ICRs). In mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), ZFP57 binds ICRs (ICRBS) and many other loci (non-ICRBS). To address the role of ZFP57 on all its target sites, we performed high-throughput and multi......-locus analyses of inbred and hybrid mouse ESC lines carrying different gene knockouts. By using an allele-specific RNA-seq approach, we demonstrate that ZFP57 loss results in derepression of the imprinted allele of multiple genes in the imprinted clusters. We also find marked epigenetic differences between ICRBS...... the imprinted expression over long distances. At non-ICRBS, ZFP57 inactivation results in acquisition of epigenetic features that are characteristic of poised enhancers, suggesting that another function of ZFP57 in early embryogenesis is to repress cis-acting regulatory elements whose activity is not yet...

Mesenchymal stem cell like (MSCl) cells generated from human embryonic stem cells support pluripotent cell growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varga, Nóra; Veréb, Zoltán; Rajnavölgyi, Éva; Német, Katalin; Uher, Ferenc; Sarkadi, Balázs; Apáti, Ágota

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► MSC like cells were derived from hESC by a simple and reproducible method. ► Differentiation and immunosuppressive features of MSCl cells were similar to bmMSC. ► MSCl cells as feeder cells support the undifferentiated growth of hESC. -- Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cell like (MSCl) cells were generated from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) through embryoid body formation, and isolated by adherence to plastic surface. MSCl cell lines could be propagated without changes in morphological or functional characteristics for more than 15 passages. These cells, as well as their fluorescent protein expressing stable derivatives, efficiently supported the growth of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells as feeder cells. The MSCl cells did not express the embryonic (Oct4, Nanog, ABCG2, PODXL, or SSEA4), or hematopoietic (CD34, CD45, CD14, CD133, HLA-DR) stem cell markers, while were positive for the characteristic cell surface markers of MSCs (CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105). MSCl cells could be differentiated toward osteogenic, chondrogenic or adipogenic directions and exhibited significant inhibition of mitogen-activated lymphocyte proliferation, and thus presented immunosuppressive features. We suggest that cultured MSCl cells can properly model human MSCs and be applied as efficient feeders in hESC cultures.

Oncogenic KRAS activates an embryonic stem cell-like program in human colon cancer initiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Rolle, Anne-France; Chiu, Thang K; Zeng, Zhaoshi; Shia, Jinru; Weiser, Martin R; Paty, Philip B; Chiu, Vi K

2016-01-19

Colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide. Prevention of colorectal cancer initiation represents the most effective overall strategy to reduce its associated morbidity and mortality. Activating KRAS mutation (KRASmut) is the most prevalent oncogenic driver in colorectal cancer development, and KRASmut inhibition represents an unmet clinical need. We apply a systems-level approach to study the impact of KRASmut on stem cell signaling during human colon cancer initiation by performing gene set enrichment analysis on gene expression from human colon tissues. We find that KRASmut imposes the embryonic stem cell-like program during human colon cancer initiation from colon adenoma to stage I carcinoma. Expression of miR145, an embryonic SC program inhibitor, promotes cell lineage differentiation marker expression in KRASmut colon cancer cells and significantly suppresses their tumorigenicity. Our data support an in vivo plasticity model of human colon cancer initiation that merges the intrinsic stem cell properties of aberrant colon stem cells with the embryonic stem cell-like program induced by KRASmut to optimize malignant transformation. Inhibition of the embryonic SC-like program in KRASmut colon cancer cells reveals a novel therapeutic strategy to programmatically inhibit KRASmut tumors and prevent colon cancer.

Influence of substrate composition on human embryonic stem cell differentiation and extracellular matrix production in embryoid bodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Laperle, Alex; Masters, Kristyn S; Palecek, Sean P

2015-01-01

Stem cells reside in specialized niches in vivo. Specific factors, including the extracellular matrix (ECM), in these niches are directly responsible for maintaining the stem cell population. During development, components of the stem cell microenvironment also control differentiation with precise spatial and temporal organization. The stem cell microenvironment is dynamically regulated by the cellular component, including stem cells themselves. Thus, a mechanism exists whereby stem cells modify the ECM, which in turn affects the fate of the stem cell. In this study, we investigated whether the type of ECM initially adsorbed to the culture substrate can influence the composition of the ECM deposited by human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) differentiating in embryoid bodies, and whether different ECM composition and deposition profiles elicit distinct differentiation fates. We have shown that the initial ECM environment hESCs are exposed to affects the fate decisions of those cells and that this initial ECM environment is constantly modified during the differentiation process. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Systematically profiling and annotating long intergenic non-coding RNAs in human embryonic stem cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xing; Hou, Mei; Ding, Yang; Li, Zhaohui; Ren, Lichen; Gao, Ge

2013-01-01

While more and more long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) were identified to take important roles in both maintaining pluripotency and regulating differentiation, how these lincRNAs may define and drive cell fate decisions on a global scale are still mostly elusive. Systematical profiling and comprehensive annotation of embryonic stem cells lincRNAs may not only bring a clearer big picture of these novel regulators but also shed light on their functionalities. Based on multiple RNA-Seq datasets, we systematically identified 300 human embryonic stem cell lincRNAs (hES lincRNAs). Of which, one forth (78 out of 300) hES lincRNAs were further identified to be biasedly expressed in human ES cells. Functional analysis showed that they were preferentially involved in several early-development related biological processes. Comparative genomics analysis further suggested that around half of the identified hES lincRNAs were conserved in mouse. To facilitate further investigation of these hES lincRNAs, we constructed an online portal for biologists to access all their sequences and annotations interactively. In addition to navigation through a genome browse interface, users can also locate lincRNAs through an advanced query interface based on both keywords and expression profiles, and analyze results through multiple tools. By integrating multiple RNA-Seq datasets, we systematically characterized and annotated 300 hES lincRNAs. A full functional web portal is available freely at http://scbrowse.cbi.pku.edu.cn. As the first global profiling and annotating of human embryonic stem cell lincRNAs, this work aims to provide a valuable resource for both experimental biologists and bioinformaticians.

78 FR 13688 - Proposed Collection; 60-Day Comment Request: Request for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line To Be...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-28

... Comment Request: Request for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line To Be Approved for Use in NIH Funded Research... Embryonic Stem Cell Line to be Approved for Use in NIH Funded Research. OMB No. 0925-0601-- Expiration Date... and Use of Information Collection: The form is used by applicants to request that human embryonic stem...

Gene expression heterogeneities in embryonic stem cell populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez Arias, Alfonso; Brickman, Joshua M

2011-01-01

Stem and progenitor cells are populations of cells that retain the capacity to populate specific lineages and to transit this capacity through cell division. However, attempts to define markers for stem cells have met with limited success. Here we consider whether this limited success reflects...... an intrinsic requirement for heterogeneity with stem cell populations. We focus on Embryonic Stem (ES) cells, in vitro derived cell lines from the early embryo that are considered both pluripotent (able to generate all the lineages of the future embryo) and indefinitely self renewing. We examine the relevance...... of recently reported heterogeneities in ES cells and whether these heterogeneities themselves are inherent requirements of functional potency and self renewal....

Ambivalent journeys of hope: embryonic stem cell therapy in a clinic in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Amit

2015-03-01

Stem cell therapy in non-Western countries such as India has received a lot of attention. Apart from media reports, there are a number of social science analyses of stem cell policy, therapy, and research, their ethical implications, and impact of advertising on patients. Nevertheless, in the media reports as well as in academic studies, experiences of patients, who undertake overseas journeys for stem cell therapy, have largely been either ignored or presented reductively, often as a "false hope." In this article, I analyze the experiences of patients and their "journeys of hope" to NuTech Mediworld, an embryonic stem cell therapy clinic in New Delhi, India. My analysis, which draws on my observations in the clinic and patients' experiences, instead of seeking to adjudicate whether embryonic stem cell therapy in clinics such as NuTech is right or wrong, true or false, focuses on how patients navigate and contest these concerns. I utilize Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's "concepts," lines of flight and deterritorialization, to highlight how embryonic stem cell therapy's "political economy of hope" embodies deterritorialization of several "regimes of truth" and how these deterritorializations impact patients' experiences. © The Author(s) 2014.

Oxygen-controlled automated neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondragon-Teran, Paul; Tostoes, Rui; Mason, Chris; Lye, Gary J; Veraitch, Farlan S

2013-03-01

Automation and oxygen tension control are two tools that provide significant improvements to the reproducibility and efficiency of stem cell production processes. the aim of this study was to establish a novel automation platform capable of controlling oxygen tension during both the cell-culture and liquid-handling steps of neural differentiation processes. We built a bespoke automation platform, which enclosed a liquid-handling platform in a sterile, oxygen-controlled environment. An airtight connection was used to transfer cell culture plates to and from an automated oxygen-controlled incubator. Our results demonstrate that our system yielded comparable cell numbers, viabilities, metabolism profiles and differentiation efficiencies when compared with traditional manual processes. Interestingly, eliminating exposure to ambient conditions during the liquid-handling stage resulted in significant improvements in the yield of MAP2-positive neural cells, indicating that this level of control can improve differentiation processes. This article describes, for the first time, an automation platform capable of maintaining oxygen tension control during both the cell-culture and liquid-handling stages of a 2D embryonic stem cell differentiation process.

Nuclear accumulation and activation of p53 in embryonic stem cells after DNA damage

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Rolletschek Alexandra

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background P53 is a key tumor suppressor protein. In response to DNA damage, p53 accumulates to high levels in differentiated cells and activates target genes that initiate cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Since stem cells provide the proliferative cell pool within organisms, an efficient DNA damage response is crucial. Results In proliferating embryonic stem cells, p53 is localized predominantly in the cytoplasm. DNA damage-induced nuclear accumulation of p53 in embryonic stem cells activates transcription of the target genes mdm2, p21, puma and noxa. We observed bi-phasic kinetics for nuclear accumulation of p53 after ionizing radiation. During the first wave of nuclear accumulation, p53 levels were increased and the p53 target genes mdm2, p21 and puma were transcribed. Transcription of noxa correlated with the second wave of nuclear accumulation. Transcriptional activation of p53 target genes resulted in an increased amount of proteins with the exception of p21. While p21 transcripts were efficiently translated in 3T3 cells, we failed to see an increase in p21 protein levels after IR in embryonal stem cells. Conclusion In embryonic stem cells where (anti-proliferative p53 activity is not necessary, or even unfavorable, p53 is retained in the cytoplasm and prevented from activating its target genes. However, if its activity is beneficial or required, p53 is allowed to accumulate in the nucleus and activates its target genes, even in embryonic stem cells.

YAP/TAZ enhance mammalian embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in a Tead-dependent manner

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Han, Dasol; Byun, Sung-Hyun; Park, Soojeong; Kim, Juwan; Kim, Inhee; Ha, Soobong; Kwon, Mookwang; Yoon, Keejung, E-mail: keejung@skku.edu

2015-02-27

Mammalian brain development is regulated by multiple signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. Here we show that YAP/TAZ enhance embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in a cell autonomous fashion using diverse experimental approaches. Introduction of retroviral vectors expressing YAP or TAZ into the mouse embryonic brain induced cell localization in the ventricular zone (VZ), which is the embryonic neural stem cell niche. This change in cell distribution in the cortical layer is due to the increased stemness of infected cells; YAP-expressing cells were colabeled with Sox2, a neural stem cell marker, and YAP/TAZ increased the frequency and size of neurospheres, indicating enhanced self-renewal- and proliferative ability of neural stem cells. These effects appear to be TEA domain family transcription factor (Tead)–dependent; a Tead binding-defective YAP mutant lost the ability to promote neural stem cell characteristics. Consistently, in utero gene transfer of a constitutively active form of Tead2 (Tead2-VP16) recapitulated all the features of YAP/TAZ overexpression, and dominant negative Tead2-EnR resulted in marked cell exit from the VZ toward outer cortical layers. Taken together, these results indicate that the Tead-dependent YAP/TAZ signaling pathway plays important roles in neural stem cell maintenance by enhancing stemness of neural stem cells during mammalian brain development. - Highlights: • Roles of YAP and Tead in vivo during mammalian brain development are clarified. • Expression of YAP promotes embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in vivo in a cell autonomous fashion. • Enhancement of neural stem cell characteristics by YAP depends on Tead. • Transcriptionally active form of Tead alone can recapitulate the effects of YAP. • Transcriptionally repressive form of Tead severely reduces stem cell characteristics.

YAP/TAZ enhance mammalian embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in a Tead-dependent manner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Dasol; Byun, Sung-Hyun; Park, Soojeong; Kim, Juwan; Kim, Inhee; Ha, Soobong; Kwon, Mookwang; Yoon, Keejung

2015-01-01

Mammalian brain development is regulated by multiple signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. Here we show that YAP/TAZ enhance embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in a cell autonomous fashion using diverse experimental approaches. Introduction of retroviral vectors expressing YAP or TAZ into the mouse embryonic brain induced cell localization in the ventricular zone (VZ), which is the embryonic neural stem cell niche. This change in cell distribution in the cortical layer is due to the increased stemness of infected cells; YAP-expressing cells were colabeled with Sox2, a neural stem cell marker, and YAP/TAZ increased the frequency and size of neurospheres, indicating enhanced self-renewal- and proliferative ability of neural stem cells. These effects appear to be TEA domain family transcription factor (Tead)–dependent; a Tead binding-defective YAP mutant lost the ability to promote neural stem cell characteristics. Consistently, in utero gene transfer of a constitutively active form of Tead2 (Tead2-VP16) recapitulated all the features of YAP/TAZ overexpression, and dominant negative Tead2-EnR resulted in marked cell exit from the VZ toward outer cortical layers. Taken together, these results indicate that the Tead-dependent YAP/TAZ signaling pathway plays important roles in neural stem cell maintenance by enhancing stemness of neural stem cells during mammalian brain development. - Highlights: • Roles of YAP and Tead in vivo during mammalian brain development are clarified. • Expression of YAP promotes embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in vivo in a cell autonomous fashion. • Enhancement of neural stem cell characteristics by YAP depends on Tead. • Transcriptionally active form of Tead alone can recapitulate the effects of YAP. • Transcriptionally repressive form of Tead severely reduces stem cell characteristics

Chorionic villi derived mesenchymal like stem cells and expression of embryonic stem cells markers during long-term culturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsiani, E; Garas, A; Skentou, C; Tsezou, A; Messini, C I; Dafopoulos, K; Daponte, A; Messinis, I E

2016-09-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be obtained from a variety of human tissues. MSCs derived from placental chorionic villi of the first trimester are likely to resemble, biologically, embryonic stem cells (ESC), due to the earlier development stage of placenta. In the present study long-term cultures of MSC-like cells were assessed in order to evaluate MSCs multipotent characteristics and molecular features during the period of culture. CV-cells obtained from 10 samples of chorionic villus displayed typical fibroblastoid morphology, undergone 20 passages during a period of 120 days, maintaining a stable karyotype throughout long term expansion. The cells were positive, for CD90, CD73, CD105, CD29, CD44, HLA ABC antigens and negative for CD14, CD34, AC133, and HLA DR antigens as resulted from the flow cytometry analysis. CV-cells were differentiated in adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes and neuronal cells under specific culture conditions. The expression of the ESC-gene markers POU5F1 (Oct-4) and NANOG was observed at earliest stages (4-12 passages) and not at the late stages (14-20 passages) by RT-PCR analysis. ZFP42 and SOX2 expression were not detected. Moreover, CV-cells were found to express GATA4 but not NES (Nestin). Chorionic villi-derived cells possess multipotent properties, display high proliferation rate and self-renew capacity, share common surface antigens with adult MSCs and express certain embryonics stem cells gene markers. These characteristics highlight chorionic villi as an attractive source of MSCs for the needs of regenerative medicine.

Viscoelastic and dynamic properties of embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ritter, Christine

Stem cells are often referred to as the ‘holy grail’ of regenerative medicine, because they possessthe ability to develop into any cell type. The use of stem cells within medicine is currently limited bythe effectivity of differentiation and cell reprogramming protocols, making it therefore...... imperative tounderstand stem cells’ differentiation mechanisms better. Studies have shown that mechanical cuescan have an influence on stem cell fate decision. However, in order to understand the reaction of stemcells to mechanical input, one should first investigate and understand the mechanical properties...... ofthe cells themselves. In this thesis, the viscoelastic properties of mouse embryonic stem cells primedeither toward the epiblast (Epi) or the primitive endoderm (PrE) lineage were investigated.Optical tweezers were used to measure the fluctuations of endogenous lipid granules and therebydraw...

Combined sequencing of mRNA and DNA from human embryonic stem cells

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Florian Mertes

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Combined transcriptome and whole genome sequencing of the same ultra-low input sample down to single cells is a rapidly evolving approach for the analysis of rare cells. Besides stem cells, rare cells originating from tissues like tumor or biopsies, circulating tumor cells and cells from early embryonic development are under investigation. Herein we describe a universal method applicable for the analysis of minute amounts of sample material (150 to 200 cells derived from sub-colony structures from human embryonic stem cells. The protocol comprises the combined isolation and separate amplification of poly(A mRNA and whole genome DNA followed by next generation sequencing. Here we present a detailed description of the method developed and an overview of the results obtained for RNA and whole genome sequencing of human embryonic stem cells, sequencing data is available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO database under accession number GSE69471.

Two sides of the same coin? Unraveling subtle differences between human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells by Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Parrotta, Elvira; De Angelis, Maria Teresa; Scalise, Stefania; Candeloro, Patrizio; Santamaria, Gianluca; Paonessa, Mariagrazia; Coluccio, Maria Laura; Perozziello, Gerardo; De Vitis, Stefania; Sgura, Antonella; Coluzzi, Elisa; Mollace, Vincenzo; Di Fabrizio, Enzo Mario; Cuda, Giovanni

2017-11-28

Human pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, hold enormous promise for many biomedical applications, such as regenerative medicine, drug testing, and disease modeling. Although induced pluripotent stem cells resemble embryonic stem cells both morphologically and functionally, the extent to which these cell lines are truly equivalent, from a molecular point of view, remains controversial. Principal component analysis and K-means cluster analysis of collected Raman spectroscopy data were used for a comparative study of the biochemical fingerprint of human induced pluripotent stem cells and human embryonic stem cells. The Raman spectra analysis results were further validated by conventional biological assays. Raman spectra analysis revealed that the major difference between human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells is due to the nucleic acid content, as shown by the strong positive peaks at 785, 1098, 1334, 1371, 1484, and 1575 cm -1 , which is enriched in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Here, we report a nonbiological approach to discriminate human induced pluripotent stem cells from their native embryonic stem cell counterparts.

Two sides of the same coin? Unraveling subtle differences between human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells by Raman spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

Parrotta, Elvira

2017-11-28

Background: Human pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, hold enormous promise for many biomedical applications, such as regenerative medicine, drug testing, and disease modeling. Although induced pluripotent stem cells resemble embryonic stem cells both morphologically and functionally, the extent to which these cell lines are truly equivalent, from a molecular point of view, remains controversial. Methods: Principal component analysis and K-means cluster analysis of collected Raman spectroscopy data were used for a comparative study of the biochemical fingerprint of human induced pluripotent stem cells and human embryonic stem cells. The Raman spectra analysis results were further validated by conventional biological assays. Results: Raman spectra analysis revealed that the major difference between human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells is due to the nucleic acid content, as shown by the strong positive peaks at 785, 1098, 1334, 1371, 1484, and 1575 cm–1, which is enriched in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Conclusions: Here, we report a nonbiological approach to discriminate human induced pluripotent stem cells from their native embryonic stem cell counterparts.

Two sides of the same coin? Unraveling subtle differences between human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells by Raman spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

Parrotta, Elvira; De Angelis, Maria Teresa; Scalise, Stefania; Candeloro, Patrizio; Santamaria, Gianluca; Paonessa, Mariagrazia; Coluccio, Maria Laura; Perozziello, Gerardo; De Vitis, Stefania; Sgura, Antonella; Coluzzi, Elisa; Mollace, Vincenzo; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Cuda, Giovanni

2017-01-01

Background: Human pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, hold enormous promise for many biomedical applications, such as regenerative medicine, drug testing, and disease modeling. Although induced pluripotent stem cells resemble embryonic stem cells both morphologically and functionally, the extent to which these cell lines are truly equivalent, from a molecular point of view, remains controversial. Methods: Principal component analysis and K-means cluster analysis of collected Raman spectroscopy data were used for a comparative study of the biochemical fingerprint of human induced pluripotent stem cells and human embryonic stem cells. The Raman spectra analysis results were further validated by conventional biological assays. Results: Raman spectra analysis revealed that the major difference between human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells is due to the nucleic acid content, as shown by the strong positive peaks at 785, 1098, 1334, 1371, 1484, and 1575 cm–1, which is enriched in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Conclusions: Here, we report a nonbiological approach to discriminate human induced pluripotent stem cells from their native embryonic stem cell counterparts.

Graphene for enhanced embryonic stem cell photo-transfection efficiency

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mthunzi, P

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Due to their pluripotency properties, embryonic stem (ES) cells possess great potential in regenerative therapy. Since reported a promising tissue engineering scaffold material, here, graphene is demonstrated to significantly improve the ES cell...

The epigenomics of embryonic stem cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraushaar, Daniel C; Zhao, Keji

2013-01-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) possess an open and highly dynamic chromatin landscape, which underlies their plasticity and ultimately maintains ESC pluripotency. The ESC epigenome must not only maintain the transcription of pluripotency-associated genes but must also, through gene priming, facilitate rapid and cell type-specific activation of developmental genes upon lineage commitment. Trans-generational inheritance ensures that the ESC chromatin state is stably transmitted from one generation to the next; yet at the same time, epigenetic marks are highly dynamic, reversible and responsive to extracellular cues. Once committed to differentiation, the ESC epigenome is remodeled and resolves into a more compact chromatin state. A thorough understanding of the role of chromatin modifiers in ESC fate and differentiation will be important if they are to be used for therapeutic purposes. Recent technical advances, particularly in next-generation sequencing technologies, have provided a genome-scale view of epigenetic marks and chromatin modifiers. More affordable and faster sequencing platforms have led to a comprehensive characterization of the ESC epigenome and epigenomes of differentiated cell types. In this review, we summarize and discuss the recent progress that has highlighted the central role of histone modifications, histone variants, DNA methylation and chromatin modifiers in ESC pluripotency and ESC fate. We provide a detailed and comprehensive discussion of genome-wide studies that are pertinent to our understanding of mammalian development.

Histone h1 depletion impairs embryonic stem cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yunzhe; Cooke, Marissa; Panjwani, Shiraj; Cao, Kaixiang; Krauth, Beth; Ho, Po-Yi; Medrzycki, Magdalena; Berhe, Dawit T; Pan, Chenyi; McDevitt, Todd C; Fan, Yuhong

2012-01-01

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are known to possess a relatively open chromatin structure; yet, despite efforts to characterize the chromatin signatures of ESCs, the role of chromatin compaction in stem cell fate and function remains elusive. Linker histone H1 is important for higher-order chromatin folding and is essential for mammalian embryogenesis. To investigate the role of H1 and chromatin compaction in stem cell pluripotency and differentiation, we examine the differentiation of embryonic stem cells that are depleted of multiple H1 subtypes. H1c/H1d/H1e triple null ESCs are more resistant to spontaneous differentiation in adherent monolayer culture upon removal of leukemia inhibitory factor. Similarly, the majority of the triple-H1 null embryoid bodies (EBs) lack morphological structures representing the three germ layers and retain gene expression signatures characteristic of undifferentiated ESCs. Furthermore, upon neural differentiation of EBs, triple-H1 null cell cultures are deficient in neurite outgrowth and lack efficient activation of neural markers. Finally, we discover that triple-H1 null embryos and EBs fail to fully repress the expression of the pluripotency genes in comparison with wild-type controls and that H1 depletion impairs DNA methylation and changes of histone marks at promoter regions necessary for efficiently silencing pluripotency gene Oct4 during stem cell differentiation and embryogenesis. In summary, we demonstrate that H1 plays a critical role in pluripotent stem cell differentiation, and our results suggest that H1 and chromatin compaction may mediate pluripotent stem cell differentiation through epigenetic repression of the pluripotency genes.

Derivation and characterization of monkey embryonic stem cells

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Wolf Don P

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Embryonic stem (ES cell based therapy carries great potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. However, before clinical application is realized, the safety, efficacy and feasibility of this therapeutic approach must be established in animal models. The rhesus macaque is physiologically and phylogenetically similar to the human, and therefore, is a clinically relevant animal model for biomedical research, especially that focused on neurodegenerative conditions. Undifferentiated monkey ES cells can be maintained in a pluripotent state for many passages, as characterized by a collective repertoire of markers representing embryonic cell surface molecules, enzymes and transcriptional factors. They can also be differentiated into lineage-specific phenotypes of all three embryonic germ layers by epigenetic protocols. For cell-based therapy, however, the quality of ES cells and their progeny must be ensured during the process of ES cell propagation and differentiation. While only a limited number of primate ES cell lines have been studied, it is likely that substantial inter-line variability exists. This implies that diverse ES cell lines may differ in developmental stages, lineage commitment, karyotypic normalcy, gene expression, or differentiation potential. These variables, inherited genetically and/or induced epigenetically, carry obvious complications to therapeutic applications. Our laboratory has characterized and isolated rhesus monkey ES cell lines from in vitro produced blastocysts. All tested cell lines carry the potential to form pluripotent embryoid bodies and nestin-positive progenitor cells. These ES cell progeny can be differentiated into phenotypes representing the endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal lineages. This review article describes the derivation of monkey ES cell lines, characterization of the undifferentiated phenotype, and their differentiation into lineage-specific, particularly neural, phenotypes

Mesenchymal stem cell like (MSCl) cells generated from human embryonic stem cells support pluripotent cell growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varga, Nora [Membrane Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest (Hungary); Vereb, Zoltan; Rajnavoelgyi, Eva [Department of Immunology, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen (Hungary); Nemet, Katalin; Uher, Ferenc; Sarkadi, Balazs [Membrane Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest (Hungary); Apati, Agota, E-mail: apati@kkk.org.hu [Membrane Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest (Hungary)

2011-10-28

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MSC like cells were derived from hESC by a simple and reproducible method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Differentiation and immunosuppressive features of MSCl cells were similar to bmMSC. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MSCl cells as feeder cells support the undifferentiated growth of hESC. -- Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cell like (MSCl) cells were generated from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) through embryoid body formation, and isolated by adherence to plastic surface. MSCl cell lines could be propagated without changes in morphological or functional characteristics for more than 15 passages. These cells, as well as their fluorescent protein expressing stable derivatives, efficiently supported the growth of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells as feeder cells. The MSCl cells did not express the embryonic (Oct4, Nanog, ABCG2, PODXL, or SSEA4), or hematopoietic (CD34, CD45, CD14, CD133, HLA-DR) stem cell markers, while were positive for the characteristic cell surface markers of MSCs (CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105). MSCl cells could be differentiated toward osteogenic, chondrogenic or adipogenic directions and exhibited significant inhibition of mitogen-activated lymphocyte proliferation, and thus presented immunosuppressive features. We suggest that cultured MSCl cells can properly model human MSCs and be applied as efficient feeders in hESC cultures.

The ethical dilemma of embryonic stem cell research.

Science.gov (United States)

Manzar, Nabeel; Manzar, Bushra; Hussain, Nuzhat; Hussain, M Fawwad Ahmed; Raza, Sajjad

2013-03-01

To determine the knowledge, attitude, and ethical concerns of medical students and graduates with regard to Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) research. This questionnaire based descriptive study was conducted at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), Pakistan from February to July 2008. A well structured questionnaire was administered to medical students and graduate doctors, which included their demographic profile as well as questions in line with the study objective. Informed consent was taken and full confidentiality was assured to the participants. Data were entered in a Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version.12) and analyzed. A total of 204 male and 216 female medical students and doctors were administered questionnaires out of which 105 males (51.4%) and 108 females (50%) were aware of the embryonic stem cell research and its ethical implications. Forty percent males and 47% of females were of the opinion that life begins at conception. Forty-six percent males and 39% females were in favor of stem cell research while only 31% males and 28% females supported the ESC research. Less than 1/3 of students supported using frozen embryos for research purposes while more than 2/3 indicated that they were unlikely to support abortion for stem cell research purposes. The majority of the students were in favor of stem cell research with some reservations regarding ESC research. A sizeable number of students withheld their views, reflecting their poor understanding of medical ethics. The result of the study indicates a need for incorporating bioethics into the medical curriculum.

Nuclear reprogramming of somatic nucleus hybridized with embryonic stem cells by electrofusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Tada, Masako; Tada, Takashi

2006-01-01

Cell fusion is a powerful tool for understanding the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic reprogramming. In hybrid cells of somatic cells and pluripotential stem cells, including embryonic stem (ES) and embryonic germ cells, somatic nuclei acquire pluripotential competence. ES and embryonic germ cells retain intrinsic trans activity to induce epigenetic reprogramming. For generating hybrid cells, we have used the technique of electrofusion. Electrofusion is a highly effective, reproducible, and biomedically safe in vitro system. For successful cell fusion, two sequential steps of electric pulse stimulation are required for the alignment (pearl chain formation) of two different types of cells between electrodes in response to alternating current stimulation and for the fusion of cytoplasmic membranes by direct current stimulation. Optimal conditions for electrofusion with a pulse generator are introduced for ES and somatic cell fusion. Topics in the field of stem cell research include the successful production of cloned animals via the epigenetic reprogramming of somatic cells and contribution of spontaneous cell fusion to generating intrinsic plasticity of tissue stem cells. Cell fusion technology may make important contributions to the fields of epigenetic reprogramming and regenerative medicine.

78 FR 25091 - Submission for OMB Review; 30-Day Comment Request: Request for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line To...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-29

...; 30-Day Comment Request: Request for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line To Be Approved for Use in NIH... Embryonic Stem Cell Line to be Approved for Use in NIH-Funded Research, 0925-0601, Expiration Date 04/30... Information Collection: The form is used by applicants to request that human embryonic stem cell lines be...

The role of nanotechnology in induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells research.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lukui; Qiu, Rong; Li, Lushen

2014-12-01

This paper reviews the recent studies on development of nanotechnology in the field of induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells. Stem cell therapy is a promising therapy that can improve the quality of life for patients with refractory diseases. However, this option is limited by the scarcity of tissues, ethical problem, and tumorigenicity. Nanotechnology is another promising therapy that can be used to mimic the extracellular matrix, label the implanted cells, and also can be applied in the tissue engineering. In this review, we briefly introduce implementation of nanotechnology in induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells research. Finally, the potential application of nanotechnology in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is also discussed.

Reconstitution of mammary epithelial morphogenesis by murine embryonic stem cells undergoing hematopoietic stem cell differentiation.

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Shuxian Jiang

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Mammary stem cells are maintained within specific microenvironments and recruited throughout lifetime to reconstitute de novo the mammary gland. Mammary stem cells have been isolated through the identification of specific cell surface markers and in vivo transplantation into cleared mammary fat pads. Accumulating evidence showed that during the reformation of mammary stem cell niches by dispersed epithelial cells in the context of the intact epithelium-free mammary stroma, non-mammary epithelial cells may be sequestered and reprogrammed to perform mammary epithelial cell functions and to adopt mammary epithelial characteristics during reconstruction of mammary epithelium in regenerating mammary tissue in vivo.To examine whether other types of progenitor cells are able to contribute to mammary branching morphogenesis, we examined the potential of murine embryonic stem (mES cells, undergoing hematopoietic differentiation, to support mammary reconstitution in vivo. We observed that cells from day 14 embryoid bodies (EBs under hematopoietic differentiation condition, but not supernatants derived from these cells, when transplanted into denuded mammary fat pads, were able to contribute to both the luminal and myoepithelial lineages in branching ductal structures resembling the ductal-alveolar architecture of the mammary tree. No teratomas were observed when these cells were transplanted in vivo.Our data provide evidence for the dominance of the tissue-specific mammary stem cell niche and its role in directing mES cells, undergoing hematopoietic differentiation, to reprogram into mammary epithelial cells and to promote mammary epithelial morphogenesis. These studies should also provide insights into regeneration of damaged mammary gland and the role of the mammary microenvironment in reprogramming cell fate.

Gro/TLE enables embryonic stem cell differentiation by repressing pluripotent gene expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laing, Adam F; Lowell, Sally; Brickman, Joshua M

2015-01-01

Gro/TLE proteins (TLE1-4) are a family of transcriptional corepressors acting downstream of multiple signalling pathways. Several TLEs are expressed in a dynamic manner throughout embryonic development and at high levels in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Here we find that Gro/TLE is not required...

Directional differentiation of chicken embryonic stem cells into ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chicken embryonic stem (ES) cells are useful for producing transgenic chickens and preserving genetic material in avian species. In this study, the differentiation potential of chicken ES cells was investigated in vitro. Chicken ES cells were differentiated into osteoblasts cultured for 15 to 21 days in the induction media ...

Molecular characterisation of stromal populations derived from human embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harkness, L.; Twine, N. A.; Abu Dawud, R.

2015-01-01

Human bone marrow-derived stromal (skeletal) stem cells (BM-hMSC) are being employed in an increasing number of clinical trials for tissue regeneration. A limiting factor for their clinical use is the inability to obtain sufficient cell numbers. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) can provide an un...

Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Lyme Disease

OpenAIRE

Shroff, Geeta

2016-01-01

Case series Patient: Male, 42 ? Female, 30 Final Diagnosis: Human embryonic stem cells showed good therapeutic potential for treatment of multiple sclerosis with lyme disease Symptoms: Fatigue ? weakness in limbs Medication: ? Clinical Procedure: Human embryonic stem cells transplantation Specialty: Transplantology Objective: Rare disease Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease in which the myelin sheath of nerve cells is damaged. It can cause dela...

Comparison of Gene Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, hESC-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

OpenAIRE

Romain Barbet; Isabelle Peiffer; Antoinette Hatzfeld; Pierre Charbord; Jacques A. Hatzfeld

2011-01-01

We present a strategy to identify developmental/differentiation and plasma membrane marker genes of the most primitive human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs). Using sensitive and quantitative TaqMan Low Density Arrays (TLDA) methodology, we compared the expression of 381 genes in human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs), hESC-derived MSCs ...

Endogenous WNT Signals Mediate BMP-Induced and Spontaneous Differentiation of Epiblast Stem Cells and Human Embryonic Stem Cells

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Dorota Kurek

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Therapeutic application of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs requires precise control over their differentiation. However, spontaneous differentiation is prevalent, and growth factors induce multiple cell types; e.g., the mesoderm inducer BMP4 generates both mesoderm and trophoblast. Here we identify endogenous WNT signals as BMP targets that are required and sufficient for mesoderm induction, while trophoblast induction is WNT independent, enabling the exclusive differentiation toward either lineage. Furthermore, endogenous WNT signals induce loss of pluripotency in hESCs and their murine counterparts, epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs. WNT inhibition obviates the need to manually remove differentiated cells to maintain cultures and improves the efficiency of directed differentiation. In EpiSCs, WNT inhibition stabilizes a pregastrula epiblast state with novel characteristics, including the ability to contribute to blastocyst chimeras. Our findings show that endogenous WNT signals function as hidden mediators of growth factor-induced differentiation and play critical roles in the self-renewal of hESCs and EpiSCs.

Demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine, reverses differentiation of embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji-Takayama, Kazue; Inoue, Toshiya; Ijiri, Yoshihiro; Otani, Takeshi; Motoda, Ryuichi; Nakamura, Shuji; Orita, Kunzo

2004-01-01

The de novo methylation activity is essential for embryonic development as well as embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation, where the intensive and extensive DNA methylation was detected. In this study, we investigated the effects of a demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC), on differentiated ES cells in order to study the possibility of reversing the differentiation process. We first induced differentiation of ES cells by forming embryoid bodies, and then the cells were treated with 5-AzaC. The cells showed some undifferentiated features such as stem cell-like morphology with unclear cell-to-cell boundary and proliferative responsiveness to LIF. Moreover, 5-AzaC increased the expressions of ES specific markers, SSEA-1, and alkaline phosphatase activity as well as ES specific genes, Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2. We also found that 5-AzaC demethylated the promoter region of H19 gene, a typical methylated gene during embryonic differentiation. These results indicate that 5-AzaC reverses differentiation state of ES cells through its DNA demethylating activity to differentiation related genes

The Use of Embryonic Stem Cells

OpenAIRE

Corkery, Padraig

2002-01-01

Over the past year there has been great interest, optimism and anxiety in many societies about developments in the use of embryonic stem cells (ES cells). Within the scientific community there has been debate for some time on the merits and ethical implications of using ES cells. The discussion entered the public domain inthe decisive way during the past year when there were significant changes in legislation governing the use of such cells in Britain and the United States. These changes c...

Large-scale identification of microRNA targets in murine Dgcr8-deficient embryonic stem cell lines.

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Matthew P A Davis

Full Text Available Small RNAs such as microRNAs play important roles in embryonic stem cell maintenance and differentiation. A broad range of microRNAs is expressed in embryonic stem cells while only a fraction of their targets have been identified. We have performed large-scale identification of embryonic stem cell microRNA targets using a murine embryonic stem cell line deficient in the expression of Dgcr8. These cells are heavily depleted for microRNAs, allowing us to reintroduce specific microRNA duplexes and identify refined target sets. We used deep sequencing of small RNAs, mRNA expression profiling and bioinformatics analysis of microRNA seed matches in 3' UTRs to identify target transcripts. Consequently, we have identified a network of microRNAs that converge on the regulation of several important cellular pathways. Additionally, our experiments have revealed a novel candidate for Dgcr8-independent microRNA genesis and highlighted the challenges currently facing miRNA annotation.

Comparison of Teratoma Formation between Embryonic Stem Cells and Parthenogenetic Embryonic Stem Cells by Molecular Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongyan Tao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available With their properties of self-renewal and differentiation, embryonic stem (ES cells hold great promises for regenerative therapy. However, teratoma formation and ethical concerns of ES cells may restrict their potential clinical applications. Currently, parthenogenetic embryonic stem (pES cells have attracted the interest of researchers for its self-renewing and pluripotent differentiation while eliciting less ethic concerns. In this study, we established a model with ES and pES cells both stably transfected with a double-fusion reporter gene containing renilla luciferase (Rluc and red fluorescent protein (RFP to analyze the mechanisms of teratoma formation. Transgenic Vegfr2-luc mouse, which expresses firefly luciferase (Fluc under the promoter of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (Vegfr2-luc, was used to trace the growth of new blood vessel recruited by transplanted cells. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI of Rluc/Fluc provides an effective tool in estimating the growth and angiogenesis of teratoma in vivo. We found that the tumorigenesis and angiogenesis capacity of ES cells were higher than those of pES cells, in which VEGF/VEGFR2 signal pathway plays an important role. In conclusion, pES cells have the decreased potential of teratoma formation but meanwhile have similar differentiating capacity compared with ES cells. These data demonstrate that pES cells provide an alternative source for ES cells with the risk reduction of teratoma formation and without ethical controversy.

Embryonic stem cell therapy of heart failure in genetic cardiomyopathy.

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Yamada, Satsuki; Nelson, Timothy J; Crespo-Diaz, Ruben J; Perez-Terzic, Carmen; Liu, Xiao-Ke; Miki, Takashi; Seino, Susumu; Behfar, Atta; Terzic, Andre

2008-10-01

Pathogenic causes underlying nonischemic cardiomyopathies are increasingly being resolved, yet repair therapies for these commonly heritable forms of heart failure are lacking. A case in point is human dilated cardiomyopathy 10 (CMD10; Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man #608569), a progressive organ dysfunction syndrome refractory to conventional therapies and linked to mutations in cardiac ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channel subunits. Embryonic stem cell therapy demonstrates benefit in ischemic heart disease, but the reparative capacity of this allogeneic regenerative cell source has not been tested in inherited cardiomyopathy. Here, in a Kir6.2-knockout model lacking functional K(ATP) channels, we recapitulated under the imposed stress of pressure overload the gene-environment substrate of CMD10. Salient features of the human malignant heart failure phenotype were reproduced, including compromised contractility, ventricular dilatation, and poor survival. Embryonic stem cells were delivered through the epicardial route into the left ventricular wall of cardiomyopathic stressed Kir6.2-null mutants. At 1 month of therapy, transplantation of 200,000 cells per heart achieved teratoma-free reversal of systolic dysfunction and electrical synchronization and halted maladaptive remodeling, thereby preventing end-stage organ failure. Tracked using the lacZ reporter transgene, stem cells engrafted into host heart. Beyond formation of cardiac tissue positive for Kir6.2, transplantation induced cell cycle activation and halved fibrotic zones, normalizing sarcomeric and gap junction organization within remuscularized hearts. Improved systemic function induced by stem cell therapy translated into increased stamina, absence of anasarca, and benefit to overall survivorship. Embryonic stem cells thus achieve functional repair in nonischemic genetic cardiomyopathy, expanding indications to the therapy of heritable heart failure. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is

Defined culture medium for stem cell differentiation: applicability of serum-free conditions in the mouse embryonic stem cell test.

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Riebeling, Christian; Schlechter, Katharina; Buesen, Roland; Spielmann, Horst; Luch, Andreas; Seiler, Andrea

2011-06-01

The embryonic stem cell test (EST) is a validated method to assess the developmental toxicity potency of chemicals. It was developed to reduce animal use and allow faster testing for hazard assessment. The cells used in this method are maintained and differentiated in media containing foetal calf serum. This animal product is of considerable variation in quality, and individual batches require extensive testing for their applicability in the EST. Moreover, its production involves a large number of foetuses and possible animal suffering. We demonstrate the serum-free medium and feeder cell-free maintenance of the mouse embryonic stem cell line D3 and investigate the use of specific growth factors for induction of cardiac differentiation. Using a combination of bone morphogenetic protein-2, bone morphogenetic protein-4, activin A and ascorbic acid, embryoid bodies efficiently differentiated into contracting myocardium. Additionally, examining levels of intracellular marker proteins by flow cytometry not only confirmed differentiation into cardiomyocytes, but demonstrated significant differentiation into neuronal cells in the same time frame. Thus, this approach might allow for simultaneous detection of developmental effects on both early mesodermal and neuroectodermal differentiation. The serum-free conditions for maintenance and differentiation of D3 cells described here enhance the transferability and standardisation and hence the performance of the EST. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioengineering Embryonic Stem Cell Microenvironments for the Study of Breast Cancer

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Yubing Xie

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Breast cancer is the most prevalent disease amongst women worldwide and metastasis is the main cause of death due to breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer cells and embryonic stem (ES cells display similar characteristics. However, unlike metastatic breast cancer cells, ES cells are nonmalignant. Furthermore, embryonic microenvironments have the potential to convert metastatic breast cancer cells into a less invasive phenotype. The creation of in vitro embryonic microenvironments will enable better understanding of ES cell-breast cancer cell interactions, help elucidate tumorigenesis, and lead to the restriction of breast cancer metastasis. In this article, we will present the characteristics of breast cancer cells and ES cells as well as their microenvironments, importance of embryonic microenvironments in inhibiting tumorigenesis, convergence of tumorigenic and embryonic signaling pathways, and state of the art in bioengineering embryonic microenvironments for breast cancer research. Additionally, the potential application of bioengineered embryonic microenvironments for the prevention and treatment of invasive breast cancer will be discussed.

High glucose suppresses embryonic stem cell differentiation into neural lineage cells

OpenAIRE

Yang, Penghua; Shen, Wei-bin; Reece, E. Albert; Chen, Xi; Yang, Peixin

2016-01-01

Abnormal neurogenesis occurs during embryonic development in human diabetic pregnancies and in animal models of diabetic embryopathy. Our previous studies in a mouse model of diabetic embryopathy have implicated that high glucose of maternal diabetes delays neurogenesis in the developing neuroepithelium leading to neural tube defects. However, the underlying process in high glucose-impaired neurogenesis is uncharacterized. Neurogenesis from embryonic stem (ES) cells provides a valuable model ...

A feeder-free, human plasma-derived hydrogel for maintenance of a human embryonic stem cell phenotype in vitro

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Lewis Fiona C

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs represent a tremendous resource for cell therapies and the study of human development; however to maintain their undifferentiated state in vitro they routinely require the use of mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF feeder-layers and exogenous protein media supplementation. Results These well established requirements can be overcome and in this study, it will be demonstrated that phenotypic stability of hESCs can be maintained using a novel, human plasma protein-based hydrogel as an extracellular culture matrix without the use of feeder cell co-culture. hESCs were resuspended in human platelet poor plasma (PPP, which was gelled by the addition of calcium containing DMEM-based hESC culture medium. Phenotypic and genomic expression of the pluripotency markers OCT4, NANOG and SOX2 were measured using immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR respectively. Typical hESC morphology was demonstrated throughout in vitro culture and both viability and phenotypic stability were maintained throughout extended culture, up to 25 passages. Conclusions PPP-derived hydrogel has demonstrated to be an efficacious alternative to MEF co-culture with its hydrophilicity allowing for this substrate to be delivered via minimally invasive procedures in a liquid phase with polymerization ensuing in situ. Together this provides a novel technique for the study of this unique group of stem cells in either 2D or 3D both in vitro and in vivo.

Generation of eggs from mouse embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

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Hayashi, Katsuhiko; Saitou, Mitinori

2013-08-01

Oogenesis is an integrated process through which an egg acquires the potential for totipotency, a fundamental condition for creating new individuals. Reconstitution of oogenesis in a culture that generates eggs with proper function from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) is therefore one of the key goals in basic biology as well as in reproductive medicine. Here we describe a stepwise protocol for the generation of eggs from mouse PSCs, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). ESCs and iPSCs are first induced into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) that are in turn aggregated with somatic cells of female embryonic gonads, the precursors for adult ovaries. Induction of PGCLCs followed by aggregation with the somatic cells takes up to 8 d. The aggregations are then transplanted under the ovarian bursa, in which PGCLCs grow into germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes in ∼1 month. The PGCLC-derived GV oocytes can be matured into eggs in 1 d by in vitro maturation (IVM), and they can be fertilized with spermatozoa by in vitro fertilization (IVF) to obtain healthy and fertile offspring. This method provides an initial step toward reconstitution of the entire process of oogenesis in vitro.

A practical guide for the identification of membrane and plasma membrane proteins in human embryonic stem cells and human embryonal carcinoma cells.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dormeyer, W.; van Hoof, D.; Mummery, C.L.; Krijgsveld, J.; Heck, A.

2008-01-01

The identification of (plasma) membrane proteins in cells can provide valuable insights into the regulation of their biological processes. Pluripotent cells such as human embryonic stem cells and embryonal carcinoma cells are capable of unlimited self-renewal and share many of the biological

Deciphering the Epigenetic Code in Embryonic and Dental Pulp Stem Cells

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Bayarsaihan, Dashzeveg

2016-01-01

A close cooperation between chromatin states, transcriptional modulation, and epigenetic modifications is required for establishing appropriate regulatory circuits underlying self-renewal and differentiation of adult and embryonic stem cells. A growing body of research has established that the epigenome topology provides a structural framework for engaging genes in the non-random chromosomal interactions to orchestrate complex processes such as cell-matrix interactions, cell adhesion and cell migration during lineage commitment. Over the past few years, the functional dissection of the epigenetic landscape has become increasingly important for understanding gene expression dynamics in stem cells naturally found in most tissues. Adult stem cells of the human dental pulp hold great promise for tissue engineering, particularly in the skeletal and tooth regenerative medicine. It is therefore likely that progress towards pulp regeneration will have a substantial impact on the clinical research. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding epigenetic cues that have evolved to regulate the pluripotent differentiation potential of embryonic stem cells and the lineage determination of developing dental pulp progenitors. PMID:28018144

Dynamic heterogeneity and DNA methylation in embryonic stem cells.

KAUST Repository

Singer, Zakary S

2014-07-01

Cell populations can be strikingly heterogeneous, composed of multiple cellular states, each exhibiting stochastic noise in its gene expression. A major challenge is to disentangle these two types of variability and to understand the dynamic processes and mechanisms that control them. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) provide an ideal model system to address this issue because they exhibit heterogeneous and dynamic expression of functionally important regulatory factors. We analyzed gene expression in individual ESCs using single-molecule RNA-FISH and quantitative time-lapse movies. These data discriminated stochastic switching between two coherent (correlated) gene expression states and burst-like transcriptional noise. We further showed that the "2i" signaling pathway inhibitors modulate both types of variation. Finally, we found that DNA methylation plays a key role in maintaining these metastable states. Together, these results show how ESC gene expression states and dynamics arise from a combination of intrinsic noise, coherent cellular states, and epigenetic regulation.

Different concentrations of kaempferol distinctly modulate murine embryonic stem cell function.

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Correia, Marcelo; Rodrigues, Ana S; Perestrelo, Tânia; Pereira, Sandro L; Ribeiro, Marcelo F; Sousa, Maria I; Ramalho-Santos, João

2016-01-01

Kaempferol (3,4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonoid with several beneficial and protective effects. It has been demonstrated that kaempferol has anticancer properties, particularly due to its effects on proliferation, apoptosis and the cell cycle. However, possible effects on pluripotent embryonic stem cell function have not yet been addressed. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into all three germ layers with potential applications in regenerative medicine and in vitro toxicology. We show that exposure of murine embryonic stem cells (mESC) to high concentrations of kaempferol (200 μM) leads to decreased cell numbers, although the resulting smaller cell colonies remain pluripotent. However, lower concentrations of this compound (20 μM) increase the expression of pluripotency markers in mESCs. Mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial mass are not affected, but a dose-dependent increase in apoptosis takes place. Moreover, mESC differentiation is impaired by kaempferol, which was not related to apoptosis induction. Our results show that low concentrations of kaempferol can be beneficial for pluripotency, but inhibit proper differentiation of mESCs. Additionally, high concentrations induce apoptosis and increase mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Notch signaling activation in human embryonic stem cells is required for embryonic but not trophoblastic lineage commitment

OpenAIRE

Yu, Xiaobing; Zou, Jizhong; Ye, Zhaohui; Hammond, Holly; Chen, Guibin; Tokunaga, Akinori; Mali, Prashant; Li, Yue-Ming; Civin, Curt; Gaiano, Nicholas; Cheng, Linzhao

2008-01-01

The Notch signaling pathway plays important roles in cell fate determination during embryonic development and adult life. In this study, we focus on the role of Notch signaling in governing cell fate choices in human embryonic stem (hES) cells. Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, we achieved both blockade and conditional activation of Notch signaling in several hES cell lines. We report here that activation of Notch signaling is required for undifferentiated hES cells to form the pr...

Contribution of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Chimeras through Injection and Coculture of Embryos

OpenAIRE

Guo, Jitong; Wu, Baojiang; Li, Shuyu; Bao, Siqin; Zhao, Lixia; Hu, Shuxiang; Sun, Wei; Su, Jie; Dai, Yanfeng; Li, Xihe

2014-01-01

Blastocyst injection and morula aggregation are commonly used to evaluate stem cell pluripotency based on chimeric contribution of the stem cells. To assess the protocols for generating chimeras from stem cells, 8-cell mouse embryos were either injected or cocultured with mouse embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, respectively. Although a significantly higher chimera rate resulted from blastocyst injection, the highest germline contribution resulted from injection of 8-cel...

Cell-type-specific predictive network yields novel insights into mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal and cell fate.

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Karen G Dowell

Full Text Available Self-renewal, the ability of a stem cell to divide repeatedly while maintaining an undifferentiated state, is a defining characteristic of all stem cells. Here, we clarify the molecular foundations of mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC self-renewal by applying a proven Bayesian network machine learning approach to integrate high-throughput data for protein function discovery. By focusing on a single stem-cell system, at a specific developmental stage, within the context of well-defined biological processes known to be active in that cell type, we produce a consensus predictive network that reflects biological reality more closely than those made by prior efforts using more generalized, context-independent methods. In addition, we show how machine learning efforts may be misled if the tissue specific role of mammalian proteins is not defined in the training set and circumscribed in the evidential data. For this study, we assembled an extensive compendium of mESC data: ∼2.2 million data points, collected from 60 different studies, under 992 conditions. We then integrated these data into a consensus mESC functional relationship network focused on biological processes associated with embryonic stem cell self-renewal and cell fate determination. Computational evaluations, literature validation, and analyses of predicted functional linkages show that our results are highly accurate and biologically relevant. Our mESC network predicts many novel players involved in self-renewal and serves as the foundation for future pluripotent stem cell studies. This network can be used by stem cell researchers (at http://StemSight.org to explore hypotheses about gene function in the context of self-renewal and to prioritize genes of interest for experimental validation.

TET2 deficiency inhibits mesoderm and hematopoietic differentiation in human embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langlois, Thierry; da Costa Reis Monte Mor, Barbara; Lenglet, Gaëlle

2014-01-01

. Here, we show that TET2 expression is low in human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines and increases during hematopoietic differentiation. ShRNA-mediated TET2 knockdown had no effect on the pluripotency of various ES cells. However, it skewed their differentiation into neuroectoderm at the expense...... profile, including abnormal expression of neuronal genes. Intriguingly, when TET2 was knockdown in hematopoietic cells, it increased hematopoietic development. In conclusion, our work suggests that TET2 is involved in different stages of human embryonic development, including induction of the mesoderm...... and hematopoietic differentiation. Stem Cells 2014....

Which bank? A guardian model for regulation of embryonic stem cell research in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

McLennan, A

2007-08-01

In late 2005 the Legislation Review: Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002 (Cth) and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 (Cth) recommended the establishment of an Australian stem cell bank. This article aims to address a lack of discussion of issues surrounding stem cell banking by suggesting possible answers to the questions of whether Australia should establish a stem cell bank and what its underlying philosophy and functions should be. Answers are developed through an analysis of regulatory, scientific and intellectual property issues relating to embryonic stem cell research in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. This includes a detailed analysis of the United Kingdom Stem Cell Bank. It is argued that a "guardian" model stem cell bank should be established in Australia. This bank would aim to promote the maximum public benefit from human embryonic stem cell research by providing careful regulatory oversight and addressing ethical issues, while also facilitating research by addressing practical scientific concerns and intellectual property issues.

Differentiate or Die: 3-Bromopyruvate and Pluripotency in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

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Ana Sofia Rodrigues

Full Text Available Pluripotent embryonic stem cells grown under standard conditions (ESC have a markedly glycolytic profile, which is shared with many different types of cancer cells. Thus, some therapeutic strategies suggest that pharmacologically shifting cancer cells towards an oxidative phenotype, using glycolysis inhibitors, may reduce cancer aggressiveness. Given the metabolic parallels between cancer and stemness would chemotherapeutical agents have an effect on pluripotency, and could a strategy involving these agents be envisioned to modulate stem cell fate in an accessible manner? In this manuscript we attempted to determine the effects of 3-bromopyruvate (3BrP in pluripotency. Although it has other intracellular targets, this compound is a potent inhibitor of glycolysis enzymes thought to be important to maintain a glycolytic profile. The goal was also to determine if we could contribute towards a pharmacologically accessible metabolic strategy to influence cell differentiation.Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC grown under standard pluripotency conditions (in the presence of Leukemia Inducing Factor- LIF were treated with 3BrP. As a positive control for differentiation other mESCs were grown without LIF. Overall our results demonstrate that 3BrP negatively affects pluripotency, forcing cells to become less glycolytic and with more active mitochondria. These changes in metabolism are correlated with increased differentiation, even under pluripotency conditions (i.e. in the presence of LIF. However, 3BrP also significantly impaired cell function, and may have other roles besides affecting the metabolic profile of mESCs.Treatment of mESCs with 3BrP triggered a metabolic switch and loss of pluripotency, even in the presence of LIF. Interestingly, the positive control for differentiation allowed for a distinction between 3BrP effects and changes associated with spontaneous differentiation/loss of pluripotency in the absence of LIF. Additionally, there was a

Differentiate or Die: 3-Bromopyruvate and Pluripotency in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Ana Sofia; Pereira, Sandro L; Correia, Marcelo; Gomes, Andreia; Perestrelo, Tânia; Ramalho-Santos, João

2015-01-01

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells grown under standard conditions (ESC) have a markedly glycolytic profile, which is shared with many different types of cancer cells. Thus, some therapeutic strategies suggest that pharmacologically shifting cancer cells towards an oxidative phenotype, using glycolysis inhibitors, may reduce cancer aggressiveness. Given the metabolic parallels between cancer and stemness would chemotherapeutical agents have an effect on pluripotency, and could a strategy involving these agents be envisioned to modulate stem cell fate in an accessible manner? In this manuscript we attempted to determine the effects of 3-bromopyruvate (3BrP) in pluripotency. Although it has other intracellular targets, this compound is a potent inhibitor of glycolysis enzymes thought to be important to maintain a glycolytic profile. The goal was also to determine if we could contribute towards a pharmacologically accessible metabolic strategy to influence cell differentiation. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) grown under standard pluripotency conditions (in the presence of Leukemia Inducing Factor- LIF) were treated with 3BrP. As a positive control for differentiation other mESCs were grown without LIF. Overall our results demonstrate that 3BrP negatively affects pluripotency, forcing cells to become less glycolytic and with more active mitochondria. These changes in metabolism are correlated with increased differentiation, even under pluripotency conditions (i.e. in the presence of LIF). However, 3BrP also significantly impaired cell function, and may have other roles besides affecting the metabolic profile of mESCs. Treatment of mESCs with 3BrP triggered a metabolic switch and loss of pluripotency, even in the presence of LIF. Interestingly, the positive control for differentiation allowed for a distinction between 3BrP effects and changes associated with spontaneous differentiation/loss of pluripotency in the absence of LIF. Additionally, there was a slight

Generation of a Nrf2 homozygous knockout human embryonic stem cell line using CRISPR/Cas9

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So-Jung Kim

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2 or Nrf2 is a well-known transcription factor that regulates the expression of a large number of anti-oxidant genes in mammalian cells (J.H. Kim et al., 2014. Here, we generated a homozygous Nrf2 knockout human embryonic stem cell (hESC line, H9Nrf2KO-A13, using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing method. The Nrf2 homozygous knockout H9 cell line maintains pluripotency, differentiation potential into three germ layers, and a normal karyotype.

Toward Development of Pluripotent Porcine Stem Cells by Road Mapping Early Embryonic Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petkov, Stoyan; Freude, Kristine; Mashayekhi-Nezamabadi, Kaveh

2017-01-01

The lack in production of bona fide porcine pluripotent stem cells has definitely been hampered by a lack of research into porcine embryo development. Embryonic development in mammals is the extraordinary transition of a single-celled fertilized zygote into a complex fetus, which occurs...... in the uterus of the maternal adult during the early stages of gestation. Biomedical pig models could serve as genetic backgrounds for establishment of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or other pluripotent stem cells (such as iPSC), which may be used to model and study diseases in vitro. This chapter provides...... insight into the current knowledge of pluripotent states in the developing pig embryo and the current status in establishment of bona fide porcine ESC (pESC) and piPSCs. It reflects the potential causes underlying the difficulty in establishing pluripotent stem cells and reviews recent data on global...

Chondroitin Sulfate Is Indispensable for Pluripotency and Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Izumikawa, Tomomi; Sato, Ban; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans are present on the surfaces of virtually all cells and in the extracellular matrix and are required for cytokinesis at early developmental stages. Studies have shown that heparan sulfate (HS) is essential for maintaining mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that are primed for differentiation, whereas the function of CS has not yet been elucidated. To clarify the role of CS, we generated glucuronyltransferase-I-knockout ESCs lacking CS. We found that CS was required to maintain the pluripotency of ESCs and promoted initial ESC commitment to differentiation compared with HS. In addition, CS-A and CS-E polysaccharides, but not CS-C polysaccharides, bound to E-cadherin and enhanced ESC differentiation. Multiple-lineage differentiation was inhibited in chondroitinase ABC-digested wild-type ESCs. Collectively, these results suggest that CS is a novel determinant in controlling the functional integrity of ESCs via binding to E-cadherin.

Gene function in early mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation

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Campbell Pearl A

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Little is known about the genes that drive embryonic stem cell differentiation. However, such knowledge is necessary if we are to exploit the therapeutic potential of stem cells. To uncover the genetic determinants of mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC differentiation, we have generated and analyzed 11-point time-series of DNA microarray data for three biologically equivalent but genetically distinct mESC lines (R1, J1, and V6.5 undergoing undirected differentiation into embryoid bodies (EBs over a period of two weeks. Results We identified the initial 12 hour period as reflecting the early stages of mESC differentiation and studied probe sets showing consistent changes of gene expression in that period. Gene function analysis indicated significant up-regulation of genes related to regulation of transcription and mRNA splicing, and down-regulation of genes related to intracellular signaling. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the genes showing the largest expression changes were more likely to have originated in metazoans. The probe sets with the most consistent gene changes in the three cell lines represented 24 down-regulated and 12 up-regulated genes, all with closely related human homologues. Whereas some of these genes are known to be involved in embryonic developmental processes (e.g. Klf4, Otx2, Smn1, Socs3, Tagln, Tdgf1, our analysis points to others (such as transcription factor Phf21a, extracellular matrix related Lama1 and Cyr61, or endoplasmic reticulum related Sc4mol and Scd2 that have not been previously related to mESC function. The majority of identified functions were related to transcriptional regulation, intracellular signaling, and cytoskeleton. Genes involved in other cellular functions important in ESC differentiation such as chromatin remodeling and transmembrane receptors were not observed in this set. Conclusion Our analysis profiles for the first time gene expression at a very early stage of m

Embryonic stem cells and prospects for their use in regenerative medicine approaches to motor neurone disease.

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Christou, Y A; Moore, H D; Shaw, P J; Monk, P N

2007-10-01

Human embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells with the potential to differentiate into any cell type in the presence of appropriate stimulatory factors and environmental cues. Their broad developmental potential has led to valuable insights into the principles of developmental and cell biology and to the proposed use of human embryonic stem cells or their differentiated progeny in regenerative medicine. This review focuses on the prospects for the use of embryonic stem cells in cell-based therapy for motor neurone disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that specifically affects upper and lower motor neurones and leads ultimately to death from respiratory failure. Stem cell-derived motor neurones could conceivably be used to replace the degenerated cells, to provide authentic substrates for drug development and screening and for furthering our understanding of disease mechanisms. However, to reliably and accurately culture motor neurones, the complex pathways by which differentiation occurs in vivo must be understood and reiterated in vitro by embryonic stem cells. Here we discuss the need for new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of motor neurone disease, the developmental processes that result in motor neurone formation in vivo, a number of experimental approaches to motor neurone production in vitro and recent progress in the application of stem cells to the treatment and understanding of motor neurone disease.

In vitro generation of motor neuron precursors from mouse embryonic stem cells using mesoporous nanoparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garcia-Bennett, Alfonso E; König, Niclas; Abrahamsson, Ninnie

2014-01-01

nanoparticles could be effective for stem cell differentiation in vitro. Materials & methods: We used a mouse embryonic stem cell line expressing green fluorescent protein under the promoter for the MN-specific gene Hb9 to visualize the level of MN differentiation. The differentiation of stem cells......Aim: Stem cell-derived motor neurons (MNs) are utilized to develop replacement strategies for spinal cord disorders. Differentiation of embryonic stem cells into MN precursors involves factors and their repeated administration. We investigated if delivery of factors loaded into mesoporous...... was evaluated by expression of MN-specific transcription factors monitored by quantitative real-time PCR reactions and immunocytochemistry. Results: Mesoporous nanoparticles have strong affiliation to the embryoid bodies, penetrate inside the embryoid bodies and come in contact with differentiating cells...

wnt3a but not wnt11 supports self-renewal of embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singla, Dinender K.; Schneider, David J.; LeWinter, Martin M.; Sobel, Burton E.

2006-01-01

wnt proteins (wnts) promote both differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic cells and self-renewal of haematopoietic stem cells. Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells can be maintained and self-renew on mouse feeder cell layers or in media containing leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). However, the effects of wnts on ES cells self-renewal and differentiation are not clearly understood. In the present study, we found that conditioned medium prepared from L cells expressing wnt3a can replace feeder cell layers and medium containing LIF in maintaining ES cells in the proliferation without differentiation (self-renewal) state. By contrast, conditioned medium from NIH3T3 cells expressing wnt11 did not. Alkaline phosphatase staining and compact colony formation were used as criteria of cells being in the undifferentiated state. ES cells maintained in medium conditioned by Wnt3a expressing cells underwent freezing and thawing while maintaining properties seen with LIF maintained ES cells. Purified wnt3a did not maintain self-renewal of ES cells for prolonged intervals. Thus, other factors in the medium conditioned by wnt3a expressing cells may have contributed to maintenance of ES cells in a self-renewal state. Pluripotency of ES cells was determined with the use of embryoid bodies in vitro. PD98059, a MEK specific inhibitor, promoted the growth of undifferentiated ES cells maintained in conditioned medium from wnt3a expressing cells. By contrast, the P38 MAPK inhibitor SB230580 did not, suggesting a role for the MEK pathway in self-renewal and differentiation of ES cells maintained in the wnt3a cell conditioned medium. Thus, our results show that conditioned medium from wnt3a but not wnt11 expressing cells can maintain ES cells in self-renewal and in a pluripotent state

[Embryonic stem cells. Future perspectives].

Science.gov (United States)

Groebner, M; David, R; Franz, W M

2006-05-01

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are able to differentiate into any cell type, and therefore represent an excellent source for cellular replacement therapies in the case of widespread diseases, for example heart failure, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury. A major prerequisite for their efficient and safe clinical application is the availability of pure populations for direct cell transplantation or tissue engineering as well as the immunological compatibility of the transplanted cells. The expression of human surface markers under the control of cell type specific promoters represents a promising approach for the selection of cardiomyocytes and other cell types for therapeutic applications. The first human clinical trial using ES cells will start in the United States this year.

Comprehensive quantitative comparison of the membrane proteome and PTM-ome of human embryonic stem cells and neural stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Braga, Marcella Nunes de Melo; Schulz, Melanie; Jakobsen, Lene

Introduction: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can differentiate into all three germ layers and self-renew. Due to its ability to differentiate in vitro into human neural stem cells (hNSCs), which can further be differentiated into motor neurons and dopaminergic neurons, these cells are potential...... identified phosphorylated and SA glycosylated proteins, respectively. This study allowed us to identify several significantly regulated proteins during the differentiation process, including proteins involved in the early embryonic development as well as in the neural development. In the latter group...... of proteins we could identify a number of proteins associated with synaptic vesicles, which are vesicles that store neurotransmitters in the nerve-terminals. An example of an upregulated protein in hESCs is the gap junction alpha 1 (GJA1), a phosphorylated protein which plays a crucial role in embryonic...

Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Ventral Foregut Precursors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rothová, Michaela; Hölzenspies, Jurriaan J; Livigni, Alessandra

2016-01-01

Anterior definitive endoderm (ADE), the ventral foregut precursor, is both an important embryonic signaling center and a unique multipotent precursor of liver, pancreas, and other organs. Here, a method is described for the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to definitive...... endoderm with pronounced anterior character. ADE-containing cultures can be produced in vitro by suspension (embryoid body) culture or in a serum-free adherent monolayer culture. ESC-derived ADE cells are committed to endodermal fates and can undergo further differentiation in vitro towards ventral foregut...

Human fetal liver stromal cells that overexpress bFGF support growth and maintenance of human embryonic stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiafei Xi

Full Text Available In guiding hES cell technology toward the clinic, one key issue to be addressed is to culture and maintain hES cells much more safely and economically in large scale. In order to avoid using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs we isolated human fetal liver stromal cells (hFLSCs from 14 weeks human fetal liver as new human feeder cells. hFLSCs feeders could maintain hES cells for 15 passages (about 100 days. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF is known to play an important role in promoting self-renewal of human embryonic stem (hES cells. So, we established transgenic hFLSCs that stably express bFGF by lentiviral vectors. These transgenic human feeder cells--bFGF-hFLSCs maintained the properties of H9 hES cells without supplementing with any exogenous growth factors. H9 hES cells culturing under these conditions maintained all hES cell features after prolonged culture, including the developmental potential to differentiate into representative tissues of all three embryonic germ layers, unlimited and undifferentiated proliferative ability, and maintenance of normal karyotype. Our results demonstrated that bFGF-hFLSCs feeder cells were central to establishing the signaling network among bFGF, insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2, and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β, thereby providing the framework in which hES cells were instructed to self-renew or to differentiate. We also found that the conditioned medium of bFGF-hFLSCs could maintain the H9 hES cells under feeder-free conditions without supplementing with bFGF. Taken together, bFGF-hFLSCs had great potential as feeders for maintaining pluripotent hES cell lines more safely and economically.

Effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Differentiation of HUES-17 Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line

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Yi-Lin Wu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Electromagnetic fields are considered to potentially affect embryonic development, but the mechanism is still unknown. In this study, human embryonic stem cell (hESC line HUES-17 was applied to explore the mechanism of exposure on embryonic development to pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF for 400 pulses at different electric field intensities and the differentiation of HUES-17 cells was observed after PEMF exposure. The expression of alkaline phosphatase (AP, stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3, SSEA-4 and the mRNA level and protein level of Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog in HUES-17 cells remained unchanged after PEMF exposure at the electric field intensities of 50, 100, 200 or 400 kV/m. Four hundred pulses PEMF exposure at the electric field intensities of 50, 100, 200 or 400 kV/m did not affect the differentiation of HUES-17 cells. The reason why electromagnetic fields affect embryonic development may be due to other mechanisms rather than affecting the differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

Lineage-specific enhancers activate self-renewal genes in macrophages and embryonic stem cells.

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Soucie, Erinn L; Weng, Ziming; Geirsdóttir, Laufey; Molawi, Kaaweh; Maurizio, Julien; Fenouil, Romain; Mossadegh-Keller, Noushine; Gimenez, Gregory; VanHille, Laurent; Beniazza, Meryam; Favret, Jeremy; Berruyer, Carole; Perrin, Pierre; Hacohen, Nir; Andrau, J-C; Ferrier, Pierre; Dubreuil, Patrice; Sidow, Arend; Sieweke, Michael H

2016-02-12

Differentiated macrophages can self-renew in tissues and expand long term in culture, but the gene regulatory mechanisms that accomplish self-renewal in the differentiated state have remained unknown. Here we show that in mice, the transcription factors MafB and c-Maf repress a macrophage-specific enhancer repertoire associated with a gene network that controls self-renewal. Single-cell analysis revealed that, in vivo, proliferating resident macrophages can access this network by transient down-regulation of Maf transcription factors. The network also controls embryonic stem cell self-renewal but is associated with distinct embryonic stem cell-specific enhancers. This indicates that distinct lineage-specific enhancer platforms regulate a shared network of genes that control self-renewal potential in both stem and mature cells. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

14-3-3σ regulates β-catenin-mediated mouse embryonic stem cell proliferation by sequestering GSK-3β.

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Tzu-Ching Chang

Full Text Available Pluripotent embryonic stem cells are considered to be an unlimited cell source for tissue regeneration and cell-based therapy. Investigating the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of embryonic stem cell expansion is thus important. 14-3-3 proteins are implicated in controlling cell division, signaling transduction and survival by interacting with various regulatory proteins. However, the function of 14-3-3 in embryonic stem cell proliferation remains unclear.In this study, we show that all seven 14-3-3 isoforms were detected in mouse embryonic stem cells. Retinoid acid suppressed selectively the expression of 14-3-3σ isoform. Knockdown of 14-3-3σ with siRNA reduced embryonic stem cell proliferation, while only 14-3-3σ transfection increased cell growth and partially rescued retinoid acid-induced growth arrest. Since the growth-enhancing action of 14-3-3σ was abrogated by β-catenin knockdown, we investigated the influence of 14-3-3σ overexpression on β-catenin/GSK-3β. 14-3-3σ bound GSK-3β and increased GSK-3β phosphorylation in a PI-3K/Akt-dependent manner. It disrupted β-catenin binding by the multiprotein destruction complex. 14-3-3σ overexpression attenuated β-catenin phosphorylation and rescued the decline of β-catenin induced by retinoid acid. Furthermore, 14-3-3σ enhanced Wnt3a-induced β-catenin level and GSK-3β phosphorylation. DKK, an inhibitor of Wnt signaling, abolished Wnt3a-induced effect but did not interfere GSK-3β/14-3-3σ binding.Our findings show for the first time that 14-3-3σ plays an important role in regulating mouse embryonic stem cell proliferation by binding and sequestering phosphorylated GSK-3β and enhancing Wnt-signaled GSK-3β inactivation. 14-3-3σ is a novel target for embryonic stem cell expansion.

Thalidomide induced early gene expression perturbations indicative of human embryopathy in mouse embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xiugong; Sprando, Robert L.; Yourick, Jeffrey J.

2015-01-01

Developmental toxicity testing has traditionally relied on animal models which are costly, time consuming, and require the sacrifice of large numbers of animals. In addition, there are significant disparities between human beings and animals in their responses to chemicals. Thalidomide is a species-specific developmental toxicant that causes severe limb malformations in humans but not in mice. Here, we used microarrays to study transcriptomic changes induced by thalidomide in an in vitro model based on differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). C57BL/6 mESCs were allowed to differentiate spontaneously and RNA was collected at 24, 48, and 72 h after exposure to 0.25 mM thalidomide. Global gene expression analysis using microarrays revealed hundreds of differentially expressed genes upon thalidomide exposure that were enriched in gene ontology (GO) terms and canonical pathways associated with embryonic development and differentiation. In addition, many genes were found to be involved in small GTPases-mediated signal transduction, heart development, and inflammatory responses, which coincide with clinical evidences and may represent critical embryotoxicities of thalidomide. These results demonstrate that transcriptomics in combination with mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation is a promising alternative model for developmental toxicity assessment. - Highlights: • Studied genomic changes in mouse embryonic stem cells upon thalidomide exposure • Identified gene expression changes that may represent thalidomide embryotoxicity • The toxicogenomic changes coincide well with known thalidomide clinical outcomes. • The mouse embryonic stem cell model is suitable for developmental toxicity testing. • The model has the potential for high-throughput screening of a multitude of compounds

Thalidomide induced early gene expression perturbations indicative of human embryopathy in mouse embryonic stem cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Xiugong, E-mail: xiugong.gao@fda.hhs.gov; Sprando, Robert L.; Yourick, Jeffrey J.

2015-08-15

Developmental toxicity testing has traditionally relied on animal models which are costly, time consuming, and require the sacrifice of large numbers of animals. In addition, there are significant disparities between human beings and animals in their responses to chemicals. Thalidomide is a species-specific developmental toxicant that causes severe limb malformations in humans but not in mice. Here, we used microarrays to study transcriptomic changes induced by thalidomide in an in vitro model based on differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). C57BL/6 mESCs were allowed to differentiate spontaneously and RNA was collected at 24, 48, and 72 h after exposure to 0.25 mM thalidomide. Global gene expression analysis using microarrays revealed hundreds of differentially expressed genes upon thalidomide exposure that were enriched in gene ontology (GO) terms and canonical pathways associated with embryonic development and differentiation. In addition, many genes were found to be involved in small GTPases-mediated signal transduction, heart development, and inflammatory responses, which coincide with clinical evidences and may represent critical embryotoxicities of thalidomide. These results demonstrate that transcriptomics in combination with mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation is a promising alternative model for developmental toxicity assessment. - Highlights: • Studied genomic changes in mouse embryonic stem cells upon thalidomide exposure • Identified gene expression changes that may represent thalidomide embryotoxicity • The toxicogenomic changes coincide well with known thalidomide clinical outcomes. • The mouse embryonic stem cell model is suitable for developmental toxicity testing. • The model has the potential for high-throughput screening of a multitude of compounds.

Subretinally transplanted embryonic stem cells rescue photoreceptor cells from degeneration in the RCS rats.

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Schraermeyer, U; Thumann, G; Luther, T; Kociok, N; Armhold, S; Kruttwig, K; Andressen, C; Addicks, K; Bartz-Schmidt, K U

2001-01-01

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat is an animal model for retinal degeneration such as the age-related macular degeneration. The RCS rat undergoes a progressive retinal degeneration during the early postnatal period. A potential treatment to prevent this retinal degeneration is the transplantation into the subretinal space of cells that would replace functions of the degenerating retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells or may form neurotrophic factors. In this study we have investigated the potential of subretinally transplanted embryonic stem cells to prevent the genetically determined photoreceptor cell degeneration in the RCS rat. Embryonic stem cells from the inner cell mass of the mouse blastocyst were allowed to differentiate to neural precursor cells in vitro and were then transplanted into the subretinal space of 20-day-old RCS rats. Transplanted and sham-operated rats were sacrificed 2 months following cell transplantation. The eyes were enucleated and photoreceptor degeneration was quantified by analyzing and determining the thickness of the outer nuclear layer by light and electron microscopy. In the eyes transplanted with embryonic cells up to 8 rows of photoreceptor cell nuclei were observed, whereas in nontreated control eyes the outer nuclear layer had degenerated completely. Transplantation of embryonic stem cells appears to delay photoreceptor cell degeneration in RCS rats.

Involvement of extracellular factors in maintaining self-renewal of neural stem cell by nestin.

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Di, Chun Guang; Xiang, Andy Peng; Jia, Lei; Liu, Jun Feng; Lahn, Bruce T; Ma, Bao Feng

2014-07-09

Nestin knockout leads to embryonic lethality and self-renewal deficiency in neural stem cells (NSCs). However, how nestin maintains self-renewal remains uncertain. Here, we used the dosage effect of nestin in heterozygous mice (Nes+/-) to study self-renewal of NSCs. With existing extracellular signaling in vivo or in vitro, nestin levels do not affect proliferation ability or apoptosis when compared between Nes+/- and Nes+/+ NSCs. However, self-renewal ability of Nes+/- NSCs is impaired when plated at a low cell density and completely lost at a clonal density. This deficiency in self-renewal at a clonal density is rescued using a medium conditioned by Nes+/+ NSCs. In addition, the Akt signaling pathway is altered at low density and reversed by conditioned medium. Our data show that secreted factors contribute toward maintaining self-renewal of NSCs by nestin, potentially through Akt signaling.

Embryonic stem cell-like cells derived from adult human testis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mizrak, S. C.; Chikhovskaya, J. V.; Sadri-Ardekani, H.; van Daalen, S.; Korver, C. M.; Hovingh, S. E.; Roepers-Gajadien, H. L.; Raya, A.; Fluiter, K.; de Reijke, Th M.; de la Rosette, J. J. M. C. H.; Knegt, A. C.; Belmonte, J. C.; van der Veen, F.; de rooij, D. G.; Repping, S.; van Pelt, A. M. M.

2010-01-01

Given the significant drawbacks of using human embryonic stem (hES) cells for regenerative medicine, the search for alternative sources of multipotent cells is ongoing. Studies in mice have shown that multipotent ES-like cells can be derived from neonatal and adult testis. Here we report the

Derivation and characterisation of the human embryonic stem cell lines, NOTT1 and NOTT2.

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Priddle, Helen; Allegrucci, Cinzia; Burridge, Paul; Munoz, Maria; Smith, Nigel M; Devlin, Lyndsey; Sjoblom, Cecilia; Chamberlain, Sarah; Watson, Sue; Young, Lorraine E; Denning, Chris

2010-04-01

The ability to maintain human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) during long-term culture and yet induce differentiation to multiple lineages potentially provides a novel approach to address various biomedical problems. Here, we describe derivation of hESC lines, NOTT1 and NOTT2, from human blastocysts graded as 3BC and 3CB, respectively. Both lines were successfully maintained as colonies by mechanical passaging on mouse embryonic feeder cells or as monolayers by trypsin-passaging in feeder-free conditions on Matrigel. Undifferentiated cells retained expression of pluripotency markers (OCT4, NANOG, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81), a stable karyotype during long-term culture and could be transfected efficiently with plasmid DNA and short interfering RNA. Differentiation via formation of embryoid bodies resulted in expression of genes associated with early germ layers and terminal lineage specification. The electrophysiology of spontaneously beating NOTT1-derived cardiomyocytes was recorded and these cells were shown to be pharmacologically responsive. Histological examination of teratomas formed by in vivo differentiation of both lines in severe immunocompromised mice showed complex structures including cartilage or smooth muscle (mesoderm), luminal epithelium (endoderm) and neuroectoderm (ectoderm). These observations show that NOTT1 and NOTT2 display the accepted characteristics of hESC pluripotency.

Gelatin–PMVE/MA composite scaffold promotes expansion of embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chhabra, Hemlata; Gupta, Priyanka; Verma, Paul J.; Jadhav, Sameer; Bellare, Jayesh R.

2014-01-01

We introduce a new composite scaffold of gelatin and polymethyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride (PMVE/MA) for expansion of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in an in vitro environment. To optimize the scaffold, we prepared a gelatin scaffold (G) and three composite scaffolds namely GP-1, GP-2, and GP-3 with varying PMVE/MA concentrations (0.2–1%) and characterized them by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), swelling study, compression testing and FTIR. SEM micrographs revealed interconnected porous structure in all the scaffolds. The permissible hemolysis ratio and activation of platelets by scaffolds confirmed the hemocompatibility of scaffolds. Initial biocompatibility assessment of scaffolds was conducted using hepatocarcinoma (Hep G2) cells and adhesion, proliferation and infiltration of Hep G2 cells in depth of scaffolds were observed, proving the scaffold's biocompatibility. Further Oct4B2 mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), which harbor a green fluorescence protein transgene under regulatory control of the Oct4 promotor, were examined for expansion on scaffolds with MTT assay. The GP-2 scaffold demonstrated the best cell proliferation and was further explored for ESC adherence and infiltration in depth (SEM and confocal), and pluripotent state of mESCs was assessed with the expression of Oct4-GFP and stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1). This study reports the first demonstration of biocompatibility of gelatin–PMVE/MA composite scaffold and presents this scaffold as a promising candidate for embryonic stem cell based tissue engineering. - Highlights: • Composite scaffolds of gelatin and PMVE/MA were prepared by freeze-drying method. • SEM micrographs showed porous structure in all scaffolds of varying pore dimension. • GP-2 composite exhibited better cellular response in comparison to other scaffolds. • mESCs proliferated and expressed Oct-4 and SSEA-1, when cultured on GP-2 scaffold

Gelatin–PMVE/MA composite scaffold promotes expansion of embryonic stem cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chhabra, Hemlata [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai (India); Gupta, Priyanka [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai (India); IITB-Monash Research Academy, Mumbai (India); Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia); Verma, Paul J. [Turretfield Research Centre, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Rosedale, South Australia (Australia); Jadhav, Sameer; Bellare, Jayesh R. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai (India)

2014-04-01

We introduce a new composite scaffold of gelatin and polymethyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride (PMVE/MA) for expansion of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in an in vitro environment. To optimize the scaffold, we prepared a gelatin scaffold (G) and three composite scaffolds namely GP-1, GP-2, and GP-3 with varying PMVE/MA concentrations (0.2–1%) and characterized them by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), swelling study, compression testing and FTIR. SEM micrographs revealed interconnected porous structure in all the scaffolds. The permissible hemolysis ratio and activation of platelets by scaffolds confirmed the hemocompatibility of scaffolds. Initial biocompatibility assessment of scaffolds was conducted using hepatocarcinoma (Hep G2) cells and adhesion, proliferation and infiltration of Hep G2 cells in depth of scaffolds were observed, proving the scaffold's biocompatibility. Further Oct4B2 mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), which harbor a green fluorescence protein transgene under regulatory control of the Oct4 promotor, were examined for expansion on scaffolds with MTT assay. The GP-2 scaffold demonstrated the best cell proliferation and was further explored for ESC adherence and infiltration in depth (SEM and confocal), and pluripotent state of mESCs was assessed with the expression of Oct4-GFP and stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1). This study reports the first demonstration of biocompatibility of gelatin–PMVE/MA composite scaffold and presents this scaffold as a promising candidate for embryonic stem cell based tissue engineering. - Highlights: • Composite scaffolds of gelatin and PMVE/MA were prepared by freeze-drying method. • SEM micrographs showed porous structure in all scaffolds of varying pore dimension. • GP-2 composite exhibited better cellular response in comparison to other scaffolds. • mESCs proliferated and expressed Oct-4 and SSEA-1, when cultured on GP-2 scaffold.

Neural stem cells achieve and maintain pluripotency without feeder cells.

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Hyun Woo Choi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Differentiated cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotency by transduction of four defined transcription factors. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells are expected to be useful for regenerative medicine as well as basic research. Recently, the report showed that mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF cells are not essential for reprogramming. However, in using fibroblasts as donor cells for reprogramming, individual fibroblasts that had failed to reprogram could function as feeder cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: Here, we show that adult mouse neural stem cells (NSCs, which are not functional feeder cells, can be reprogrammed into iPS cells using defined four factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc under feeder-free conditions. The iPS cells, generated from NSCs expressing the Oct4-GFP reporter gene, could proliferate for more than two months (passage 20. Generated and maintained without feeder cells, these iPS cells expressed pluripotency markers (Oct4 and Nanog, the promoter regions of Oct4 and Nanog were hypomethylated, could differentiated into to all three germ layers in vitro, and formed a germline chimera. These data indicate that NSCs can achieve and maintain pluripotency under feeder-free conditions. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study suggested that factors secreted by feeder cells are not essential in the initial/early stages of reprogramming and for pluripotency maintenance. This technology might be useful for a human system, as a feeder-free reprogramming system may help generate iPS cells of a clinical grade for tissue or organ regeneration.

Generation of a constitutively expressing Tetracycline repressor (TetR human embryonic stem cell line BJNhem20-TetR

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Ronak Shetty

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cell line BJNhem20-TetR was generated using non-viral method. The construct pCAG-TetRnls was transfected using microporation procedure. BJNhem20-TetR can subsequently be transfected with any vector harbouring a TetO (Tet operator sequence to generate doxycycline based inducible line. For example, in human embryonic stem cells, the pSuperior based TetO system has been transfected into a TetR containing line to generate OCT4 knockdown cell line (Zafarana et al., 2009. Thus BJNhem20-TetR can be used as a tool to perturb gene expression in human embryonic stem cells.

Eighteen-Year Cryopreservation Does Not Negatively Affect the Pluripotency of Human Embryos: Evidence from Embryonic Stem Cell Derivation

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Rungsiwiwut, Ruttachuk; Numchaisrika, Pranee; Ahnonkitpanit, Vichuda; Isarasena, Nipan; Virutamasen, Pramuan

2012-01-01

Abstract Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are considered to be a potential source for the therapy of human diseases, drug screening, and the study of developmental biology. In the present study, we successfully derived hES cell lines from blastocysts developed from frozen and fresh embryos. Seventeen- to eighteen-year-old frozen embryos were thawed, cultured to the blastocyst stage, and induced to form hES cells using human foreskin fibroblasts. The Chula2.hES cell line and the Chula4.hES and Chula5.hES cell lines were derived from blastocysts developed from frozen and fresh embryos, respectively. The cell lines expressed pluripotent markers, including alkaline phosphatase (AP), Oct3/4, stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)-4, and tumor recognition antigen (TRA)-1-60 and TRA-1-81 as detected with immunocytochemistry. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results showed that the cell lines expressed pluripotent genes, including OCT3/4, SOX2, NANOG, UTF, LIN28, REX1, NODAL, and E-Cadherin. In addition, the telomerase activities of the cell lines were higher than in the fibroblast cells. Moreover, the cell lines differentiated into all three germ layers both in vitro and in vivo. The cell lines had distinct identities, as revealed with DNA fingerprinting, and maintained their normal karyotype after a long-term culture. This study is the first to report the successful derivation of hES cell lines in Thailand and that frozen embryos maintained their pluripotency similar to fresh embryos, as shown by the success of hES cell derivation, even after years of cryopreservation. Therefore, embryos from prolonged cryopreservation could be an alternative source for embryonic stem cell research. PMID:23514952

Lipofection improves gene targeting efficiency in E14 TG2a mouse embryonic stem cells

OpenAIRE

Sandra M. López-Heydeck

2009-01-01

Electroporation has been the method of election for transfection of murine embryonic stem cells for over 15 years; however, it is a time consuming protocol because it requires large amounts of DNA and cells, as well as expensive and delicate equipment. Lipofection is a transfection method that requires lower amounts of cells and DNA than electroporation, and has proven to be effi cient in a large number of cell lines. It has been shown that after lipofection, mouse embryonic stem cells remain...

From embryonic stem cells to testicular germ cell cancer-- should we be concerned?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Almstrup, Kristian; Sonne, Si Brask; Hoei-Hansen, Christina E

2006-01-01

that initial hypothesis but also indicating that CIS cells have a striking phenotypic similarity to embryonic stem cells (ESC). Many cancers have been proposed to originate from tissue-specific stem cells [so-called 'cancer stem cells' (CSC)] and we argue that CIS may be a very good example of a CSC......, but with exceptional features due to the retention of embryonic pluripotency. In addition, considering the fact that pre-invasive CIS cells are transformed from early fetal cells, possibly due to environmentally induced alterations of the niche, we discuss potential risks linked to the uncontrolled therapeutic use......Since the discovery of testicular carcinoma in situ (CIS) -- the precursor cell for the vast majority of germ cell tumours -- it has been proposed that CIS cells could be derived from transformed primordial germ cells or gonocytes. Here, we review recent discoveries not only substantiating...

Evaluation of a Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Adherent Cell Differentiation and Cytotoxicity (ACDC) assay (SOT)

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The Embryonic Stem Cell Test (EST) has been used to evaluate the effects of xenobiotics using three endpoints, stem cell differentiation, stem cell viability and 3T3-cell viability. Our research goal is to establish amodel system that would evaluate chemical effects using a singl...

Human embryonic stem cell lines model experimental human cytomegalovirus latency.

Science.gov (United States)

Penkert, Rhiannon R; Kalejta, Robert F

2013-05-28

Herpesviruses are highly successful pathogens that persist for the lifetime of their hosts primarily because of their ability to establish and maintain latent infections from which the virus is capable of productively reactivating. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a betaherpesvirus, establishes latency in CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells during natural infections in the body. Experimental infection of CD34(+) cells ex vivo has demonstrated that expression of the viral gene products that drive productive infection is silenced by an intrinsic immune defense mediated by Daxx and histone deacetylases through heterochromatinization of the viral genome during the establishment of latency. Additional mechanistic details about the establishment, let alone maintenance and reactivation, of HCMV latency remain scarce. This is partly due to the technical challenges of CD34(+) cell culture, most notably, the difficulty in preventing spontaneous differentiation that drives reactivation and renders them permissive for productive infection. Here we demonstrate that HCMV can establish, maintain, and reactivate in vitro from experimental latency in cultures of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), for which spurious differentiation can be prevented or controlled. Furthermore, we show that known molecular aspects of HCMV latency are faithfully recapitulated in these cells. In total, we present ESCs as a novel, tractable model for studies of HCMV latency.

Embryonic stem cells as an ectodermal cellular model of human p63-related dysplasia syndromes.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rostagno, P.; Wolchinsky, Z.; Vigano, A.M.; Shivtiel, S.; Zhou, Huiqing; Bokhoven, J.H.L.M. van; Ferone, G.; Missero, C.; Mantovani, R.; Aberdam, D.; Virolle, T.

2010-01-01

Heterozygous mutations in the TP63 transcription factor underlie the molecular basis of several similar autosomal dominant ectodermal dysplasia (ED) syndromes. Here we provide a novel cellular model derived from embryonic stem (ES) cells that recapitulates in vitro the main steps of embryonic skin

Three-Dimensional Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Hepatic Endoderm and Its Role in Bioartificial Liver Construction

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Ruchi Sharma

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The liver carries out a range of functions essential for bodily homeostasis. The impairment of liver functions has serious implications and is responsible for high rates of patient morbidity and mortality. Presently, liver transplantation remains the only effective treatment, but donor availability is a major limitation. Therefore, artificial and bioartificial liver devices have been developed to bridge patients to liver transplantation. Existing support devices improve hepatic encephalopathy to a certain extent; however their usage is associated with side effects. The major hindrance in the development of bioartificial liver devices and cellular therapies is the limited availability of human hepatocytes. Moreover, primary hepatocytes are difficult to maintain and lose hepatic identity and function over time even with sophisticated tissue culture media. To overcome this limitation, renewable cell sources are being explored. Human embryonic stem cells are one such cellular resource and have been shown to generate a reliable and reproducible supply of human hepatic endoderm. Therefore, the use of human embryonic stem cell-derived hepatic endoderm in combination with tissue engineering has the potential to pave the way for the development of novel bioartificial liver devices and predictive drug toxicity assays.

Procedures for Derivation and Characterisation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells from Odense, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harkness, Linda; Kassem, Moustapha

2012-01-01

In 1998, a development occurred in stem cell biology with the fi rst report of the derivation of a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line. Since then a number of techniques have been used to derive and characterise hESCs. Here, we describe the derivation methods used by our laboratory for isolatio...

Differential bone-forming capacity of osteogenic cells from either embryonic stem cells or bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Both, Sanne Karijn; van Apeldoorn, Aart A.; Jukes, J.M.; Englund, Mikael C.O.; Hyllner, Johan; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; de Boer, Jan

2011-01-01

For more than a decade, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been used in bone tissue-engineering research. More recently some of the focus in this field has shifted towards the use of embryonic stem cells. While it is well known that hMSCs are able to form bone when implanted subcutaneously in

Pluripotency transcription factors and Tet1/2 maintain Brd4-independent stem cell identity.

Science.gov (United States)

Finley, Lydia W S; Vardhana, Santosha A; Carey, Bryce W; Alonso-Curbelo, Direna; Koche, Richard; Chen, Yanyang; Wen, Duancheng; King, Bryan; Radler, Megan R; Rafii, Shahin; Lowe, Scott W; Allis, C David; Thompson, Craig B

2018-05-01

A robust network of transcription factors and an open chromatin landscape are hallmarks of the naive pluripotent state. Recently, the acetyllysine reader Brd4 has been implicated in stem cell maintenance, but the relative contribution of Brd4 to pluripotency remains unclear. Here, we show that Brd4 is dispensable for self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). When maintained in their ground state, ESCs retain transcription factor binding and chromatin accessibility independent of Brd4 function or expression. In metastable ESCs, Brd4 independence can be achieved by increased expression of pluripotency transcription factors, including STAT3, Nanog or Klf4, so long as the DNA methylcytosine oxidases Tet1 and Tet2 are present. These data reveal that Brd4 is not essential for ESC self-renewal. Rather, the levels of pluripotency transcription factor abundance and Tet1/2 function determine the extent to which bromodomain recognition of protein acetylation contributes to the maintenance of gene expression and cell identity.

Development of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis embryonic stem cell lines from somatic cell nuclear transferred blastocysts

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Syed Mohmad Shah

2015-11-01

Full Text Available We developed buffalo embryonic stem cell lines from somatic cell nuclear transfer derived blastocysts, produced by hand-guided cloning technique. The inner cell mass of the blastocyst was cut mechanically using a Microblade and cultured onto feeder cells in buffalo embryonic stem (ES cell culture medium at 38 °C in a 5% CO2 incubator. The stem cell colonies were characterized for alkaline phosphatase activity, karyotype, pluripotency and self-renewal markers like OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, c-Myc, FOXD3, SSEA-1, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81 and CD90. The cell lines also possessed the capability to differentiate across all the three germ layers under spontaneous differentiation conditions.

Ethical and regulatory aspects of embryonic stem cell research.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Kewal K

2002-12-01

Ethical and regulatory issues concerning embryonic stem (ES) cell research are reviewed here a year after the controversy became a public and political issue in the US. The background of various issues are examined and the current regulations in various countries are reviewed. In the US, the debate is linked with abortion, as well as the status of a fetus as a human being, and is politically driven. Obtaining stem cells from embryonic tissues involves destruction of the embryo, to which objections are raised. Religious beliefs are examined and no serious impediments to ES cell research could be identified. Regulations vary from one country to another and it is unlikely that there will ever be any universally uniform ethical and regulatory standards for ES cell research. Currently, the most liberal and favourable environments for ES cell research are in the UK, Singapore, Sweden, India, Israel and China. Unless the US liberalises ES cell research, it may lose its lead in ES cell research and investments in this area may drift to countries with better environments for research. Suggestions are offered in this review to improve the ethical environment for ES cell research.

Production of hemizygous and homozygous embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells from the transgenic alszheimer göttingen minipis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hall, Vanessa Jane; Jacobsen, J.; Gunnarsson, A.

2011-01-01

Production of hemizygous and homozygous embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells from the transgenic alszheimer göttingen minipis......Production of hemizygous and homozygous embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells from the transgenic alszheimer göttingen minipis...

[Regulation of in vitro and in vivo differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells, embryonic germ cells, and teratocarcinoma cells by TGFb family signaling factors].

Science.gov (United States)

Gordeeva, O F; Nikonova, T M; Lifantseva, N V

2009-01-01

The activity of specific signaling and transcription factors determines the cell fate in normal development and in tumor transformation. The transcriptional profiles of gene-components of different branches of TGFbeta family signaling pathways were studied in experimental models of initial stages of three-dimensional in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells, embryonic germ cells and teratocarcinoma cells and in teratomas and teratocarcinomas developed after their transplantation into immunodeficient Nude mice. Gene profile analysis of studied cell systems have revealed that expression patterns of ActivinA, Nodal, Lefty1, Lefty2, TGF TGFbeta1, BMP4, and GDF were identical in pluripotent stem cells whereas the mRNAs of all examined genes with the exception of Inhibin betaA/ActivinA were detected in the teratocarcinoma cells. These results indicate that differential activity of signaling pathways of the TGFbeta family factors regulates pluripotent state maintenance and pluripotent stem cell differentiation into the progenitors of three germ layers and extraembryonic structures and that normal expression pattern of TGFbeta family factors is rearranged in embryonic teratocarcinoma cells during tumor growth in vitro and in vivo.

In vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into functional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Studies have shown that embryonic stem (ES) cells can be successfully differentiated into liver cells, which offer the potential unlimited cell source for a variety of end-stage liver disease. In our study, in order to induce mouse ES cells to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells under chemically defined conditions, ES cells ...

Human Embryonic Stem Cells Suffer from Centrosomal Amplification

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Holubcová, Z.; Matula, P.; Sedláčková, M.; Vinarský, Vladimír; Doležalová, Dáša; Bárta, Tomáš; Dvořák, Petr; Hampl, Aleš

2011-01-01

Roč. 29, č. 1 (2011), s. 46-56 ISSN 1066-5099 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/09/2044 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) 1M0538; GA MŠk(CZ) 2B06052; EU FP6 project ESTOOLS(XE) LSHG-CT-2006-018739 Program:1M Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390703 Keywords : human embryonic stem cells * centrosome * chromosome Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 7.781, year: 2011

Canonical Wnt signaling induces a primitive endoderm metastable state in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Feodor D; Yin, Hang; Jones, Andrew; van Ijcken, Wilfred; Grosveld, Frank; Rudnicki, Michael A

2013-04-01

Activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway synergizes with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) to maintain pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). However, in the absence of LIF, Wnt signaling is unable to maintain ESCs in the undifferentiated state. To investigate the role of canonical Wnt signaling in pluripotency and lineage specification, we expressed Wnt3a in mESCs and characterized them in growth and differentiation. We found that activated canonical Wnt signaling induced the formation of a reversible metastable primitive endoderm state in mESC. Upon subsequent differentiation, Wnt3a-stimulated mESCs gave rise to large quantities of visceral endoderm. Furthermore, we determined that the ability of canonical Wnt signaling to induce a metastable primitive endoderm state was mediated by Tbx3. Our data demonstrates a specific role for canonical Wnt signaling in promoting pluripotency while at the same time priming cells for subsequent differentiation into the primitive endoderm lineage. Copyright © 2013 AlphaMed Press.

Telomere stability and telomerase in mesenchymal stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Serakinci, Nedime; Graakjaer, Jesper; Kølvrå, Steen

2008-01-01

Telomeres are repetitive genetic material that cap and thereby protect the ends of chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. Telomere length is mainly maintained by telomerase. This enzyme is present in high concentrations in the embryonic stem cells and in fast growing...... embryonic cells, and declines with age. It is still unclear to what extent there is telomerase in adult stem cells, but since these are the founder cells of cells of all the tissues in the body, understanding the telomere dynamics and expression of telomerase in adult stem cells is very important....... In the present communication we focus on telomere expression and telomere length in stem cells, with a special focus on mesenchymal stem cells. We consider different mechanisms by which stem cells can maintain telomeres and also focus on the dynamics of telomere length in mesenchymal stem cells, both the overall...

Human embryonic stem cells and good manufacturing practice: Report of a 1- day workshop held at Stem Cell Biology Research Center, Yazd, 27th April 2017

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Akyash

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This report explains briefly the minutes of a 1-day workshop entitled; “human embryonic stem cells (hESCs and good manufacturing practice (GMP” held by Stem Cell Biology Research Center based in Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran on 27th April 2017. In this workshop, in addition to the practical sessions, Prof. Harry D. Moore from Centre for Stem Cell Biology, University of Sheffield, UK presented the challenges and the importance of the biotechnology of clinical-grade human embryonic stem cells from first derivation to robust defined culture for therapeutic applications.

Human embryonic stem cells and good manufacturing practice: Report of a 1- day workshop held at Stem Cell Biology Research Center, Yazd, 27th April 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Akyash, Fatemeh; Sadeghian-Nodoushan, Fatemeh; Tahajjodi, Somayyeh Sadat; Nikukar, Habib; Farashahi Yazd, Ehsan; Azimzadeh, Mostafa; D Moore, Harry; Aflatoonian, Behrouz

2017-05-01

This report explains briefly the minutes of a 1-day workshop entitled; "human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and good manufacturing practice (GMP)" held by Stem Cell Biology Research Center based in Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran on 27 th April 2017. In this workshop, in addition to the practical sessions, Prof. Harry D. Moore from Centre for Stem Cell Biology, University of Sheffield, UK presented the challenges and the importance of the biotechnology of clinical-grade human embryonic stem cells from first derivation to robust defined culture for therapeutic applications.

Developing de novo human artificial chromosomes in embryonic stem cells using HSV-1 amplicon technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Moralli, Daniela; Monaco, Zoia L

2015-02-01

De novo artificial chromosomes expressing genes have been generated in human embryonic stem cells (hESc) and are maintained following differentiation into other cell types. Human artificial chromosomes (HAC) are small, functional, extrachromosomal elements, which behave as normal chromosomes in human cells. De novo HAC are generated following delivery of alpha satellite DNA into target cells. HAC are characterized by high levels of mitotic stability and are used as models to study centromere formation and chromosome organisation. They are successful and effective as gene expression vectors since they remain autonomous and can accommodate larger genes and regulatory regions for long-term expression studies in cells unlike other viral gene delivery vectors currently used. Transferring the essential DNA sequences for HAC formation intact across the cell membrane has been challenging for a number of years. A highly efficient delivery system based on HSV-1 amplicons has been used to target DNA directly to the ES cell nucleus and HAC stably generated in human embryonic stem cells (hESc) at high frequency. HAC were detected using an improved protocol for hESc chromosome harvesting, which consistently produced high-quality metaphase spreads that could routinely detect HAC in hESc. In tumour cells, the input DNA often integrated in the host chromosomes, but in the host ES genome, it remained intact. The hESc containing the HAC formed embryoid bodies, generated teratoma in mice, and differentiated into neuronal cells where the HAC were maintained. The HAC structure and chromatin composition was similar to the endogenous hESc chromosomes. This review will discuss the technological advances in HAC vector delivery using HSV-1 amplicons and the improvements in the identification of de novo HAC in hESc.

Identification of molecules derived from human fibroblast feeder cells that support the proliferation of human embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anisimov, Sergey V.; Christophersen, Nicolaj S.; Correia, Ana S.

2011-01-01

The majority of human embryonic stem cell lines depend on a feeder cell layer for continuous growth in vitro, so that they can remain in an undifferentiated state. Limited knowledge is available concerning the molecular mechanisms that underlie the capacity of feeder cells to support both...... the proliferation and pluripotency of these cells. Importantly, feeder cells generally lose their capacity to support human embryonic stem cell proliferation in vitro following long-term culture. In this study, we performed large-scale gene expression profiles of human foreskin fibroblasts during early...... foreskin fibroblasts to serve as feeder cells for human embryonic stem cell cultures. Among these, the C-KIT, leptin and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) genes were the most interesting candidates....

β-Cell Replacement in Mice Using Human Type 1 Diabetes Nuclear Transfer Embryonic Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Sui, Lina; Danzl, Nichole; Campbell, Sean R; Viola, Ryan; Williams, Damian; Xing, Yuan; Wang, Yong; Phillips, Neil; Poffenberger, Greg; Johannesson, Bjarki; Oberholzer, Jose; Powers, Alvin C; Leibel, Rudolph L; Chen, Xiaojuan; Sykes, Megan; Egli, Dieter

2018-01-01

β-Cells derived from stem cells hold great promise for cell replacement therapy for diabetes. Here we examine the ability of nuclear transfer embryonic stem cells (NT-ESs) derived from a patient with type 1 diabetes to differentiate into β-cells and provide a source of autologous islets for cell replacement. NT-ESs differentiate in vitro with an average efficiency of 55% into C-peptide-positive cells, expressing markers of mature β-cells, including MAFA and NKX6.1. Upon transplantation in immunodeficient mice, grafted cells form vascularized islet-like structures containing MAFA/C-peptide-positive cells. These β-cells adapt insulin secretion to ambient metabolite status and show normal insulin processing. Importantly, NT-ES-β-cells maintain normal blood glucose levels after ablation of the mouse endogenous β-cells. Cystic structures, but no teratomas, were observed in NT-ES-β-cell grafts. Isogenic induced pluripotent stem cell lines showed greater variability in β-cell differentiation. Even though different methods of somatic cell reprogramming result in stem cell lines that are molecularly indistinguishable, full differentiation competence is more common in ES cell lines than in induced pluripotent stem cell lines. These results demonstrate the suitability of NT-ES-β-cells for cell replacement for type 1 diabetes and provide proof of principle for therapeutic cloning combined with cell therapy. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

Erk signaling suppresses embryonic stem cell self-renewal to specify endoderm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamilton, William B; Brickman, Joshua M

2014-01-01

Fgf signaling via Erk activation has been associated with both neural induction and the generation of a primed state for the differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to all somatic lineages. To dissect the role of Erk in both ESC self-renewal and lineage specification, we explored...

Engineering bone tissue from human embryonic stem cells

OpenAIRE

Marolt, Darja; Campos, Iván Marcos; Bhumiratana, Sarindr; Koren, Ana; Petridis, Petros; Zhang, Geping; Spitalnik, Patrice F.; Grayson, Warren L.; Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana

2012-01-01

In extensive bone defects, tissue damage and hypoxia lead to cell death, resulting in slow and incomplete healing. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) can give rise to all specialized lineages found in healthy bone and are therefore uniquely suited to aid regeneration of damaged bone. We show that the cultivation of hESC-derived mesenchymal progenitors on 3D osteoconductive scaffolds in bioreactors with medium perfusion leads to the formation of large and compact bone constructs. Notably, the i...

Impact of 2-bromopropane on mouse embryonic stem cells and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study shows that 2-BP (5 to 10 μM) induces apoptotic processes in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC-B5), but exerts no effects at treatment dosages below 5 μM. In ESC-B5 cells, 2-BP directly increased the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS), significantly increased the cytoplasmic free calcium and nitric oxide ...

Progressing a human embryonic stem-cell-based regenerative medicine therapy towards the clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Whiting, Paul; Kerby, Julie; Coffey, Peter; da Cruz, Lyndon; McKernan, Ruth

2015-10-19

Since the first publication of the derivation of human embryonic stem cells in 1998, there has been hope and expectation that this technology will lead to a wave of regenerative medicine therapies with the potential to revolutionize our approach to managing certain diseases. Despite significant resources in this direction, the path to the clinic for an embryonic stem-cell-based regenerative medicine therapy has not proven straightforward, though in the past few years progress has been made. Here, with a focus upon retinal disease, we discuss the current status of the development of such therapies. We also highlight some of our own experiences of progressing a retinal pigment epithelium cell replacement therapy towards the clinic. © 2015 The Author(s).

Publishing SNP genotypes of human embryonic stem cell lines: policy statement of the International Stem Cell Forum Ethics Working Party.

Science.gov (United States)

Knoppers, Bartha M; Isasi, Rosario; Benvenisty, Nissim; Kim, Ock-Joo; Lomax, Geoffrey; Morris, Clive; Murray, Thomas H; Lee, Eng Hin; Perry, Margery; Richardson, Genevra; Sipp, Douglas; Tanner, Klaus; Wahlström, Jan; de Wert, Guido; Zeng, Fanyi

2011-09-01

Novel methods and associated tools permitting individual identification in publicly accessible SNP databases have become a debatable issue. There is growing concern that current technical and ethical safeguards to protect the identities of donors could be insufficient. In the context of human embryonic stem cell research, there are no studies focusing on the probability that an hESC line donor could be identified by analyzing published SNP profiles and associated genotypic and phenotypic information. We present the International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF) Ethics Working Party's Policy Statement on "Publishing SNP Genotypes of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines (hESC)". The Statement prospectively addresses issues surrounding the publication of genotypic data and associated annotations of hESC lines in open access databases. It proposes a balanced approach between the goals of open science and data sharing with the respect for fundamental bioethical principles (autonomy, privacy, beneficence, justice and research merit and integrity).

GROα regulates human embryonic stem cell self-renewal or adoption of a neuronal fate

Science.gov (United States)

Krtolica, Ana; Larocque, Nick; Genbacev, Olga; Ilic, Dusko; Coppe, Jean-Philippe; Patil, Christopher K.; Zdravkovic, Tamara; McMaster, Michael; Campisi, Judith; Fisher, Susan J.

2012-01-01

Previously we reported that feeders formed from human placental fibroblasts (hPFs) support derivation and long-term self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) under serum-free conditions. Here, we show, using antibody array and ELISA platforms, that hPFs secrete ~6-fold higher amounts of the CXC-type chemokine, GROα, than IMR 90, a human lung fibroblast line, which does not support hESC growth. Furthermore, immunocytochemistry and immunoblot approaches revealed that hESCs express CXCR, a GROα receptor. We used this information to develop defined culture medium for feeder-free propagation of hESCs in an undifferentiated state. Cells passaged as small aggregates and maintained in the GROα-containing medium had a normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers, and exhibited apical–basal polarity, i.e., had the defining features of pluripotent hESCs. They also differentiated into the three primary (embryonic) germ layers and formed teratomas in immunocompromised mice. hESCs cultured as single cells in the GROα-containing medium also had a normal karyotype, but they downregulated markers of pluripotency, lost apical–basal polarity, and expressed markers that are indicative of the early stages of neuronal differentiation—βIII tubulin, vimentin, radial glial protein, and nestin. These data support our hypothesis that establishing and maintaining cell polarity is essential for the long-term propagation of hESCs in an undifferentiated state and that disruption of cell–cell contacts can trigger adoption of a neuronal fate. PMID:21396766

Embryonic stem cell self-renewal pathways converge on the transcription factor Tfcp2l1

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Shoudong; Li, Ping; Tong, Chang; Ying, Qi-Long

2013-01-01

Mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal can be maintained by activation of the leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) signalling pathway or dual inhibition (2i) of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (Gsk3) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK). Several downstream targets of the pathways involved have been identified that when individually overexpressed can partially support self-renewal. However, none of these targets is shared among the involved pathways. Here, we show that the CP2 family transcription factor Tfcp2l1 is a common target in LIF/Stat3- and 2i-mediated self-renewal, and forced expression of Tfcp2l1 can recapitulate the self-renewal-promoting effect of LIF or either of the 2i components. In addition, Tfcp2l1 can reprogram post-implantation epiblast stem cells to naïve pluripotent ESCs. Tfcp2l1 upregulates Nanog expression and promotes self-renewal in a Nanog-dependent manner. We conclude that Tfcp2l1 is at the intersection of LIF- and 2i-mediated self-renewal pathways and plays a critical role in maintaining ESC identity. Our study provides an expanded understanding of the current model of ground-state pluripotency. PMID:23942238

Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms That Maintain Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function

OpenAIRE

Kosan, Christian; Godmann, Maren

2015-01-01

All hematopoiesis cells develop from multipotent progenitor cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have the ability to develop into all blood lineages but also maintain their stemness. Different molecular mechanisms have been identified that are crucial for regulating quiescence and self-renewal to maintain the stem cell pool and for inducing proliferation and lineage differentiation. The stem cell niche provides the microenvironment to keep HSC in a quiescent state. Furthermore, several trans...

Cardiotoxicity evaluation using human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qi; Wang, Xijie; Wang, Shuyan; Song, Zheng; Wang, Jiaxian; Ma, Jing

2017-03-09

Cardiotoxicity remains an important concern in drug discovery. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) have become an attractive platform to evaluate cardiotoxicity. However, the consistency between human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) in prediction of cardiotoxicity has yet to be elucidated. Here we screened the toxicities of four representative drugs (E-4031, isoprenaline, quinidine, and haloperidol) using both hESC-CMs and hiPSC-CMs, combined with an impedance-based bioanalytical method. It showed that both hESC-CMs and hiPSC-CMs can recapitulate cardiotoxicity and identify the effects of well-characterized compounds. The combined platform of hPSC-CMs and an impedance-based bioanalytical method could improve preclinical cardiotoxicity screening, holding great potential for increasing drug development accuracy.

Maintaining the pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells on gold nanoparticle layers with nanoscale but not microscale surface roughness

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Zhonglin; Wang, Hongwei; Wang, Yanyun; Ding, Kaiguo; Liu, Huan; Yuan, Lin; Shi, Xiujuan; Wang, Mengmeng; Wang, Yanwei; Chen, Hong

2014-05-01

Efficient control of the self-renewal and pluripotency maintenance of embryonic stem cell (ESC) is a prerequisite for translating stem cell technologies to clinical applications. Surface topography is one of the most important factors that regulates cell behaviors. In the present study, micro/nano topographical structures composed of a gold nanoparticle layer (GNPL) with nano-, sub-micro-, and microscale surface roughnesses were used to study the roles of these structures in regulating the behaviors of mouse ESCs (mESCs) under feeder-free conditions. The distinctive results from Oct-4 immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) demonstrate that nanoscale and low sub-microscale surface roughnesses (Rq less than 392 nm) are conducive to the long-term maintenance of mESC pluripotency, while high sub-microscale and microscale surface roughnesses (Rq greater than 573 nm) result in a significant loss of mESC pluripotency and a faster undirectional differentiation, particularly in long-term culture. Moreover, the likely signalling cascades engaged in the topological sensing of mESCs were investigated and their role in affecting the maintenance of the long-term cell pluripotency was discussed by analyzing the expression of proteins related to E-cadherin mediated cell-cell adhesions and integrin-mediated focal adhesions (FAs). Additionally, the conclusions from MTT, cell morphology staining and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assays show that the surface roughness can provide a potent regulatory signal for various mESC behaviors, including cell attachment, proliferation and osteoinduction.Efficient control of the self-renewal and pluripotency maintenance of embryonic stem cell (ESC) is a prerequisite for translating stem cell technologies to clinical applications. Surface topography is one of the most important factors that regulates cell behaviors. In the present study, micro/nano topographical structures composed of a gold

A novel chemical-defined medium with bFGF and N2B27 supplements supports undifferentiated growth in human embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yanxia; Song Zhihua; Zhao Yang; Qin Han; Cai Jun; Zhang Hong; Yu Tianxin; Jiang Siming; Wang Guangwen; Ding Mingxiao; Deng Hongkui

2006-01-01

Traditionally, undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are maintained on mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells or on matrigel with an MEF-conditioned medium (CM), which hampers the clinical applications of hESCs due to the contamination by animal pathogens. Here we report a novel chemical-defined medium using DMEM/F12 supplemented with N2, B27, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) [termed NBF]. This medium can support prolonged self-renewal of hESCs. hESCs cultured in NBF maintain an undifferentiated state and normal karyotype, are able to form embryoid bodies in vitro, and differentiate into three germ layers and extraembryonic cells. Furthermore, we find that hESCs cultured in NBF possess a low apoptosis rate and a high proliferation rate compared with those cultured in MEF-CM. Our findings provide a novel, simplified chemical-defined culture medium suitable for further therapeutic applications and developmental studies of hESCs

Self-organization of human embryonic stem cells on micropatterns

Science.gov (United States)

Deglincerti, Alessia; Etoc, Fred; Guerra, M. Cecilia; Martyn, Iain; Metzger, Jakob; Ruzo, Albert; Simunovic, Mijo; Yoney, Anna; Brivanlou, Ali H.; Siggia, Eric; Warmflash, Aryeh

2018-01-01

Fate allocation in the gastrulating embryo is spatially organized as cells differentiate to specialized cell types depending on their positions with respect to the body axes. There is a need for in vitro protocols that allow the study of spatial organization associated with this developmental transition. While embryoid bodies and organoids can exhibit some spatial organization of differentiated cells, these methods do not yield consistent and fully reproducible results. Here, we describe a micropatterning approach where human embryonic stem cells are confined to disk-shaped, sub-millimeter colonies. After 42 hours of BMP4 stimulation, cells form self-organized differentiation patterns in concentric radial domains, which express specific markers associated with the embryonic germ layers, reminiscent of gastrulating embryos. Our protocol takes 3 days; it uses commercial microfabricated slides (CYTOO), human laminin-521 (LN-521) as extra-cellular matrix coating, and either conditioned or chemically-defined medium (mTeSR). Differentiation patterns within individual colonies can be determined by immunofluorescence and analyzed with cellular resolution. Both the size of the micropattern and the type of medium affect the patterning outcome. The protocol is appropriate for personnel with basic stem cell culture training. This protocol describes a robust platform for quantitative analysis of the mechanisms associated with pattern formation at the onset of gastrulation. PMID:27735934

Optimal Population of Embryonic Stem Cells in "Hanging Drop" Culture for in-vitro Differentiation to Cardiac Myocytes

OpenAIRE

MIWA, Keiko; LEE, Jong-Kook; HIDAKA, Kyoko; SHI, Rong-qian; MORISAKI, Takayuki; KODAMA, Itsuo

2002-01-01

Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiate to cardiac myocytes in vitro by many other previous reports demonstrated "hanging-drop" method. In this study, the number of ES cells in each hanging-drop plays an important role in the cultivation of cardiac myocytes. We examined the optimal hanging-drop size to obtain embryonic stem cell-derived cardiac cells (ESCMs) in vitro using specific labeled mouse ES cells (hCGP7) which were stably transfected with the enhanced green fluorescent pro...

Derivation of the human embryonic stem cell line RCM1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.A. De Sousa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The human embryonic stem cell line RCM-1 was derived from a failed to fertilise egg undergoing parthenogenetic stimulation. The cell line shows normal pluripotency marker expression and differentiation to three germ layers in vitro and in vivo. It has a normal 46XX female karyotype and microsatellite PCR identity, HLA and blood group typing data is available.

Induction of murine embryonic stem cell differentiation by medicinal plant extracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reynertson, Kurt A. [Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Charlson, Mary E. [Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Gudas, Lorraine J., E-mail: ljgudas@med.cornell.edu [Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States)

2011-01-01

Epidemiological evidence indicates that diets high in fruits and vegetables provide a measure of cancer chemoprevention due to phytochemical constituents. Natural products are a rich source of cancer chemotherapy drugs, and primarily target rapidly cycling tumor cells. Increasing evidence indicates that many cancers contain small populations of resistant, stem-like cells that have the capacity to regenerate tumors following chemotherapy and radiation, and have been linked to the initiation of metastases. Our goal is to discover natural product-based clinical or dietary interventions that selectively target cancer stem cells, inducing differentiation. We adapted an alkaline phosphatase (AP) stain to assay plant extracts for the capacity to induce differentiation in embryonic stem (ES) cells. AP is a characteristic marker of undifferentiated ES cells, and this represents a novel approach to screening medicinal plant extracts. Following a survey of approximately 100 fractions obtained from 12 species of ethnomedically utilized plants, we found fractions from 3 species that induced differentiation, decreasing AP and transcript levels of pluripotency markers (Nanog, Oct-4, Rex-1). These fractions affected proliferation of murine ES, and human embryonal, prostate, and breast carcinoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Several phytochemical constituents were isolated; the antioxidant phytochemicals ellagic acid and gallic acid were shown to affect viability of cultured breast carcinoma cells.

Redox environment in stem and differentiated cells: A quantitative approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.G. Lyublinskaya

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Stem cells are believed to maintain a specific intracellular redox status through a combination of enhanced removal capacity and limited production of ROS. In the present study, we challenge this assumption by developing a quantitative approach for the analysis of the pro- and antioxidant ability of human embryonic stem cells in comparison with their differentiated descendants, as well as adult stem and non-stem cells. Our measurements showed that embryonic stem cells are characterized by low ROS level, low rate of extracellular hydrogen peroxide removal and low threshold for peroxide-induced cytotoxicity. However, biochemical normalization of these parameters to cell volume/protein leads to matching of normalized values in stem and differentiated cells and shows that tested in the present study cells (human embryonic stem cells and their fibroblast-like progenies, adult mesenchymal stem cells, lymphocytes, HeLa maintain similar intracellular redox status. Based on these observations, we propose to use ROS concentration averaged over the cell volume instead of ROS level as a measure of intracellular redox balance. We show that attempts to use ROS level for comparative analysis of redox status of morphologically different cells could lead to false conclusions. Methods for the assessment of ROS concentration based on flow cytometry analysis with the use of H2DCFDA dye and HyPer, genetically encoded probe for hydrogen peroxide, are discussed. Keywords: Embryonic stem cells, Differentiated cells, ROS, Redox status, H2DCFDA, HyPer, Flow cytometry, Quantitative redox biology

[Yes to research, no to utilization? Medical, pharmacological and toxicological utilization of human embryonic stem cells from an ethical point of view].

Science.gov (United States)

Kress, H

2008-09-01

In exceptional cases, the German Stem Cell Act allows research on human embryonic stem cells. However, it does not allow the implementation of the research results if this in turn requires the use of further embryonic stem cell lines. It has, in the meantime, transpired that such research results could be of concrete use. Thus, in the distant future, it could be used in the clinical treatment of patients. Already in the nearer future the use of human embryonic stem cell lines can be envisaged for both the development and testing of medicines as well as in the field of toxicology. To this end, research concerning embryo toxicity and neurotoxicity is ground-breaking. The toxicological and pharmacological use of human embryonic stem cell lines should serve the protection of human health as well as the safe and reliable use of medicines. In addition, animal experiments could be reduced, which is desirable from a point of view of animal protection ethics. Since research on human embryonic stem cell lines is actually permitted in Germany, the use of the respective research results should be allowed all the more. This follows from the basic human right to health protection and health care. Legal ambiguities, which still exist in this respect, should be removed.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Responses to Ionizing Radiation Exposures: Current State of Knowledge and Future Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mykyta V. Sokolov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cells, which are derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, have become an object of intense study over the last decade. They possess two unique properties that distinguish them from many other cell types: (i the ability to self-renew indefinitely in culture under permissive conditions, and (ii the pluripotency, defined as the capability of giving rise to all cell types of embryonic lineage under the guidance of the appropriate developmental cues. The focus of many recent efforts has been on the elucidating the signaling pathways and molecular networks operating in human embryonic stem cells. These cells hold great promise in cell-based regenerative therapies, disease modeling, drug screening and testing, assessing genotoxic and mutagenic risks associated with exposures to a variety of environmental factors, and so forth. Ionizing radiation is ubiquitous in nature, and it is widely used in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in medicine. In this paper, our goal is to summarize the recent progress in understanding how human embryonic stem cells respond to ionizing radiation exposures, using novel methodologies based on “omics” approaches, and to provide a critical discussion of what remains unknown; thus proposing a roadmap for the future research in this area.

Pluripotent Stem Cell Studies Elucidate the Underlying Mechanisms of Early Embryonic Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lingyu Li

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Early embryonic development is a multi-step process that is intensively regulated by various signaling pathways. Because of the complexity of the embryo and the interactions between the germ layers, it is very difficult to fully understand how these signals regulate embryo patterning. Recently, pluripotent stem cell lines derived from different developmental stages have provided an in vitro system for investigating molecular mechanisms regulating cell fate decisions. In this review, we summarize the major functions of the BMP, FGF, Nodal and Wnt signaling pathways, which have well-established roles in vertebrate embryogenesis. Then, we highlight recent studies in pluripotent stem cells that have revealed the stage-specific roles of BMP，FGF and Nodal pathways during neural differentiation. These findings enhance our understanding of the stepwise regulation of embryo patterning by particular signaling pathways and provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying early embryonic development.

Phosphorylation of ULK1 by AMPK is essential for mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Jiaqi; Gu, Haifeng; Zhao, Lin; Wang, Liang; Liu, Pinglei; Wang, Fuping; Xu, Haoyu; Zhao, Tongbiao

2018-01-18

Autophagy is a catabolic process to degrade both damaged organelles and aggregated proteins in somatic cells. We have recently identified that autophagy is an executor for mitochondrial homeostasis in embryonic stem cell (ESC), and thus contribute to stemness regulation. However, the regulatory and functional mechanisms of autophagy in ESC are still largely unknown. Here we have shown that activation of ULK1 by AMPK is essential for ESC self-renewal and pluripotency. Dysfunction of Ulk1 decreases the autophagic flux in ESC, leading to compromised self-renewal and pluripotency. These defects can be rescued by reacquisition of wild-type ULK1 and ULK1(S757A) mutant, but not ULK1(S317A, S555A and S777A) and kinase dead ULK1(K46I) mutant. These data indicate that phosphorylation of ULK1 by AMPK, but not mTOR, is essential for stemness regulation in ESC. The findings highlight a critical role for AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of ULK1 pathway to maintain ESC self-renewal and pluripotency.

In vitro labelling of mouse embryonic stem cells with SPIO nanoparticles

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Krejčí, Jana; Pacherník, J.; Hampl, Aleš; Dvořák, Petr

2008-01-01

Roč. 27, č. 3 (2008), s. 164-173 ISSN 0231-5882 Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GA301/08/0717 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : embryonic stem cells * differentiation * magnetic labelling Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 0.697, year: 2008

[Activation of nucleolar organizers during in vitro cultivation of mouse R1 embryonic stem cells].

Science.gov (United States)

Kunafina, E R; Chaplina, M V; Filiasova, E I; Gibanova, N V; Khodarovich, Iu M; Larionov, O A; Zatsepina, O V

2005-01-01

We studies the activities of ribosomal genes (nucleolus forming regions of chromosomes) at successive stages of cultivation of the mouse R1 embryonic stem cells. The total number and number of active nucleolar organizers were estimated by means of in situ hybridization with mouse rDNA probes and argentophilic staining of nucleolus forming chromosomes regions from the 16th until the 32nd passages. The data we obtained suggest that the total number of nucleolar organizers per metaphase plate was constant (as a rule, eight), while the mean number of active nucleolar organizers progressively increased from the early (16th) to the late (32nd) passages: 5.2 +/- 0.4 versus 7.4 +/- 0.9 argentophilic organizers per cell. Cell heterogeneity by the number of active nucleolar organizers also increased during the late passages. Taken together, these data suggest activation of DNA transcription and synthesis of ribosomes during cultivation of mouse R1 embryonic stem cells. Based on the experimental and published data, it has been proposed that activation of ribosomal genes correlates in time with a decreased capacity of embryonic stem cells for pluripotent differentiation.

Embryonic stem cells in scaffold-free three-dimensional cell culture: osteogenic differentiation and bone generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Handschel, Jörg; Naujoks, Christian; Depprich, Rita; Lammers, Lydia; Kübler, Norbert; Meyer, Ulrich; Wiesmann, Hans-Peter

2011-07-14

Extracorporeal formation of mineralized bone-like tissue is still an unsolved challenge in tissue engineering. Embryonic stem cells may open up new therapeutic options for the future and should be an interesting model for the analysis of fetal organogenesis. Here we describe a technique for culturing embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in the absence of artificial scaffolds which generated mineralized miromasses. Embryonic stem cells were harvested and osteogenic differentiation was stimulated by the addition of dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, and ß-glycerolphosphate (DAG). After three days of cultivation microspheres were formed. These spherical three-dimensional cell units showed a peripheral zone consisting of densely packed cell layers surrounded by minerals that were embedded in the extracellular matrix. Alizarine red staining confirmed evidence of mineralization after 10 days of DAG stimulation in the stimulated but not in the control group. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated scorching crystallites and collagenous fibrils as early indication of bone formation. These extracellular structures resembled hydroxyl apatite-like crystals as demonstrated by distinct diffraction patterns using electron diffraction analysis. The micromass culture technique is an appropriate model to form three-dimensional bone-like micro-units without the need for an underlying scaffold. Further studies will have to show whether the technique is applicable also to pluripotent stem cells of different origin. © 2011 Handschel et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Embryonic stem cells in scaffold-free three-dimensional cell culture: osteogenic differentiation and bone generation

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Meyer Ulrich

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Extracorporeal formation of mineralized bone-like tissue is still an unsolved challenge in tissue engineering. Embryonic stem cells may open up new therapeutic options for the future and should be an interesting model for the analysis of fetal organogenesis. Here we describe a technique for culturing embryonic stem cells (ESCs in the absence of artificial scaffolds which generated mineralized miromasses. Embryonic stem cells were harvested and osteogenic differentiation was stimulated by the addition of dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, and ß-glycerolphosphate (DAG. After three days of cultivation microspheres were formed. These spherical three-dimensional cell units showed a peripheral zone consisting of densely packed cell layers surrounded by minerals that were embedded in the extracellular matrix. Alizarine red staining confirmed evidence of mineralization after 10 days of DAG stimulation in the stimulated but not in the control group. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated scorching crystallites and collagenous fibrils as early indication of bone formation. These extracellular structures resembled hydroxyl apatite-like crystals as demonstrated by distinct diffraction patterns using electron diffraction analysis. The micromass culture technique is an appropriate model to form three-dimensional bone-like micro-units without the need for an underlying scaffold. Further studies will have to show whether the technique is applicable also to pluripotent stem cells of different origin.

The New Federalism: State Policies Regarding Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

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Acosta, Nefi D; Golub, Sidney H

2016-09-01

Stem cell policy in the United States is an amalgam of federal and state policies. The scientific development of human pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) triggered a contentious national stem cell policy debate during the administration of President George W. Bush. The Bush "compromise" that allowed federal funding to study only a very limited number of ESC derived cell lines did not satisfy either the researchers or the patient advocates who saw great medical potential being stifled. Neither more restrictive legislation nor expansion of federal funding proved politically possible and the federal impasse opened the door for a variety of state-based experiments. In 2004, California became the largest and most influential state venture into stem cell research by passing "Prop 71," a voter initiative that created a new stem cell agency and funded it with $3 billion. Several states followed suit with similar programs to protect the right of investigators to do stem cell research and in some cases to invest state funding in such projects. Other states devised legislation to restrict stem cell research and in five states, criminal penalties were included. Thus, the US stem cell policy is a patchwork of multiple, often conflicting, state and federal policies. © 2016 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics.

Comparison of American mink embryonic stem and induced pluripotent stem cell transcriptomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Menzorov, Aleksei G; Matveeva, Natalia M.; Markakis, Marios Nektarios

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Recently fibroblasts of many mammalian species have been reprogrammed to pluripotent state using overexpression of several transcription factors. This technology allows production of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells with properties similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells....... The completeness of reprogramming process is well studied in such species as mouse and human but there is not enough data on other species. We produced American mink (Neovison vison) ES and iPS cells and compared these cells using transcriptome analysis. RESULTS: We report the generation of 10 mink ES and 22 i......PS cell lines. The majority of the analyzed cell lines had normal diploid chromosome number. The only ES cell line with XX chromosome set had both X-chromosomes in active state that is characteristic of pluripotent cells. The pluripotency of ES and iPS cell lines was confirmed by formation of teratomas...

Generation of an ASS1 heterozygous knockout human embryonic stem cell line, WAe001-A-13, using CRISPR/Cas9

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Fang Yuan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The ASS1 gene encodes argininosuccinate synthetase-1, a cytosolic enzyme with a critical role in the urea cycle. Mutations are found in all ASS1 exons and cause the autosomal recessive disorder citrullinemia. Using CRISPR/Cas9-editing, we established the WAe001-A-13 cell line, which was heterozygous for an ASS1 mutation, from the human embryonic stem cell line H1. The WAe001-A-13 cell line maintained the pluripotent phenotype, the ability to differentiate into all three germ layers and a normal karyotype.

Polycomb enables primitive endoderm lineage priming in embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Illingworth, Robert S; Hölzenspies, Jurriaan J; Roske, Fabian V

2016-01-01

Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), like the blastocyst from which they are derived, contain precursors of the epiblast (Epi) and primitive endoderm (PrEn) lineages. While transient in vivo, these precursor populations readily interconvert in vitro. We show that altered transcription is the driver...... polycomb with dynamic changes in transcription and stalled lineage commitment, allowing cells to explore alternative choices prior to a definitive decision....

Biophysical subsets of embryonic stem cells display distinct phenotypic and morphological signatures.

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Tom Bongiorno

Full Text Available The highly proliferative and pluripotent characteristics of embryonic stem cells engender great promise for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, but the rapid identification and isolation of target cell phenotypes remains challenging. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to characterize cell mechanics as a function of differentiation and to employ differences in cell stiffness to select population subsets with distinct mechanical, morphological, and biological properties. Biomechanical analysis with atomic force microscopy revealed that embryonic stem cells stiffened within one day of differentiation induced by leukemia inhibitory factor removal, with a lagging but pronounced change from spherical to spindle-shaped cell morphology. A microfluidic device was then employed to sort a differentially labeled mixture of pluripotent and differentiating cells based on stiffness, resulting in pluripotent cell enrichment in the soft device outlet. Furthermore, sorting an unlabeled population of partially differentiated cells produced a subset of "soft" cells that was enriched for the pluripotent phenotype, as assessed by post-sort characterization of cell mechanics, morphology, and gene expression. The results of this study indicate that intrinsic cell mechanical properties might serve as a basis for efficient, high-throughput, and label-free isolation of pluripotent stem cells, which will facilitate a greater biological understanding of pluripotency and advance the potential of pluripotent stem cell differentiated progeny as cell sources for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

SC1 Promotes MiR124-3p Expression to Maintain the Self-Renewal of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells by Inhibiting the MEK/ERK Pathway.

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Wei, Qing; Liu, Hongliang; Ai, Zhiying; Wu, Yongyan; Liu, Yingxiang; Shi, Zhaopeng; Ren, Xuexue; Guo, Zekun

2017-01-01

Self-renewal is one of the most important features of embryonic stem (ES) cells. SC1 is a small molecule modulator that effectively maintains the self-renewal of mouse ES cells in the absence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), serum and feeder cells. However, the mechanism by which SC1 maintains the undifferentiated state of mouse ES cells remains unclear. In this study, microarray and small RNA deep-sequencing experiments were performed on mouse ES cells treated with or without SC1 to identify the key genes and microRNAs that contributed to self-renewal. SC1 regulates the expressions of pluripotency and differentiation factors, and antagonizes the retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiation in the presence or absence of LIF. SC1 inhibits the MEK/ERK pathway through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis and pathway reporting experiments. Small RNA deep-sequencing revealed that SC1 significantly modulates the expression of multiple microRNAs with crucial functions in ES cells. The expression of miR124-3p is upregulated in SC1-treated ES cells, which significantly inhibits the MEK/ERK pathway by targeting Grb2, Sos2 and Egr1. SC1 enhances the self-renewal capacity of mouse ES cells by modulating the expression of key regulatory genes and pluripotency-associated microRNAs. SC1 significantly upregulates miR124-3p expression to further inhibit the MEK/ ERK pathway by targeting Grb2, Sos2 and Egr1. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin, induces apoptogenic signaling in human embryonic stem cells

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Carolina Paola García

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Embryonic stem cells (ESCs need to maintain their genomic integrity in response to DNA damage to safeguard the integrity of the organism. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs are one of the most lethal forms of DNA damage and, if not repaired correctly, they can lead to cell death, genomic instability and cancer. How human ESCs (hESCs maintain genomic integrity in response to agents that cause DSBs is relatively unclear. In the present study we aim to determine the hESC response to the DSB inducing agent camptothecin (CPT. We find that hESCs are hypersensitive to CPT, as evidenced by high levels of apoptosis. CPT treatment leads to DNA-damage sensor kinase (ATM and DNA-PKcs phosphorylation on serine 1981 and serine 2056, respectively. Activation of ATM and DNA-PKcs was followed by histone H2AX phosphorylation on Ser 139, a sensitive reporter of DNA damage. Nuclear accumulation and ATM-dependent phosphorylation of p53 on serine 15 were also observed. Remarkably, hESC viability was further decreased when ATM or DNA-PKcs kinase activity was impaired by the use of specific inhibitors. The hypersensitivity to CPT treatment was markedly reduced by blocking p53 translocation to mitochondria with pifithrin-μ. Importantly, programmed cell death was achieved in the absence of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor, p21Waf1, a bona fide p53 target gene. Conversely, differentiated hESCs were no longer highly sensitive to CPT. This attenuated apoptotic response was accompanied by changes in cell cycle profile and by the presence of p21Waf1. The results presented here suggest that p53 has a key involvement in preventing the propagation of damaged hESCs when genome is threatened. As a whole, our findings support the concept that the phenomenon of apoptosis is a prominent player in normal embryonic development.

Generation of Functional Thyroid Tissue Using 3D-Based Culture of Embryonic Stem Cells.

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Antonica, Francesco; Kasprzyk, Dominika Figini; Schiavo, Andrea Alex; Romitti, Mírian; Costagliola, Sabine

2017-01-01

During the last decade three-dimensional (3D) cultures of pluripotent stem cells have been intensively used to understand morphogenesis and molecular signaling important for the embryonic development of many tissues. In addition, pluripotent stem cells have been shown to be a valid tool for the in vitro modeling of several congenital or chronic human diseases, opening new possibilities to study their physiopathology without using animal models. Even more interestingly, 3D culture has proved to be a powerful and versatile tool to successfully generate functional tissues ex vivo. Using similar approaches, we here describe a protocol for the generation of functional thyroid tissue using mouse embryonic stem cells and give all the details and references for its characterization and analysis both in vitro and in vivo. This model is a valid approach to study the expression and the function of genes involved in the correct morphogenesis of thyroid gland, to elucidate the mechanisms of production and secretion of thyroid hormones and to test anti-thyroid drugs.

Generation of OCIAD1 inducible overexpression human embryonic stem cell line: BJNhem20-OCIAD1-Tet-On

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Deeti K. Shetty

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cell line BJNhem20-OCIAD1-Tet-On was generated using non-viral method. The constructs pCAG-Tet-On and pTRE-Tight vector driving OCIAD1 expression were transfected using microporation procedure. pCAG-Tet-On cells can be used for inducible expression of any coding sequence cloned into pTRE-Tight vector. For example, in human embryonic stem cells, Tet-On system has been used to generate SOX2 overexpression cell line (Adachi et al., 2010.

A genome-wide RNAi screen reveals MAP kinase phosphatases as key ERK pathway regulators during embryonic stem cell differentiation.

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Shen-Hsi Yang

Full Text Available Embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells represent potentially important therapeutic agents in regenerative medicine. Complex interlinked transcriptional and signaling networks control the fate of these cells towards maintenance of pluripotency or differentiation. In this study we have focused on how mouse embryonic stem cells begin to differentiate and lose pluripotency and, in particular, the role that the ERK MAP kinase and GSK3 signaling pathways play in this process. Through a genome-wide siRNA screen we have identified more than 400 genes involved in loss of pluripotency and promoting the onset of differentiation. These genes were functionally associated with the ERK and/or GSK3 pathways, providing an important resource for studying the roles of these pathways in controlling escape from the pluripotent ground state. More detailed analysis identified MAP kinase phosphatases as a focal point of regulation and demonstrated an important role for these enzymes in controlling ERK activation kinetics and subsequently determining early embryonic stem cell fate decisions.

Biobanking human embryonic stem cell lines: policy, ethics and efficiency.

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Holm, Søren

2015-12-01

Stem cell banks curating and distributing human embryonic stem cells have been established in a number of countries and by a number of private institutions. This paper identifies and critically discusses a number of arguments that are used to justify the importance of such banks in policy discussions relating to their establishment or maintenance. It is argued (1) that 'ethical arguments' are often more important in the establishment phase and 'efficiency arguments' more important in the maintenance phase, and (2) that arguments relating to the interests of embryo and gamete donors are curiously absent from the particular stem cell banking policy discourse. This to some extent artificially isolates this discourse from the broader discussions about the flows of reproductive materials and tissues in modern society, and such isolation may lead to the interests of important actors being ignored in the policy making process.

Induction of murine embryonic stem cell differentiation by medicinal plant extracts.

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Reynertson, Kurt A; Charlson, Mary E; Gudas, Lorraine J

2011-01-01

Epidemiological evidence indicates that diets high in fruits and vegetables provide a measure of cancer chemoprevention due to phytochemical constituents. Natural products are a rich source of cancer chemotherapy drugs, and primarily target rapidly cycling tumor cells. Increasing evidence indicates that many cancers contain small populations of resistant, stem-like cells that have the capacity to regenerate tumors following chemotherapy and radiation, and have been linked to the initiation of metastases. Our goal is to discover natural product-based clinical or dietary interventions that selectively target cancer stem cells, inducing differentiation. We adapted an alkaline phosphatase (AP) stain to assay plant extracts for the capacity to induce differentiation in embryonic stem (ES) cells. AP is a characteristic marker of undifferentiated ES cells, and this represents a novel approach to screening medicinal plant extracts. Following a survey of approximately 100 fractions obtained from 12 species of ethnomedically utilized plants, we found fractions from 3 species that induced differentiation, decreasing AP and transcript levels of pluripotency markers (Nanog, Oct-4, Rex-1). These fractions affected proliferation of murine ES, and human embryonal, prostate, and breast carcinoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Several phytochemical constituents were isolated; the antioxidant phytochemicals ellagic acid and gallic acid were shown to affect viability of cultured breast carcinoma cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Derivation of Stromal (Skeletal, Mesenchymal) Stem-like cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mahmood, Amer; Harkness, Linda; Abdallah, Basem

2012-01-01

EBs using BMP2 (bone morphogenic protein 2) combined with standard osteoblast induction medium led to weak osteoblastic induction. Conversely, subcutaneous in vivo implantation of day 20 hEBs in immune deficient mice, mixed with hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) as an osteoconductive scaffold......Derivation of bone forming cells (osteoblasts) from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) is a pre-requisite for their use in clinical applications. However, there is no standard protocol for differentiating hESC into osteoblastic cells. The aim of this study was to identify the emergence of a human...... stromal (mesenchymal, skeletal) stem cell (hMSC)-like population, known to be osteoblastic cell precursors and to test their osteoblastic differentiation capacity in ex vivo cultures and in vivo. We cultured hESC in a feeder-free environment using serum replacement and as suspension aggregates (embryoid...

Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy of Heart Failure in Genetic Cardiomyopathy

OpenAIRE

Yamada, Satsuki; Nelson, Timothy J.; Crespo-Diaz, Ruben J.; Perez-Terzic, Carmen; Liu, Xiao-Ke; Miki, Takashi; Seino, Susumu; Behfar, Atta; Terzic, Andre

2008-01-01

Pathogenic causes underlying nonischemic cardiomyopathies are increasingly being resolved, yet repair therapies for these commonly heritable forms of heart failure are lacking. A case in point is human dilated cardiomyopathy 10 (CMD10; Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man #608569), a progressive organ dysfunction syndrome refractory to conventional therapies and linked to mutations in cardiac ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel sub-units. Embryonic stem cell therapy demonstrates benefit in ischemi...

Restricted intra-embryonic origin of bona fide hematopoietic stem cells in the chicken

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yvernogeau, Laurent; Robin, Catherine

2017-01-01

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are responsible for blood cell production, are generated during embryonic development. Human and chicken embryos share features that position the chicken as a reliable and accessible alternative model to study developmental hematopoiesis. However, the existence

NANOG reporter cell lines generated by gene targeting in human embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Yvonne; Ganic, Elvira; Ameri, Jacqueline

2010-01-01

Pluripotency and self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is mediated by a complex interplay between extra- and intracellular signaling pathways, which regulate the expression of pluripotency-specific transcription factors. The homeodomain transcription factor NANOG plays a central role...

Molecular Imaging of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Stably Expressing Human PET Reporter Genes After Zinc Finger Nuclease-Mediated Genome Editing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfs, Esther; Holvoet, Bryan; Ordovas, Laura; Breuls, Natacha; Helsen, Nicky; Schönberger, Matthias; Raitano, Susanna; Struys, Tom; Vanbilloen, Bert; Casteels, Cindy; Sampaolesi, Maurilio; Van Laere, Koen; Lambrichts, Ivo; Verfaillie, Catherine M; Deroose, Christophe M

2017-10-01

Molecular imaging is indispensable for determining the fate and persistence of engrafted stem cells. Standard strategies for transgene induction involve the use of viral vectors prone to silencing and insertional mutagenesis or the use of nonhuman genes. Methods: We used zinc finger nucleases to induce stable expression of human imaging reporter genes into the safe-harbor locus adeno-associated virus integration site 1 in human embryonic stem cells. Plasmids were generated carrying reporter genes for fluorescence, bioluminescence imaging, and human PET reporter genes. Results: In vitro assays confirmed their functionality, and embryonic stem cells retained differentiation capacity. Teratoma formation assays were performed, and tumors were imaged over time with PET and bioluminescence imaging. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the application of genome editing for targeted integration of human imaging reporter genes in human embryonic stem cells for long-term molecular imaging. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Self-organization of spatial patterning in human embryonic stem cells

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Deglincerti, Alessia; Etoc, Fred; Ozair, M. Zeeshan; Brivanlou, Ali H.

2017-01-01

The developing embryo is a remarkable example of self-organization, where functional units are created in a complex spatio-temporal choreography. Recently, human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been used to recapitulate in vitro the self-organization programs that are executed in the embryo in vivo. This represents a unique opportunity to address self-organization in humans that is otherwise not addressable with current technologies. In this essay, we review the recent literature on self-organization of human ESCs, with a particular focus on two examples: formation of embryonic germ layers and neural rosettes. Intriguingly, both activation and elimination of TGFβ signaling can initiate self-organization, albeit with different molecular underpinnings. We discuss the mechanisms underlying the formation of these structures in vitro and explore future challenges in the field. PMID:26970615

Extract of mouse embryonic stem cells induces the expression of pluripotency genes in human adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

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Salehi, Paria Motamen; Foroutan, Tahereh; Javeri, Arash; Taha, Masoumeh Fakhr

2017-11-01

In some previous studies, the extract of embryonic carcinoma cells (ECCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been used to reprogram somatic cells to more dedifferentiated state. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mouse ESCs extract on the expression of some pluripotency markers in human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Human ADSCs were isolated from subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue and characterized by flow cytometric analysis for the expression of some mesenchymal stem cell markers and adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. Frequent freeze-thaw technique was used to prepare cytoplasmic extract of ESCs. Plasma membranes of the ADSCs were reversibly permeabilized by streptolysin-O (SLO). Then the permeabilized ADSCs were incubated with the ESC extract and cultured in resealing medium. After reprogramming, the expression of some pluripotency genes was evaluated by RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analyses. Third-passaged ADSCs showed a fibroblast-like morphology and expressed mesenchymal stem cell markers. They also showed adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential. QPCR analysis revealed a significant upregulation in the expression of some pluripotency genes including OCT4 , SOX2 , NANOG , REX1 and ESG1 in the reprogrammed ADSCs compared to the control group. These findings showed that mouse ESC extract can be used to induce reprogramming of human ADSCs. In fact, this method is applicable for reprogramming of human adult stem cells to a more pluripotent sate and may have a potential in regenerative medicine.

A single-cell and feeder-free culture system for monkey embryonic stem cells.

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Ono, Takashi; Suzuki, Yutaka; Kato, Yosuke; Fujita, Risako; Araki, Toshihiro; Yamashita, Tomoko; Kato, Hidemasa; Torii, Ryuzo; Sato, Naoya

2014-01-01

Primate pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), hold great potential for research and application in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. To maximize primate PSC potential, a practical system is required for generating desired functional cells and reproducible differentiation techniques. Much progress regarding their culture systems has been reported to date; however, better methods would still be required for their practical use, particularly in industrial and clinical fields. Here we report a new single-cell and feeder-free culture system for primate PSCs, the key feature of which is an originally formulated serum-free medium containing FGF and activin. In this culture system, cynomolgus monkey ESCs can be passaged many times by single-cell dissociation with traditional trypsin treatment and can be propagated with a high proliferation rate as a monolayer without any feeder cells; further, typical PSC properties and genomic stability can be retained. In addition, it has been demonstrated that monkey ESCs maintained in the culture system can be used for various experiments such as in vitro differentiation and gene manipulation. Thus, compared with the conventional culture system, monkey ESCs grown in the aforementioned culture system can serve as a cell source with the following practical advantages: simple, stable, and easy cell maintenance; gene manipulation; cryopreservation; and desired differentiation. We propose that this culture system can serve as a reliable platform to prepare primate PSCs useful for future research and application.

In vivo sensitivity of the embryonic and adult neural stem cell compartments to low-dose radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barazzuol, Lara; Jeggo, Penny A.

2016-01-01

The embryonic brain is radiation-sensitive, with cognitive deficits being observed after exposure to low radiation doses. Exposure of neonates to radiation can cause intracranial carcinogenesis. To gain insight into the basis underlying these outcomes, we examined the response of the embryonic, neonatal and adult brain to low-dose radiation, focusing on the neural stem cell compartments. This review summarizes our recent findings. At E13.5–14.5 the embryonic neocortex encompasses rapidly proliferating stem and progenitor cells. Exploiting mice with a hypomorphic mutation in DNA ligase IV (Lig4 Y288C ), we found a high level of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at E14.5, which we attribute to the rapid proliferation. We observed endogenous apoptosis in Lig4 Y288C embryos and in WT embryos following exposure to low radiation doses. An examination of DSB levels and apoptosis in adult neural stem cell compartments, the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the subgranular zone (SGZ) revealed low DSB levels in Lig4 Y288C mice, comparable with the levels in differentiated neuronal tissues. We conclude that the adult SVZ does not incur high levels of DNA breakage, but sensitively activates apoptosis; apoptosis was less sensitively activated in the SGZ, and differentiated neuronal tissues did not activate apoptosis. P5/P15 mice showed intermediate DSB levels, suggesting that DSBs generated in the embryo can be transmitted to neonates and undergo slow repair. Interestingly, this analysis revealed a stage of high endogenous apoptosis in the neonatal SVZ. Collectively, these studies reveal that the adult neural stem cell compartment, like the embryonic counterpart, can sensitively activate apoptosis

Directed neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

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Noggle Scott A

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We have developed a culture system for the efficient and directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (HESCs to neural precursors and neurons. HESC were maintained by manual passaging and were differentiated to a morphologically distinct OCT-4+/SSEA-4- monolayer cell type prior to the derivation of embryoid bodies. Embryoid bodies were grown in suspension in serum free conditions, in the presence of 50% conditioned medium from the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 (MedII. Results A neural precursor population was observed within HESC derived serum free embryoid bodies cultured in MedII conditioned medium, around 7–10 days after derivation. The neural precursors were organized into rosettes comprised of a central cavity surrounded by ring of cells, 4 to 8 cells in width. The central cells within rosettes were proliferating, as indicated by the presence of condensed mitotic chromosomes and by phosphoHistone H3 immunostaining. When plated and maintained in adherent culture, the rosettes of neural precursors were surrounded by large interwoven networks of neurites. Immunostaining demonstrated the expression of nestin in rosettes and associated non-neuronal cell types, and a radial expression of Map-2 in rosettes. Differentiated neurons expressed the markers Map-2 and Neurofilament H, and a subpopulation of the neurons expressed tyrosine hydroxylase, a marker for dopaminergic neurons. Conclusion This novel directed differentiation approach led to the efficient derivation of neuronal cultures from HESCs, including the differentiation of tyrosine hydroxylase expressing neurons. HESC were morphologically differentiated to a monolayer OCT-4+ cell type, which was used to derive embryoid bodies directly into serum free conditions. Exposure to the MedII conditioned medium enhanced the derivation of neural precursors, the first example of the effect of this conditioned medium on HESC.

Induced pluripotent stem cells show metabolomic differences to embryonic stem cells in polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines and primary metabolism.

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John K Meissen

Full Text Available Induced pluripotent stem cells are different from embryonic stem cells as shown by epigenetic and genomics analyses. Depending on cell types and culture conditions, such genetic alterations can lead to different metabolic phenotypes which may impact replication rates, membrane properties and cell differentiation. We here applied a comprehensive metabolomics strategy incorporating nanoelectrospray ion trap mass spectrometry (MS, gas chromatography-time of flight MS, and hydrophilic interaction- and reversed phase-liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight MS to examine the metabolome of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs compared to parental fibroblasts as well as to reference embryonic stem cells (ESCs. With over 250 identified metabolites and a range of structurally unknown compounds, quantitative and statistical metabolome data were mapped onto a metabolite networks describing the metabolic state of iPSCs relative to other cell types. Overall iPSCs exhibited a striking shift metabolically away from parental fibroblasts and toward ESCs, suggestive of near complete metabolic reprogramming. Differences between pluripotent cell types were not observed in carbohydrate or hydroxyl acid metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway metabolites, or free fatty acids. However, significant differences between iPSCs and ESCs were evident in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine lipid structures, essential and non-essential amino acids, and metabolites involved in polyamine biosynthesis. Together our findings demonstrate that during cellular reprogramming, the metabolome of fibroblasts is also reprogrammed to take on an ESC-like profile, but there are select unique differences apparent in iPSCs. The identified metabolomics signatures of iPSCs and ESCs may have important implications for functional regulation of maintenance and induction of pluripotency.

Nanotopography Promotes Pancreatic Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jong Hyun; Kim, Hyung Woo; Cha, Kyoung Je; Han, Jiyou; Jang, Yu Jin; Kim, Dong Sung; Kim, Jong-Hoon

2016-03-22

Although previous studies suggest that nanotopographical features influence properties and behaviors of stem cells, only a few studies have attempted to derive clinically useful somatic cells from human pluripotent stem cells using nanopatterned surfaces. In the present study, we report that polystyrene nanopore-patterned surfaces significantly promote the pancreatic differentiation of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. We compared different diameters of nanopores and showed that 200 nm nanopore-patterned surfaces highly upregulated the expression of PDX1, a critical transcription factor for pancreatic development, leading to an approximately 3-fold increase in the percentage of differentiating PDX1(+) pancreatic progenitors compared with control flat surfaces. Furthermore, in the presence of biochemical factors, 200 nm nanopore-patterned surfaces profoundly enhanced the derivation of pancreatic endocrine cells producing insulin, glucagon, or somatostatin. We also demonstrate that nanopore-patterned surface-induced upregulation of PDX1 is associated with downregulation of TAZ, suggesting the potential role of TAZ in nanopore-patterned surface-mediated mechanotransduction. Our study suggests that appropriate cytokine treatments combined with nanotopographical stimulation could be a powerful tool for deriving a high purity of desired cells from human pluripotent stem cells.

Optimization of a serum-free culture medium for mouse embryonic stem cells using design of experiments (DoE) methodology.

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Knöspel, Fanny; Schindler, Rudolf K; Lübberstedt, Marc; Petzolt, Stephanie; Gerlach, Jörg C; Zeilinger, Katrin

2010-12-01

The in vitro culture behaviour of embryonic stem cells (ESC) is strongly influenced by the culture conditions. Current culture media for expansion of ESC contain some undefined substances. Considering potential clinical translation work with such cells, the use of defined media is desirable. We have used Design of Experiments (DoE) methods to investigate the composition of a serum-free chemically defined culture medium for expansion of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). Factor screening analysis according to Plackett-Burman revealed that insulin and leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) had a significant positive influence on the proliferation activity of the cells, while zinc and L: -cysteine reduced the cell growth. Further analysis using minimum run resolution IV (MinRes IV) design indicates that following factor adjustment LIF becomes the main factor for the survival and proliferation of mESC. In conclusion, DoE screening assays are applicable to develop and to refine culture media for stem cells and could also be employed to optimize culture media for human embryonic stem cells (hESC).

Assessment of a 42 metal salts chemical library in mouse embryonic stem cells

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The developmental effects of xenobiotics on differentiation can be profiled using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). The adherent cell differentiation and cytotoxicity (ACDC) technique was used to evaluate a library of 42 metal and metaloid salts. Jl mESCs were allowed to prolif...

Human embryonic stem cells in culture possess primary cilia with hedgehog signaling machinery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiprilov, Enko N; Awan, Aashir; Desprat, Romain

2008-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are potential therapeutic tools and models of human development. With a growing interest in primary cilia in signal transduction pathways that are crucial for embryological development and tissue differentiation and interest in mechanisms regulating human hESC d...

REST/NRSF Knockdown Alters Survival, Lineage Differentiation and Signaling in Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

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Kaushali Thakore-Shah

Full Text Available REST (RE1 silencing transcription factor, also known as NRSF (neuron-restrictive silencer factor, is a well-known transcriptional repressor of neural genes in non-neural tissues and stem cells. Dysregulation of REST activity is thought to play a role in diverse diseases including epilepsy, cancer, Down's syndrome and Huntington's disease. The role of REST/NRSF in control of human embryonic stem cell (hESC fate has never been examined. To evaluate the role of REST in hESCs we developed an inducible REST knockdown system and examined both growth and differentiation over short and long term culture. Interestingly, we have found that altering REST levels in multiple hESC lines does not result in loss of self-renewal but instead leads to increased survival. During differentiation, REST knockdown resulted in increased MAPK/ERK and WNT signaling and increased expression of mesendoderm differentiation markers. Therefore we have uncovered a new role for REST in regulation of growth and early differentiation decisions in human embryonic stem cells.

The postischemic environment differentially impacts teratoma or tumor formation after transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seminatore, Christine; Polentes, Jerome; Ellman, Ditte

2010-01-01

Risk of tumorigenesis is a major obstacle to human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell therapy. Likely linked to the stage of differentiation of the cells at the time of implantation, formation of teratoma/tumors can also be influenced by factors released by the host tissue. We have...... analyzed the relative effects of the stage of differentiation and the postischemic environment on the formation of adverse structures by transplanted human embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors....

How to depolarise the ethical debate over human embryonic stem cell research (and other ethical debates too!).

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Espinoza, Nicolas; Peterson, Martin

2012-08-01

The contention of this paper is that the current ethical debate over embryonic stem cell research is polarised to an extent that is not warranted by the underlying ethical conflict. It is argued that the ethical debate can be rendered more nuanced, and less polarised, by introducing non-binary notions of moral rightness and wrongness. According to the view proposed, embryonic stem cell research--and possibly other controversial activities too--can be considered 'a little bit right and a little bit wrong'. If this idea were to become widely accepted, the ethical debate would, for conceptual reasons, become less polarised.

Comparative study of human embryonic stem cells (hESC and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC as a treatment for retinal dystrophies

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Marina Riera

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Retinal dystrophies (RD are major causes of familial blindness and are characterized by progressive dysfunction of photoreceptor and/or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE cells. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the therapeutic effects of two pluripotent stem cell (PSC-based therapies. We differentiated RPE from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs or human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs and transplanted them into the subretinal space of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS rat. Once differentiated, cells from either source of PSC resembled mature RPE in their morphology and gene expression profile. Following transplantation, both hESC- and hiPSC-derived cells maintained the expression of specific RPE markers, lost their proliferative capacity, established tight junctions, and were able to perform phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments. Remarkably, grafted areas showed increased numbers of photoreceptor nuclei and outer segment disk membranes. Regardless of the cell source, human transplants protected retina from cell apoptosis, glial stress and accumulation of autofluorescence, and responded better to light stimuli. Altogether, our results show that hESC- and hiPSC-derived cells survived, migrated, integrated, and functioned as RPE in the RCS rat retina, providing preclinical evidence that either PSC source could be of potential benefit for treating RD.

Comparative study of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) as a treatment for retinal dystrophies

Science.gov (United States)

Riera, Marina; Fontrodona, Laura; Albert, Silvia; Ramirez, Diana Mora; Seriola, Anna; Salas, Anna; Muñoz, Yolanda; Ramos, David; Villegas-Perez, Maria Paz; Zapata, Miguel Angel; Raya, Angel; Ruberte, Jesus; Veiga, Anna; Garcia-Arumi, Jose

2016-01-01

Retinal dystrophies (RD) are major causes of familial blindness and are characterized by progressive dysfunction of photoreceptor and/or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the therapeutic effects of two pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-based therapies. We differentiated RPE from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and transplanted them into the subretinal space of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat. Once differentiated, cells from either source of PSC resembled mature RPE in their morphology and gene expression profile. Following transplantation, both hESC- and hiPSC-derived cells maintained the expression of specific RPE markers, lost their proliferative capacity, established tight junctions, and were able to perform phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments. Remarkably, grafted areas showed increased numbers of photoreceptor nuclei and outer segment disk membranes. Regardless of the cell source, human transplants protected retina from cell apoptosis, glial stress and accumulation of autofluorescence, and responded better to light stimuli. Altogether, our results show that hESC- and hiPSC-derived cells survived, migrated, integrated, and functioned as RPE in the RCS rat retina, providing preclinical evidence that either PSC source could be of potential benefit for treating RD. PMID:27006969

Locust bean gum as an alternative polymeric coating for embryonic stem cell culture

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Perestrelo, Ana Rubina [Regenerative Medicine Program, Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); IBB - Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine (CBME), Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); Grenha, Ana [IBB - Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine (CBME), Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); Rosa da Costa, Ana M. [Centro de Investigação em Química do Algarve (CIQA) and Departamento de Química e Farmácia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); Belo, José António, E-mail: jose.belo@fcm.unl.pt [Regenerative Medicine Program, Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); IBB - Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine (CBME), Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo Mártires da Pátria 130, 1169-056 Lisboa (Portugal)

2014-07-01

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have self-renewal capacity and the potential to differentiate into any cellular type depending on specific cues (pluripotency) and, therefore, have become a vibrant research area in the biomedical field. ESCs are usually cultured in gelatin or on top of a monolayer of feeder cells such as mitotically inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFsi). The latter is the gold standard support to maintain the ESCs in the pluripotent state. Examples of versatile, non-animal derived and inexpensive materials that are able to support pluripotent ESCs are limited. Therefore, our aim was to find a biomaterial able to support ESC growth in a pluripotent state avoiding laborious and time consuming parallel culture of MEFsi and as simple to handle as gelatin. Many of the new biomaterials used to develop stem cell microenvironments are using natural polymers adsorbed or covalently attached to the surface to improve the biocompatibility of synthetic polymers. Locust beam gum (LBG) is a natural, edible polymer, which has a wide range of potential applications in different fields, such as food and pharmaceutical industry, due to its biocompatibility, adhesiveness and thickening properties. The present work brings a natural system based on the use of LBG as a coating for ESC culture. Undifferentiated mouse ESCs were cultured on commercially available LBG to evaluate its potential in maintaining pluripotent ESCs. In terms of morphology, ESC colonies in LBG presented the regular dome shape with bright borders, similar to the colonies obtained in co-cultures with MEFsi and characteristic of pluripotent ESC colonies. In short-term cultures, ESC proliferation in LBG coating was similar to ESC cultured in gelatin and the cells maintained their viability. The activity of alkaline phosphatase and Nanog, Sox2 and Oct4 expression of mouse ESCs cultured in LBG were comparable or in some cases higher than in ESCs cultured in gelatin. An in vitro

Locust bean gum as an alternative polymeric coating for embryonic stem cell culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perestrelo, Ana Rubina; Grenha, Ana; Rosa da Costa, Ana M.; Belo, José António

2014-01-01

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have self-renewal capacity and the potential to differentiate into any cellular type depending on specific cues (pluripotency) and, therefore, have become a vibrant research area in the biomedical field. ESCs are usually cultured in gelatin or on top of a monolayer of feeder cells such as mitotically inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFsi). The latter is the gold standard support to maintain the ESCs in the pluripotent state. Examples of versatile, non-animal derived and inexpensive materials that are able to support pluripotent ESCs are limited. Therefore, our aim was to find a biomaterial able to support ESC growth in a pluripotent state avoiding laborious and time consuming parallel culture of MEFsi and as simple to handle as gelatin. Many of the new biomaterials used to develop stem cell microenvironments are using natural polymers adsorbed or covalently attached to the surface to improve the biocompatibility of synthetic polymers. Locust beam gum (LBG) is a natural, edible polymer, which has a wide range of potential applications in different fields, such as food and pharmaceutical industry, due to its biocompatibility, adhesiveness and thickening properties. The present work brings a natural system based on the use of LBG as a coating for ESC culture. Undifferentiated mouse ESCs were cultured on commercially available LBG to evaluate its potential in maintaining pluripotent ESCs. In terms of morphology, ESC colonies in LBG presented the regular dome shape with bright borders, similar to the colonies obtained in co-cultures with MEFsi and characteristic of pluripotent ESC colonies. In short-term cultures, ESC proliferation in LBG coating was similar to ESC cultured in gelatin and the cells maintained their viability. The activity of alkaline phosphatase and Nanog, Sox2 and Oct4 expression of mouse ESCs cultured in LBG were comparable or in some cases higher than in ESCs cultured in gelatin. An in vitro

Self-Organization of Spatial Patterning in Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Deglincerti, Alessia; Etoc, Fred; Ozair, M Zeeshan; Brivanlou, Ali H

2016-01-01

The developing embryo is a remarkable example of self-organization, where functional units are created in a complex spatiotemporal choreography. Recently, human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been used to recapitulate in vitro the self-organization programs that are executed in the embryo in vivo. This represents an unique opportunity to address self-organization in humans that is otherwise not addressable with current technologies. In this chapter, we review the recent literature on self-organization of human ESCs, with a particular focus on two examples: formation of embryonic germ layers and neural rosettes. Intriguingly, both activation and elimination of TGFβ signaling can initiate self-organization, albeit with different molecular underpinnings. We discuss the mechanisms underlying the formation of these structures in vitro and explore future challenges in the field. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Absence of Rybp Compromises Neural Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells

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Gergo Kovacs

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Rybp (Ring1 and Yy1 Binding Protein is a transcriptional regulator and member of the noncanonical polycomb repressive complex 1 with essential role in early embryonic development. We have previously described that alteration of Rybp dosage in mouse models induced striking neural tube defects (NTDs, exencephaly, and disorganized neurocortex. In this study we further investigated the role of Rybp in neural differentiation by utilising wild type (rybp+/+ and rybp null mutant (rybp-/- embryonic stem cells (ESCs and tried to uncover underlying molecular events that are responsible for the observed phenotypic changes. We found that rybp null mutant ESCs formed less matured neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes from existing progenitors than wild type cells. Furthermore, lack of rybp coincided with altered gene expression of key neural markers including Pax6 and Plagl1 pinpointing a possible transcriptional circuit among these genes.

Teratoma Formation by Human Embryonic Stem Cells is site-dependent and enhanced by the presence of Matrigel

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Prokhorova, Tatyana A; Harkness, Linda M; Frandsen, Ulrik

2008-01-01

When implanted into immunodeficient mice, human embryonic stem cells (hESC) give rise to teratoma, tumour-like formations containing tissues belonging to all three germ layers. The ability to form teratoma is a sine qua non characteristic of pluripotent stem cells. However, limited data...

Bioenergetic Changes during Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells along the Hepatic Lineage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hopkinson, Branden M; Madsen, Claus Desler; Kalisz, Mark

2017-01-01

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been demonstrated to result in premature aging due to its effects on stem cells. Nevertheless, a full understanding of the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics through differentiation is still lacking. Here we show the bioenergetics profile of human stem cells...... of embryonic origin differentiating along the hepatic lineage. Our study reveals especially the transition between hepatic specification and hepatic maturation as dependent on mitochondrial respiration and demonstrates that even though differentiating cells are primarily dependent on glycolysis until induction...

Stem cell maintenance by manipulating signaling pathways: past, current and future

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Chen, Xi; Ye, Shoudong; Ying, Qi-Long

2015-01-01

Pluripotent stem cells only exist in a narrow window during early embryonic development, whereas multipotent stem cells are abundant throughout embryonic development and are retainedin various adult tissues and organs. While pluripotent stem cell lines have been established from several species, including mouse, rat, and human, it is still challenging to establish stable multipotent stem cell lines from embryonic or adult tissues. Based on current knowledge, we anticipate that by manipulating extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathways, most if not all types of stem cells can be maintained in a long-term culture. In this article, we summarize current culture conditions established for the long-term maintenance of authentic pluripotent and multipotent stem cells and the signaling pathways involved. We also discuss the general principles of stem cell maintenance and propose several strategies on the establishment of novel stem cell lines through manipulation of signaling pathways. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(12): 668-676] PMID:26497581

Raman microscopy of individual living human embryonic stem cells

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Novikov, Sergey M.; Beermann, Jonas; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.

2010-01-01

We demonstrate the possibility of mapping the distribution of different biomolecules in living human embryonic stem cells grown on glass substrates, without the need for fluorescent markers. In our work we improve the quality of measurements by finding a buffer that gives low fluorescence, growing...... cells on glass substrates (whose Raman signals are relatively weak compared to that of the cells) and having the backside covered with gold to improve the image contrast under direct white light illumination. The experimental setup used for Raman microscopy is the commercially available confocal...

From embryonic stem cells to functioning germ cells: science, clinical and ethical perspectives.

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Kiatpongsan, Sorapop

2007-10-01

Embryonic stem cells have been well recognized as cells having a versatile potential to differentiate into all types of cells in the body including germ cells. There are many research studies focusing on the differentiation processes and protocols to derive various types of somatic cells from embryonic stem cells. However, germ cells have unique differentiation process and developmental pathway compared with somatic cells. Consequently, they will require different differentiation protocols and special culture techniques. More understanding and established in vitro systems for gametogenesis will greatly contribute to further progression of knowledge and technology in germ cell biology, reproductive biology and reproductive medicine. Moreover if oocytes can be efficiently produced in vitro, this will play an important role on progression in nuclear transfer and nuclear reprogramming technology. The present article will provide concise review on past important discoveries, current ongoing studies and future views of this challenging research area. An ethical perspective has also been proposed to give comprehensive summary and viewpoint for future clinical application.

In vivo sensitivity of the embryonic and adult neural stem cell compartments to low-dose radiation.

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Barazzuol, Lara; Jeggo, Penny A

2016-08-01

The embryonic brain is radiation-sensitive, with cognitive deficits being observed after exposure to low radiation doses. Exposure of neonates to radiation can cause intracranial carcinogenesis. To gain insight into the basis underlying these outcomes, we examined the response of the embryonic, neonatal and adult brain to low-dose radiation, focusing on the neural stem cell compartments. This review summarizes our recent findings. At E13.5-14.5 the embryonic neocortex encompasses rapidly proliferating stem and progenitor cells. Exploiting mice with a hypomorphic mutation in DNA ligase IV (Lig4(Y288C) ), we found a high level of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at E14.5, which we attribute to the rapid proliferation. We observed endogenous apoptosis in Lig4(Y288C) embryos and in WT embryos following exposure to low radiation doses. An examination of DSB levels and apoptosis in adult neural stem cell compartments, the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the subgranular zone (SGZ) revealed low DSB levels in Lig4(Y288C) mice, comparable with the levels in differentiated neuronal tissues. We conclude that the adult SVZ does not incur high levels of DNA breakage, but sensitively activates apoptosis; apoptosis was less sensitively activated in the SGZ, and differentiated neuronal tissues did not activate apoptosis. P5/P15 mice showed intermediate DSB levels, suggesting that DSBs generated in the embryo can be transmitted to neonates and undergo slow repair. Interestingly, this analysis revealed a stage of high endogenous apoptosis in the neonatal SVZ. Collectively, these studies reveal that the adult neural stem cell compartment, like the embryonic counterpart, can sensitively activate apoptosis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

Epigenetic stability, adaptability, and reversibility in human embryonic stem cells

OpenAIRE

Tompkins, Joshua D.; Hall, Christine; Chen, Vincent Chang-yi; Li, Arthur Xuejun; Wu, Xiwei; Hsu, David; Couture, Larry A.; Riggs, Arthur D.

2012-01-01

The stability of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is of critical importance for both experimental and clinical applications. We find that as an initial response to altered culture conditions, hESCs change their transcription profile for hundreds of genes and their DNA methylation profiles for several genes outside the core pluripotency network. After adaption to conditions of feeder-free defined and/or xeno-free culture systems, expression and DNA methylation profiles are quite stable for a...

The phenotype of FancB-mutant mouse embryonic stem cells

OpenAIRE

Kim, Tae Moon; Ko, Jun Ho; Choi, Yong Jun; Hu, Lingchuan; Hasty, Paul

2011-01-01

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by bone marrow failure, developmental defects and cancer. There are multiple FA genes that enable the repair of interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) in coordination with a variety of other DNA repair pathways in a way that is poorly understood. Here we present the phenotype of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells mutated for FancB. We found FancB-mutant cells exhibited reduced cellular proliferation, hypersensitivity to the crosslink...

Simulated Microgravity Modulates Differentiation Processes of Embryonic Stem Cells

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Vaibhav Shinde

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Embryonic developmental studies under microgravity conditions in space are very limited. To study the effects of altered gravity on the embryonic development processes we established an in vitro methodology allowing differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs under simulated microgravity within a fast-rotating clinostat (clinorotation and capture of microarray-based gene signatures. Methods: The differentiating mESCs were cultured in a 2D pipette clinostat. The microarray and bioinformatics tools were used to capture genes that are deregulated by simulated microgravity and their impact on developmental biological processes. Results: The data analysis demonstrated that differentiation of mESCs in pipettes for 3 days resultet to early germ layer differentiation and then to the different somatic cell types after further 7 days of differentiation in the Petri dishes. Clinorotation influences differentiation as well as non-differentiation related biological processes like cytoskeleton related 19 genes were modulated. Notably, simulated microgravity deregulated genes Cyr61, Thbs1, Parva, Dhrs3, Jun, Tpm1, Fzd2 and Dll1 are involved in heart morphogenesis as an acute response on day 3. If the stem cells were further cultivated under normal gravity conditions (1 g after clinorotation, the expression of cardiomyocytes specific genes such as Tnnt2, Rbp4, Tnni1, Csrp3, Nppb and Mybpc3 on day 10 was inhibited. This correlated well with a decreasing beating activity of the 10-days old embryoid bodies (EBs. Finally, we captured Gadd45g, Jun, Thbs1, Cyr61and Dll1 genes whose expressions were modulated by simulated microgravity and by real microgravity in various reported studies. Simulated microgravity also deregulated genes belonging to the MAP kinase and focal dhesion signal transduction pathways. Conclusion: One of the most prominent biological processes affected by simulated microgravity was the process of cardiomyogenesis. The

A Sweet Potion to Put Embryonic Stem Cells to Sleep

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Kaushik D. Deb

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs are rapidly revolutionizing the areas of drug screening and therapy. In view of their applications and high operational costs at global multicentric setups, the ability to store and transport hESCs and derivatives under ambient temperatures, and their cryopreservation without compromising the stemness, function, and viability, is becoming imperative. Here we discuss the need for a natural cryoprotectant and biopreservative with a potential to improve cryopreservation, ambient temperature storage, and shipping of hESCs and derivatives. Trehalose, a naturally occurring disaccharide with therapeutic properties, protects the integrity of cells against desiccation, dehydration, and extreme heat or cold, and has been successfully tested for some somatic stem cell types. However, the biggest setback is the inability of mammalian cells to internalize trehalose. Here we review the methods being developed at different laboratories to facilitate its intercellular transport and advocate the need for similar advances in hESCs.

Fate of D3 mouse embryonic stem cells exposed to X-rays or carbon ions.

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Luft, S; Pignalosa, D; Nasonova, E; Arrizabalaga, O; Helm, A; Durante, M; Ritter, S

2014-01-15

The risk of radiation exposure during embryonic development is still a major problem in radiotoxicology. In this study we investigated the response of the murine embryonic stem cell (mESC) line D3 to two radiation qualities: sparsely ionizing X-rays and densely ionizing carbon ions. We analyzed clonogenic cell survival, proliferation, induction of chromosome aberrations as well as the capability of cells to differentiate to beating cardiomyocytes up to 3 days after exposure. Our results show that, for all endpoints investigated, carbon ions are more effective than X-rays at the same radiation dose. Additionally, in long term studies (≥8 days post-irradiation) chromosomal damage and the pluripotency state were investigated. These studies reveal that pluripotency markers are present in the progeny of cells surviving the exposure to both radiation types. However, only in the progeny of X-ray exposed cells the aberration frequency was comparable to that of the control population, while the progeny of carbon ion irradiated cells harbored significantly more aberrations than the control, generally translocations. We conclude that cells surviving the radiation exposure maintain pluripotency but may carry stable chromosomal rearrangements after densely ionizing radiation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MYSM1 Is Essential for Maintaining Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) Quiescence and Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Yi; Li, Bing-Yi; Lin, Zhi-Feng; Wang, Wei; Jiang, Xiao-Xia; Chen, Xu; Xi, Wen-Jin; Yang, An-Gang; Chen, Si-Yi; Wang, Tao

2018-04-25

BACKGROUND Histone H2A deubiquitinase MYSM1 has recently been shown to be essential for hematopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function in both mice and humans. However, conventional MYSM1 knockouts cause partial embryonic lethality and growth retardation, and it is difficult to convincingly remove the effects of environmental factors on HSC differentiation and function. MATERIAL AND METHODS MYSM1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice were efficiently induced by using the Vav1-cre transgenic system. The Vav-Cre MYSM1 cKO mice were then analyzed to verify the intrinsic role of MYSM1 in hematopoietic cells. RESULTS MYSM1 cKO mice were viable and were born at normal litter sizes. At steady state, we observed a defect in hematopoiesis, including reduced bone marrow cellularity and abnormal HSC function. MYSM1 deletion drives HSCs from quiescence into rapid cycling, and MYSM1-deficient HSCs display impaired engraftment. In particular, the immature cycling cKO HSCs have elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and are prone to apoptosis, resulting in the exhaustion of the stem cell pool during stress response to 5-FU. CONCLUSIONS Our study using MYSM1 cKO mice confirms the important role of MYSM1 in maintaining HSC quiescence and survival.

The C. elegans embryonic fate specification factor EGL-18 (GATA) is reutilized downstream of Wnt signaling to maintain a population of larval progenitor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorrepati, Lakshmi; Eisenmann, David M

2015-01-01

In metazoans, stem cells in developing and adult tissues can divide asymmetrically to give rise to a daughter that differentiates and a daughter that retains the progenitor fate. Although the short-lived nematode C. elegans does not possess adult somatic stem cells, the lateral hypodermal seam cells behave in a similar manner: they divide once per larval stage to generate an anterior daughter that adopts a non-dividing differentiated fate and a posterior daughter that retains the seam fate and the ability to divide further. Wnt signaling pathway is known to regulate the asymmetry of these divisions and maintain the progenitor cell fate in one daughter, but how activation of the Wnt pathway accomplished this was unknown. We describe here our recent work that identified the GATA transcription factor EGL-18 as a downstream target of Wnt signaling necessary for maintenance of a progenitor population of larval seam cells. EGL-18 was previously shown to act in the initial specification of the seam cells in the embryo. Thus the acquisition of a Wnt-responsive cis-regulatory module allows an embryonic fate specification factor to be reutilized later in life downstream of a different regulator (Wnt signaling) to maintain a progenitor cell population. These results support the use of seam cell development in C. elegans as a simple model system for studying stem and progenitor cell biology.

Derivation of keratinocytes from chicken embryonic stem cells: Establishment and characterization of differentiated proliferative cell populations

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Mathilde Couteaudier

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A common challenge in avian cell biology is the generation of differentiated cell-lines, especially in the keratinocyte lineage. Only a few avian cell-lines are available and very few of them show an interesting differentiation profile. During the last decade, mammalian embryonic stem cell-lines were shown to differentiate into almost all lineages, including keratinocytes. Although chicken embryonic stem cells had been obtained in the 1990s, few differentiation studies toward the ectodermal lineage were reported. Consequently, we explored the differentiation of chicken embryonic stem cells toward the keratinocyte lineage by using a combination of stromal induction, ascorbic acid, BMP4 and chicken serum. During the induction period, we observed a downregulation of pluripotency markers and an upregulation of epidermal markers. Three homogenous cell populations were derived, which were morphologically similar to chicken primary keratinocytes, displaying intracellular lipid droplets in almost every pavimentous cell. These cells could be serially passaged without alteration of their morphology and showed gene and protein expression profiles of epidermal markers similar to chicken primary keratinocytes. These cells represent an alternative to the isolation of chicken primary keratinocytes, being less cumbersome to handle and reducing the number of experimental animals used for the preparation of primary cells.

Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms That Maintain Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function

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Kosan, Christian; Godmann, Maren

2016-01-01

All hematopoiesis cells develop from multipotent progenitor cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have the ability to develop into all blood lineages but also maintain their stemness. Different molecular mechanisms have been identified that are crucial for regulating quiescence and self-renewal to maintain the stem cell pool and for inducing proliferation and lineage differentiation. The stem cell niche provides the microenvironment to keep HSC in a quiescent state. Furthermore, several transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers are involved in this process. These create modifications that regulate the cell fate in a more or less reversible and dynamic way and contribute to HSC homeostasis. In addition, HSC respond in a unique way to DNA damage. These mechanisms also contribute to the regulation of HSC function and are essential to ensure viability after DNA damage. How HSC maintain their quiescent stage during the entire life is still matter of ongoing research. Here we will focus on the molecular mechanisms that regulate HSC function. PMID:26798358

Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms That Maintain Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function

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Christian Kosan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available All hematopoiesis cells develop from multipotent progenitor cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC have the ability to develop into all blood lineages but also maintain their stemness. Different molecular mechanisms have been identified that are crucial for regulating quiescence and self-renewal to maintain the stem cell pool and for inducing proliferation and lineage differentiation. The stem cell niche provides the microenvironment to keep HSC in a quiescent state. Furthermore, several transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers are involved in this process. These create modifications that regulate the cell fate in a more or less reversible and dynamic way and contribute to HSC homeostasis. In addition, HSC respond in a unique way to DNA damage. These mechanisms also contribute to the regulation of HSC function and are essential to ensure viability after DNA damage. How HSC maintain their quiescent stage during the entire life is still matter of ongoing research. Here we will focus on the molecular mechanisms that regulate HSC function.

REDOX DISRUPTING POTENTIAL OF TOXCAST CHEMICALS RANKED BY ACTIVITY IN MOUSE EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS

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To gain insight regarding the adverse outcome pathways leading to developmental toxicity following exposure to chemicals, we evaluated ToxCast™ Phase I chemicals in an adherent mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) assay and identified a redox sensitive pathway that correlated with al...

Fingerprinting of neurotoxic compounds using a mouse embryonic stem cell dual luminescence reporter assay

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Colaianna, M.; Ilmjärv, S.; Peterson, H.; Ilse Kern, I.; Julien, S.; Baquié, M.; allocca, G.; Bosgra, S.; Sachinidis, A.; Hengstler, J.G.; Leist, M.; Krause, K.H.

2017-01-01

Identification of neurotoxic drugs and environmental chemicals is an important challenge. However, only few tools to address this topic are available. The aim of this study was to develop a neurotoxicity/developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) test system, using the pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cell

Dynamics of lineage commitment revealed by single-cell transcriptomics of differentiating embryonic stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Semrau, Stefan; Goldmann, Johanna E; Soumillon, Magali; Mikkelsen, Tarjei S; Jaenisch, Rudolf; van Oudenaarden, Alexander

2017-01-01

Gene expression heterogeneity in the pluripotent state of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) has been increasingly well-characterized. In contrast, exit from pluripotency and lineage commitment have not been studied systematically at the single-cell level. Here we measure the gene expression

Human embryonic stem cells have enhanced repair of multiple forms of DNA damage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maynard, Scott; Swistowska, Anna Maria; Lee, Jae Wan

2008-01-01

cells compared with various differentiated murine cells. Using single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) we found that human embryonic stem cells (BG01, I6) have more efficient repair of different types of DNA damage (generated from H2O2, UV-C, ionizing radiation, or psoralen) than human primary...

Cdk2 Inhibition Prolongs G1 Phase Progression in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Koledová, Z.; Rašková-Kafková, L.; Calábková, L.; Kryštof, Vladimír; Doležel, P.; Divoký, V.

2010-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 2 (2010), s. 181-193 ISSN 1547-3287 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA301/08/1649 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : embryonic stem cells * cell cycle * G1 phase Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.791, year: 2010

Efficient Generation of Functional Hepatocytes From Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells by HNF4α Transduction

OpenAIRE

Takayama, Kazuo; Inamura, Mitsuru; Kawabata, Kenji; Katayama, Kazufumi; Higuchi, Maiko; Tashiro, Katsuhisa; Nonaka, Aki; Sakurai, Fuminori; Hayakawa, Takao; Kusuda Furue, Miho; Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki

2012-01-01

Hepatocyte-like cells from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are expected to be a useful source of cells drug discovery. Although we recently reported that hepatic commitment is promoted by transduction of SOX17 and HEX into human ESC- and iPSC-derived cells, these hepatocyte-like cells were not sufficiently mature for drug screening. To promote hepatic maturation, we utilized transduction of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) gene, which is kn...

DNMT1 Maintains Progenitor Function in Self-Renewing Somatic Tissue

OpenAIRE

Sen, George L.; Reuter, Jason A.; Webster, Daniel E.; Zhu, Lilly; Khavari, Paul A.

2010-01-01

Progenitor cells maintain self-renewing tissues throughout life by sustaining their capacity for proliferation while suppressing cell cycle exit and terminal differentiation1,2. DNA methylation3,4,5 provides a potential epigenetic mechanism for the cellular memory needed to preserve the somatic progenitor state through repeated cell divisions. DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)6,7 maintains DNA methylation patterns after cellular replication. Although dispensable for embryonic stem cell maintena...

A defined and xeno-free culture method enabling the establishment of clinical-grade human embryonic, induced pluripotent and adipose stem cells.

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Kristiina Rajala

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The growth of stem cells in in vitro conditions requires optimal balance between signals mediating cell survival, proliferation, and self-renewal. For clinical application of stem cells, the use of completely defined conditions and elimination of all animal-derived materials from the establishment, culture, and differentiation processes is desirable.Here, we report the development of a fully defined xeno-free medium (RegES, capable of supporting the expansion of human embryonic stem cells (hESC, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC and adipose stem cells (ASC. We describe the use of the xeno-free medium in the derivation and long-term (>80 passages culture of three pluripotent karyotypically normal hESC lines: Regea 06/015, Regea 07/046, and Regea 08/013. Cardiomyocytes and neural cells differentiated from these cells exhibit features characteristic to these cell types. The same formulation of the xeno-free medium is capable of supporting the undifferentiated growth of iPSCs on human feeder cells. The characteristics of the pluripotent hESC and iPSC lines are comparable to lines derived and cultured in standard undefined culture conditions. In the culture of ASCs, the xeno-free medium provided significantly higher proliferation rates than ASCs cultured in medium containing allogeneic human serum (HS, while maintaining the differentiation potential and characteristic surface marker expression profile of ASCs, although significant differences in the surface marker expression of ASCs cultured in HS and RegES media were revealed.Our results demonstrate that human ESCs, iPSCs and ASCs can be maintained in the same defined xeno-free medium formulation for a prolonged period of time while maintaining their characteristics, demonstrating the applicability of the simplified xeno-free medium formulation for the production of clinical-grade stem cells. The basic xeno-free formulation described herein has the potential to be further optimized for specific

Generation of Functional Thymic Epithelium from Human Embryonic Stem Cells that Supports Host T Cell Development

OpenAIRE

Parent, Audrey V.; Russ, Holger A.; Khan, Imran S.; LaFlam, Taylor N.; Metzger, Todd C.; Anderson, Mark S.; Hebrok, Matthias

2013-01-01

Inducing immune tolerance to prevent rejection is a key step toward successful engraftment of stem-cell-derived tissue in a clinical setting. Using human pluripotent stem cells to generate thymic epithelial cells (TECs) capable of supporting T cell development represents a promising approach to reach this goal; however, progress toward generating functional TECs has been limited. Here, we describe a robust in vitro method to direct differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into th...

First steps towards the successful surface-based cultivation of human embryonic stem cells in hanging drop systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Julia C; Stumpf, Patrick S; Katsen-Globa, Alisa; Sachinidis, Agapios; Hescheler, Jürgen; Zimmermann, Heiko

2012-11-01

Miniaturization and parallelization of cell culture procedures are in focus of research in order to develop test platforms with low material consumption and increased standardization for toxicity and drug screenings. The cultivation in hanging drops (HDs) is a convenient and versatile tool for biological applications and represents an interesting model system for the screening applications due to its uniform shape, the advantageous gas supply, and the small volume. However, its application has so far been limited to non-adherent and aggregate forming cells. Here, we describe for the first time the proof-of-principle regarding the adherent cultivation of human embryonic stem cells in HD. For this microcarriers were added to the droplet as dynamic cultivation surfaces resulting in a maintained pluripotency and proliferation capacity for 10 days. This enables the HD technique to be extended to the cultivation of adherence-dependent stem cells. Also, the possible automation of this method by implementation of liquid handling systems opens new possibilities for miniaturized screenings, the improvement of cultivation and differentiation conditions, and toxicity and drug development.

Redox environment in stem and differentiated cells: A quantitative approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyublinskaya, O G; Ivanova, Ju S; Pugovkina, N A; Kozhukharova, I V; Kovaleva, Z V; Shatrova, A N; Aksenov, N D; Zenin, V V; Kaulin, Yu A; Gamaley, I A; Nikolsky, N N

2017-08-01

Stem cells are believed to maintain a specific intracellular redox status through a combination of enhanced removal capacity and limited production of ROS. In the present study, we challenge this assumption by developing a quantitative approach for the analysis of the pro- and antioxidant ability of human embryonic stem cells in comparison with their differentiated descendants, as well as adult stem and non-stem cells. Our measurements showed that embryonic stem cells are characterized by low ROS level, low rate of extracellular hydrogen peroxide removal and low threshold for peroxide-induced cytotoxicity. However, biochemical normalization of these parameters to cell volume/protein leads to matching of normalized values in stem and differentiated cells and shows that tested in the present study cells (human embryonic stem cells and their fibroblast-like progenies, adult mesenchymal stem cells, lymphocytes, HeLa) maintain similar intracellular redox status. Based on these observations, we propose to use ROS concentration averaged over the cell volume instead of ROS level as a measure of intracellular redox balance. We show that attempts to use ROS level for comparative analysis of redox status of morphologically different cells could lead to false conclusions. Methods for the assessment of ROS concentration based on flow cytometry analysis with the use of H 2 DCFDA dye and HyPer, genetically encoded probe for hydrogen peroxide, are discussed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantitative glycomics monitoring of induced pluripotent- and embryonic stem cells during neuronal differentiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michiyo Terashima

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Alterations in the structure of cell surface glycoforms occurring during the stages of stem cell differentiation remain unclear. We describe a rapid glycoblotting-based cellular glycomics method for quantitatively evaluating changes in glycoform expression and structure during neuronal differentiation of murine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs and embryonic stem cells (ESCs. Our results show that changes in the expression of cellular N-glycans are comparable during the differentiation of iPSCs and ESCs. The expression of bisect-type N-glycans was significantly up-regulated in neurons that differentiated from both iPSCs and ESCs. From a glycobiological standpoint, iPSCs are an alternative neural cell source in addition to ESCs.

Mouse embryonic stem cells, but not somatic cells, predominantly use homologous recombination to repair double-strand DNA breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Tichy, Elisia D; Pillai, Resmi; Deng, Li; Liang, Li; Tischfield, Jay; Schwemberger, Sandy J; Babcock, George F; Stambrook, Peter J

2010-11-01

Embryonic stem (ES) cells give rise to all cell types of an organism. Since mutations at this embryonic stage would affect all cells and be detrimental to the overall health of an organism, robust mechanisms must exist to ensure that genomic integrity is maintained. To test this proposition, we compared the capacity of murine ES cells to repair DNA double-strand breaks with that of differentiated cells. Of the 2 major pathways that repair double-strand breaks, error-prone nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) predominated in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, whereas the high fidelity homologous recombinational repair (HRR) predominated in ES cells. Microhomology-mediated end joining, an emerging repair pathway, persisted at low levels in all cell types examined. The levels of proteins involved in HRR and microhomology-mediated end joining were highly elevated in ES cells compared with mouse embryonic fibroblasts, whereas those for NHEJ were quite variable, with DNA Ligase IV expression low in ES cells. The half-life of DNA Ligase IV protein was also low in ES cells. Attempts to increase the abundance of DNA Ligase IV protein by overexpression or inhibition of its degradation, and thereby elevate NHEJ in ES cells, were unsuccessful. When ES cells were induced to differentiate, however, the level of DNA Ligase IV protein increased, as did the capacity to repair by NHEJ. The data suggest that preferential use of HRR rather than NHEJ may lend ES cells an additional layer of genomic protection and that the limited levels of DNA Ligase IV may account for the low level of NHEJ activity.

Wnt/β-catenin and LIF-Stat3 signaling pathways converge on Sp5 to promote mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Shoudong; Zhang, Dongming; Cheng, Fei; Wilson, Daniel; Mackay, Jeffrey; He, Kan; Ban, Qian; Lv, Feng; Huang, Saifei; Liu, Dahai; Ying, Qi-Long

2016-01-15

Activation of leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF)-Stat3 or Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal. A myriad of downstream targets have been identified in the individual signal pathways, but their common targets remain largely elusive. In this study, we found that the LIF-Stat3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways converge on Sp5 to promote mESC self-renewal. Forced Sp5 expression can reproduce partial effects of Wnt/β-catenin signaling but mimics most features of LIF-Stat3 signaling to maintain undifferentiated mESCs. Moreover, Sp5 is able to convert mouse epiblast stem cells into a naïve pluripotent state. Thus, Sp5 is an important component of the regulatory network governing mESC naïve pluripotency. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Functional neuromuscular junctions formed by embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons.

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Joy A Umbach

Full Text Available A key objective of stem cell biology is to create physiologically relevant cells suitable for modeling disease pathologies in vitro. Much progress towards this goal has been made in the area of motor neuron (MN disease through the development of methods to direct spinal MN formation from both embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Previous studies have characterized these neurons with respect to their molecular and intrinsic functional properties. However, the synaptic activity of stem cell-derived MNs remains less well defined. In this study, we report the development of low-density co-culture conditions that encourage the formation of active neuromuscular synapses between stem cell-derived MNs and muscle cells in vitro. Fluorescence microscopy reveals the expression of numerous synaptic proteins at these contacts, while dual patch clamp recording detects both spontaneous and multi-quantal evoked synaptic responses similar to those observed in vivo. Together, these findings demonstrate that stem cell-derived MNs innervate muscle cells in a functionally relevant manner. This dual recording approach further offers a sensitive and quantitative assay platform to probe disorders of synaptic dysfunction associated with MN disease.

In Vitro Osteogenic Potential of Green Fluorescent Protein Labelled Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Osteoprogenitors

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Intekhab Islam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cellular therapy using stem cells in bone regeneration has gained increasing interest. Various studies suggest the clinical utility of osteoprogenitors-like mesenchymal stem cells in bone regeneration. However, limited availability of mesenchymal stem cells and conflicting evidence on their therapeutic efficacy limit their clinical application. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs are potentially an unlimited source of healthy and functional osteoprogenitors (OPs that could be utilized for bone regenerative applications. However, limited ability to track hESC-derived progenies in vivo greatly hinders translational studies. Hence, in this study, we aimed to establish hESC-derived OPs (hESC-OPs expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP and to investigate their osteogenic differentiation potential in vitro. We fluorescently labelled H9-hESCs using a plasmid vector encoding GFP. The GFP-expressing hESCs were differentiated into hESC-OPs. The hESC-OPsGFP+ stably expressed high levels of GFP, CD73, CD90, and CD105. They possessed osteogenic differentiation potential in vitro as demonstrated by increased expression of COL1A1, RUNX2, OSTERIX, and OPG transcripts and mineralized nodules positive for Alizarin Red and immunocytochemical expression of osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and collagen-I. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that fluorescently labelled hESC-OPs can maintain their GFP expression for the long term and their potential for osteogenic differentiation in vitro. In future, these fluorescently labelled hESC-OPs could be used for noninvasive assessment of bone regeneration, safety, and therapeutic efficacy.

Electrophysiological properties of neurosensory progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells

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Karina Needham

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In severe cases of sensorineural hearing loss where the numbers of auditory neurons are significantly depleted, stem cell-derived neurons may provide a potential source of replacement cells. The success of such a therapy relies upon producing a population of functional neurons from stem cells, to enable precise encoding of sound information to the brainstem. Using our established differentiation assay to produce sensory neurons from human stem cells, patch-clamp recordings indicated that all neurons examined generated action potentials and displayed both transient sodium and sustained potassium currents. Stem cell-derived neurons reliably entrained to stimuli up to 20 pulses per second (pps, with 50% entrainment at 50 pps. A comparison with cultured primary auditory neurons indicated similar firing precision during low-frequency stimuli, but significant differences after 50 pps due to differences in action potential latency and width. The firing properties of stem cell-derived neurons were also considered relative to time in culture (31–56 days and revealed no change in resting membrane potential, threshold or firing latency over time. Thus, while stem cell-derived neurons did not entrain to high frequency stimulation as effectively as mammalian auditory neurons, their electrical phenotype was stable in culture and consistent with that reported for embryonic auditory neurons.

Changes in glycosaminoglycan structure on differentiation of human embryonic stem cells towards mesoderm and endoderm lineages.

Science.gov (United States)

Gasimli, Leyla; Hickey, Anne Marie; Yang, Bo; Li, Guoyun; dela Rosa, Mitche; Nairn, Alison V; Kulik, Michael J; Dordick, Jonathan S; Moremen, Kelley W; Dalton, Stephen; Linhardt, Robert J

2014-06-01

Proteoglycans are found on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix, and serve as prime sites for interaction with signaling molecules. Proteoglycans help regulate pathways that control stem cell fate, and therefore represent an excellent tool to manipulate these pathways. Despite their importance, there is a dearth of data linking glycosaminoglycan structure within proteoglycans with stem cell differentiation. Human embryonic stem cell line WA09 (H9) was differentiated into early mesoderm and endoderm lineages, and the glycosaminoglycanomic changes accompanying these transitions were studied using transcript analysis, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence and disaccharide analysis. Pluripotent H9 cell lumican had no glycosaminoglycan chains whereas in splanchnic mesoderm lumican was glycosaminoglycanated. H9 cells have primarily non-sulfated heparan sulfate chains. On differentiation towards splanchnic mesoderm and hepatic lineages N-sulfo group content increases. Differences in transcript expression of NDST1, HS6ST2 and HS6ST3, three heparan sulfate biosynthetic enzymes, within splanchnic mesoderm cells compared to H9 cells correlate to changes in glycosaminoglycan structure. Differentiation of embryonic stem cells markedly changes the proteoglycanome. The glycosaminoglycan biosynthetic pathway is complex and highly regulated, and therefore, understanding the details of this pathway should enable better control with the aim of directing stem cell differentiation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rigid microenvironments promote cardiac differentiation of mouse and human embryonic stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

Arshi, Armin; Nakashima, Yasuhiro; Nakano, Haruko; Eaimkhong, Sarayoot; Evseenko, Denis; Reed, Jason; Stieg, Adam Z.; Gimzewski, James K.; Nakano, Atsushi

2013-04-01

While adult heart muscle is the least regenerative of tissues, embryonic cardiomyocytes are proliferative, with embryonic stem (ES) cells providing an endless reservoir. In addition to secreted factors and cell-cell interactions, the extracellular microenvironment has been shown to play an important role in stem cell lineage specification, and understanding how scaffold elasticity influences cardiac differentiation is crucial to cardiac tissue engineering. Though previous studies have analyzed the role of matrix elasticity on the function of differentiated cardiomyocytes, whether it affects the induction of cardiomyocytes from pluripotent stem cells is poorly understood. Here, we examine the role of matrix rigidity on cardiac differentiation using mouse and human ES cells. Culture on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates of varied monomer-to-crosslinker ratios revealed that rigid extracellular matrices promote a higher yield of de novo cardiomyocytes from undifferentiated ES cells. Using a genetically modified ES system that allows us to purify differentiated cardiomyocytes by drug selection, we demonstrate that rigid environments induce higher cardiac troponin T expression, beating rate of foci, and expression ratio of adult α- to fetal β- myosin heavy chain in a purified cardiac population. M-mode and mechanical interferometry image analyses demonstrate that these ES-derived cardiomyocytes display functional maturity and synchronization of beating when co-cultured with neonatal cardiomyocytes harvested from a developing embryo. Together, these data identify matrix stiffness as an independent factor that instructs not only the maturation of already differentiated cardiomyocytes but also the induction and proliferation of cardiomyocytes from undifferentiated progenitors. Manipulation of the stiffness will help direct the production of functional cardiomyocytes en masse from stem cells for regenerative medicine purposes.

The death-inducer obliterator 1 (Dido1) gene regulates embryonic stem cell self-renewal.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yinyin; Kim, Hyeung; Liang, Jiancong; Lu, Weisi; Ouyang, Bin; Liu, Dan; Songyang, Zhou

2014-02-21

The regulatory network of factors that center on master transcription factors such as Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 help maintain embryonic stem (ES) cells and ensure their pluripotency. The target genes of these master transcription factors define the ES cell transcriptional landscape. In this study, we report our findings that Dido1, a target of canonical transcription factors such as Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog, plays an important role in regulating ES cell maintenance. We found that depletion of Dido1 in mouse ES cells led to differentiation, and ectopic expression of Dido1 inhibited differentiation induced by leukemia inhibitory factor withdrawal. We further demonstrated that whereas Nanog and Oct4 could occupy the Dido1 locus and promote its transcription, Dido1 could also target to the loci of pluripotency factors such as Nanog and Oct4 and positively regulate their expression. Through this feedback and feedforward loop, Dido1 is able to regulate self-renewal of mouse ES cells.

Nonsense-Mediated RNA Decay Influences Human Embryonic Stem Cell Fate

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Chih-Hong Lou

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD is a highly conserved pathway that selectively degrades specific subsets of RNA transcripts. Here, we provide evidence that NMD regulates early human developmental cell fate. We found that NMD factors tend to be expressed at higher levels in human pluripotent cells than in differentiated cells, raising the possibility that NMD must be downregulated to permit differentiation. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs demonstrated that, indeed, NMD downregulation is essential for efficient generation of definitive endoderm. RNA-seq analysis identified NMD target transcripts induced when NMD is suppressed in hESCs, including many encoding signaling components. This led us to test the role of TGF-β and BMP signaling, which we found NMD acts through to influence definitive endoderm versus mesoderm fate. Our results suggest that selective RNA decay is critical for specifying the developmental fate of specific human embryonic cell lineages.

Self-renewal and differentiation capabilities are variable between human embryonic stem cell lines I3, I6 and BG01V

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Rao Mahendra S

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A unique and essential property of embryonic stem cells is the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell lineages. However, the possible differences in proliferation and differentiation capabilities among independently-derived human embryonic stem cells (hESCs are not well known because of insufficient characterization. To address this question, a side-by-side comparison of 1 the ability to maintain an undifferentiated state and to self-renew under standard conditions; 2 the ability to spontaneously differentiate into three primary embryonic germ lineages in differentiating embryoid bodies; and 3 the responses to directed neural differentiation was made between three NIH registered hES cell lines I3 (TE03, I6 (TE06 and BG01V. Lines I3 and I6 possess normal XX and a normal XY karyotype while BG01V is a variant cell line with an abnormal karyotype derived from the karyotypically normal cell line BG01. Results Using immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, qRT-PCR and MPSS, we found that all three cell lines actively proliferated and expressed similar "stemness" markers including transcription factors POU5F1/Oct3/4 and NANOG, glycolipids SSEA4 and TRA-1-81, and alkaline phosphatase activity. All cell lines differentiated into three embryonic germ lineages in embryoid bodies and into neural cell lineages when cultured in neural differentiation medium. However, a profound variation in colony morphology, growth rate, BrdU incorporation, and relative abundance of gene expression in undifferentiated and differentiated states of the cell lines was observed. Undifferentiated I3 cells grew significantly slower but their differentiation potential was greater than I6 and BG01V. Under the same neural differentiation-promoting conditions, the ability of each cell line to differentiate into neural progenitors varied. Conclusion Our comparative analysis provides further evidence for similarities and differences between three h

Altered calcium handling and increased contraction force in human embryonic stem cell derived cardiomyocytes following short term dexamethasone exposure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kosmidis, Georgios; Bellin, Milena; Ribeiro, Marcelo C.; van Meer, Berend; Ward-van Oostwaard, Dorien; Passier, Robert; Tertoolen, Leon G. J.; Mummery, Christine L.; Casini, Simona

2015-01-01

One limitation in using human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) for disease modeling and cardiac safety pharmacology is their immature functional phenotype compared with adult cardiomyocytes. Here, we report that treatment of human embryonic stem cell derived cardiomyocytes

DNA double-strand break response in stem cells: mechanisms to maintain genomic integrity.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagaria, Pratik; Robert, Carine; Rassool, Feyruz V

2013-02-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) represent the point of origin of all cells in a given organism and must protect their genomes from both endogenous and exogenous genotoxic stress. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most lethal forms of damage, and failure to adequately repair DSBs would not only compromise the ability of SCs to self-renew and differentiate, but will also lead to genomic instability and disease. Herein, we describe the mechanisms by which ESCs respond to DSB-inducing agents such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ionizing radiation, compared to somatic cells. We will also discuss whether the DSB response is fully reprogrammed in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the role of the DNA damage response (DDR) in the reprogramming of these cells. ESCs have distinct mechanisms to protect themselves against DSBs and oxidative stress compared to somatic cells. The response to damage and stress is crucial for the maintenance of self-renewal and differentiation capacity in SCs. iPSCs appear to reprogram some of the responses to genotoxic stress. However, it remains to be determined if iPSCs also retain some DDR characteristics of the somatic cells of origin. The mechanisms regulating the genomic integrity in ESCs and iPSCs are critical for its safe use in regenerative medicine and may shed light on the pathways and factors that maintain genomic stability, preventing diseases such as cancer. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biochemistry of Stem Cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitors into rat spinal cord injuries does not cause harm.

Science.gov (United States)

Cloutier, Frank; Siegenthaler, Monica M; Nistor, Gabriel; Keirstead, Hans S

2006-07-01

Demyelination contributes to loss of function following spinal cord injury. We have shown previously that transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitors into adult rat 200 kD contusive spinal cord injury sites enhances remyelination and promotes recovery of motor function. Previous studies using oligodendrocyte lineage cells have noted a correlation between the presence of demyelinating pathology and the survival and migration rate of the transplanted cells. The present study compared the survival and migration of human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitors injected 7 days after a 200 or 50 kD contusive spinal cord injury, as well as the locomotor outcome of transplantation. Our findings indicate that a 200 kD spinal cord injury induces extensive demyelination, whereas a 50 kD spinal cord injury induces no detectable demyelination. Cells transplanted into the 200 kD injury group survived, migrated, and resulted in robust remyelination, replicating our previous studies. In contrast, cells transplanted into the 50 kD injury group survived, exhibited limited migration, and failed to induce remyelination as demyelination in this injury group was absent. Animals that received a 50 kD injury displayed only a transient decline in locomotor function as a result of the injury. Importantly, human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor transplants into the 50 kD injury group did not cause a further decline in locomotion. Our studies highlight the importance of a demyelinating pathology as a prerequisite for the function of transplanted myelinogenic cells. In addition, our results indicate that transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells into the injured spinal cord is not associated with a decline in locomotor function.

Contested embryonic culture in Japan--public discussion, and human embryonic stem cell research in an aging welfare society.

Science.gov (United States)

Sleeboom-Faulkner, Margaret

2010-01-01

This article explores the reasons for the lack of a broad discussion on bioethical regulation of human embryonic stem cell research (hESR) in Japan and asks why scientists experience difficulties accessing resources for hESR despite the acclaimed indifference of dominant Japanese culture to embryo research. The article shows how various social actors express their views on the embryo and oocyte donation in terms of dominant Japanese culture, foiled against what is regarded as Western culture. Second, it shows how the lack of concern with hESR should be understood in the context of public health policies and communications and bioethics decision making in Japan. Finally, it interprets the meaning of the embryo in the context of Japan as an aging modern welfare society, explaining how policymakers have come to emphasize the urgency of infertility problems over issues around abortion and embryonic life.

Endogenous production of fibronectin is required for self-renewal of cultured mouse embryonic stem cells

OpenAIRE

Hunt, Geoffrey C.; Singh, Purva; Schwarzbauer, Jean E.

2012-01-01

Pluripotent cells are attached to the extracellular matrix (ECM) as they make cell fate decisions within the stem cell niche. Here we show that the ubiquitous ECM protein fibronectin is required for self-renewal decisions by cultured mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. Undifferentiated mES cells produce fibronectin and assemble a fibrillar matrix. Increasing the level of substrate fibronectin increased cell spreading and integrin receptor signaling through focal adhesion kinase, while concomita...

Derivation of Rabbit Embryonic Stem Cells from Vitrified–Thawed Embryos

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chien-Hong; Li, Yi; Hu, Yeshu; An, Li-You; Yang, Lan; Zhang, Jifeng; Chen, Y. Eugene

2015-01-01

Abstract The rabbit is a useful animal model for regenerative medicine. We previously developed pluripotent rabbit embryonic stem cell (rbESC) lines using fresh embryos. We also successfully cryopreserved rabbit embryos by vitrification. In the present work, we combined these two technologies to derive rbESCs using vitrified–thawed (V/T) embryos. We demonstrate that V/T blastocysts (BLs) can be used to derive pluripotent rbESCs with efficiencies comparable to those using fresh BLs. These ESCs are undistinguishable from the ones derived from fresh embryos. We tested the developmental capacity of rbESCs derived from V/T embryos by BL injection experiments and produced chimeric kits. Our work adds cryopreservation to the toolbox of rabbit stem cell research and applications and will greatly expand the available research materials for regenerative medicine in a clinically relevant animal model. PMID:26579970

Redox Disrupting Potential of ToxCast™Chemicals Ranked by Activity in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Little is known regarding the adverse outcome pathways responsible for developmental toxicity following exposure to chemicals. An evaluation of Toxoast™ Phase I chemicals in an adherent mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) assay revealed a redox sensitive pathway that correlated with...

Embryonic stem cell-derived microvesicles reprogram hematopoietic progenitors: evidence for horizontal transfer of mRNA and protein delivery

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ratajczak, J.; Miekus, K.; Kucia, M.; Zhang, J.; Reca, R.; Dvořák, Petr; Rtajczak, M.Z.

2006-01-01

Roč. 20, - (2006), s. 847-856 ISSN 0887-6924 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA301/03/1122 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Keywords : Microvesicles * Embryonic stem cells * Stem cell expansion Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 6.146, year: 2006

Inconsistent formation and nonfunction of insulin-positive cells from pancreatic endoderm derived from human embryonic stem cells in athymic nude rats

OpenAIRE

Matveyenko, Aleksey V.; Georgia, Senta; Bhushan, Anil; Butler, Peter C.

2010-01-01

Embryonic stem cell therapy has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy to restore β-cell mass and function in T1DM. Recently, a group from Novocell (now ViaCyte) reported successful development of glucose-responsive islet-like structures after implantation of pancreatic endoderm (PE) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) into immune-deficient mice. Our objective was to determine whether implantation of hESC-derived pancreatic endoderm from Novocell into athymic nude rats results in ...

Maintenance and induction of murine embryonic stem cell differentiation using E-cadherin-Fc substrata without colony formation

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Qing-Yuan; Akaike, Toshihiro

2013-03-01

Induced embryonic stem (ES) cells are expected to be promising cell resources for the observation of the cell behaviors in developmental biology as well as the implantation in cell treatments in human diseases. A recombinant E-cadherin substratum was developed as a cell recognizable substratum to maintain the ES cells' self-renewal and pluripotency at single cell level. Furthermore, the generation of various cell lineages in different germ layers, including hepatic or neural cells, was achieved on the chimeric protein layer precisely and effectively. The induction and isolation of specific cell population was carried out with the enhancing effect of other artificial extracellular matrices (ECMs) in enzyme-free process. The murine ES cell-derived cells showed highly morphological similarities and functional expressions to matured hepatocytes or neural progenitor cells.

I-SceI-mediated double-strand break does not increase the frequency of homologous recombination at the Dct locus in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenina, Myriam; Simon-Chazottes, Dominique; Vandormael-Pournin, Sandrine; Soueid, Jihane; Langa, Francina; Cohen-Tannoudji, Michel; Bernard, Bruno A; Panthier, Jean-Jacques

2012-01-01

Targeted induction of double-strand breaks (DSBs) at natural endogenous loci was shown to increase the rate of gene replacement by homologous recombination in mouse embryonic stem cells. The gene encoding dopachrome tautomerase (Dct) is specifically expressed in melanocytes and their precursors. To construct a genetic tool allowing the replacement of Dct gene by any gene of interest, we generated an embryonic stem cell line carrying the recognition site for the yeast I-SceI meganuclease embedded in the Dct genomic segment. The embryonic stem cell line was electroporated with an I-SceI expression plasmid, and a template for the DSB-repair process that carried sequence homologies to the Dct target. The I-SceI meganuclease was indeed able to introduce a DSB at the Dct locus in live embryonic stem cells. However, the level of gene targeting was not improved by the DSB induction, indicating a limited capacity of I-SceI to mediate homologous recombination at the Dct locus. These data suggest that homologous recombination by meganuclease-induced DSB may be locus dependent in mammalian cells.

Embryonic Stem Cell Proteins and MicroRNAs in the Etiology of Germ Cell Cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Eini (Ronak)

2013-01-01

textabstractIn the early 1980s, a population of unique cells was isolated from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the mouse pre-implantation embryo named embryonic stem (ES) cells. These cells were generated by removing the ICM from pre-implantation blastocysts. The resulting cells were found to be

Human embryonic stem cells and microenvironment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Banu İskender

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs possess a great potential in the field of regenerative medicine by their virtue of pluripotent potential with indefinite proliferation capabilities. They can self renew themselves and differentiate into three embryonic germ layers. Although they are conventionally grown on mitotically inactivated mouse feeder cells, there are in vitro culture systems utilizing feeder cells of human origin in order to prevent cross-species contamination. Recently established in vitro culture systems suggested that direct interaction with feeder cells is not necessary but rather attachment to a substrate is required to ensure long-term, efficient hESC culture in vitro. This substrate is usually composed of a mixture of extracellular matrix components representing in vivo natural niche. In hESC biology, the mechanism of interaction of hESCs with extracellular matrix molecules remained insufficiently explored area of research due to their transient nature of interaction with the in vivo niche. However, an in vitro culture system established using extracellular matrix molecules may provide a safer alternative to culture systems with feeder cells while paving the way to Good Manufacturing Practice-GMP production of hESCs for therapeutic purposes. Therefore, it is essential to study the interaction of extracellular matrix molecules with hESCs in order to standardize in vitro culture systems for large-scale production of hESCs in a less labor-intensive way. This would not only provide valuable information regarding the mechanisms that control pluripotency but also serve to dissect the molecular signaling pathways of directed differentiation for prospective therapeutic applications in the future. J Clin Exp Invest 2014; 5 (3: 486-495

Very small embryonic-like stem cells: implications in reproductive biology.

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Bhartiya, Deepa; Unni, Sreepoorna; Parte, Seema; Anand, Sandhya

2013-01-01

The most primitive germ cells in adult mammalian testis are the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) whereas primordial follicles (PFs) are considered the fundamental functional unit in ovary. However, this central dogma has recently been modified with the identification of a novel population of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) in the adult mammalian gonads. These stem cells are more primitive to SSCs and are also implicated during postnatal ovarian neo-oogenesis and primordial follicle assembly. VSELs are pluripotent in nature and characterized by nuclear Oct-4A, cell surface SSEA-4, and other pluripotent markers like Nanog, Sox2, and TERT. VSELs are considered to be the descendants of epiblast stem cells and possibly the primordial germ cells that persist into adulthood and undergo asymmetric cell division to replenish the gonadal germ cells throughout life. Elucidation of their role during infertility, endometrial repair, superovulation, and pathogenesis of various reproductive diseases like PCOS, endometriosis, cancer, and so on needs to be addressed. Hence, a detailed review of current understanding of VSEL biology is pertinent, which will hopefully open up new avenues for research to better understand various reproductive processes and cancers. It will also be relevant for future regenerative medicine, translational research, and clinical applications in human reproduction.

Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells: Implications in Reproductive Biology

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Deepa Bhartiya

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The most primitive germ cells in adult mammalian testis are the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs whereas primordial follicles (PFs are considered the fundamental functional unit in ovary. However, this central dogma has recently been modified with the identification of a novel population of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs in the adult mammalian gonads. These stem cells are more primitive to SSCs and are also implicated during postnatal ovarian neo-oogenesis and primordial follicle assembly. VSELs are pluripotent in nature and characterized by nuclear Oct-4A, cell surface SSEA-4, and other pluripotent markers like Nanog, Sox2, and TERT. VSELs are considered to be the descendants of epiblast stem cells and possibly the primordial germ cells that persist into adulthood and undergo asymmetric cell division to replenish the gonadal germ cells throughout life. Elucidation of their role during infertility, endometrial repair, superovulation, and pathogenesis of various reproductive diseases like PCOS, endometriosis, cancer, and so on needs to be addressed. Hence, a detailed review of current understanding of VSEL biology is pertinent, which will hopefully open up new avenues for research to better understand various reproductive processes and cancers. It will also be relevant for future regenerative medicine, translational research, and clinical applications in human reproduction.

Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) Have a Superior Neuroprotective Capacity Over Fetal MSCs in the Hypoxic-Ischemic Mouse Brain.

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Hawkins, Kate E; Corcelli, Michelangelo; Dowding, Kate; Ranzoni, Anna M; Vlahova, Filipa; Hau, Kwan-Leong; Hunjan, Avina; Peebles, Donald; Gressens, Pierre; Hagberg, Henrik; de Coppi, Paolo; Hristova, Mariya; Guillot, Pascale V

2018-05-01

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have huge potential for regenerative medicine. In particular, the use of pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PSC-MSCs) overcomes the hurdle of replicative senescence associated with the in vitro expansion of primary cells and has increased therapeutic benefits in comparison to the use of various adult sources of MSCs in a wide range of animal disease models. On the other hand, fetal MSCs exhibit faster growth kinetics and possess longer telomeres and a wider differentiation potential than adult MSCs. Here, for the first time, we compare the therapeutic potential of PSC-MSCs (ES-MSCs from embryonic stem cells) to fetal MSCs (AF-MSCs from the amniotic fluid), demonstrating that ES-MSCs have a superior neuroprotective potential over AF-MSCs in the mouse brain following hypoxia-ischemia. Further, we demonstrate that nuclear factor (NF)-κB-stimulated interleukin (IL)-13 production contributes to an increased in vitro anti-inflammatory potential of ES-MSC-conditioned medium (CM) over AF-MSC-CM, thus suggesting a potential mechanism for this observation. Moreover, we show that induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MSCs (iMSCs) exhibit many similarities to ES-MSCs, including enhanced NF-κB signaling and IL-13 production in comparison to AF-MSCs. Future studies should assess whether iMSCs also exhibit similar neuroprotective potential to ES-MSCs, thus presenting a potential strategy to overcome the ethical issues associated with the use of embryonic stem cells and providing a potential source of cells for autologous use against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in humans. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:439-449. © 2018 The Authors Stem Cells Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling blockade promotes neuronal induction and dopaminergic differentiation in embryonic stem cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Čajánek, L.; Ribeiro, D.; Liste, I.; Parish, C.L.; Bryja, Vítězslav; Arenas, E.

2009-01-01

Roč. 27, č. 12 (2009), s. 2917-2927 ISSN 1066-5099 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : embryonic stem cells * Wnt pathway * dopaminergic neurons Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 7.747, year: 2009

Layered double hydroxide nanoparticles promote self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells through the PI3K signaling pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Youjun; Zhu, Rongrong; Zhou, Yang; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Wenrui; Sun, Xiaoyu; Wu, Xianzheng; Cheng, Liming; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Shilong

2015-06-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) hold great potential for regenerative medicine due to their two unique characteristics: self-renewal and pluripotency. Several groups of nanoparticles have shown promising applications in directing the stem cell fate. Herein, we investigated the cellular effects of layered double hydroxide nanoparticles (LDH NPs) on mouse ESCs (mESCs) and the associated molecular mechanisms. Mg-Al-LDH NPs with an average diameter of ~100 nm were prepared by hydrothermal methods. To determine the influences of LDH NPs on mESCs, cellular cytotoxicity, self-renewal, differentiation potential, and the possible signaling pathways were explored. Evaluation of cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase release, ROS generation and apoptosis demonstrated the low cytotoxicity of LDH NPs. The alkaline phosphatase activity and the expression of pluripotency genes in mESCs were examined, which indicated that exposure to LDH NPs could support self-renewal and inhibit spontaneous differentiation of mESCs under feeder-free culture conditions. The self-renewal promotion was further proved to be independent of the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Furthermore, cells treated with LDH NPs maintained the potential to differentiate into all three germ layers both in vitro and in vivo through formation of embryoid bodies and teratomas. In addition, we observed that LDH NPs initiated the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, while treatment with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 could block the effects of LDH NPs on mESCs. The results confirmed that the promotion of self-renewal by LDH NPs was associated with activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Altogether, our studies identified a new role of LDH NPs in maintaining self-renewal of mouse ES cells which could potentially be applied in stem cell research.Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) hold great potential for regenerative medicine due to their two unique characteristics: self-renewal and pluripotency. Several groups of nanoparticles

Highly efficient differentiation of embryonic stem cells into adipocytes by ascorbic acid

OpenAIRE

Ixchelt Cuaranta-Monroy; Zoltan Simandi; Zsuzsanna Kolostyak; Quang-Minh Doan-Xuan; Szilard Poliska; Attila Horvath; Gergely Nagy; Zsolt Bacso; Laszlo Nagy

2014-01-01

Adipocyte differentiation and function have become the major research targets due to the increasing interest in obesity and related metabolic conditions. Although, late stages of adipogenesis have been extensively studied, the early phases remain poorly understood. Here we present that supplementing ascorbic acid (AsA) to the adipogenic differentiation cocktail enables the robust and efficient differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to mature adipocytes. Such ESC-derived adipocy...

Human embryonic stem cell-derived pancreatic endoderm alleviates diabetic pathology and improves reproductive outcome in C57BL/KsJ-Lep(db/+) gestational diabetes mellitus mice.

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Xing, Baoheng; Wang, Lili; Li, Qin; Cao, Yalei; Dong, Xiujuan; Liang, Jun; Wu, Xiaohua

2015-07-01

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a condition commonly encountered during mid to late pregnancy with pathologic manifestations including hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and fetal maldevelopment. The cause of gestational diabetes mellitus can be attributed to both genetic and environmental factors, hence complicating its diagnosis and treatment. Pancreatic progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells were shown to be able to effectively treat diabetes in mice. In this study, we have developed a system of treating diabetes using human embryonic stem cell-derived pancreatic endoderm in a mouse model of gestational diabetes mellitus. Human embryonic stem cells were differentiated in vitro into pancreatic endoderm, which were then transplanted into db/+ mice suffering from gestational diabetes mellitus. The transplant greatly improved glucose metabolism and reproductive outcome of the females compared with the control groups. Our findings support the feasibility of using differentiated human embryonic stem cells for treating gestational diabetes mellitus patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PRMT8 Controls the Pluripotency and Mesodermal Fate of Human Embryonic Stem Cells By Enhancing the PI3K/AKT/SOX2 Axis.

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Jeong, Ho-Chang; Park, Soon-Jung; Choi, Jong-Jin; Go, Young-Hyun; Hong, Soon-Ki; Kwon, Ok-Seon; Shin, Joong-Gon; Kim, Rae-Kwon; Lee, Mi-Ok; Lee, Su-Jae; Shin, Hyoung Doo; Moon, Sung-Hwan; Cha, Hyuk-Jin

2017-09-01

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) supplementation is critical to maintain the pluripotency of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) through activation of PI3K/AKT, rather than MEK/ERK pathway. Thus, elaborate molecular mechanisms that preserve PI3K/AKT signaling upon bFGF stimulation may exist in hPSCs. Protein arginine methyltransferase 8 (PRMT8) was expressed and then its level gradually decreased during spontaneous differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). PRMT8 loss- or gain-of-function studies demonstrated that PRMT8 contributed to longer maintenance of hESC pluripotency, even under bFGF-deprived conditions. Direct interaction of membrane-localized PRMT8 with p85, a regulatory subunit of PI3K, was associated with accumulation of phosphoinositol 3-phosphate and consequently high AKT activity. Furthermore, the SOX2 induction, which was controlled by the PRMT8/PI3K/AKT axis, was linked to mesodermal lineage differentiation. Thus, we propose that PRMT8 in hESCs plays an important role not only in maintaining pluripotency but also in controlling mesodermal differentiation through bFGF signaling toward the PI3K/AKT/SOX2 axis. Stem Cells 2017;35:2037-2049. © 2017 AlphaMed Press.

EDA-containing fibronectin increases proliferation of embryonic stem cells.

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Noelia Losino

Full Text Available Embryonic stem cells (ESC need a set of specific factors to be propagated. They can also grow in conditioned medium (CM derived from a bovine granulosa cell line BGC (BGC-CM, a medium that not only preserves their main features but also increases ESC´s proliferation rate. The mitogenic properties of this medium were previously reported, ascribing this effect to an alternative spliced generated fibronectin isoform that contains the extra domain A (FN EDA(+. Here, we investigated if the FN EDA(+ isoform increased proliferation of mouse and human ES cells. We analyzed cell proliferation using conditioned media produced by different mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF lines genetically engineered to express FN constitutively including or excluding the EDA domain (FN EDA(-, and in media supplemented with recombinant peptides containing or not the EDA. We found that the presence of EDA in the medium increased mouse and human ESC's proliferation rate. Here we showed for the first time that this FN isoform enhances ESC's proliferation. These findings suggest a possible conserved behavior for regulation of ES cells proliferation by this FN isoform and could contribute to improve their culturing conditions both for research and cell therapy.

PGC-1α and Reactive Oxygen Species Regulate Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocyte Function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Birket, Matthew J.; Casini, Simona; Kosmidis, Georgios; Elliott, David A.; Gerencser, Akos A.; Baartscheer, Antonius; Schumacher, Cees; Mastroberardino, Pier G.; Elefanty, Andrew G.; Stanley, Ed G.; Mummery, Christine L.

2013-01-01

Diminished mitochondrial function is causally related to some heart diseases. Here, we developed a human disease model based on cardiomyocytes from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), in which an important pathway of mitochondrial gene expression was inactivated. Repression of PGC-1α, which is

Evaluation of biological effects of intermediate frequency magnetic field on differentiation of embryonic stem cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshie, Sachiko; Ogasawara, Yuki; Ikehata, Masateru; Ishii, Kazuyuki; Suzuki, Yukihisa; Wada, Keiji; Wake, Kanako; Nakasono, Satoshi; Taki, Masao; Ohkubo, Chiyoji

2016-01-01

The embryotoxic effect of intermediate frequency (IF) magnetic field (MF) was evaluated using murine embryonic stem (ES) cells and fibroblast cells based on the embryonic stem cell test (EST). The cells were exposed to 21 kHz IF-MF up to magnetic flux density of 3.9 mT during the cell proliferation process (7 days) or the cell differentiation process (10 days) during which an embryonic body differentiated into myocardial cells. As a result, there was no significant difference in the cell proliferation between sham- and IF-MF-exposed cells for both ES and fibroblast cells. Similarly, the ratio of the number of ES-derived cell aggregates differentiated to myocardial cells to total number of cell aggregates was not changed by IF-MF exposure. In addition, the expressions of a cardiomyocytes-specific gene, Myl2 , and an early developmental gene, Hba-x , in the exposed cell aggregate were not altered. Since the magnetic flux density adopted in this study is much higher than that generated by an inverter of the electrical railway, an induction heating (IH) cooktop, etc . in our daily lives, these results suggested that IF-MF in which the public is exposed to in general living environment would not have embryotoxic effect.

In vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into neurons of the dorsal forebrain

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jing, Y.; Machoň, Ondřej; Hampl, Aleš; Dvořák, P.; Xing, Y.; Krauss, S.

2011-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 5 (2011), s. 715-727 ISSN 0272-4340 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/08/1618 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514; CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Keywords : embryonic stem cells * differentiation * neocortex Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.969, year: 2011

Protecting genomic integrity in somatic cells and embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Y.; Cervantes, R.B.; Tichy, E.; Tischfield, J.A.; Stambrook, P.J.

2007-01-01

Mutation frequencies at some loci in mammalian somatic cells in vivo approach 10 -4 . The majority of these events occur as a consequence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) due to mitotic recombination. Such high levels of DNA damage in somatic cells, which can accumulate with age, will cause injury and, after a latency period, may lead to somatic disease and ultimately death. This high level of DNA damage is untenable for germ cells, and by extrapolation for embryonic stem (ES) cells, that must recreate the organism. ES cells cannot tolerate such a high frequency of damage since mutations will immediately impact the altered cell, and subsequently the entire organism. Most importantly, the mutations may be passed on to future generations. ES cells, therefore, must have robust mechanisms to protect the integrity of their genomes. We have examined two such mechanisms. Firstly, we have shown that mutation frequencies and frequencies of mitotic recombination in ES cells are about 100-fold lower than in adult somatic cells or in isogenic mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). A second complementary protective mechanism eliminates those ES cells that have acquired a mutational burden, thereby maintaining a pristine population. Consistent with this hypothesis, ES cells lack a G1 checkpoint, and the two known signaling pathways that mediate the checkpoint are compromised. The checkpoint kinase, Chk2, which participates in both pathways is sequestered at centrosomes in ES cells and does not phosphorylate its substrates (i.e. p53 and Cdc25A) that must be modified to produce a G1 arrest. Ectopic expression of Chk2 does not rescue the p53-mediated pathway, but does restore the pathway mediated by Cdc25A. Wild type ES cells exposed to ionizing radiation do not accumulate in G1 but do so in S-phase and in G2. ES cells that ectopically express Chk2 undergo cell cycle arrest in G1 as well as G2, and appear to be protected from apoptosis

High-content screening of small compounds on human embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbaric, Ivana; Gokhale, Paul J; Andrews, Peter W

2010-08-01

Human ES (embryonic stem) cells and iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells have been heralded as a source of differentiated cells that could be used in the treatment of degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease or diabetes. Despite the great potential for their use in regenerative therapy, the challenge remains to understand the basic biology of these remarkable cells, in order to differentiate them into any functional cell type. Given the scale of the task, high-throughput screening of agents and culture conditions offers one way to accelerate these studies. The screening of small-compound libraries is particularly amenable to such high-throughput methods. Coupled with high-content screening technology that enables simultaneous assessment of multiple cellular features in an automated and quantitative way, this approach is proving powerful in identifying both small molecules as tools for manipulating stem cell fates and novel mechanisms of differentiation not previously associated with stem cell biology. Such screens performed on human ES cells also demonstrate the usefulness of human ES/iPS cells as cellular models for pharmacological testing of drug efficacy and toxicity, possibly a more imminent use of these cells than in regenerative medicine.

LASP-01: Distribution of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Expressing MicroRNAs | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

The Laboratory Animal Sciences Program manages the expansion, processing, and distribution of1,501 genetically engineered mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) linesharboring conditional microRNA transgenes. The Laboratory Animal Sciences Prog

SMAD7 directly converts human embryonic stem cells to telencephalic fate by a default mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Ozair, Mohammad Zeeshan; Noggle, Scott; Warmflash, Aryeh; Krzyspiak, Joanna Ela; Brivanlou, Ali H.

2013-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a valuable window into the dissection of the molecular circuitry underlying the early formation of the human forebrain. However, dissection of signaling events in forebrain development using current protocols is complicated by non-neural contamination and fluctuation of extrinsic influences. Here we show that SMAD7, a cell-intrinsic inhibitor of TGFβ signaling, is sufficient to directly convert pluripotent hESCs to an anterior neural fate. Time-course gene expression revealed down-regulation of MAPK components, and combining MEK1/2 inhibition with SMAD7-mediated TGFβ inhibition promoted telencephalic conversion. FGF-MEK and TGFβ-SMAD signaling maintain hESCs by promoting pluripotency genes and repressing neural genes. Our findings suggest that in the absence of these cues, pluripotent cells simply revert to a program of neural conversion. Hence the “primed” state of hESCs requires inhibition of the “default” state of neural fate acquisition. This has parallels in amphibians, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved mechanism. PMID:23034881

Inhibition of IKK/NF-κB Signaling Enhances Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Peng; Zhou, Chenchen; Alvarez, Ruth; Hong, Christine; Wang, Cun-Yu

2016-04-12

Embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs; also known as mesenchymal stem cells) represent a promising source for bone regenerative medicine. Despite remarkable advances in stem cell biology, the molecular mechanism regulating differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into MSCs remains poorly understood. Here, we report that inhibition of IκB kinase (IKK)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling enhances differentiation of hESCs into MSCs by expediting the loss of pluripotent markers and increasing the expression of MSC surface markers. In addition, a significantly higher quantity of MSCs was produced from hESCs with IKK/NF-κB suppression. These isolated MSCs displayed evident multipotency with capacity to terminally differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes in vitro and to form bone in vivo. Collectively, our data provide important insights into the role of NF-κB in mesenchymal lineage specification during hESC differentiation, suggesting that IKK inhibitors could be utilized as an adjuvant in generating MSCs for cell-mediated therapies. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical Assessment of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research According to Turkish Muslim Scholars: First Critical Analysis and Some Reflections.

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Karakaya, Ahmet; Ilkilic, Ilhan

2016-08-01

Turkey, with a Muslim population of officially over 99 %, is one of the few secular states in the Muslim world. Although state institutions are not based on Islamic juridical and ethical norms, the latter play a significant role in defining people's attitudes towards controversial issues in the modern world, especially when backed by opinions of Muslim scholars living in Turkey. Accordingly, opinions of Muslim scholars undoubtedly have an important effect on bioethical decisions made by institutions and individuals. To explore the ethical positions of Muslim scholars living in Turkey and their arguments used in the ethical assessment of embryonic stem cell research; to discuss the biological-moral tensions arising in medical research on human embryos. Qualitative study. Muslim scholars located in different parts of Turkey. Qualitative method, involving the collection of opinions of various scholars, by means of 15 individual semi-structured interviews, evaluated using thematic qualitative analysis. Positions regarding embryonic stem cell research differ among Muslim scholars in Turkey. On the other hand, even where positions are similar, they are often supported by different arguments. Despite the heterogeneity of the arguments presented, the dominant position considers embryonic stem cell research as morally acceptable.

Stem cell-specific expression of Dax1 is conferred by STAT3 and Oct3/4 in embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Chuanhai; Nakatake, Yuhki; Ura, Hiroki; Akagi, Tadayuki; Niwa, Hitoshi; Koide, Hiroshi; Yokota, Takashi

2008-01-01

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells derived from inner cell mass of blastocysts. An orphan nuclear receptor, Dax1, is specifically expressed in undifferentiated ES cells and plays an important role in their self-renewal. The regulatory mechanism of Dax1 expression in ES cells, however, remains unknown. In this study, we found that STAT3 and Oct3/4, essential transcription factors for ES cell self-renewal, are involved in the regulation of Dax1 expression. Suppression of either STAT3 or Oct3/4 resulted in down-regulation of Dax1. Reporter assay identified putative binding sites for these factors in the promoter/enhancer region of the Dax1 gene. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis suggested the in vivo association of STAT3 and Oct3/4 with the putative sites. Furthermore, gel shift assay indicated that these transcription factors directly bind to their putative binding sites. These results suggest that STAT3 and Oct3/4 control the expression of Dax1 to maintain the self-renewal of ES cells

Mitomycin-treated undifferentiated embryonic stem cells as a safe and effective therapeutic strategy in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana eAcquarone

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is an incurable progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Clinical presentation of PD stems largely from the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway, motivating experimental strategies aimed at replacing dopaminergic innervation by cellular therapy. Transplantation of dopaminergic neurons derived from embryonic stem cells significantly improves motor functions in rodent and non-human primate models of PD. However, protocols to generate dopaminergic neurons from embryonic stem cells generally meet with low efficacy and high risk of teratoma development upon transplantation. To address these issues, we have pre-treated undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs with the DNA alkylating agent mitomycin C (MMC before transplantation. MMC treatment of cultures prevented tumor formation in a 12-week follow-up after mESCs were injected in nude mice. In 6-OH-dopamine-lesioned mice, intrastriatal injection of MMC-treated mESCs markedly improved motor function without tumor formation for as long as 15 months. Furthermore, we show that halting mitotic activity of undifferentiated mESCs induces a four-fold increase in dopamine release following in vitro differentiation. Our findings indicate that treating mESCs with mitomycin C prior to intrastriatal transplant is an effective strategy that could be further investigated as a novel alternative for treatment of Parkinson's disease.

DNA context represents transcription regulation of the gene in mouse embryonic stem cells

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Ha, Misook; Hong, Soondo

2016-04-01

Understanding gene regulatory information in DNA remains a significant challenge in biomedical research. This study presents a computational approach to infer gene regulatory programs from primary DNA sequences. Using DNA around transcription start sites as attributes, our model predicts gene regulation in the gene. We find that H3K27ac around TSS is an informative descriptor of the transcription program in mouse embryonic stem cells. We build a computational model inferring the cell-type-specific H3K27ac signatures in the DNA around TSS. A comparison of embryonic stem cell and liver cell-specific H3K27ac signatures in DNA shows that the H3K27ac signatures in DNA around TSS efficiently distinguish the cell-type specific H3K27ac peaks and the gene regulation. The arrangement of the H3K27ac signatures inferred from the DNA represents the transcription regulation of the gene in mESC. We show that the DNA around transcription start sites is associated with the gene regulatory program by specific interaction with H3K27ac.

Derivation and characterization of a pig embryonic stem cell-derived exocrine pancreatic cell line

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The establishment and initial characterization of a pig embryonic stem cell-derived pancreatic cell line, PICM-31, and a colony-cloned derivative cell line, PICM-31A, is described. The cell lines were propagated for several months at split ratios of 1:3 or 1:5 at each passage on STO feeder cells af...

Flow-cytometric analysis of mouse embryonic stem cell lipofection using small and large DNA constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

McLenachan, Samuel; Sarsero, Joseph P; Ioannou, Panos A

2007-06-01

Using the lipofection reagent LipofectAMINE 2000 we have examined the delivery of plasmid DNA (5-200 kb) to mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells by flow cytometry. To follow the physical uptake of lipoplexes we labeled DNA molecules with the fluorescent dye TOTO-1. In parallel, expression of an EGFP reporter cassette in constructs of different sizes was used as a measure of nuclear delivery. The cellular uptake of DNA lipoplexes is dependent on the uptake competence of mES cells, but it is largely independent of DNA size. In contrast, nuclear delivery was reduced with increasing plasmid size. In addition, linear DNA is transfected with lower efficiency than circular DNA. Inefficient cytoplasmic trafficking appears to be the main limitation in the nonviral delivery of large DNA constructs to the nucleus of mES cells. Overcoming this limitation should greatly facilitate functional studies with large genomic fragments in embryonic stem cells.

Evaluation of hollow fiber culture for large-scale production of mouse embryonic stem cell-derived hematopoietic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, Yu; Iwanaga, Shinya; Mizumoto, Hiroshi; Kajiwara, Toshihisa

2018-03-03

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the ability to differentiate into all types of blood cells and can be transplanted to treat blood disorders. However, it is difficult to obtain HSCs in large quantities because of the shortage of donors. Recent efforts have focused on acquiring HSCs by differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. As a conventional differentiation method of pluripotent stem cells, the formation of embryoid bodies (EBs) is often employed. However, the size of EBs is limited by depletion of oxygen and nutrients, which prevents them from being efficient for the production of HSCs. In this study, we developed a large-scale hematopoietic differentiation approach for mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells by applying a hollow fiber (HF)/organoid culture method. Cylindrical organoids, which had the potential for further spontaneous differentiation, were established inside of hollow fibers. Using this method, we improved the proliferation rate of mouse ES cells to produce an increased HSC population and achieved around a 40-fold higher production volume of HSCs in HF culture than in conventional EB culture. Therefore, the HF/organoid culture method may be a new mass culture method to acquire pluripotent stem cell-derived HSCs.

Developing predictions of in vivo developmental toxicity of ToxCast chemicals using mouse embryonic stem cells.

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Developing predictions of in vivo developmental toxicity of ToxCast chemicals using mouse embryonic stem cells S. Hunter, M. Rosen, M. Hoopes, H. Nichols, S. Jeffay, K. Chandler1, Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Labor...

Expression pattern of pluripotent markers in different embryonic developmental stages of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) embryos and putative embryonic stem cells generated by parthenogenetic activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Karn P; Kaushik, Ramakant; Garg, Veena; Sharma, Ruchi; George, Aman; Singh, Manoj K; Manik, Radhey S; Palta, Prabhat; Singla, Suresh K; Chauhan, Manmohan S

2012-12-01

In this study, we describe the production of buffalo parthenogenetic blastocysts and subsequent isolation of parthenogenetic embryonic stem cell (PGESC)-like cells. PGESC colonies exhibited dome-shaped morphology and were clearly distinguishable from the feeder layer cells. Different stages of development of parthenogenetic embryos and derived embryonic stem cell (ESC)-like cells expressed key ESC-specific markers, including OCT-4, NANOG, SOX-2, FOXD3, REX-1, STAT-3, TELOMERASE, NUCLEOSTEMIN, and cMYC. Immunofluorescence-based studies revealed that the PGESCs were positive for surface-based pluripotent markers, viz., SSEA-3, SSEA-4, TRA 1-80, TRA 1-60, CD-9, and CD-90 and exhibited high alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. PGEC cell-like cells formed embryoid body (EB)-like structures in hanging drop cultures and when cultured for extended period of time spontaneously differentiated into derivatives of three embryonic germ layers as confirmed by RT-PCR for ectodermal (CYTOKERATIN8, NF-68), mesodermal (MSX1, BMP-4, ASA), and endodermal markers (AFP, HNF-4, GATA-4). Differentiation of PGESCs toward the neuronal lineage was successfully directed by supplementation of serum-containing media with retinoic acid. Our results indicate that the isolated ESC-like cells from parthenogenetic blastocyst hold properties of ESCs and express markers of pluripotency. The pluripotency markers were also expressed by early cleavage-stage of buffalo embryos.

Comprehensive quantitative comparison of the membrane proteome, phosphoproteome, and sialiome of human embryonic and neural stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melo-Braga, Marcella Nunes; Schulz, Melanie; Liu, Qiuyue

2014-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can differentiate into neural stem cells (NSCs), which can further be differentiated into neurons and glia cells. Therefore, these cells have huge potential as source for treatment of neurological diseases. Membrane-associated proteins are very important......ESCs and NSCs as well as to investigate potential new markers for these two cell stages, we performed large-scale quantitative membrane-proteomic of hESCs and NSCs. This approach employed membrane purification followed by peptide dimethyl labeling and peptide enrichment to study the membrane subproteome as well...... in which 78% of phosphopeptides were identified with ≥99% confidence in site assignment and 1810 unique formerly sialylated N-linked glycopeptides. Several proteins were identified as significantly regulated in hESCs and NSC, including proteins involved in the early embryonic and neural development...

GLI1 is involved in cell cycle regulation and proliferation of NT2 embryonal carcinoma stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard, Janni; Lind-Thomsen, Allan; Pedersen, Mikkel W.

2008-01-01

of altered HH signaling are interpreted by specific cell types. We have investigated the role of the HH transcription factor glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1) in the human Ntera2=D1 (NT2) embryonal carcinoma stem cell line. The study revealed that expression of GLI1 and its direct transcriptional......1 phase cyclins. In conclusion, our results suggest that GLI1 is involved in cell cycle and proliferation control in the embryonal carcinoma stem cell line NT2....... target Patched (PTCH) is downregulated in the early stages of retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiation of NT2 cells. To identify transcriptional targets of the HH transcription factor GLI1 in NT2 cells, we performed global expression profiling following GLI1 RNA interference (RNAi). Of the similar...

Protective effects of resveratrol on ethanol-induced apoptosis in embryonic stem cells and disruption of embryonic development in mouse blastocysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, L.-H.; Shiao, N.-H.; Hsuuw, Y.-D.; Chan, W.-H.

2007-01-01

Previous studies have established that ethanol induces apoptosis, but the precise molecular mechanisms are currently unclear. Here, we show that 0.3-1.0% (w/v) ethanol induces apoptosis in mouse blastocysts and that resveratrol, a grape-derived phytoalexin with known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, prevents ethanol-induced apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation. Moreover, ethanol-treated blastocysts show normal levels of implantation on culture dishes in vitro but a reduced ability to reach the later stages of embryonic development. Pretreatment with resveratrol prevented ethanol-induced disruption of embryonic development in vitro and in vivo. In an in vitro cell-based assay, we further found that ethanol increases the production of reactive oxygen species in ESC-B5 embryonic stem cells, leading to an increase in the intracellular concentrations of cytoplasmic free Ca 2+ and NO, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-9 and -3, and apoptosis. These changes were blocked by pretreatment with resveratrol. Based on these results, we propose a model for the protective effect of resveratrol on ethanol-induced cell injury in blastocysts and ESC-B5 cells

Embryonic stem-like cells derived from in vitro produced bovine blastocysts

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Erika Regina Leal de Freitas

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to study the derivation of bovine embryonic stem-like (ES-like cells from the inner cell mass (ICM of in vitro produced blastocysts. The ICMs were mechanically isolated and six out of seventeen (35% ICMs could attach to a monolayer of murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEF. Ten days after, primary outgrowths were mechanically dissected into several small clumps and transferred to a new MEF layer. Cells were further propagated and passaged by physical dissociation over a 60 days period. The pluripotency of the bovine ES-like cells was confirmed by RT-PCR of Oct-4 and STAT-3 gene markers. The colonies were weakly stained for alkaline phosphatase and the mesoderm and endoderm differentiation gene markers such as GATA-4 and Flk-1, respectively, were not expressed. Embryoid bodies were spontaneously formed at the seventh passage. Results showed that bovine ES-like cells could be obtained and passaged by mechanical procedures from the fresh in vitro produced blastocysts.

Raman microscopy of individual living human embryonic stem cells

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Novikov, S. M.; Beermann, J.; Bozhevolnyi, S. I.; Harkness, L. M.; Kassem, M.

2010-04-01

We demonstrate the possibility of mapping the distribution of different biomolecules in living human embryonic stem cells grown on glass substrates, without the need for fluorescent markers. In our work we improve the quality of measurements by finding a buffer that gives low fluorescence, growing cells on glass substrates (whose Raman signals are relatively weak compared to that of the cells) and having the backside covered with gold to improve the image contrast under direct white light illumination. The experimental setup used for Raman microscopy is the commercially available confocal scanning Raman microscope (Alpha300R) from Witec and sub-μm spatially resolved Raman images were obtained using a 532 nm excitation wavelength.

Efficient and Fast Differentiation of Human Neural Stem Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Cell Therapy

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Xinxin Han

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Stem cell-based therapies have been used for repairing damaged brain tissue and helping functional recovery after brain injury. Aberrance neurogenesis is related with brain injury, and multipotential neural stem cells from human embryonic stem (hES cells provide a great promise for cell replacement therapies. Optimized protocols for neural differentiation are necessary to produce functional human neural stem cells (hNSCs for cell therapy. However, the qualified procedure is scarce and detailed features of hNSCs originated from hES cells are still unclear. In this study, we developed a method to obtain hNSCs from hES cells, by which we could harvest abundant hNSCs in a relatively short time. Then, we examined the expression of pluripotent and multipotent marker genes through immunostaining and confirmed differentiation potential of the differentiated hNSCs. Furthermore, we analyzed the mitotic activity of these hNSCs. In this report, we provided comprehensive features of hNSCs and delivered the knowledge about how to obtain more high-quality hNSCs from hES cells which may help to accelerate the NSC-based therapies in brain injury treatment.

The cell cycle as a brake for β-cell regeneration from embryonic stem cells.

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El-Badawy, Ahmed; El-Badri, Nagwa

2016-01-13

The generation of insulin-producing β cells from stem cells in vitro provides a promising source of cells for cell transplantation therapy in diabetes. However, insulin-producing cells generated from human stem cells show deficiency in many functional characteristics compared with pancreatic β cells. Recent reports have shown molecular ties between the cell cycle and the differentiation mechanism of embryonic stem (ES) cells, assuming that cell fate decisions are controlled by the cell cycle machinery. Both β cells and ES cells possess unique cell cycle machinery yet with significant contrasts. In this review, we compare the cell cycle control mechanisms in both ES cells and β cells, and highlight the fundamental differences between pluripotent cells of embryonic origin and differentiated β cells. Through critical analysis of the differences of the cell cycle between these two cell types, we propose that the cell cycle of ES cells may act as a brake for β-cell regeneration. Based on these differences, we discuss the potential of modulating the cell cycle of ES cells for the large-scale generation of functionally mature β cells in vitro. Further understanding of the factors that modulate the ES cell cycle will lead to new approaches to enhance the production of functional mature insulin-producing cells, and yield a reliable system to generate bona fide β cells in vitro.

Electrophysiological properties and calcium handling of embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

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Jae Boum Youm

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (ESC-CMs hold great interest in many fields of research including clinical applications such as stem cell and gene therapy for cardiac repair or regeneration. ESC-CMs are also used as a platform tool for pharmacological tests or for investigations of cardiac remodeling. ESC-CMs have many different aspects of morphology, electrophysiology, calcium handling, and bioenergetics compared with adult cardiomyocytes. They are immature in morphology, similar to sinus nodal-like in the electrophysiology, higher contribution of trans-sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx to Ca2+ handling, and higher dependence on anaerobic glycolysis. Here, I review a detailed electrophysiology and Ca2+ handling features of ESC-CMs during differentiation into adult cardiomyocytes to gain insights into how all the developmental changes are related to each other to display cardinal features of developing cardiomyocytes.

Resveratrol Enhances Self-Renewal of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

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Li, Na; Du, Zhaoyu; Shen, Qiaoyan; Lei, Qijing; Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Mengfei; Hua, Jinlian

2017-07-01

Resveratrol (RSV) has been shown to affect the differentiation of several types of stem cells, while the detailed mechanism is elusive. Here, we aim to investigate the function of RSV in self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and the related mechanisms. In contrast with its reported roles, we found unexpectedly that differentiated ESCs or iPSCs treated by RSV would not show further differentiation, but regained a naïve pluripotency state with higher expressions of core transcriptional factors and with the ability to differentiate into all three germ layers when transplanted in vivo. In accordance with these findings, RSV also enhanced cell cycle progression of ESCs via regulating cell cycle-related proteins. Finally, enhanced activation of JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway and suppressed activation of mTOR were found essential in enhancing the self-renewal of ESCs by RSV. Our finding discovered a novel function of RSV in enhancing the self-renewal of ESCs, and suggested that the timing of treatment and concentration of RSV determined the final effect of it. Our work may contribute to understanding of RSV in the self-renewal maintenance of pluripotent stem cells, and may also provide help to the generation and maintenance of iPSCs in vitro. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1928-1935, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Selection-independent generation of gene knockout mouse embryonic stem cells using zinc-finger nucleases.

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Anna Osiak

Full Text Available Gene knockout in murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs has been an invaluable tool to study gene function in vitro or to generate animal models with altered phenotypes. Gene targeting using standard techniques, however, is rather inefficient and typically does not exceed frequencies of 10(-6. In consequence, the usage of complex positive/negative selection strategies to isolate targeted clones has been necessary. Here, we present a rapid single-step approach to generate a gene knockout in mouse ESCs using engineered zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs. Upon transient expression of ZFNs, the target gene is cleaved by the designer nucleases and then repaired by non-homologous end-joining, an error-prone DNA repair process that introduces insertions/deletions at the break site and therefore leads to functional null mutations. To explore and quantify the potential of ZFNs to generate a gene knockout in pluripotent stem cells, we generated a mouse ESC line containing an X-chromosomally integrated EGFP marker gene. Applying optimized conditions, the EGFP locus was disrupted in up to 8% of ESCs after transfection of the ZFN expression vectors, thus obviating the need of selection markers to identify targeted cells, which may impede or complicate downstream applications. Both activity and ZFN-associated cytotoxicity was dependent on vector dose and the architecture of the nuclease domain. Importantly, teratoma formation assays of selected ESC clones confirmed that ZFN-treated ESCs maintained pluripotency. In conclusion, the described ZFN-based approach represents a fast strategy for generating gene knockouts in ESCs in a selection-independent fashion that should be easily transferrable to other pluripotent stem cells.

[Ethical aspects of human embryonic stem cell use and commercial umbilical cord blood stem cell banking. Ethical reflections on the occasion of the regulation of the European Council and Parliament on advanced therapy medicinal products].

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Virt, G

2010-01-01

The regulation of the European Council and Parliament on advanced therapy medicinal products also includes therapies with human embryonic stem cells. The use of these stem cells is controversially and heavily discussed. Contrary to the use of adult stem cells, medical and ethical problems concerning the use of human embryonic stem cells persists, because this use is based on the destruction of human life at the very beginning. The regulation foresees, therefore, subsidiarity within the European Member States. Although there are no ethical problems in principle with the use of stem cells from the umbilical cord blood, there are social ethical doubts with the banking of these stem cells for autologous use without any currently foreseeable medical advantage by commercial blood banks. Also in this case subsidiarity is valid.

Nac1 promotes self-renewal of embryonic stem cells through direct transcriptional regulation of c-Myc.

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Ruan, Yan; He, Jianrong; Wu, Wei; He, Ping; Tian, Yanping; Xiao, Lan; Liu, Gaoke; Wang, Jiali; Cheng, Yuda; Zhang, Shuo; Yang, Yi; Xiong, Jiaxiang; Zhao, Ke; Wan, Ying; Huang, He; Zhang, Junlei; Jian, Rui

2017-07-18

The pluripotency transcriptional network in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is composed of distinct functional units including the core and Myc units. It is hoped that dissection of the cellular functions and interconnections of network factors will aid our understanding of ESC and cancer biology. Proteomic and genomic approaches have identified Nac1 as a member of the core pluripotency network. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on the role of Nac1 in psychomotor stimulant response and cancer pathogenesis. In this study, we report that Nac1 is a self-renewal promoting factor, but is not required for maintaining pluripotency of ESCs. Loss of function of Nac1 in ESCs results in a reduced proliferation rate and an enhanced differentiation propensity. Nac1 overexpression promotes ESC proliferation and delays ESC differentiation in the absence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Furthermore, we demonstrated that Nac1 directly binds to the c-Myc promoter and regulates c-Myc transcription. The study also revealed that the function of Nac1 in promoting ESC self-renewal appears to be partially mediated by c-Myc. These findings establish a functional link between the core and c-Myc-centered networks and provide new insights into mechanisms of stemness regulation in ESCs and cancer.

Laser-induced fusion of human embryonic stem cells with optical tweezers

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Chen Shuxun; Wang Xiaolin; Sun Dong [Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Cheng Jinping; Han Cheng, Shuk [Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Kong, Chi-Wing [Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Consortium, and Departments of Medicine and Physiology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Li, Ronald A. [Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Consortium, and Departments of Medicine and Physiology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Center of Cardiovascular Research, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029 (United States)

2013-07-15

We report a study on the laser-induced fusion of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) at the single-cell level. Cells were manipulated by optical tweezers and fused under irradiation with pulsed UV laser at 355 nm. Successful fusion was indicated by green fluorescence protein transfer. The influence of laser pulse energy on the fusion efficiency was investigated. The fused products were viable as gauged by live cell staining. Successful fusion of hESCs with somatic cells was also demonstrated. The reported fusion outcome may facilitate studies of cell differentiation, maturation, and reprogramming.

Stem cell research: licit or complicit? Is a medical breakthrough based on embryonic and fetal tissue compatible with Catholic teaching?

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Branick, V; Lysaught, M T

1999-01-01

In November 1998 biologists announced that they had discovered a way to isolate and preserve human stem cells. Since stem cells are capable of developing into any kind of human tissue or organ, this was a great scientific coup. Researchers envision using the cells to replace damaged organs and to restore tissue destroyed by, for example, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, or even Alzheimer's. But, since stem cells are taken from aborted embryonic and fetal tissue or "leftover" in vitro embryos, their use raises large ethical issues. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently decided to fund research employing, not stem cells, but "cell lines" derived from them. The NIH has essentially made an ethical determination, finding sufficient "distance" between cell lines and abortion. Can Catholic universities sponsoring biological research agree with this finding? Probably not. In Catholic teaching, the concept of "complicity" would likely preclude such research. However, Catholic teaching would probably allow research done with stem cells obtained from postpartum placental tissue and from adult bone marrow and tissue. These cells, which lack the pluripotency of embryonic and fetal stem cells, are nevertheless scientifically promising and do not involve the destruction of human life.

Enhanced cardiomyogenesis of human embryonic stem cells by a small molecular inhibitor of p38 MAPK.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Graichen, R.; Xu, X.; Braam, S.R.; Balakrishnan, T.; Norfiza, S.; Sieh, S.; Soo, S.Y.; Tham, S.C.; Mummery, C.L.; Colman, A.; Zweigerdt, R.; Davidson, B.P.

2008-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) can differentiate to cardiomyocytes in vitro but with generally poor efficiency. Here, we describe a novel method for the efficient generation of cardiomyocytes from hESC in a scalable suspension culture process. Differentiation in serum-free medium conditioned by

Insulin redirects differentiation from cardiogenic mesoderm and endoderm to neuroectoderm in differentiating human embryonic stem cells.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Freund, C.M.A.H.; Ward-van Oostwaard, D.; Monshouwer-Kloots, J.; van den Brink, S.; van Rooijen, M.A.; Xu, X.; Zweigerdt, R.; Mummery, C.L.; Passier, R.

2008-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) can proliferate indefinitely while retaining the capacity to form derivatives of all three germ layers. We have reported previously that hESC differentiate into cardiomyocytes when cocultured with a visceral endoderm-like cell line (END-2). Insulin/insulin-like

Developmental Competence of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Pluripotent Embryonic Stem Cells Over Different Homologous Feeder Layers and the Comparative Evaluation with Various Extracellular Matrices.

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Sharma, Manjinder; Dubey, Pawan K; Kumar, Rajesh; Nath, Amar; Kumar, G Sai; Sharma, G Taru

2013-05-01

Use of somatic cells as a feeder layer to maintain the embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in undifferentiated state limits the stem cell research design, since experimental data may result from a combined ESCs and feeder cell response to various stimuli. Therefore, present study was designed to evaluate the developmental competence of the buffalo ESCs over different homogenous feeders and compare with various extracellular matrices using different concentrations of LIF. Inner cell masses (ICMs) of in vitro hatched blastocysts were cultured onto homologous feeders viz. fetal fibroblast, granulosa and oviductal cell feeder layers and synthetic matrices viz. fibronectin, collagen type I and matrigel in culture medium. Developmental efficiency was found higher for ESCs cultured on fetal fibroblast and granulosa layers (83.33%) followed by fibronectin (77.78%) at 30 ng LIF. Oviductal feeder was found to be the least efficient feeder showing only 11.11% undifferentiated primary ESC colonies at 30 ng LIF. However, neither feeder layer nor synthetic matrix could support the development of primary colonies at 10 ng LIF. Expression of SSEA- 4, TRA-1-60 and Oct-4 were found positive in ESC colonies from all the feeders and synthetic matrices with 20 ng and 30 ng LIF. Fetal fibroblast and granulosa cell while, amongst synthetic matrices, fibronectin were found to be equally efficient to support the growth and maintenance of ESCs pluripotency with 30 ng LIF. This well-defined culture conditions may provide an animal model for culturing human embryonic stem cells in the xeno-free or feeder-free conditions for future clinical applications.

Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells with H19 siRNA-mediated knockdown as a potential resource for cell therapy.

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Kwak, Minhye; Hong, Su; Yu, Seong-Lan; Sim, Bo-Woong; Seo, Jeong-Sun; Kang, Jaeku

2012-02-01

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are used in cell therapy and tissue engineering due to their ability to produce different cells types. However, studies of ES cells that are derived from fertilized embryos have raised concerns about the limitations imposed by ethical and political considerations. Therefore, many studies of stem cells use the stem cells that are derived from unfertilized oocytes and adult tissue. Although parthenogenetic embryonic stem (ESP) cells also avoid ethical and political dilemmas and can be used in cell-based therapy, the ESP cells exhibit growth retardation problems. Therefore, to investigate the potential for muscle growth from genetically modified ESP cells, we established four ES cell types, including normal embryonic stem (ESN) cells, ESP cells, ESP cells that overexpress the insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2) gene (ESI) and ESP cells with down-regulated H19 gene expression (ESH). Using these cells, we examined the expression profiles of genes that were related to imprinting and muscle using microarrays. The gene expression patterns of ESI and ESH cells were similar and were more closely related to the ESN pattern than that of the ESP cells. Differentiated ESH cells exhibited increased expression of bone morphologic protein 4 (BMP4), which is a mesoderm marker, compared with the differentiated ESI cells. We showed that Igf2 expression was induced by H19 silencing in the ESP cells via hypermethylation of the H19 imprinting control region 1 (ICR1). Moreover, the proportion of ESH-derived chimera was slightly higher than those produced from the ESP cells. In addition, we detected increased cell proliferation in the MEF cells following H19 knock-down. These results indicate that the ESH cells may be a source of cell-based therapy for conditions such as muscular atrophy.

Distinct gene expression signatures in human embryonic stem cells differentiated towards definitive endoderm at single-cell level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Norrman, Karin; Strömbeck, Anna; Semb, Henrik

2013-01-01

for the three activin A based protocols applied. Our data provide novel insights in DE gene expression at the cellular level of in vitro differentiated human embryonic stem cells, and illustrate the power of using single-cell gene expression profiling to study differentiation heterogeneity and to characterize...... of anterior definitive endoderm (DE). Here, we differentiated human embryonic stem cells towards DE using three different activin A based treatments. Differentiation efficiencies were evaluated by gene expression profiling over time at cell population level. A panel of key markers was used to study DE...... formation. Final DE differentiation was also analyzed with immunocytochemistry and single-cell gene expression profiling. We found that cells treated with activin A in combination with sodium butyrate and B27 serum-free supplement medium generated the most mature DE cells. Cell population studies were...

Gene expression analysis of mouse embryonic stem cells following levitation in an ultrasound standing wave trap.

Science.gov (United States)

Bazou, Despina; Kearney, Roisin; Mansergh, Fiona; Bourdon, Celine; Farrar, Jane; Wride, Michael

2011-02-01

In the present paper, gene expression analysis of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells levitated in a novel ultrasound standing wave trap (USWT) (Bazou et al. 2005a) at variable acoustic pressures (0.08-0.85 MPa) and times (5-60 min) was performed. Our results showed that levitation of ES cells at the highest employed acoustic pressure for 60 min does not modify gene expression and cells maintain their pluripotency. Embryoid bodies (EBs) also expressed the early and late neural differentiation markers, which were also unaffected by the acoustic field. Our results suggest that the ultrasound trap microenvironment is minimally invasive as the biologic consequences of ES cell replication and EB differentiation proceed without significantly affecting gene expression. The technique holds great promise in safe cell manipulation techniques for a variety of applications including tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2011 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Periodic harvesting of embryonic stem cells from a hollow-fiber membrane based four-compartment bioreactor.

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Knöspel, Fanny; Freyer, Nora; Stecklum, Maria; Gerlach, Jörg C; Zeilinger, Katrin

2016-01-01

Different types of stem cells have been investigated for applications in drug screening and toxicity testing. In order to provide sufficient numbers of cells for such in vitro applications a scale-up of stem cell culture is necessary. Bioreactors for dynamic three-dimensional (3D) culture of growing cells offer the option for culturing large amounts of stem cells at high densities in a closed system. We describe a method for periodic harvesting of pluripotent stem cells (PSC) during expansion in a perfused 3D hollow-fiber membrane bioreactor, using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) as a model cell line. A number of 100 × 10(6) mESC were seeded in bioreactors in the presence of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) as feeder cells. Over a cultivation interval of nine days cells were harvested by trypsin perfusion and mechanical agitation every second to third culture day. A mean of 380 × 10(6) mESC could be removed with every harvest. Subsequent to harvesting, cells continued growing in the bioreactor, as determined by increasing glucose consumption and lactate production. Immunocytochemical staining and mRNA expression analysis of markers for pluripotency and the three germ layers showed a similar expression of most markers in the harvested cells and in mESC control cultures. In conclusion, successful expansion and harvesting of viable mESC from bioreactor cultures with preservation of sterility was shown. The present study is the first one showing the feasibility of periodic harvesting of adherent cells from a continuously perfused four-compartment bioreactor including further cultivation of remaining cells. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Utilization of human amniotic mesenchymal cells as feeder layers to sustain propagation of human embryonic stem cells in the undifferentiated state.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kehua; Cai, Zhe; Li, Yang; Shu, Jun; Pan, Lin; Wan, Fang; Li, Hong; Huang, Xiaojie; He, Chun; Liu, Yanqiu; Cui, Xiaohui; Xu, Yang; Gao, Yan; Wu, Liqun; Cao, Shanxia; Li, Lingsong

2011-08-01

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are usually maintained in the undifferentiated state by culturing on feeder cells layers of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). However, MEFs are not suitable to support human ES cells used for clinical purpose because of risk of zoonosis from animal cells. Therefore, human tissue-based feeder layers need to be developed for human ES cells for clinical purpose. Hereof we report that human amniotic mesenchymal cells (hAMCs) could act as feeder cells for human ES cells, because they are easily obtained and relatively exempt from ethical problem. Like MEFs, hAMCs could act as feeder cells for human ES cells to grow well on. The self-renewal rate of human ES cells cultured on hAMCs feeders was higher than that on MEFs and human amniotic epithelial cells determined by measurement of colonial diameters and growth curve as well as cell cycle analysis. Both immunofluorescence staining and immunoblotting showed that human ES cells cultured on hAMCs expressed stem cell markers such as Oct-3/4, Sox2, and NANOG. Verified by embryoid body formation in vitro and teratoma formation in vivo, we found out that after 20 passages of culture, human ES cells grown on hAMCs feeders could still retain the potency of differentiating into three germ layers. Taken together, our data suggested hAMCs may be safe feeder cells to sustain the propagation of human ES cells in undifferentiated state for future therapeutic use.

Alternative splicing events identified in human embryonic stem cells and neural progenitors.

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Gene W Yeo

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs and neural progenitor (NP cells are excellent models for recapitulating early neuronal development in vitro, and are key to establishing strategies for the treatment of degenerative disorders. While much effort had been undertaken to analyze transcriptional and epigenetic differences during the transition of hESC to NP, very little work has been performed to understand post-transcriptional changes during neuronal differentiation. Alternative RNA splicing (AS, a major form of post-transcriptional gene regulation, is important in mammalian development and neuronal function. Human ESC, hESC-derived NP, and human central nervous system stem cells were compared using Affymetrix exon arrays. We introduced an outlier detection approach, REAP (Regression-based Exon Array Protocol, to identify 1,737 internal exons that are predicted to undergo AS in NP compared to hESC. Experimental validation of REAP-predicted AS events indicated a threshold-dependent sensitivity ranging from 56% to 69%, at a specificity of 77% to 96%. REAP predictions significantly overlapped sets of alternative events identified using expressed sequence tags and evolutionarily conserved AS events. Our results also reveal that focusing on differentially expressed genes between hESC and NP will overlook 14% of potential AS genes. In addition, we found that REAP predictions are enriched in genes encoding serine/threonine kinase and helicase activities. An example is a REAP-predicted alternative exon in the SLK (serine/threonine kinase 2 gene that is differentially included in hESC, but skipped in NP as well as in other differentiated tissues. Lastly, comparative sequence analysis revealed conserved intronic cis-regulatory elements such as the FOX1/2 binding site GCAUG as being proximal to candidate AS exons, suggesting that FOX1/2 may participate in the regulation of AS in NP and hESC. In summary, a new methodology for exon array analysis was introduced

A vector-based system for the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells toward germ-line cells

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Reza Ebrahimzadeh-Vesal

2014-08-01

Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrated the in vitro generation of mouse embryonic stem cells to germ cells by using a backbone vector containing the fusion gene Stra8-EGFP. The Stra8 gene is a retinoic acid-responsive protein and is able to regulate meiotic initiation.

Albumin-associated lipids regulate human embryonic stem cell self-renewal.

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Francesc R Garcia-Gonzalo

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Although human embryonic stem cells (hESCs hold great promise as a source of differentiated cells to treat several human diseases, many obstacles still need to be surmounted before this can become a reality. First among these, a robust chemically-defined system to expand hESCs in culture is still unavailable despite recent advances in the understanding of factors controlling hESC self-renewal. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we attempted to find new molecules that stimulate long term hESC self-renewal. In order to do this, we started from the observation that a commercially available serum replacement product has a strong positive effect on the expansion of undifferentiated hESCs when added to a previously reported chemically-defined medium. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that the active ingredient within the serum replacement is lipid-rich albumin. Furthermore, we show that this activity is trypsin-resistant, strongly suggesting that lipids and not albumin are responsible for the effect. Consistent with this, lipid-poor albumin shows no detectable activity. Finally, we identified the major lipids bound to the lipid-rich albumin and tested several lipid candidates for the effect. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our discovery of the role played by albumin-associated lipids in stimulating hESC self-renewal constitutes a significant advance in the knowledge of how hESC pluripotency is maintained by extracellular factors and has important applications in the development of increasingly chemically defined hESC culture systems.

Curcumin-loaded embryonic stem cell exosomes restored neurovascular unit following ischemia-reperfusion injury.

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Kalani, Anuradha; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Kamat, Pradip K; Maldonado, Claudio; Bauer, Philip; Joshua, Irving G; Tyagi, Suresh C; Tyagi, Neetu

2016-10-01

We tested whether the combined nano-formulation, prepared with curcumin (anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective molecule) and embryonic stem cell exosomes (MESC-exo cur ), restored neurovascular loss following an ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury in mice. IR-injury was created in 8-10 weeks old mice and divided into two groups. Out of two IR-injured groups, one group received intranasal administration of MESC-exo cur for 7days. Similarly, two sham groups were made and one group received MESC-exo cur treatment. The study determined that MESC-exo cur treatment reduced neurological score, infarct volume and edema following IR-injury. As compared to untreated IR group, MESC-exo cur treated-IR group showed reduced inflammation and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor expression. Treatment of MESC-exo cur also reduced astrocytic GFAP expression and alleviated the expression of NeuN positive neurons in IR-injured mice. In addition, MESC-exo cur treatment restored vascular endothelial tight (claudin-5 and occludin) and adherent (VE-cadherin) junction proteins in IR-injured mice as compared to untreated IR-injured mice. These results suggest that combining the potentials of embryonic stem cell exosomes and curcumin can help neurovascular restoration following ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional differentiation of retinoic acid-induced human pluripotent embryonic carcinoma stem cell neurons.

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Dennis E Coyle

Full Text Available The NTERA2 cl D1 (NT2 cell line, derived from human teratocarcinoma, exhibits similar properties as embryonic stem (ES cells or very early neuroepithelial progenitors. NT2 cells can be induced to become postmitotic central nervous system neurons (NT2N with retinoic acid. Although neurons derived from pluripotent cells, such as NT2N, have been characterized for their neurotransmitter phenotypes, their potential suitability as a donor source for neural transplantation also depends on their ability to respond to localized environmental cues from a specific region of the CNS. Therefore, our study aimed to characterize the regional transcription factors that define the rostocaudal and dorsoventral identity of NT2N derived from a monolayer differentiation paradigm using quantitative PCR (qPCR. Purified NT2N mainly expressed both GABAergic and glutamatergic phenotypes and were electrically active but did not form functional synapses. The presence of immature astrocytes and possible radial glial cells was noted. The NT2N expressed a regional transcription factor code consistent with forebrain, hindbrain and spinal cord neural progenitors but showed minimal expression of midbrain phenotypes. In the dorsoventral plane NT2N expressed both dorsal and ventral neural progenitors. Of major interest was that even under the influence of retinoic acid, a known caudalization factor, the NT2N population maintained a rostral phenotype subpopulation which expressed cortical regional transcription factors. It is proposed that understanding the regional differentiation bias of neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells will facilitate their successful integration into existing neuronal networks within the CNS.

Comparison of Gene Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, hESC-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

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Barbet, Romain; Peiffer, Isabelle; Hatzfeld, Antoinette; Charbord, Pierre; Hatzfeld, Jacques A

2011-01-01

We present a strategy to identify developmental/differentiation and plasma membrane marker genes of the most primitive human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs). Using sensitive and quantitative TaqMan Low Density Arrays (TLDA) methodology, we compared the expression of 381 genes in human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs), hESC-derived MSCs (hES-MSCs), and hMSCs. Analysis of differentiation genes indicated that hES-MSCs express the sarcomeric muscle lineage in addition to the classical mesenchymal lineages, suggesting they are more primitive than hMSCs. Transcript analysis of membrane antigens suggests that IL1R1(low), BMPR1B(low), FLT4(low), LRRC32(low), and CD34 may be good candidates for the detection and isolation of the most primitive hMSCs. The expression in hMSCs of cytokine genes, such as IL6, IL8, or FLT3LG, without expression of the corresponding receptor, suggests a role for these cytokines in the paracrine control of stem cell niches. Our database may be shared with other laboratories in order to explore the considerable clinical potential of hES-MSCs, which appear to represent an intermediate developmental stage between hESCs and hMSCs.

An investigation of changes in element distribution and chemical states during differentiation of embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, T.; Ide-Ektessabi, A.; Ishihara, R.; Tanigaki, M.

2004-01-01

Metallic elements and their organic compounds have dynamic regulatory functions in cells. In this study, we implemented a new approach to investigate the mechanism of differentiation of embryonic stem cells, by measuring and analyzing the change in distribution and chemical states of intracellular trace elements. We anticipate that trace metal elements and metalloproteins play important roles in the direction of differentiation, both as active centers, and as factors in the death of neural cells in neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of this study is to analyze the distribution and chemical states of trace elements during the process of differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells, and to understand how these factors relate to the differentiation process. Using the experimental results, some previously unexplained points are considered, namely (1) how the intracellular elements change during the process of neuronal differentiation, and (2) what the optimal conditions of such elements are for neuronal differentiation. The information obtained during this study is relevant to nervous system development and evolution

An investigation of changes in element distribution and chemical states during differentiation of embryonic stem cells

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Sugimoto, T.; Ide-Ektessabi, A. E-mail: h51167@sakura.kudpc.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Ishihara, R.; Tanigaki, M

2004-07-01

Metallic elements and their organic compounds have dynamic regulatory functions in cells. In this study, we implemented a new approach to investigate the mechanism of differentiation of embryonic stem cells, by measuring and analyzing the change in distribution and chemical states of intracellular trace elements. We anticipate that trace metal elements and metalloproteins play important roles in the direction of differentiation, both as active centers, and as factors in the death of neural cells in neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of this study is to analyze the distribution and chemical states of trace elements during the process of differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells, and to understand how these factors relate to the differentiation process. Using the experimental results, some previously unexplained points are considered, namely (1) how the intracellular elements change during the process of neuronal differentiation, and (2) what the optimal conditions of such elements are for neuronal differentiation. The information obtained during this study is relevant to nervous system development and evolution.

Comparing independent microarray studies: the case of human embryonic stem cells

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Hemmati-Brivanlou Ali

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray studies of the same phenomenon in different labs often appear at variance because the published lists of regulated transcripts have disproportionately small intersections. We demonstrate that comparing studies by intersecting lists in this manner is methodologically flawed by reanalyzing three studies of the molecular signature of "stemness" in human embryonic stem cells. There are only 7 genes common to all three published lists, suggesting disagreement. Results Carefully reanalyzing all three together from the raw data we detect 111 genes upregulated and 95 downregulated in all three studies. The upregulated list was subject to rtRTPCR analysis and 75% of the genes were confirmed. Conclusion Our findings show that the three studies have a substantial core of common genes, which is missed if only the published lists are examined. Combined analysis of multiple experiments can be a powerful way to distil coherent conclusions.

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells with high efficiency from human embryonic renal cortical cells.

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Yao, Ling; Chen, Ruifang; Wang, Pu; Zhang, Qi; Tang, Hailiang; Sun, Huaping

2016-01-01

Reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) emerges as a prospective therapeutic angle in regenerative medicine and a tool for drug screening. Although increasing numbers of iPSCs from different sources have been generated, there has been limited progress in yield of iPSC. Here, we show that four Yamanaka factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc can convert human embryonic renal cortical cells (hERCCs) to pluripotent stem cells with a roughly 40-fold higher reprogramming efficiency compared with that of adult human dermal fibroblasts. These iPSCs show pluripotency in vitro and in vivo, as evidenced by expression of pluripotency associated genes, differentiation into three embryonic germ layers by teratoma tests, as well as neuronal fate specification by embryoid body formation. Moreover, the four exogenous genes are effectively silenced in these iPSCs. This study highlights the use of hERCCs to generate highly functional human iPSCs which may aid the study of genetic kidney diseases and accelerate the development of cell-based regenerative therapy.

Forced expression of Sox2 or Nanog in human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells maintains their expansion and differentiation capabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Go, Masahiro J.; Takenaka, Chiemi; Ohgushi, Hajime

2008-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human bone marrow have capability to differentiate into cells of mesenchymal lineage. The cells have already been applied in various clinical situations because of their expansion and differentiation capabilities. The cells lose their capabilities after several passages, however. With the aim of conferring higher capability on human bone marrow MSCs, we introduced the Sox2 or Nanog gene into the cells. Sox2 and Nanog are not only essential for pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, but also expressed in somatic stem cells that have superior expansion and differentiation potentials. We found that Sox2-expressing MSCs showed consistent proliferation and osteogenic capability in culture media containing basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) compared to control cells. Significantly, in the presence of bFGF in culture media, most of the Sox2-expressing cells were small, whereas the control cells were elongated in shape. We also found that Nanog-expressing cells even in the absence of bFGF had much higher capabilities for expansion and osteogenesis than control cells. These results demonstrate not only an effective way to maintain proliferation and differentiation potentials of MSCs but also an important implication about the function of bFGF for self-renewal of stem cells including MSCs

A practical guide for the identification of membrane and plasma membrane proteins in human embryonic stem cells and human embryonal carcinoma cells.

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Dormeyer, Wilma; van Hoof, Dennis; Mummery, Christine L; Krijgsveld, Jeroen; Heck, Albert J R

2008-10-01

The identification of (plasma) membrane proteins in cells can provide valuable insights into the regulation of their biological processes. Pluripotent cells such as human embryonic stem cells and embryonal carcinoma cells are capable of unlimited self-renewal and share many of the biological mechanisms that regulate proliferation and differentiation. The comparison of their membrane proteomes will help unravel the biological principles of pluripotency, and the identification of biomarker proteins in their plasma membranes is considered a crucial step to fully exploit pluripotent cells for therapeutic purposes. For these tasks, membrane proteomics is the method of choice, but as indicated by the scarce identification of membrane and plasma membrane proteins in global proteomic surveys it is not an easy task. In this minireview, we first describe the general challenges of membrane proteomics. We then review current sample preparation steps and discuss protocols that we found particularly beneficial for the identification of large numbers of (plasma) membrane proteins in human tumour- and embryo-derived stem cells. Our optimized assembled protocol led to the identification of a large number of membrane proteins. However, as the composition of cells and membranes is highly variable we still recommend adapting the sample preparation protocol for each individual system.

Markers of murine embryonic and neural stem cells, neurons and astrocytes: reference points for developmental neurotoxicity testing

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Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) is a significant concern for environmental chemicals, as well as for food and drug constituents. The sensitivity of animal-based DNT models is unclear, and they are expensive and time consuming. Murine embryonic stem cells (mESC) recapitulate sev...

Embryonic stem cell-like features of testicular carcinoma in situ revealed by genome-wide gene expression profiling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Almstrup, Kristian; Hoei-Hansen, Christina E; Wirkner, Ute

2004-01-01

in their stoichiometry on progression into embryonic carcinoma. We compared the CIS expression profile with patterns reported in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which revealed a substantial overlap that may be as high as 50%. We also demonstrated an over-representation of expressed genes in regions of 17q and 12, reported......Carcinoma in situ (CIS) is the common precursor of histologically heterogeneous testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), which in recent decades have markedly increased and now are the most common malignancy of young men. Using genome-wide gene expression profiling, we identified >200 genes highly...

The promise of human embryonic stem cells in aging-associated diseases

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Yabut, Odessa; Bernstein, Harold S.

2011-01-01

Aging-associated diseases are often caused by progressive loss or dysfunction of cells that ultimately affect the overall function of tissues and organs. Successful treatment of these diseases could benefit from cell-based therapy that would regenerate lost cells or otherwise restore tissue function. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) promise to be an important therapeutic candidate in treating aging-associated diseases due to their unique capacity for self-renewal and pluripotency. To date, there are numerous hESC lines that have been developed and characterized. We will discuss how hESC lines are derived, their molecular and cellular properties, and how their ability to differentiate into all three embryonic germ layers is determined. We will also outline the methods currently employed to direct their differentiation into populations of tissue-specific, functional cells. Finally, we will highlight the general challenges that must be overcome and the strategies being developed to generate highly-purified hESC-derived cell populations that can safely be used for clinical applications. PMID:21566262

DIFFERENTIATION OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS: LESSONS FROM EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT

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EMOKE PALL

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Embryonic stem (ES cells, the undifferentiated cells of early embryos are established as permanent lines and are characterised by their self-renewal capacity and the ability to retain their developmental capacity in vivo and in vitro. The pluripotent properties of ES cells are the basis of gene targeting technologies used to create mutant mouse strains with inactivated genes by homologous recombination. There are several methods to induce the formation of EBs. One of them the formation by aggregating ES cells in hanging drops, using gravity as an aggregation force. This method presents the advantage of obtaining well-calibrated EBs almost identical in size. We used at our experiment the mouse ES cell line KA1/11/C3/C8 with a normal karyotype, at 14th passages. Immunohistochemical examination was aimed to identify tissue-restricted proteins for the two differentiated lineages: titin as a cell-specific antigen for cardiac and skeletal muscle, betaIII-tubulin for the neuronal differentiation, cytokeratin Endo-A (TROMA for the presence of mesenchymal progenitor cells, Oct-4 for the presence of the undifferentiated ES cells. The beating cardiac muscle clumps showed more synchronous rhythm than those seen in EBs obtained from suspension culture method, where the beating cardiac muscle clumps appeared later, had a lower frequency and were uneven. The synaptic networks of neuronal cells were best developed in EBs from suspension, compared to those observed in EBs from hanging-drop method.

Changes in microRNA expression during differentiation of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells to definitive endoderm.

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Francis, Natalie; Moore, Melanie; Asan, Simona G; Rutter, Guy A; Burns, Chris

2015-01-01

Pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), have the potential to treat type 1 diabetes through cell replacement therapy. However, the protocols used to generate insulin-expressing cells in vitro frequently result in cells which have an immature phenotype and are functionally restricted. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are now known to be important in cell fate specification, and a unique miRNA signature characterises pancreatic development at the definitive endoderm stage. Several studies have described differences in miRNA expression between ESCs and iPSCs. Here we have used microarray analysis both to identify miRNAs up- or down-regulated upon endoderm formation, and also miRNAs differentially expressed between ESCs and iPSCs. Several miRNAs fulfilling both these criteria were identified, suggesting that differences in the expression of these miRNAs may affect the ability of pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into definitive endoderm. The expression of these miRNAs was validated by qRT-PCR, and the relationship between one of these miRNAs, miR-151a-5p, and its predicted target gene, SOX17, was investigated by luciferase assay, and suggested an interaction between miR-151a-5p and this key transcription factor. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate a unique miRNA expression pattern for definitive endoderm derived from both embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A method for high efficiency YAC lipofection into murine embryonic stem cells.

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Lee, J T; Jaenisch, R

1996-01-01

We describe a modified protocol for introducing yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) into murine embryonic stem (ES) cells by lipofection. With a decreased DNA:cell ratio, increased concentration of condensing agents and altered culture conditions, this protocol reduces the requirement for YAC DNA to a few micrograms, improves the recovery of neomycin-resistant ES colonies and increases the yield of clones containing both flanking vector markers and insert. These modifications enable generation of sufficient 'intact' transgenic clones for biological analysis with a single experiment. PMID:9016681

[Proliferative capacity of mesenchymal stem cells from human fetal bone marrow and their ability to differentiate into the derivative cell types of three embryonic germ layers].

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Wang, Yue-Chun; Zhang, Yuan

2008-06-25

Strong proliferative capacity and the ability to differentiate into the derivative cell types of three embryonic germ layers are the two important characteristics of embryonic stem cells. To study whether the mesenchymal stem cells from human fetal bone marrow (hfBM-MSCs) possess these embryonic stem cell-like biological characteristics, hfBM-MSCs were isolated from bone barrows and further purified according to the different adherence of different kinds of cells to the wall of culture flask. The cell cycle of hfBM-MSCs and MSC-specific surface markers such as CD29, CD44, etc were identified using flow cytometry. The expressions of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the embryonic stem cell-specific antigens, such as Oct4 and SSEA-4 were detected with immunocytochemistry at the protein level and were also tested by RT-PCR at the mRNA level. Then, hfBM-MSCs were induced to differentiate toward neuron cells, adipose cells, and islet B cells under certain conditions. It was found that 92.3% passage-4 hfBM-MSCs and 96.1% passage-5 hfBM-MSCs were at G(0)/G(1) phase respectively. hfBM-MSCs expressed CD44, CD106 and adhesion molecule CD29, but not antigens of hematopoietic cells CD34 and CD45, and almost not antigens related to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), such as HLA-DR, CD40 and CD80. hfBM-MSCs expressed the embryonic stem cell-specific antigens such as Oct4, SSEA-4, and also hTERT. Exposure of these cells to various inductive agents resulted in morphological changes towards neuron-like cells, adipose-like cells, and islet B-like cells and they were tested to be positive for related characteristic markers. These results suggest that there are plenty of MSCs in human fetal bone marrow, and hfBM-MSCs possess the embryonic stem cell-like biological characteristics, moreover, they have a lower immunogenic nature. Thus, hfBM-MSCs provide an ideal source for tissue engineering and cellular therapeutics.

CRISPR reveals a distal super-enhancer required for Sox2 expression in mouse embryonic stem cells.

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Yan Li

Full Text Available The pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs is maintained by a small group of master transcription factors including Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog. These core factors form a regulatory circuit controlling the transcription of a number of pluripotency factors including themselves. Although previous studies have identified transcriptional regulators of this core network, the cis-regulatory DNA sequences required for the transcription of these key pluripotency factors remain to be defined. We analyzed epigenomic data within the 1.5 Mb gene-desert regions around the Sox2 gene and identified a 13kb-long super-enhancer (SE located 100kb downstream of Sox2 in mouse ESCs. This SE is occupied by Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, and the mediator complex, and physically interacts with the Sox2 locus via DNA looping. Using a simple and highly efficient double-CRISPR genome editing strategy we deleted the entire 13-kb SE and characterized transcriptional defects in the resulting monoallelic and biallelic deletion clones with RNA-seq. We showed that the SE is responsible for over 90% of Sox2 expression, and Sox2 is the only target gene along the chromosome. Our results support the functional significance of a SE in maintaining the pluripotency transcription program in mouse ESCs.

Derivation of Two New Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines from Nonviable Human Embryos

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Svetlana Gavrilov

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We report the derivation and characterization of two new human embryonic stem cells (hESC lines (CU1 and CU2 from embryos with an irreversible loss of integrated organismic function. In addition, we analyzed retrospective data of morphological progression from embryonic day (ED 5 to ED6 for 2480 embryos not suitable for clinical use to assess grading criteria indicative of loss of viability on ED5. Our analysis indicated that a large proportion of in vitro fertilization (IVF embryos not suitable for clinical use could be used for hESC derivation. Based on these combined findings, we propose that criteria commonly used in IVF clinics to determine optimal embryos for uterine transfer can be employed to predict the potential for hESC derivation from poor quality embryos without the destruction of vital human embryos.

Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) and quantitative comparison of the membrane proteomes of self-renewing and differentiating human embryonic stem cells

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Prokhorova, Tatyana A; Rigbolt, Kristoffer T G; Johansen, Pia T

2009-01-01

Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) is a powerful quantitative proteomics platform for comprehensive characterization of complex biological systems. However, the potential of SILAC-based approaches has not been fully utilized in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research...... embryonic stem cell lines. Of the 811 identified membrane proteins, six displayed significantly higher expression levels in the undifferentiated state compared with differentiating cells. This group includes the established marker CD133/Prominin-1 as well as novel candidates for hESC surface markers......: Glypican-4, Neuroligin-4, ErbB2, receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase zeta (PTPRZ), and Glycoprotein M6B. Our study also revealed 17 potential markers of hESC differentiation as their corresponding protein expression levels displayed a dramatic increase in differentiated embryonic stem cell...

Rabbit embryonic stem cell lines derived from fertilized, parthenogenetic or somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Zhen F.; Gai, Hui; Huang, You Z.; Li, Shan G.; Chen, Xue J.; Shi, Jian J.; Wu, Li; Liu, Ailian; Xu, Ping; Sheng, Hui Z.

2006-01-01

Embryonic stem cells were isolated from rabbit blastocysts derived from fertilization (conventional rbES cells), parthenogenesis (pES cells) and nuclear transfer (ntES cells), and propagated in a serum-free culture system. Rabbit ES (rbES) cells proliferated for a prolonged time in an undifferentiated state and maintained a normal karyotype. These cells grew in a monolayer with a high nuclear/cytoplasm ratio and contained a high level of alkaline phosphate activity. In addition, rbES cells expressed the pluripotent marker Oct-4, as well as EBAF2, FGF4, TDGF1, but not antigens recognized by antibodies against SSEA-1, SSEA-3, SSEA-4, TRA-1-10 and TRA-1-81. All 3 types of ES cells formed embryoid bodies and generated teratoma that contained tissue types of all three germ layers. rbES cells exhibited a high cloning efficiency, were genetically modified readily and were used as nuclear donors to generate a viable rabbit through somatic cell nuclear transfer. In combination with genetic engineering, the ES cell technology should facilitate the creation of new rabbit lines

Establishment of rat embryonic stem-like cells from the morula using a combination of feeder layers.

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Sano, Chiaki; Matsumoto, Asako; Sato, Eimei; Fukui, Emiko; Yoshizawa, Midori; Matsumoto, Hiromichi

2009-08-01

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are characterized by pluripotency, in particular the ability to form a germline on injection into blastocysts. Despite numerous attempts, ES cell lines derived from rat embryos have not yet been established. The reason for this is unclear, although certain intrinsic biological differences among species and/or strains have been reported. Herein, using Wistar-Imamichi rats, specific characteristics of preimplantation embryos are described. At the blastocyst stage, Oct4 (also called Pou5f1) was expressed in both the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophectoderm (TE), whereas expression of Cdx2 was localized to the TE. In contrast, at an earlier stage, expression of Oct4 was detected in all the nuclei in the morula. These stages were examined using a combination of feeder layers (rat embryonic fibroblast [REF] for primary outgrowth and SIM mouse embryo-derived thioguanine- and ouabain-resistant [STO] cells for passaging) to establish rat ES-like cell lines. The rat ES-like cell lines obtained from the morula maintained expression of Oct4 over long-term culture, whereas cell lines derived from blastocysts lost pluripotency during early passage. The morula-derived ES-like cell lines showed Oct4 expression in a long-term culture, even after cryogenic preservation, thawing and EGFP transfection. These results indicate that rat ES-like cell lines with long-term Oct4 expression can be established from the morula of Wistar-Imamichi rats using a combination of feeder layers.

Safety paradigm: genetic evaluation of therapeutic grade human embryonic stem cells.

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Stephenson, Emma; Ogilvie, Caroline Mackie; Patel, Heema; Cornwell, Glenda; Jacquet, Laureen; Kadeva, Neli; Braude, Peter; Ilic, Dusko

2010-12-06

The use of stem cells for regenerative medicine has captured the imagination of the public, with media attention contributing to rising expectations of clinical benefits. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are the best model for capital investment in stem cell therapy and there is a clear need for their robust genetic characterization before scaling-up cell expansion for that purpose. We have to be certain that the genome of the starting material is stable and normal, but the limited resolution of conventional karyotyping is unable to give us such assurance. Advanced molecular cytogenetic technologies such as array comparative genomic hybridization for identifying chromosomal imbalances, and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis for identifying ethnic background and loss of heterozygosity should be introduced as obligatory diagnostic tests for each newly derived hESC line before it is deposited in national stem cell banks. If this new quality standard becomes a requirement, as we are proposing here, it would facilitate and accelerate the banking process, since end-users would be able to select the most appropriate line for their particular application, thus improving efficiency and streamlining the route to manufacturing therapeutics. The pharmaceutical industry, which may use hESC-derived cells for drug screening, should not ignore their genomic profile as this may risk misinterpretation of results and significant waste of resources.

Art and human embryonic stem cells: from the bench to the high street.

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Duprat, Sebastien

2009-03-01

ESTOOLS, a project funded by the European Commission (FP6), gathers expertise on human embryonic stem cells in 10 countries of the European Research Area. The ESTOOLS outreach program uses Art extensively as the only universal cross-cultural and cross-religion means of communication. The Smile of a Stem Cell photo exhibition, a major component of this program, aims to fill a missing link between public dissemination of science and science-illiterate citizens. Scientists are also engaged to stand at a distance from their work and observe it with an outsider's perspective, which enhances their competency to communicate science. The photo exhibition, by its situation upstream of scientific education, makes itself open to interest and enthusiasm among a public with no prerequired scientific knowledge or abilities.

Medicina regenerativa: Células madre embrionarias y adultas Regenerative medicine: Embryonic and adult stem cells

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Porfirio Hernández Ramírez

2004-12-01

Full Text Available En los últimos años ha surgido una nueva rama de la medicina denominada medicina regenerativa, basada fundamentalmente en los nuevos conocimientos sobre las células madre y en su capacidad de convertirse en células de diferentes tejidos. Las células madre se clasifican en embrionarias y somáticas o adultas. Durante varios años se consideró que la célula madre hematopoyética era la única célula en la médula ósea con capacidad generativa. Sin embargo, estudios recientes han mostrado que la composición de la médula ósea es más compleja, pues en ella se ha identificado un grupo heterogéneo de células madre adultas, entre las que se encuentran las: hematopoyéticas, mesenquimales (estromales, población lateral, células progenitoras adultas multipotentes (MAPC. Varios estudios han sugerido que la potencialidad de algunos tipos de células madre adultas es mayor de lo esperado, pues han mostrado en determinadas condiciones capacidad para diferenciarse en células de diferentes linajes, lo que las acercan a la potencialidad de las células embrionarias. Esto ha creado nuevas perspectivas para el tratamiento de diferentes enfermedades con células madre adultas, lo que inicialmente se pensaba solo podía hacerse con las embrionariasIn the last few years, there has emerged a new branch of medicine called regenerative medicine based mainly on the new knowledge about stem cells and their capacity to turn into cells of different tissues. Stem cells are classified into embryonic cells and somatic or adult cells. For many years, it was believed that hematopoietic stem cell was the only one with regenerative capacity in the bone-marrow. However, recent studies have shown that the composition of the bone marrow is more complex an heterogeneous group of adult stem cells such as hematopoietic, mesenchymal (stromal, lateral population and multipotent adult progenitor cells have been identified there. Several studies suggested that the

Derivation and characterization of the NYSCFe003-A human embryonic stem cell line

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Ana Sevilla

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The human embryonic stem cell line NYSCFe003-A was derived from a day 5 to day 6 blastocyst in feeder-free and antibiotic free conditions. The blastocyst was voluntarily donated for research as surplus after in vitro fertilization treatment following informed consent. The NYSCFe003-A line expresses all the pluripotency markers and has the potential to differentiate into all three germ layers in vitro. The line presents normal karyotype and is mycoplasma free.

Recruitment of Oct4 protein to UV-damaged chromatin in embryonic stem cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bártová, Eva; Šustáčková, Gabriela; Stixová, Lenka; Kozubek, Stanislav; Legartová, Soňa; Foltánková, Veronika

2011-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 12 (2011), e27281 E-ISSN 1932-6203 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC535; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06027; GA MŠk(CZ) ME 919; GA ČR(CZ) GAP302/10/1022; GA MŠk(CZ) LD11020 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : embryonic stem cells * epigenetics * Oct4 Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 4.092, year: 2011

Comparison of the glycosphingolipids of human-induced pluripotent stem cells and human embryonic stem cells.

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Säljö, Karin; Barone, Angela; Vizlin-Hodzic, Dzeneta; Johansson, Bengt R; Breimer, Michael E; Funa, Keiko; Teneberg, Susann

2017-04-01

High expectations are held for human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) since they are established from autologous tissues thus overcoming the risk of allogeneic immune rejection when used in regenerative medicine. However, little is known regarding the cell-surface carbohydrate antigen profile of hiPSC compared with human embryonic stem cells (hESC). Here, glycosphingolipids were isolated from an adipocyte-derived hiPSC line, and hiPSC and hESC glycosphingolipids were compared by concurrent characterization by binding assays with carbohydrate-recognizing ligands and mass spectrometry. A high similarity between the nonacid glycosphingolipids of hiPSC and hESC was found. The nonacid glycosphingolipids P1 pentaosylceramide, x2 pentaosylceramide and H type 1 heptaosylceramide, not previously described in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC), were characterized in both hiPSC and hESC. The composition of acid glycosphingolipids differed, with increased levels of GM3 ganglioside, and reduced levels of GD1a/GD1b in hiPSC when compared with hESC. In addition, the hESC glycosphingolipids sulf-globopentaosylceramide and sialyl-globotetraosylceramide were lacking in hiPSC. Neural stem cells differentiating from hiPSC had a reduced expression of sialyl-lactotetra, whereas expression of the GD1a ganglioside was significantly increased. Thus, while sialyl-lactotetra is a marker of undifferentiated hPSC, GD1a is a novel marker of neural differentiation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Data on the potential impact of food supplements on the growth of mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Marcelo; Sousa, Maria I; Rodrigues, Ana S; Perestrelo, Tânia; Pereira, Sandro L; Ribeiro, Marcelo F; Ramalho-Santos, João

2016-06-01

The use of new compounds as dietary supplements is increasing, but little is known in terms of possible consequences of their use. Pluripotent stem cells are a promising research tool for citotoxicological research for evaluation of proliferation, cell death, pluripotency and differentiation. Using the mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) model, we present data on three different compounds that have been proposed as new potential supplements for co-adjuvant disease treatments: kaempferol, berberine and Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA). Cell number and viability were monitored following treatment with increased concentrations of each drug in pluripotent culture conditions.

[Breakthrough in research on pluripotent stem cells and their application in medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Valdimarsdóttir, Guðrún; Richter, Anne

2015-12-01

Embryonic stem cells are, as the name indicates, isolated from embryos. They are pluripotent cells which can be maintained undifferentiated or induced to differentiate into any cell type of the body. In 1998 the first isolation of human embryonic stem cells was successful and they became an interesting source for stem cell regenerative medicine. Only 8 years later pluripotent stem cells were generated by reprogramming somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This was a revolution in the way people thought of cell commitment during development. Since then, a lot of research has been done in understanding the molecular biology of pluripotent stem cells. iPSCs can be generated from somatic cells of a patient and therefore have the same genome. Hence, iPSCs have great potential application in medicine, as they can be utilized in disease modelling, drug screening and cell replacement therapy.

JMJD1C Ensures Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Somatic Cell Reprogramming through Controlling MicroRNA Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Feng; Liao, Bing; Hu, Jing; Li, Shuang; Zhao, Haixin; Sun, Ming; Gu, Junjie; Jin, Ying

2017-09-12

The roles of histone demethylases (HDMs) for the establishment and maintenance of pluripotency are incompletely characterized. Here, we show that JmjC-domain-containing protein 1c (JMJD1C), an H3K9 demethylase, is required for mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal. Depletion of Jmjd1c leads to the activation of ERK/MAPK signaling and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to induce differentiation of ESCs. Inhibition of ERK/MAPK signaling rescues the differentiation phenotype caused by Jmjd1c depletion. Mechanistically, JMJD1C, with the help of pluripotency factor KLF4, maintains ESC identity at least in part by regulating the expression of the miR-200 family and miR-290/295 cluster to suppress the ERK/MAPK signaling and EMT. Additionally, we uncover that JMJD1C ensures efficient generation and maintenance of induced pluripotent stem cells, at least partially through controlling the expression of microRNAs. Collectively, we propose an integrated model of epigenetic and transcriptional control mediated by the H3K9 demethylase for ESC self-renewal and somatic cell reprogramming. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generation of Regionally Specified Neural Progenitors and Functional Neurons from Human Embryonic Stem Cells under Defined Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnete Kirkeby

2012-06-01

Full Text Available To model human neural-cell-fate specification and to provide cells for regenerative therapies, we have developed a method to generate human neural progenitors and neurons from human embryonic stem cells, which recapitulates human fetal brain development. Through the addition of a small molecule that activates canonical WNT signaling, we induced rapid and efficient dose-dependent specification of regionally defined neural progenitors ranging from telencephalic forebrain to posterior hindbrain fates. Ten days after initiation of differentiation, the progenitors could be transplanted to the adult rat striatum, where they formed neuron-rich and tumor-free grafts with maintained regional specification. Cells patterned toward a ventral midbrain (VM identity generated a high proportion of authentic dopaminergic neurons after transplantation. The dopamine neurons showed morphology, projection pattern, and protein expression identical to that of human fetal VM cells grafted in parallel. VM-patterned but not forebrain-patterned neurons released dopamine and reversed motor deficits in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.

Dynamic 3D culture promotes spontaneous embryonic stem cell differentiation in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerlach, Jörg C; Hout, Mariah; Edsbagge, Josefina; Björquist, Petter; Lübberstedt, Marc; Miki, Toshio; Stachelscheid, Harald; Schmelzer, Eva; Schatten, Gerald; Zeilinger, Katrin

2010-02-01

Spontaneous in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) is promoted by a dynamic, three-dimensional (3D), tissue-density perfusion technique with continuous medium perfusion and exchange in a novel four-compartment, interwoven capillary bioreactor. We compared ectodermal, endodermal, and mesodermal immunoreactive tissue structures formed by mESC at culture day 10 with mouse fetal tissue development at gestational day E9.5. The results show that the bioreactor cultures more closely resemble mouse fetal tissue development at gestational day E9.5 than control mESC cultured in Petri dishes.

Characterization of Bovine 5′-flanking Region during Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

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Hye-Jeong Jang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Embryonic stem cells (ESCs have been used as a powerful tool for research including gene manipulated animal models and the study of developmental gene regulation. Among the critical regulatory factors that maintain the pluripotency and self-renewal of undifferentiated ESCs, NANOG plays a very important role. Nevertheless, because pluripotency maintaining factors and specific markers for livestock ESCs have not yet been probed, few studies of the NANOG gene from domestic animals including bovine have been reported. Therefore, we chose mouse ESCs in order to understand and compare NANOG expression between bovine, human, and mouse during ESCs differentiation. We cloned a 600 bp (−420/+181 bovine NANOG 5′-flanking region, and tagged it with humanized recombinant green fluorescent protein (hrGFP as a tracing reporter. Very high GFP expression for bovine NANOG promoter was observed in the mouse ESC line. GFP expression was monitored upon ESC differentiation and was gradually reduced along with differentiation toward neurons and adipocyte cells. Activity of bovine NANOG (−420/+181 promoter was compared with already known mouse and human NANOG promoters in mouse ESC and they were likely to show a similar pattern of regulation. In conclusion, bovine NANOG 5-flanking region functions in mouse ES cells and has characteristics similar to those of mouse and human. These results suggest that bovine gene function studied in mouse ES cells should be evaluated and extrapolated for application to characterization of bovine ES cells.

Development of heart muscle-cell diversity: a help or a hindrance for phenotyping embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fijnvandraat, Arnoud C.; Lekanne Deprez, Ronald H.; Moorman, Antoon F. M.

2003-01-01

Despite the advances in cardiovascular treatment, cardiac disease remains a major cause of morbidity in all industrialized countries. The extraordinary potential of (embryonic) stem cells for therapeutic purposes has revolutionized ideas about cardiac repair of diseased cardiac muscle to exciting

Localized decrease of β-catenin contributes to the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lam, Hayley; Patel, Shyam; Wong, Janelle; Chu, Julia; Li, Adrian; Li, Song

2008-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are pluripotent, and can be directed to differentiate into different cell types for therapeutic applications. To expand hESCs, it is desirable to maintain hESC growth without differentiation. As hESC colonies grow, differentiated cells are often found at the periphery of the colonies, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Here, we utilized micropatterning techniques to pattern circular islands or strips of matrix proteins, and examined the spatial pattern of hESC renewal and differentiation. We found that micropatterned matrix restricted hESC differentiation at colony periphery but allowed hESC growth into multiple layers in the central region, which decreased hESC proliferation and induced hESC differentiation. In undifferentiated hESCs, β-catenin primarily localized at cell-cell junctions but not in the nucleus. The amount of β-catenin in differentiating hESCs at the periphery of colonies or in multiple layers decreased significantly at cell-cell junctions. Consistently, knocking down β-catenin decreased Oct-4 expression in hESCs. These results indicate that localized decrease of β-catenin contributes to the spatial pattern of differentiation in hESC colonies

Endogenous production of fibronectin is required for self-renewal of cultured mouse embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Geoffrey C; Singh, Purva; Schwarzbauer, Jean E

2012-09-10

Pluripotent cells are attached to the extracellular matrix (ECM) as they make cell fate decisions within the stem cell niche. Here we show that the ubiquitous ECM protein fibronectin is required for self-renewal decisions by cultured mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. Undifferentiated mES cells produce fibronectin and assemble a fibrillar matrix. Increasing the level of substrate fibronectin increased cell spreading and integrin receptor signaling through focal adhesion kinase, while concomitantly inducing the loss of Nanog and Oct4 self-renewal markers. Conversely, reducing fibronectin production by mES cells growing on a feeder-free gelatin substrate caused loss of cell adhesion, decreased integrin signaling, and decreased expression of self-renewal markers. These effects were reversed by providing the cells with exogenous fibronectin, thereby restoring adhesion to the gelatin substrate. Interestingly, mES cells do not adhere directly to the gelatin substrate, but rather adhere indirectly through gelatin-bound fibronectin, which facilitates self-renewal via its effects on cell adhesion. These results provide new insights into the mechanism of regulation of self-renewal by growth on a gelatin-coated surface. The effects of increasing or decreasing fibronectin levels show that self-renewal depends on an intermediate level of cell-fibronectin interactions. By providing cell adhesive signals that can act with other self-renewal factors to maintain mES cell pluripotency, fibronectin is therefore a necessary component of the self-renewal signaling pathway in culture. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic recombination pathways and their application for genome modification of human embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieminen, Mikko; Tuuri, Timo; Savilahti, Harri

2010-10-01

Human embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells derived from early human embryo and retain a potential to differentiate into all adult cell types. They provide vast opportunities in cell replacement therapies and are expected to become significant tools in drug discovery as well as in the studies of cellular and developmental functions of human genes. The progress in applying different types of DNA recombination reactions for genome modification in a variety of eukaryotic cell types has provided means to utilize recombination-based strategies also in human embryonic stem cells. Homologous recombination-based methods, particularly those utilizing extended homologous regions and those employing zinc finger nucleases to boost genomic integration, have shown their usefulness in efficient genome modification. Site-specific recombination systems are potent genome modifiers, and they can be used to integrate DNA into loci that contain an appropriate recombination signal sequence, either naturally occurring or suitably pre-engineered. Non-homologous recombination can be used to generate random integrations in genomes relatively effortlessly, albeit with a moderate efficiency and precision. DNA transposition-based strategies offer substantially more efficient random strategies and provide means to generate single-copy insertions, thus potentiating the generation of genome-wide insertion libraries applicable in genetic screens. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plasticity of Calcium Signaling Cascades in Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Precursors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Forostyak, Oksana; Romanyuk, Nataliya; Verkhratsky, A.; Syková, Eva; Dayanithi, Govindan

2013-01-01

Roč. 22, č. 10 (2013), s. 1506-1521 ISSN 1547-3287 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP304/11/2373; GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069 Grant - others:FP7(XE) PITN-GA-2008-214003 project AXREGEN; FP7(XE) PITN-GA-2009-237956 project EdU-GLIA Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : human embryonic stem cells * voltage-operated Ca2+ channels * spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 4.202, year: 2013

A 3D magnetic tissue stretcher for remote mechanical control of embryonic stem cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Vicard; Luciani, Nathalie; Richard, Sophie; Mary, Gaëtan; Gay, Cyprien; Mazuel, François; Reffay, Myriam; Menasché, Philippe; Agbulut, Onnik; Wilhelm, Claire

2017-09-12

The ability to create a 3D tissue structure from individual cells and then to stimulate it at will is a major goal for both the biophysics and regenerative medicine communities. Here we show an integrated set of magnetic techniques that meet this challenge using embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We assessed the impact of magnetic nanoparticles internalization on ESCs viability, proliferation, pluripotency and differentiation profiles. We developed magnetic attractors capable of aggregating the cells remotely into a 3D embryoid body. This magnetic approach to embryoid body formation has no discernible impact on ESC differentiation pathways, as compared to the hanging drop method. It is also the base of the final magnetic device, composed of opposing magnetic attractors in order to form embryoid bodies in situ, then stretch them, and mechanically stimulate them at will. These stretched and cyclic purely mechanical stimulations were sufficient to drive ESCs differentiation towards the mesodermal cardiac pathway.The development of embryoid bodies that are responsive to external stimuli is of great interest in tissue engineering. Here, the authors culture embryonic stem cells with magnetic nanoparticles and show that the presence of magnetic fields could affect their aggregation and differentiation.

How to depolarise the ethical debate over human embryonic stem cell research (and other ethical debates too!)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Espinoza, N.; Peterson, M.B.

2012-01-01

The contention of this paper is that the current ethical debate over embryonic stem cell research is polarised to an extent that is not warranted by the underlying ethical conflict. It is argued that the ethical debate can be rendered more nuanced, and less polarised, by introducing non-binary

A voltage-sensitive dye-based assay for the identification of differentiated neurons derived from embryonic neural stem cell cultures.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richardson N Leão

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pluripotent and multipotent stem cells hold great therapeutical promise for the replacement of degenerated tissue in neurological diseases. To fulfill that promise we have to understand the mechanisms underlying the differentiation of multipotent cells into specific types of neurons. Embryonic stem cell (ESC and embryonic neural stem cell (NSC cultures provide a valuable tool to study the processes of neural differentiation, which can be assessed using immunohistochemistry, gene expression, Ca(2+-imaging or electrophysiology. However, indirect methods such as protein and gene analysis cannot provide direct evidence of neuronal functionality. In contrast, direct methods such as electrophysiological techniques are well suited to produce direct evidence of neural functionality but are limited to the study of a few cells on a culture plate. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study we describe a novel method for the detection of action potential-capable neurons differentiated from embryonic NSC cultures using fast voltage-sensitive dyes (VSD. We found that the use of extracellularly applied VSD resulted in a more detailed labeling of cellular processes compared to calcium indicators. In addition, VSD changes in fluorescence translated precisely to action potential kinetics as assessed by the injection of simulated slow and fast sodium currents using the dynamic clamp technique. We further demonstrate the use of a finite element model of the NSC culture cover slip for optimizing electrical stimulation parameters. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our method allows for a repeatable fast and accurate stimulation of neurons derived from stem cell cultures to assess their differentiation state, which is capable of monitoring large amounts of cells without harming the overall culture.

Identifying developmental toxicity pathways for a subset of ToxCast chemicals using human embryonic stem cells and metabolomics

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Metabolomics analysis was performed on the supernatant of human embryonic stem (hES) cell cultures exposed to a blinded subset of 11 chemicals selected from the chemical library of EPA's ToxCast™ chemical screening and prioritization research project. Metabolites from hES cultur...

Epigenetic profiles signify cell fate plasticity in unipotent spermatogonial stem and progenitor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Giannopoulou, Eugenia G; Wen, Duancheng; Falciatori, Ilaria; Elemento, Olivier; Allis, C David; Rafii, Shahin; Seandel, Marco

2016-04-27

Spermatogonial stem and progenitor cells (SSCs) generate adult male gametes. During in vitro expansion, these unipotent murine cells spontaneously convert to multipotent adult spermatogonial-derived stem cells (MASCs). Here we investigate this conversion process through integrative transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses. We find in SSCs that promoters essential to maintenance and differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are enriched with histone H3-lysine4 and -lysine 27 trimethylations. These bivalent modifications are maintained at most somatic promoters after conversion, bestowing MASCs an ESC-like promoter chromatin. At enhancers, the core pluripotency circuitry is activated partially in SSCs and completely in MASCs, concomitant with loss of germ cell-specific gene expression and initiation of embryonic-like programs. Furthermore, SSCs in vitro maintain the epigenomic characteristics of germ cells in vivo. Our observations suggest that SSCs encode innate plasticity through the epigenome and that both conversion of promoter chromatin states and activation of cell type-specific enhancers are prominent features of reprogramming.

Murine transgenic embryonic stem cell lines for the investigation of sinoatrial node-related molecular pathways

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Stefanie Schmitteckert

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The elucidation of molecular mechanisms that restrict the potential of pluripotent stem cells and promote cardiac lineage differentiation is of crucial relevance, since embryonic stem cells (ESCs hold great potential for cell based heart therapies. The homeodomain transcription factor Shox2 is essential for the development and proper function of the native cardiac pacemaker, the sinoatrial node. This prompted us to develop a cardiac differentiation model using ESC lines isolated from blastocysts of Shox2-deficient mice. The established cell model provides a fundamental basis for the investigation of molecular pathways under physiological and pathophysiological conditions for evaluating novel therapeutic approaches.

Differential regulation of genomic imprinting by TET proteins in embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lizhi; Mao, Shi-Qing; Ray, Chelsea; Zhang, Yu; Bell, Fong T; Ng, Sheau-Fang; Xu, Guo-Liang; Li, Xiajun

2015-09-01

TET proteins have been found to play an important role in active demethylation at CpG sites in mammals. There are some reports implicating their functions in removal of DNA methylation imprint at the imprinted regions in the germline. However, it is not well established whether TET proteins can also be involved in demethylation of DNA methylation imprint in embryonic stem (ES) cells. Here we report that loss of TET proteins caused a significant increase in DNA methylation at the Igf2-H19 imprinted region in ES cells. We also observed a variable increase in DNA methylation at the Peg1 imprinted region in the ES clones devoid of TET proteins, in particular in the differentiated ES cells. By contrast, we did not observe a significant increase of DNA methylation imprint at the Peg3, Snrpn and Dlk1-Dio3 imprinted regions in ES cells lacking TET proteins. Interestingly, loss of TET proteins did not result in a significant increase of DNA methylation imprint at the Igf2-H19 and Peg1 imprinted regions in the embryoid bodies (EB). Therefore, TET proteins seem to be differentially involved in maintaining DNA methylation imprint at a subset of imprinted regions in ES cells and EBs. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling Niemann Pick type C1 using human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ordoñez, M Paulina; Steele, John W

2017-02-01

Data generated in Niemann Pick type C1 (NPC1) human embryonic and human induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons complement on-going studies in animal models and provide the first example, in disease-relevant human cells, of processes that underlie preferential neuronal defects in a NPC1. Our work and that of other investigators in human neurons derived from stem cells highlight the importance of performing rigorous mechanistic studies in relevant cell types to guide drug discovery and therapeutic development, alongside of existing animal models. Through the use of human stem cell-derived models of disease, we can identify and discover or repurpose drugs that revert early events that lead to neuronal failure in NPC1. Together with the study of disease pathogenesis and efficacy of therapies in animal models, these strategies will fulfill the promise of stem cell technology in the development of new treatments for human diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Exploiting human neurons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Supportive and Unsupportive Extracellular Matrix Substrates for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance*

Science.gov (United States)

Soteriou, Despina; Iskender, Banu; Byron, Adam; Humphries, Jonathan D.; Borg-Bartolo, Simon; Haddock, Marie-Claire; Baxter, Melissa A.; Knight, David; Humphries, Martin J.; Kimber, Susan J.

2013-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are pluripotent cells that have indefinite replicative potential and the ability to differentiate into derivatives of all three germ layers. hESCs are conventionally grown on mitotically inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) or feeder cells of human origin. In addition, feeder-free culture systems can be used to support hESCs, in which the adhesive substrate plays a key role in the regulation of stem cell self-renewal or differentiation. Extracellular matrix (ECM) components define the microenvironment of the niche for many types of stem cells, but their role in the maintenance of hESCs remains poorly understood. We used a proteomic approach to characterize in detail the composition and interaction networks of ECMs that support the growth of self-renewing hESCs. Whereas many ECM components were produced by supportive and unsupportive MEF and human placental stromal fibroblast feeder cells, some proteins were only expressed in supportive ECM, suggestive of a role in the maintenance of pluripotency. We show that identified candidate molecules can support attachment and self-renewal of hESCs alone (fibrillin-1) or in combination with fibronectin (perlecan, fibulin-2), in the absence of feeder cells. Together, these data highlight the importance of specific ECM interactions in the regulation of hESC phenotype and provide a resource for future studies of hESC self-renewal. PMID:23658023

Feeder-cell-independent culture of the pig-embryonic-stem-cell-derived exocrine pancreatic cell line, PICM-31

Science.gov (United States)

The adaptation to feeder-independent growth of a pig embryonic stem cell-derived pancreatic cell line is described. The parental PICM-31 cell line, previously characterized as an exocrine pancreas cell line, was colony-cloned two times in succession resulting in the subclonal cell line, PICM-31A1. P...

Efficient derivation of multipotent neural stem/progenitor cells from non-human primate embryonic stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroko Shimada

Full Text Available The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus is a small New World primate that has been used as a non-human primate model for various biomedical studies. We previously demonstrated that transplantation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs derived from mouse and human embryonic stem cells (ESCs and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs promote functional locomotor recovery of mouse spinal cord injury models. However, for the clinical application of such a therapeutic approach, we need to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pluripotent stem cell-derived NS/PCs not only by xenotransplantation, but also allotransplantation using non-human primate models to assess immunological rejection and tumorigenicity. In the present study, we established a culture method to efficiently derive NS/PCs as neurospheres from common marmoset ESCs. Marmoset ESC-derived neurospheres could be passaged repeatedly and showed sequential generation of neurons and astrocytes, similar to that of mouse ESC-derived NS/PCs, and gave rise to functional neurons as indicated by calcium imaging. Although marmoset ESC-derived NS/PCs could not differentiate into oligodendrocytes under default culture conditions, these cells could abundantly generate oligodendrocytes by incorporating additional signals that recapitulate in vivo neural development. Moreover, principal component analysis of microarray data demonstrated that marmoset ESC-derived NS/PCs acquired similar gene expression profiles to those of fetal brain-derived NS/PCs by repeated passaging. Therefore, marmoset ESC-derived NS/PCs may be useful not only for accurate evaluation by allotransplantation of NS/PCs into non-human primate models, but are also applicable to analysis of iPSCs established from transgenic disease model marmosets.

Rho-associated kinase inhibitors promote the cardiac differentiation of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Ya-Ting; Yeih, Dong-Feng; Liang, Shu-Man; Chien, Chia-Ying; Yu, Yen-Ling; Ko, Bor-Sheng; Jan, Yee-Jee; Kuo, Cheng-Chin; Sung, Li-Ying; Shyue, Song-Kun; Chen, Ming-Fong; Yet, Shaw-Fang; Wu, Kenneth K; Liou, Jun-Yang

2015-12-15

Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) plays an important role in maintaining embryonic stem (ES) cell pluripotency. To determine whether ROCK is involved in ES cell differentiation into cardiac and hematopoietic lineages, we evaluated the effect of ROCK inhibitors, Y-27632 and fasudil on murine ES and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell differentiation. Gene expression levels were determined by real-time PCR, Western blot analysis and immunofluorescent confocal microscopy. Cell transplantation of induced differentiated cells were assessed in vivo in a mouse model (three groups, n=8/group) of acute myocardial infarction (MI). The cell engraftment was examined by immunohistochemical staining and the outcome was analyzed by echocardiography. Cells were cultured in hematopoietic differentiation medium in the presence or absence of ROCK inhibitor and colony formation as well as markers of ES, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and cells of cardiac lineages were analyzed. ROCK inhibition resulted in a drastic change in colony morphology accompanied by loss of hematopoietic markers (GATA-1, CD41 and β-Major) and expressed markers of cardiac lineages (GATA-4, Isl-1, Tbx-5, Tbx-20, MLC-2a, MLC-2v, α-MHC, cTnI and cTnT) in murine ES and iPS cells. Fasudil-induced cardiac progenitor (Mesp-1 expressing) cells were infused into a murine MI model. They engrafted into the peri-infarct and infarct regions and preserved left ventricular function. These findings provide new insights into the signaling required for ES cell differentiation into hematopoietic as well as cardiac lineages and suggest that ROCK inhibitors are useful in directing iPS cell differentiation into cardiac progenitor cells for cell therapy of cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel SALL4/OCT4 transcriptional feedback network for pluripotency of embryonic stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianchang Yang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: SALL4 is a member of the SALL gene family that encodes a group of putative developmental transcription factors. Murine Sall4 plays a critical role in maintaining embryonic stem cell (ES cell pluripotency and self-renewal. We have shown that Sall4 activates Oct4 and is a master regulator in murine ES cells. Other SALL gene members, especially Sall1 and Sall3 are expressed in both murine and human ES cells, and deletions of these two genes in mice lead to perinatal death due to developmental defects. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms controlling the regulation of expressions of SALL4 or other SALL gene family members. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This report describes a novel SALL4/OCT4 regulator feedback loop in ES cells in balancing the proper expression dosage of SALL4 and OCT4 for the maintenance of ESC stem cell properties. While we have observed that a positive feedback relationship is present between SALL4 and OCT4, the strong self-repression of SALL4 seems to be the "break" for this loop. In addition, we have shown that SALL4 can repress the promoters of other SALL family members, such as SALL1 and SALL3, which competes with the activation of these two genes by OCT4. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings, when taken together, indicate that SALL4 is a master regulator that controls its own expression and the expression of OCT4. SALL4 and OCT4 work antagonistically to balance the expressions of other SALL gene family members. This novel SALL4/OCT4 transcription regulation feedback loop should provide more insight into the mechanism of governing the "stemness" of ES cells.

Poly(trimethylene carbonate) as an elastic biodegradable film for human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sorkio, Anni; Haimi, Suvi; Verdoold, Vincent; Juuti-Uusitalo, Kati; Grijpma, Dirk; Skottman, Heli

2017-01-01

Human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (hESC-RPE) cell therapies show tremendous potential for the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases. A tissue engineering approach, where cells are delivered to the subretinal space on a biodegradable carrier as a sheet, shows great

Precision mapping of coexisting modifications in histone H3 tails from embryonic stem cells by ETD-MS/MS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jung, Hye Ryung; Sidoli, Simone; Haldbo, Simon

2013-01-01

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones play a major role in regulating chromatin dynamics and influence processes such as transcription and DNA replication. Here, we report 114 distinct combinations of coexisting PTMs of histone H3 obtained from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Histo...

Poly(trimethylene carbonate) as an elastic biodegradable film for human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sorkio, Anni; Haimi, Suvi; Verdoold, Vincent; Juuti-Uusitalo, Kati; Grijpma, Dirk; Skottman, Heli

Human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (hESC-RPE) cell therapies show tremendous potential for the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases. A tissue engineering approach, where cells are delivered to the subretinal space on a biodegradable carrier as a sheet, shows great

Three-dimensional bioprinting of embryonic stem cells directs highly uniform embryoid body formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang, Liliang; Yao, Rui; Mao, Shuangshuang; Sun, Wei; Chen, Xi; Na, Jie

2015-01-01

With the ability to manipulate cells temporarily and spatially into three-dimensional (3D) tissue-like construct, 3D bioprinting technology was used in many studies to facilitate the recreation of complex cell niche and/or to better understand the regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation by cellular microenvironment factors. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have the capacity to differentiate into any specialized cell type of the animal body, generally via the formation of embryoid body (EB), which mimics the early stages of embryogenesis. In this study, extrusion-based 3D bioprinting technology was utilized for biofabricating ESCs into 3D cell-laden construct. The influence of 3D printing parameters on ESC viability, proliferation, maintenance of pluripotency and the rule of EB formation was systematically studied in this work. Results demonstrated that ESCs were successfully printed with hydrogel into 3D macroporous construct. Upon process optimization, about 90% ESCs remained alive after the process of bioprinting and cell-laden construct formation. ESCs continued proliferating into spheroid EBs in the hydrogel construct, while retaining the protein expression and gene expression of pluripotent markers, like octamer binding transcription factor 4, stage specific embryonic antigen 1 and Nanog. In this novel technology, EBs were formed through cell proliferation instead of aggregation, and the quantity of EBs was tuned by the initial cell density in the 3D bioprinting process. This study introduces the 3D bioprinting of ESCs into a 3D cell-laden hydrogel construct for the first time and showed the production of uniform, pluripotent, high-throughput and size-controllable EBs, which indicated strong potential in ESC large scale expansion, stem cell regulation and fabrication of tissue-like structure and drug screening studies. (paper)

Three-dimensional bioprinting of embryonic stem cells directs highly uniform embryoid body formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouyang, Liliang; Yao, Rui; Mao, Shuangshuang; Chen, Xi; Na, Jie; Sun, Wei

2015-11-04

With the ability to manipulate cells temporarily and spatially into three-dimensional (3D) tissue-like construct, 3D bioprinting technology was used in many studies to facilitate the recreation of complex cell niche and/or to better understand the regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation by cellular microenvironment factors. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have the capacity to differentiate into any specialized cell type of the animal body, generally via the formation of embryoid body (EB), which mimics the early stages of embryogenesis. In this study, extrusion-based 3D bioprinting technology was utilized for biofabricating ESCs into 3D cell-laden construct. The influence of 3D printing parameters on ESC viability, proliferation, maintenance of pluripotency and the rule of EB formation was systematically studied in this work. Results demonstrated that ESCs were successfully printed with hydrogel into 3D macroporous construct. Upon process optimization, about 90% ESCs remained alive after the process of bioprinting and cell-laden construct formation. ESCs continued proliferating into spheroid EBs in the hydrogel construct, while retaining the protein expression and gene expression of pluripotent markers, like octamer binding transcription factor 4, stage specific embryonic antigen 1 and Nanog. In this novel technology, EBs were formed through cell proliferation instead of aggregation, and the quantity of EBs was tuned by the initial cell density in the 3D bioprinting process. This study introduces the 3D bioprinting of ESCs into a 3D cell-laden hydrogel construct for the first time and showed the production of uniform, pluripotent, high-throughput and size-controllable EBs, which indicated strong potential in ESC large scale expansion, stem cell regulation and fabrication of tissue-like structure and drug screening studies.

Derivation of the human embryonic stem cell line RCe014-A (RC-10

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.A. De Sousa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The human embryonic stem cell line RCe014-A (RC-10 was derived from a fresh oocyte voluntarily donated as unsuitable and surplus to fertility requirements following ethics committee approved informed consent under licence from the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The cell line shows normal pluripotency marker expression and differentiation to the three germ layers in vitro. It has a mixed 46XY and 47XY +12 male karyotype and microsatellite PCR identity, HLA and blood group typing data is available.

Derivation of the human embryonic stem cell line RCe010-A (RC-6

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.A. De Sousa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The human embryonic stem cell line RCe010-A (RC-6 was derived from a frozen and thawed blastocyst voluntarily donated as unsuitable and surplus to fertility requirements following ethics committee approved informed consent under licence from the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The cell line shows normal pluripotency marker expression and differentiation to the three germ layers in vitro. It has a normal 46XY male karyotype and microsatellite PCR identity, HLA and blood group typing data are available.

The CMV early enhancer/chicken beta actin (CAG) promoter can be used to drive transgene expression during the differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells into vascular progenitors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alexopoulou, Annika N; Couchman, John R; Whiteford, James

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: Mouse embryonic stem cells cultured in vitro have the ability to differentiate into cells of the three germ layers as well as germ cells. The differentiation mimics early developmental events, including vasculogenesis and early angiogenesis and several differentiation systems are being...... used to identify factors that are important during the formation of the vascular system. Embryonic stem cells are difficult to transfect, while downregulation of promoter activity upon selection of stable transfectants has been reported, rendering the study of proteins by overexpression difficult....... RESULTS: CCE mouse embryonic stem cells were differentiated on collagen type IV for 4-5 days, Flk1+ mesodermal cells were sorted and replated either on collagen type IV in the presence of VEGFA to give rise to endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells or in collagen type I gels for the formation...

VE-cadherin expression allows identification of a new class of hematopoietic stem cells within human embryonic liver.

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Oberlin, Estelle; Fleury, Maud; Clay, Denis; Petit-Cocault, Laurence; Candelier, Jean-Jacques; Mennesson, Benoît; Jaffredo, Thierry; Souyri, Michèle

2010-11-25

Edification of the human hematopoietic system during development is characterized by the production of waves of hematopoietic cells separated in time, formed in distinct embryonic sites (ie, yolk sac, truncal arteries including the aorta, and placenta). The embryonic liver is a major hematopoietic organ wherein hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) expand, and the future, adult-type, hematopoietic cell hierarchy becomes established. We report herein the identification of a new, transient, and rare cell population in the human embryonic liver, which coexpresses VE-cadherin, an endothelial marker, CD45, a pan-hematopoietic marker, and CD34, a common endothelial and hematopoietic marker. This population displays an outstanding self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation potential, as detected by in vitro and in vivo hematopoietic assays compared with its VE-cadherin negative counterpart. Based on VE-cadherin expression, our data demonstrate the existence of 2 phenotypically and functionally separable populations of multipotent HSCs in the human embryo, the VE-cadherin(+) one being more primitive than the VE-cadherin(-) one, and shed a new light on the hierarchical organization of the embryonic liver HSC compartment.

Genetic Tools for Self-Organizing Culture of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells via Small Regulatory RNA-Mediated Technologies, CRISPR/Cas9, and Inducible RNAi.

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Takata, Nozomu; Sakakura, Eriko; Sakuma, Tetsushi; Yamamoto, Takashi

2017-01-01

Approaches to investigate gene functions in experimental biology are becoming more diverse and reliable. Furthermore, several kinds of tissues and organs that possess their original identities can be generated in petri dishes from stem cells including embryonic, adult and induced pluripotent stem cells. Researchers now have several choices of experimental methods and their combinations to analyze gene functions in various biological systems. Here, as an example we describe one of the better protocols, which combines three-dimensional embryonic stem cell culture with small regulatory RNA-mediated technologies, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), and inducible RNA interference (RNAi). This protocol allows investigation of genes of interest to better understand gene functions in target tissues (or organs) during in vitro development.

The Postischemic Environment Differentially Impacts Teratoma or Tumor Formation After Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Seminatore, CH.; Polentes, J.; Ellman, D.; Kozubenko, Nataliya; Itier, V.; Tine, S.; Tritschler, L.; Brenot, M.; Guidou, E.; Blondeau, J.; Lhuillier, M.; Bugi, A.; Aubry, L.; Jendelová, Pavla; Syková, Eva; Perrier, A. L.; Finsen, B.; Onteniente, B.

2010-01-01

Roč. 41, č. 1 (2010), s. 153-159 ISSN 0039-2499 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390703 Keywords : brain transplantation * human embryonic stem cells * neural differentiation Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 5.756, year: 2010

Huntingtin Protein is Essential for Mitochondrial Metabolism, Bioenergetics and Structure in Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

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Ismailoglu, Ismail; Chen, Qiuying; Popowski, Melissa; Yang, Lili; Gross, Steven S.; Brivanlou, Ali H.

2014-01-01

Mutations in the Huntington locus (htt) have devastating consequences. Gain-of-poly-Q repeats in Htt protein causes Huntington's disease (HD), while htt-/- mutants display early embryonic lethality. Despite its importance, the function of Htt remains elusive. To address this, we compared more than 3,700 compounds in three syngeneic mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) lines: htt-/-, extended poly-Q (Htt-Q140/7), and wildtype mESCs (Htt-Q7/7) using untargeted metabolite profiling. While Htt-Q140/7 cells, did not show major differences in cellular bioenergetics, we find extensive metabolic aberrations in htt-/- mESCs, including: (i) complete failure of ATP production despite preservation of the mitochondrial membrane potential; (ii) near-maximal glycolysis, with little or no glycolytic reserve; (iii) marked ketogenesis; (iv) depletion of intracellular NTPs; (v) accelerated purine biosynthesis and salvage; and (vi) loss of mitochondrial structural integrity. Together, our findings reveal that Htt is necessary for mitochondrial structure and function from the earliest stages of embryogenesis, providing a molecular explanation for htt-/- early embryonic lethality. PMID:24780625

The European embryonic stem-cell debate and the difficulties of embryological Kantianism.

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Mauron, Alexandre; Baertschi, Bernard

2004-10-01

As elsewhere, the ethical debate on embryonic stem cell research in Central Europe, especially Germany and Switzerland, involves controversy over the status of the human embryo. There is a distinctive Kantian flavor to the standard arguments however, and we show how they often embody a set of misunderstandings and argumentative shortcuts we term"embryological Kantianism."We also undertake a broader analysis of three arguments typically presented in this debate, especially in official position papers, namely the identity, continuity, and potentiality arguments. It turns out that these arguments do not support the strong, quasi-personal status accorded to the embryos in these official opinions.

Derivation of Huntington Disease affected Genea046 human embryonic stem cell line

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Biljana Dumevska

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The Genea046 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, carrying HTT gene CAG expansion of 45 repeats, indicative of Huntington Disease. Following ICM outgrowth on inactivated human feeders, karyotype was confirmed as 46, XX by CGH and STR analysis demonstrated a female Allele pattern. The hESC line had pluripotent cell morphology, 85% of cells expressed Nanog, 92% Oct4, 75% Tra1–60 and 99% SSEA4 and demonstrated Alkaline Phosphatase activity. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and visible contamination.

Regional differences in expression of specific markers for human embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Steen B; Møllgård, Kjeld; Olesen, Christian

2007-01-01

Characterization of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines derived from the inner cell masses of blastocysts generally includes expression analysis of markers such as OCT4, NANOG, SSEA3, SSEA4, TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81. Expression is usually detected by immunocytochemical staining of entire colonies...... of hESC, using one colony for each individual marker. Four newly established hESC lines showed the expected expression pattern and were capable of differentiating into the three germ layers in vitro. Neighbouring sections of entire colonies grown for 4, 11, 21 and 28 days respectively were stained...

Immunoflourescence and mRNA analysis of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) grown under feeder-free conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Awan, Aashir; Oliveri, Roberto S; Jensen, Pernille L

2010-01-01

onto 16-well glass chambers, and continuing with the general IF and qPCR steps will be provided. The techniques will be illustrated with new results on cellular localization of transcriptional factors and components of the Hedgehog, Wnt, and PDGF signaling pathways to primary cilia in stem cell......This chapter describes the procedures in order to do immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) grown specifically under feeder-free conditions. A detailed protocol outlining the steps from initially growing the cells, passaging...

Characterization and comparison of osteoblasts derived from mouse embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

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Ma, Ming-San; Kannan, Vishnu; de Vries, Anneriek E; Czepiel, Marcin; Wesseling, Evelyn M; Balasubramaniyan, Veerakumar; Kuijer, Roel; Vissink, Arjan; Copray, Sjef C V M; Raghoebar, Gerry M

2017-01-01

New developments in stem cell biology offer alternatives for the reconstruction of critical-sized bone defects. One of these developments is the use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. These stem cells are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells, but can be generated from adult somatic cells and therefore do not raise ethical concerns. Proper characterization of iPS-derived osteoblasts is important for future development of safe clinical applications of these cells. For this reason, we differentiated mouse ES and iPS cells toward osteoblasts using osteogenic medium and compared their functionality. Immunocytochemical analysis showed significant expression of bone markers (osteocalcin and collagen type I) in osteoblasts differentiated from ES and iPS cells on days 7 and 30. An in vitro mineralization assay confirmed the functionality of osteogenically differentiated ES and iPS cells. Gene expression arrays focusing on osteogenic differentiation were performed in order to compare the gene expression pattern in both differentiated and undifferentiated ES cells and iPS cells. We observed a significant upregulation of osteogenesis-related genes such as Runx2, osteopontin, collagen type I, Tnfsf11, Csf1, and alkaline phosphatase upon osteogenic differentiation of the ES and iPS cells. We further validated the expression of key osteogenic genes Runx2, osteopontin, osteocalcin, collagen type I, and osterix in both differentiated and undifferentiated ES and iPS cells by means of quantified real-time polymerase chain reaction. We conclude that ES and iPS cells are similar in their osteogenic differentiation capacities, as well as in their gene expression patterns.

Self-contained induction of neurons from human embryonic stem cells.

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Tsuyoshi Okuno

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Neurons and glial cells can be efficiently induced from mouse embryonic stem (ES cells in a conditioned medium collected from rat primary-cultured astrocytes (P-ACM. However, the use of rodent primary cells for clinical applications may be hampered by limited supply and risk of contamination with xeno-proteins. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have developed an alternative method for unimpeded production of human neurons under xeno-free conditions. Initially, neural stem cells in sphere-like clusters were induced from human ES (hES cells after being cultured in P-ACM under free-floating conditions. The resultant neural stem cells could circumferentially proliferate under subsequent adhesive culture, and selectively differentiate into neurons or astrocytes by changing the medium to P-ACM or G5, respectively. These hES cell-derived neurons and astrocytes could procure functions similar to those of primary cells. Interestingly, a conditioned medium obtained from the hES cell-derived astrocytes (ES-ACM could successfully be used to substitute P-ACM for induction of neurons. Neurons made by this method could survive in mice brain after xeno-transplantation. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: By inducing astrocytes from hES cells in a chemically defined medium, we could produce human neurons without the use of P-ACM. This self-serving method provides an unlimited source of human neural cells and may facilitate clinical applications of hES cells for neurological diseases.

Functional cooperativity between two TPA responsive elements in undifferentiated F9 embryonic stem cells.

OpenAIRE

Okuda, A; Imagawa, M; Sakai, M; Muramatsu, M

1990-01-01

We have recently identified an enhancer, termed GPEI, in the 5'-flanking region of the rat glutathione transferase P gene, that is composed of two imperfect TPA (phorbol 12-O-tetradecanoate 13-acetate) responsive elements (TREs). Unlike other TRE-containing enhancers, GPEI exhibits a strong transcriptional enhancing activity in F9 embryonic stem cells. Mutational analyses have revealed that the high activity of GPEI is mediated by two imperfect TREs. Each TRE-like sequence has no activity by ...

Effects of the EVCAM chemical validation library on differentiation using marker gene expression in lmouse embryonic stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

The adherent cell differentiation and cytotoxicity (ACDC) assay was used to profile the effects of the ECVAM EST validation chemical library (19 compounds) on J1 mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). PCR-based TaqMan Low Density Arrays (TLDA) provided a high-content assessment of al...

Estrogen receptor beta-selective agonists stimulate calcium oscillations in human and mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neurons.

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Lili Zhang

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Estrogens are used extensively to treat hot flashes in menopausal women. Some of the beneficial effects of estrogens in hormone therapy on the brain might be due to nongenomic effects in neurons such as the rapid stimulation of calcium oscillations. Most studies have examined the nongenomic effects of estrogen receptors (ER in primary neurons or brain slices from the rodent brain. However, these cells can not be maintained continuously in culture because neurons are post-mitotic. Neurons derived from embryonic stem cells could be a potential continuous, cell-based model to study nongenomic actions of estrogens in neurons if they are responsive to estrogens after differentiation. In this study ER-subtype specific estrogens were used to examine the role of ERalpha and ERbeta on calcium oscillations in neurons derived from human (hES and mouse embryonic stem cells. Unlike the undifferentiated hES cells the differentiated cells expressed neuronal markers, ERbeta, but not ERalpha. The non-selective ER agonist 17beta-estradiol (E(2 rapidly increased [Ca2+]i oscillations and synchronizations within a few minutes. No change in calcium oscillations was observed with the selective ERalpha agonist 4,4',4''-(4-Propyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyltrisphenol (PPT. In contrast, the selective ERbeta agonists, 2,3-bis(4-Hydroxyphenyl-propionitrile (DPN, MF101, and 2-(3-fluoro-4-hydroxyphenyl-7-vinyl-1,3 benzoxazol-5-ol (ERB-041; WAY-202041 stimulated calcium oscillations similar to E(2. The ERbeta agonists also increased calcium oscillations and phosphorylated PKC, AKT and ERK1/2 in neurons derived from mouse ES cells, which was inhibited by nifedipine demonstrating that ERbeta activates L-type voltage gated calcium channels to regulate neuronal activity. Our results demonstrate that ERbeta signaling regulates nongenomic pathways in neurons derived from ES cells, and suggest that these cells might be useful to study the nongenomic mechanisms of estrogenic compounds.

Environmental oxygen tension regulates the energy metabolism and self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Forristal, Catherine E; Christensen, David R; Chinnery, Fay E; Petruzzelli, Raffaella; Parry, Kate L; Sanchez-Elsner, Tilman; Houghton, Franchesca D

2013-01-01

Energy metabolism is intrinsic to cell viability but surprisingly has been little studied in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The current study aims to investigate the effect of environmental O2 tension on carbohydrate utilisation of hESCs. Highly pluripotent hESCs cultured at 5% O2 consumed significantly more glucose, less pyruvate and produced more lactate compared to those maintained at 20% O2. Moreover, hESCs cultured at atmospheric O2 levels expressed significantly less OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG than those maintained at 5% O2. To determine whether this difference in metabolism was a reflection of the pluripotent state, hESCs were cultured at 5% O2 in the absence of FGF2 for 16 hours leading to a significant reduction in the expression of SOX2. In addition, these cells consumed less glucose and produced significantly less lactate compared to those cultured in the presence of FGF2. hESCs maintained at 5% O2 were found to consume significantly less O2 than those cultured in the absence of FGF2, or at 20% O2. GLUT1 expression correlated with glucose consumption and using siRNA and chromatin immunoprecipitation was found to be directly regulated by hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-2α at 5% O2. In conclusion, highly pluripotent cells associated with hypoxic culture consume low levels of O2, high levels of glucose and produce large amounts of lactate, while at atmospheric conditions glucose consumption and lactate production are reduced and there is an increase in oxidative metabolism. These data suggest that environmental O2 regulates energy metabolism and is intrinsic to the self-renewal of hESCs.

Generation of skeletal muscle from transplanted embryonic stem cells in dystrophic mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhagavati, Satyakam; Xu Weimin

2005-01-01

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have great therapeutic potential because of their capacity to proliferate extensively and to form any fully differentiated cell of the body, including skeletal muscle cells. Successful generation of skeletal muscle in vivo, however, requires selective induction of the skeletal muscle lineage in cultures of ES cells and following transplantation, integration of appropriately differentiated skeletal muscle cells with recipient muscle. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a severe progressive muscle wasting disease due to a mutation in the dystrophin gene and the mdx mouse, an animal model for DMD, are characterized by the absence of the muscle membrane associated protein, dystrophin. Here, we show that co-culturing mouse ES cells with a preparation from mouse muscle enriched for myogenic stem and precursor cells, followed by injection into mdx mice, results occasionally in the formation of normal, vascularized skeletal muscle derived from the transplanted ES cells. Study of this phenomenon should provide valuable insights into skeletal muscle development in vivo from transplanted ES cells

Preclinical study of mouse pluripotent parthenogenetic embryonic stem cell derivatives for the construction of tissue-engineered skin equivalent.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Yang; Cui, Jihong; Yin, Lu; Liu, Wei; Liu, Wenguang; Sun, Mei; Yan, Xingrong; Wang, Ling; Chen, Fulin

2016-10-22

Embryonic stem cell (ESC) derivatives hold great promise for the construction of tissue-engineered skin equivalents (TESE). However, harvesting of ESCs destroys viable embryos and may lead to political and ethical concerns over their application. In the current study, we directed mouse parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (pESCs) to differentiate into fibroblasts, constructed TESE, and evaluated its function in vivo. The stemness marker expression and the pluripotent differentiation ability of pESCs were tested. After embryoid body (EB) formation and adherence culture, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were enriched and directed to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage. Characteristics of derived fibroblasts were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA. Functional ability of the constructed TESE was tested by a mouse skin defects repair model. Mouse pESCs expressed stemness marker and could form teratoma containing three germ layers. MSCs could be enriched from outgrowths of EBs and directed to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage. These cells express a high level of growth factors including FGF, EGF, VEGF, TGF, PDGF, and IGF1, similar to those of ESC-derived fibroblasts and mouse fibroblasts. Seeded into collagen gels, the fibroblasts derived from pESCs could form TESE. Mouse skin defects could be successfully repaired 15 days after transplantation of TESE constructed by fibroblasts derived from pESCs. pESCs could be induced to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage, which could be applied to the construction of TESE and skin defect repair. Particularly, pESC derivatives avoid the limitations of political and ethical concerns, and provide a promising source for regenerative medicine.

Sourcing human embryos for embryonic stem cell lines: Problems & perspectives

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Rajvi H Mehta

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The ability to successfully derive human embryonic stem cells (hESC lines from human embryos following in vitro fertilization (IVF opened up a plethora of potential applications of this technique. These cell lines could have been successfully used to increase our understanding of human developmental biology, transplantation medicine and the emerging science of regenerative medicine. The main source for human embryos has been ′discarded′ or ′spare′ fresh or frozen human embryos following IVF. It is a common practice to stimulate the ovaries of women undergoing any of the assisted reproductive technologies (ART and retrieve multiple oocytes which subsequently lead to multiple embryos. Of these, only two or maximum of three embryos are transferred while the rest are cryopreserved as per the decision of the couple. In case a couple does not desire to ′cryopreserve′ their embryos then all the embryos remaining following embryo transfer can be considered ′spare′ or if a couple is no longer in need of the ′cryopreserved′ embryos then these also can be considered as ′spare′. But, the question raised by the ethicists is, "what about ′slightly′ over-stimulating a woman to get a few extra eggs and embryos? The decision becomes more difficult when it comes to ′discarded′ embryos. As of today, the quality of the embryos is primarily assessed based on morphology and the rate of development mainly judged by single point assessment. Despite many criteria described in the literature, the quality assessment is purely subjective. The question that arises is on the decision of ′discarding′ embryos. What would be the criteria for discarding embryos and the potential ′use′ of ESC derived from the ′abnormal appearing′ embryos? This paper discusses some of the newer methods to procure embryos for the derivation of embryonic stem cell lines which will respect the ethical concerns but still provide the source material.

Effect of Gsk3 inhibitor CHIR99021 on aneuploidy levels in rat embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, Anagha S; Leigh, Nathan D; Bryda, Elizabeth C

2014-06-01

Germline competent embryonic stem (ES) cells can serve as a tool to create genetically engineered rat strains used to elucidate gene function or provide disease models. In optimum culture conditions, ES cells are able to retain their pluripotent state. The type of components present and their concentration in ES cell culture media greatly influences characteristics of ES cells including the ability to maintain the cells in a pluripotent state. We routinely use 2i media containing inhibitors CHIR99021 and PD0325901 to culture rat ES cells. CHIR99021 specifically inhibits the Gsk3β pathway. We have found that the vendor source of CHIR99021 has a measurable influence on the level of aneuploidy seen over time as rat ES cells are passaged. Karyotyping of three different rat ES cell lines passaged multiple times showed increased aneuploidy when CHIR99021 from source B was used. Mass spectrometry analysis of this inhibitor showed the presence of unexpected synthetic small molecules, which might directly or indirectly cause increases in chromosome instability. Identifying these molecules could further understanding of their influence on chromosome stability and indicate how to improve synthesis of this media component to prevent deleterious effects in culture.

Derivation of the human embryonic stem cell line RCe006-A (RC-2

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P.A. De Sousa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The human embryonic stem cell line RCe006-A (RC-2 was derived from a frozen and thawed blastocyst voluntarily donated as surplus to fertility requirements following ethics committee approved informed consent under licence from the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The cell line exhibits expression of expected pluripotency markers and in vitro differentiation potential to three germinal lineage representative cell populations. It has a male trisomy 12 karyotype (47XY, +12. Microsatellite DNA marker identity and HLA and blood group typing data are available.

Derivation of the human embryonic stem cell line RCe012-A (RC-8

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P.A. De Sousa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The human embryonic stem cell line RCe012-A (RC-8 was derived from a frozen and thawed day 5 embryo cultivated to the blastocyst stage. The embryo was voluntarily donated as unsuitable and surplus to fertility requirements following ethics committee approved informed consent under licence from the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The cell line shows normal pluripotency marker expression and differentiation to the three germ layers in vitro. It has a normal 46XX female karyotype and microsatellite PCR identity, HLA and blood group typing data is available.

Application of response surface methodology to maximize the productivity of scalable automated human embryonic stem cell manufacture.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratcliffe, Elizabeth; Hourd, Paul; Guijarro-Leach, Juan; Rayment, Erin; Williams, David J; Thomas, Robert J

2013-01-01

Commercial regenerative medicine will require large quantities of clinical-specification human cells. The cost and quality of manufacture is notoriously difficult to control due to highly complex processes with poorly defined tolerances. As a step to overcome this, we aimed to demonstrate the use of 'quality-by-design' tools to define the operating space for economic passage of a scalable human embryonic stem cell production method with minimal cell loss. Design of experiments response surface methodology was applied to generate empirical models to predict optimal operating conditions for a unit of manufacture of a previously developed automatable and scalable human embryonic stem cell production method. Two models were defined to predict cell yield and cell recovery rate postpassage, in terms of the predictor variables of media volume, cell seeding density, media exchange and length of passage. Predicted operating conditions for maximized productivity were successfully validated. Such 'quality-by-design' type approaches to process design and optimization will be essential to reduce the risk of product failure and patient harm, and to build regulatory confidence in cell therapy manufacturing processes.

Oct-4 expression maintained stem cell properties in prostate cancer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Erah

Keywords: Prostate cancer, Cancer stem-like cells, Oct-4, CD133, Multi-drug resistance1 (MDR1). Received: 7 ... mechanisms in maintaining the self-renewal and drug resistant ... (platelet-derived growth factor α receptor). This suggests that ...

Tuning differentiation signals for efficient propagation and in vitro validation of rat embryonic stem cell cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Meek, Stephen; Sutherland, Linda; Burdon, Tom

2015-01-01

The rat is one of the most commonly used laboratory animals in biomedical research and the recent isolation of genuine pluripotent rat embryonic stem (ES) cell lines has provided new opportunities for applying contemporary genetic engineering techniques to the rat and enhancing the use of this rodent in scientific research. Technical refinements that improve the stability of the rat ES cell cultures will undoubtedly further strengthen and broaden the use of these stem cells in biomedical research. Here, we describe a relatively simple and robust protocol that supports the propagation of germ line competent rat ES cells, and outline how tuning stem cell signaling using small molecule inhibitors can be used to both stabilize self-renewal of rat ES cell cultures and aid evaluation of their differentiation potential in vitro.

Culture in embryonic kidney serum and xeno-free media as renal cell carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma cancer stem cells research model.

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Krawczyk, Krzysztof M; Matak, Damian; Szymanski, Lukasz; Szczylik, Cezary; Porta, Camillo; Czarnecka, Anna M

2018-04-01

The use of fetal bovine serum hinders obtaining reproducible experimental results and should also be removed in hormone and growth factor studies. In particular hormones found in FBS act globally on cancer cell physiology and influence transcriptome and metabolome. The aim of our study was to develop a renal carcinoma serum free culture model optimized for (embryonal) renal cells in order to select the best study model for downstream auto-, para- or endocrine research. Secondary aim was to verify renal carcinoma stem cell culture for this application. In the study, we have cultured renal cell carcinoma primary tumour cell line (786-0) as well as human kidney cancer stem cells in standard 2D monolayer cultures in Roswell Park Memorial Institute Medium or Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium and Complete Human Kidney Cancer Stem Cell Medium, respectively. Serum-free, animal-component free Human Embryonic Kidney 293 media were tested. Our results revealed that xeno-free embryonal renal cells optimized culture media provide a useful tool in RCC cancer biology research and at the same time enable effective growth of RCC. We propose bio-mimic RCC cell culture model with specific serum-free and xeno-free medium that promote RCC cell viability.

Myc Decoy Oligodeoxynucleotide Inhibits Growth and Modulates Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells as a Model of Cancer Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Johari, Behrooz; Ebrahimi-Rad, Mina; Maghsood, Faezeh; Lotfinia, Majid; Saltanatpouri, Zohreh; Teimoori-Toolabi, Ladan; Sharifzadeh, Zahra; Karimipoor, Morteza; Kadivar, Mehdi

2017-01-01

Myc (c-Myc) alone activates the embryonic stem cell-like transcriptional module in both normal and transformed cells. Its dysregulation might lead to increased cancer stem cells (CSCs) population in some tumor cells. In order to investigate the potential of Myc decoy oligodeoxynucleotides for differentiation therapy, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were used in this study as a model of CSCs. To our best of knowledge this is the first report outlining the application of Myc decoy in transcription factor decoy "TFD" strategy for inducing differentiation in mESCs. A 20-mer double-stranded Myc transcription factor decoy and scrambled oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) were designed, analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA) assay and transfected into the mESCs under 2 inhibitors (2i) condition. Further investigations were carried out using fluorescence and confocal microscopy, cell proliferation and apoptosis analysis, alkaline phosphatase and embryoid body formation assay, real-time PCR and western blotting. EMSA data showed that Myc decoy ODNs bound specifically to c-Myc protein. They were found to be localized in both cytoplasm and nucleus of mESCs. Our results revealed the potential capability of Myc decoy ODNs to decrease cell viability by (16.1±2%), to increase the number of cells arrested in G0/G1 phases and apoptosis by (14.2±3.1%) and (12.1±3.2%), respectively regarding the controls. Myc decoy could also modulate differentiation in mESCs despite the presence of 2i/LIF in our medium the presence of 2i/LIF in our medium. The optimized Myc decoy ODNs approach might be considered as a promising alternative strategy for differentiation therapy investigations. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

CRISPR/Cas9-AAV Mediated Knock-in at NRL Locus in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

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Xianglian Ge

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Clustered interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9-mediated genome engineering technologies are sparking a new revolution in biological research. This technology efficiently induces DNA double strand breaks at the targeted genomic sequence and results in indel mutations by the error-prone process of nonhomologous end joining DNA repair or homologous recombination with a DNA repair template. The efficiency of genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9 alone in human embryonic stem cells is still low. Gene targeting with adeno-associated virus (AAV vectors has been demonstrated in multiple human cell types with maximal targeting frequencies without engineered nucleases. However, whether CRISPR/Cas9-mediated double strand breaks and AAV based donor DNA mediated homologous recombination approaches could be combined to create a novel CRISPR/Cas9-AAV genetic tool for highly specific gene editing is not clear. Here we demonstrate that using CRISPR/Cas9-AAV, we could successfully knock-in a DsRed reporter gene at the basic motifleucine zipper transcription factor (NRL locus in human embryonic stem cells. For the first time, this study provides the proof of principle that these two technologies can be used together. CRISPR/Cas9-AAV, a new genome editing tool, offers a platform for the manipulation of human genome.

Dll1 maintains quiescence of adult neural stem cells and segregates asymmetrically during mitosis

OpenAIRE

Kawaguchi, Daichi; Furutachi, Shohei; Kawai, Hiroki; Hozumi, Katsuto; Gotoh, Yukiko

2013-01-01

Stem cells often divide asymmetrically to produce one stem cell and one differentiating cell, thus maintaining the stem cell pool. Although neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult mouse subventricular zone have been suggested to divide asymmetrically, intrinsic cell fate determinants for asymmetric NSC division are largely unknown. Stem cell niches are important for stem cell maintenance, but the niche for the maintenance of adult quiescent NSCs has remained obscure. Here we show that the Notch...

Progress in human embryonic stem cell research in the United States between 2001 and 2010.

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Keyvan Vakili

Full Text Available On August 9th, 2001, the federal government of the United States announced a policy restricting federal funds available for research on human embryonic stem cell (hESCs out of concern for the "vast ethical mine fields" associated with the creation of embryos for research purposes. Until the policy was repealed on March 9th, 2009, no U.S. federal funds were available for research on hESCs extracted after August 9, 2001, and only limited federal funds were available for research on a subset of hESC lines that had previously been extracted. This paper analyzes how the 2001 U.S. federal funding restrictions influenced the quantity and geography of peer-reviewed journal publications on hESC. The primary finding is that the 2001 policy did not have a significant aggregate effect on hESC research in the U.S. After a brief lag in early 2000s, U.S. hESC research maintained pace with other areas of stem cell and genetic research. The policy had several other consequences. First, it was tied to increased hESC research funding within the U.S. at the state level, leading to concentration of related activities in a relatively small number of states. Second, it stimulated increased collaborative research between US-based scientists and those in countries with flexible policies toward hESC research (including Canada, the U.K., Israel, China, Spain, and South Korea. Third, it encouraged independent hESC research in countries without restrictions.

A Novel View of the Adult Stem Cell Compartment From the Perspective of a Quiescent Population of Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells.

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Ratajczak, Mariusz Z; Ratajczak, Janina; Suszynska, Malwina; Miller, Donald M; Kucia, Magda; Shin, Dong-Myung

2017-01-06

Evidence has accumulated that adult hematopoietic tissues and other organs contain a population of dormant stem cells (SCs) that are more primitive than other, already restricted, monopotent tissue-committed SCs (TCSCs). These observations raise several questions, such as the developmental origin of these cells, their true pluripotent or multipotent nature, which surface markers they express, how they can be efficiently isolated from adult tissues, and what role they play in the adult organism. The phenotype of these cells and expression of some genes characteristic of embryonic SCs, epiblast SCs, and primordial germ cells suggests their early-embryonic deposition in developing tissues as precursors of adult SCs. In this review, we will critically discuss all these questions and the concept that small dormant SCs related to migratory primordial germ cells, described as very small embryonic-like SCs, are deposited during embryogenesis in bone marrow and other organs as a backup population for adult tissue-committed SCs and are involved in several processes related to tissue or organ rejuvenation, aging, and cancerogenesis. The most recent results on successful ex vivo expansion of human very small embryonic-like SC in chemically defined media free from feeder-layer cells open up new and exciting possibilities for their application in regenerative medicine. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Mesenchymal and embryonic characteristics of stem cells obtained from mouse dental pulp.

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Guimarães, Elisalva Teixeira; Cruz, Gabriela Silva; de Jesus, Alan Araújo; Lacerda de Carvalho, Acácia Fernandes; Rogatto, Silvia Regina; Pereira, Lygia da Veiga; Ribeiro-dos-Santos, Ricardo; Soares, Milena Botelho Pereira

2011-11-01

Several studies have demonstrated that human dental pulp is a source of mesenchymal stem cells. To better understand the biological properties of these cells we isolated and characterized stem cells from the dental pulp of EGFP transgenic mice. The pulp tissue was gently separated from the roots of teeth extracted from C57BL/6 mice, and cultured under appropriate conditions. Flow cytometry, RT-PCR, light microscopy (staining for alkaline phosphatase) and immunofluorescence were used to investigate the expression of stem cell markers. The presence of chromosomal abnormalities was evaluated by G banding. The mouse dental pulp stem cells (mDPSC) were highly proliferative, plastic-adherent, and exhibited a polymorphic morphology predominantly with stellate or fusiform shapes. The presence of cell clusters was observed in cultures of mDPSC. Some cells were positive for alkaline phosphatase. The karyotype was normal until the 5th passage. The Pou5f1/Oct-4 and ZFP42/Rex-1, but not Nanog transcripts were detected in mDPSC. Flow cytometry and fluorescence analyses revealed the presence of a heterogeneous population positive for embryonic and mesenchymal cell markers. Adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation was achieved after two weeks of cell culture under chemically defined in vitro conditions. In addition, some elongated cells spontaneously acquired a contraction capacity. Our results reinforce that the dental pulp is an important source of adult stem cells and encourage studies on therapeutic potential of mDPSC in experimental disease models. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dll1 maintains quiescence of adult neural stem cells and segregates asymmetrically during mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawaguchi, Daichi; Furutachi, Shohei; Kawai, Hiroki; Hozumi, Katsuto; Gotoh, Yukiko

2013-01-01

Stem cells often divide asymmetrically to produce one stem cell and one differentiating cell, thus maintaining the stem cell pool. Although neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult mouse subventricular zone have been suggested to divide asymmetrically, intrinsic cell fate determinants for asymmetric NSC division are largely unknown. Stem cell niches are important for stem cell maintenance, but the niche for the maintenance of adult quiescent NSCs has remained obscure. Here we show that the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 (Dll1) is required to maintain quiescent NSCs in the adult mouse subventricular zone. Dll1 protein is induced in activated NSCs and segregates to one daughter cell during mitosis. Dll1-expressing cells reside in close proximity to quiescent NSCs, suggesting a feedback signal for NSC maintenance by their sister cells and progeny. Our data suggest a model in which NSCs produce their own niche cells for their maintenance through asymmetric Dll1 inheritance at mitosis.

Directed Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Prostate Organoids In Vitro and its Perturbation by Low-Dose Bisphenol A Exposure.

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Esther L Calderon-Gierszal

Full Text Available Studies using rodent and adult human prostate stem-progenitor cell models suggest that developmental exposure to the endocrine disruptor Bisphenol-A (BPA can predispose to prostate carcinogenesis with aging. Unknown at present is whether the embryonic human prostate is equally susceptible to BPA during its natural developmental window. To address this unmet need, we herein report the construction of a pioneer in vitro human prostate developmental model to study the effects of BPA. The directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC into prostatic organoids in a spatial system was accomplished with precise temporal control of growth factors and steroids. Activin-induced definitive endoderm was driven to prostate specification by combined exposure to WNT10B and FGF10. Matrigel culture for 20-30 days in medium containing R-Spondin-1, Noggin, EGF, retinoic acid and testosterone was sufficient for mature prostate organoid development. Immunofluorescence and gene expression analysis confirmed that organoids exhibited cytodifferentiation and functional properties of the human prostate. Exposure to 1 nM or 10 nM BPA throughout differentiation culture disturbed early morphogenesis in a dose-dependent manner with 1 nM BPA increasing and 10 nM BPA reducing the number of branched structures formed. While differentiation of branched structures to mature organoids seemed largely unaffected by BPA exposure, the stem-like cell population increased, appearing as focal stem cell nests that have not properly entered lineage commitment rather than the rare isolated stem cells found in normally differentiated structures. These findings provide the first direct evidence that low-dose BPA exposure targets hESC and perturbs morphogenesis as the embryonic cells differentiate towards human prostate organoids, suggesting that the developing human prostate may be susceptible to disruption by in utero BPA exposures.

Surface functionalization of inorganic nano-crystals with fibronectin and E-cadherin chimera synergistically accelerates trans-gene delivery into embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kutsuzawa, K.; Chowdhury, E.H.; Nagaoka, M.; Maruyama, K.; Akiyama, Y.; Akaike, T.

2006-01-01

Stem cells holding great promises in regenerative medicine have the potential to be differentiated to a specific cell type through genetic manipulation. However, conventional ways of gene transfer to such progenitor cells suffer from a number of disadvantages particularly involving safety and efficacy issues. Here, we report on the development of a bio-functionalized inorganic nano-carrier of DNA by embedding fibronectin and E-cadherin chimera on the carrier, leading to its high affinity interactions with embryonic stem cell surface and accelerated trans-gene delivery for subsequent expression. While only apatite nano-particles were very inefficient in transfecting embryonic stem cells, fibronectin-anchored particles and to a more significant extent, fibronectin and E-cadherin-Fc-associated particles dramatically enhanced trans-gene delivery with a value notably higher than that of commercially available lipofection system. The involvement of both cell surface integrin and E-cadherin in mediating intracellular localization of the hybrid carrier was verified by blocking integrin binding site with excess free fibronectin and up-regulating both integrin and E-cadherin through PKC activation. Thus, the new establishment of a bio-functional hybrid gene-carrier would promote and facilitate development of stem cell-based therapy in regenerative medicine

High School Students Debate the Use of Embryonic Stem Cells: The Influence of Context on Decision-Making

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Molinatti, Gregoire; Girault, Yves; Hammond, Constance

2010-01-01

The present study analyzes decision-making and argumentation by high school students in a debate situation on a socioscientific issue, the use of embryonic stem cells in research and therapy. We tested the influence on the debates of two different contexts. Adolescent students at the high school level in the same grade (mean age 16.4 years) from…

Force via integrins but not E-cadherin decreases Oct3/4 expression in embryonic stem cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uda, Yuhei [Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01, Aramaki-aoba, Aoba-ward, Sendai City (Japan); Poh, Yeh-Chuin; Chowdhury, Farhan; Wu, Douglas C. [Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Tanaka, Tetsuya S. [Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Sato, Masaaki [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01, Aramaki-aoba, Aoba-ward, Sendai City (Japan); Wang, Ning, E-mail: nwangrw@illinois.edu [Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

2011-11-18

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Force via integrins or cadherins induces similar cell stiffening responses. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Force via integrins but not cadherins induces cell spreading. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Force via integrins but not cadherins induces differentiation of embryonic stem cells. -- Abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that mechanical factors play a critical role in fate decisions of stem cells. Recently we have demonstrated that a local force applied via Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptides coated magnetic beads to mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells increases cell spreading and cell stiffness and decreases Oct3/4 (Pou5f1) gene expression. However, it is not clear whether the effects of the applied stress on these functions of ES cells can be extended to natural extracellular matrix proteins or cell-cell adhesion molecules. Here we show that a local cyclic shear force applied via fibronectin or laminin to integrin receptors increased cell spreading and stiffness, downregulated Oct3/4 gene expression, and decreased cell proliferation rate. In contrast, the same cyclic force applied via cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin (Cdh1) had no effects on cell spreading, Oct3/4 gene expression, and the self-renewal of mouse ES cells, but induced significant cell stiffening. Our findings demonstrate that biological responses of ES cells to force applied via integrins are different from those to force via E-cadherin, suggesting that mechanical forces might play different roles in different force transduction pathways to shape early embryogenesis.

Integration-deficient lentivectors: an effective strategy to purify and differentiate human embryonic stem cell-derived hepatic progenitors.

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Yang, Guanghua; Si-Tayeb, Karim; Corbineau, Sébastien; Vernet, Rémi; Gayon, Régis; Dianat, Noushin; Martinet, Clémence; Clay, Denis; Goulinet-Mainot, Sylvie; Tachdjian, Gérard; Tachdjian, Gérard; Burks, Deborah; Vallier, Ludovic; Bouillé, Pascale; Dubart-Kupperschmitt, Anne; Weber, Anne

2013-07-19

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold great promise for applications in regenerative medicine. However, the safety of cell therapy using differentiated hPSC derivatives must be improved through methods that will permit the transplantation of homogenous populations of a specific cell type. To date, purification of progenitors and mature cells generated from either embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells remains challenging with use of conventional methods. We used lentivectors encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) driven by the liver-specific apoliprotein A-II (APOA-II) promoter to purify human hepatic progenitors. We evaluated both integrating and integration-defective lentivectors in combination with an HIV integrase inhibitor. A human embryonic stem cell line was differentiated into hepatic progenitors using a chemically defined protocol. Subsequently, cells were transduced and sorted at day 16 of differentiation to obtain a cell population enriched in hepatic progenitor cells. After sorting, more than 99% of these APOA-II-GFP-positive cells expressed hepatoblast markers such as α-fetoprotein and cytokeratin 19. When further cultured for 16 days, these cells underwent differentiation into more mature cells and exhibited hepatocyte properties such as albumin secretion. Moreover, they were devoid of vector DNA integration. We have developed an effective strategy to purify human hepatic cells from cultures of differentiating hPSCs, producing a novel tool that could be used not only for cell therapy but also for in vitro applications such as drug screening. The present strategy should also be suitable for the purification of a broad range of cell types derived from either pluripotent or adult stem cells.

Transcriptome variations among human embryonic stem cell lines are associated with their differentiation propensity.

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Changbin Sun

Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs have the potential to form any cell type in the body, making them attractive cell sources in drug screening, regenerative medicine, disease and developmental processes modeling. However, not all hESC lines have the equal potency to generate desired cell types in vitro. Significant variations have been observed for the differentiation efficiency of various human ESC lines. The precise underpinning molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this work, we compared transcriptome variations of four hESC lines H7, HUES1, HUES8 and HUES9. We found that hESC lines have different gene expression profiles, and these differentially expressed genes (DEGs are significantly enriched in developmental processes, such as ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal development. The enrichment difference between hESC lines was consistent with its lineage bias. Among these DEGs, some pluripotency factors and genes involved in signaling transduction showed great variations as well. The pleiotropic functions of these genes in controlling hESC identity and early lineage specification, implicated that different hESC lines may utilize distinct balance mechanisms to maintain pluripotent state. When the balance is broken in a certain environment, gene expression variation between them could impact on their different lineage specification behavior.

Stochastic Cell Fate Progression in Embryonic Stem Cells

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Zou, Ling-Nan; Doyle, Adele; Jang, Sumin; Ramanathan, Sharad

2013-03-01

Studies on the directed differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells suggest that some early developmental decisions may be stochastic in nature. To identify the sources of this stochasticity, we analyzed the heterogeneous expression of key transcription factors in single ES cells as they adopt distinct germ layer fates. We find that under sufficiently stringent signaling conditions, the choice of lineage is unambiguous. ES cells flow into differentiated fates via diverging paths, defined by sequences of transitional states that exhibit characteristic co-expression of multiple transcription factors. These transitional states have distinct responses to morphogenic stimuli; by sequential exposure to multiple signaling conditions, ES cells are steered towards specific fates. However, the rate at which cells travel down a developmental path is stochastic: cells exposed to the same signaling condition for the same amount of time can populate different states along the same path. The heterogeneity of cell states seen in our experiments therefore does not reflect the stochastic selection of germ layer fates, but the stochastic rate of progression along a chosen developmental path. Supported in part by the Jane Coffin Childs Fund

Recombinant vitronectin is a functionally defined substrate that supports human embryonic stem cell self-renewal via alphavbeta5 integrin.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braam, S.R.; Zeinstra, L.M.; Litjens, S.H.M.; Ward-van Oostwaard, D.; van den Brink, S.; van Laake, L.W.; Lebrin, F.; Kats, P.; Hochstenbach, R.; Passier, R.; Sonnenberg, A.; Mummery, C.L.

2008-01-01

Defined growth conditions are essential for many applications of human embryonic stem cells (hESC). Most defined media are presently used in combination with Matrigel, a partially defined extracellular matrix (ECM) extract from mouse sarcoma. Here, we defined ECM requirements of hESC by analyzing

Specialized mouse embryonic stem cells for studying vascular development.

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Drew E; Burns, Andrew B; Hatano, Rachel; Medrzycki, Magdalena; Fan, Yuhong; McCloskey, Kara E