scholarly journals Highly parallelized human embryonic stem cell differentiation to cardiac mesoderm in nanoliter chambers on a microfluidic chip

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke R. Vollertsen ◽  
Simone A. ten Den ◽  
Verena Schwach ◽  
Albert van den Berg ◽  
Robert Passier ◽  
...  

AbstractHuman stem cell-derived cells and tissues hold considerable potential for applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling and drug discovery. The generation, culture and differentiation of stem cells in low-volume, automated and parallelized microfluidic chips hold great promise to accelerate the research in this domain. Here, we show that we can differentiate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to early cardiac mesodermal cells in microfluidic chambers that have a volume of only 30 nanoliters, using discontinuous medium perfusion. 64 of these chambers were parallelized on a chip which contained integrated valves to spatiotemporally isolate the chambers and automate cell culture medium exchanges. To confirm cell pluripotency, we tracked hESC proliferation and immunostained the cells for pluripotency markers SOX2 and OCT3/4. During differentiation, we investigated the effect of different medium perfusion frequencies on cell reorganization and the expression of the early cardiac mesoderm reporter MESP1mCherry by live-cell imaging. Our study demonstrates that microfluidic technology can be used to automatically culture, differentiate and study hESC in very low-volume culture chambers even without continuous medium perfusion. This result is an important step towards further automation and parallelization in stem cell technology.

2012 ◽  
Vol 287 (44) ◽  
pp. 36777-36791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Fujimori ◽  
Mima Shikanai ◽  
Hirobumi Teraoka ◽  
Mitsuko Masutani ◽  
Ken-ichi Yoshioka

2016 ◽  
Vol 215 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryne Ulmschneider ◽  
Bree K. Grillo-Hill ◽  
Marimar Benitez ◽  
Dinara R. Azimova ◽  
Diane L. Barber ◽  
...  

Despite extensive knowledge about the transcriptional regulation of stem cell differentiation, less is known about the role of dynamic cytosolic cues. We report that an increase in intracellular pH (pHi) is necessary for the efficient differentiation of Drosophila adult follicle stem cells (FSCs) and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). We show that pHi increases with differentiation from FSCs to prefollicle cells (pFCs) and follicle cells. Loss of the Drosophila Na+–H+ exchanger DNhe2 lowers pHi in differentiating cells, impairs pFC differentiation, disrupts germarium morphology, and decreases fecundity. In contrast, increasing pHi promotes excess pFC cell differentiation toward a polar/stalk cell fate through suppressing Hedgehog pathway activity. Increased pHi also occurs with mESC differentiation and, when prevented, attenuates spontaneous differentiation of naive cells, as determined by expression of microRNA clusters and stage-specific markers. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized role of pHi dynamics for the differentiation of two distinct types of stem cell lineages, which opens new directions for understanding conserved regulatory mechanisms.


Author(s):  
Maryam Farzaneh

Abstract:: Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have the remarkable potential to self-renew and develop into various cell lineages. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or multipotent stem cells that are present in various organs can self-renew and differentiate into multiple mesenchymal lineages. Both human PSCs and MSCs hold great promise in cell-based therapies, disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. Human stem cells must be cultured under the optimal conditions to use them in transplantology. Therefore, researchers must ensure the sterility of human stem cell lines. Bacterial contamination is a common problem in laboratories and major precautions are required to detect the types of microorganisms, eliminate, and prevent contamination in cell cultures. Stem cell culture media usually contains antibiotics and antimycotics such as penicillin-streptomycin (pen-strep), gentamicin, and amphotericin B (AmB) to avoid bacterial, fungal, and yeast contaminants. Numerous publications recognized the serious effect of antibiotics and antimycotics on in vitro properties of human stem cells, including proliferation, differentiation, survival, and genetic instability. This review study aimed to understand the impact of routinely used antibiotics and antimycotics such as pen-strep, gentamicin, and AmB on viability, proliferation, and functional properties (differentiation and pluripotency) of human PSCs and MSCs.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smith ◽  
Zyoud ◽  
Allegrucci

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate into many different cell types. Their function is controlled by core gene networks whose misregulation can result in aberrant stem cell function and defects of regeneration or neoplasia. HOX genes are master regulators of cell identity and cell fate during embryonic development. They play a crucial role in embryonic stem cell differentiation into specific lineages and their expression is maintained in adult stem cells along differentiation hierarchies. Aberrant HOX gene expression is found in several cancers where they can function as either oncogenes by sustaining cell proliferation or tumor-suppressor genes by controlling cell differentiation. Emerging evidence shows that abnormal expression of HOX genes is involved in the transformation of adult stem cells into cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells have been identified in most malignancies and proved to be responsible for cancer initiation, recurrence, and metastasis. In this review, we consider the role of HOX genes in normal and cancer stem cells and discuss how the modulation of HOX gene function could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies that target cancer stem cells to halt tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to treatment.


2009 ◽  
Vol 296 (1) ◽  
pp. H159-H170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuju Li ◽  
Pratap Karki ◽  
Lei Lei ◽  
Huayan Wang ◽  
Larry Fliegel

Embryonic stem cells provide one potential source of cardiomyocytes for cardiac transplantation; however, after differentiation of stem cells in vitro, cardiomyocytes usually account for only a minority of cells present. To gain insights into improving cardiomyocyte development from stem cells, we examined the role of the Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) in cardiomyocyte differentiation. NHE1 protein and message levels were induced by treatment of CGR8 cells to form embryoid bodies and cardiomyocytes. The NHE1 protein was present on the cell surface and NHE1 inhibitor-sensitive activity was detected. Inhibition of NHE1 activity during differentiation of CGR8 cells prevented cardiomyocyte differentiation as indicated by decreased message for transcription factors Nkx2-5 and Tbx5 and decreased levels of α-myosin heavy chain protein. Increased expression of NHE1 from an adenoviral vector facilitated cardiomyocyte differentiation. Similar results were found with cardiomyocyte differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells. CGR8 cells were treated to induce differentiation, but when differentiation was inhibited by dispersing the EBs, myocardial development was inhibited. The results demonstrate that NHE1 activity is important in facilitating stem cell differentiation to cardiomyocyte lineage. Elevated NHE1 expression appears to be triggered as part of the process that facilitates cardiomyocyte development.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Downes ◽  
Rabah Mouras ◽  
Alistair Elfick

There is a requirement for a noninvasive technique to monitor stem cell differentiation. Several candidates based on optical spectroscopy are discussed in this review: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. These techniques are briefly described, and the ability of each to distinguish undifferentiated from differentiated cells is discussed. FTIR spectroscopy has demonstrated its ability to distinguish between stem cells and their derivatives. Raman spectroscopy shows a clear reduction in DNA and RNA concentrations during embryonic stem cell differentiation (agreeing with the well-known reduction in the nucleus to cytoplasm ratio) and also shows clear increases in mineral content during differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. CARS microscopy can map these DNA, RNA, and mineral concentrations at high speed, and Mutliplex CARS spectroscopy/microscopy is highlighted as the technique with most promise for future applications.


Author(s):  
Lulu Li ◽  
Rene Schloss ◽  
Noshir Langrana ◽  
Martin Yarmush

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells represent a promising renewable cell source to generate a variety of differentiated cell types. Although many investigators have described techniques to effectively differentiate stem cells into different mature cell lineages, their practicality is limited by the absence of large scale processing consideration and low yields of differentiated cells. Previously we have established a murine embryonic stem cell alginate-poly-l-lysine microencapsulation differentiation system. The three-dimensional alginate microenvironment maintains cell viability, is conducive to ES cell differentiation to hepatocyte lineage cells, and maintains differentiated cellular function. In the present work, we demonstrate that hepatocyte differentiation is mediated by cell-cell aggregation in the encapsulation microenvironment. Both cell aggregation and hepatocyte functions, such as urea and albumin secretion, as well as increased expression of cytokaratin 18 and cyp4507a, occur concomitantly with surface E-cadherin expression. Furthermore, by incorporating soluble inducers, such as retinoic acid, into the permeable microcapsule system, we demonstrate decreased cell aggregation and enhanced neuronal lineage differentiation with the expression of various neuronal specific markers, including neurofilament, A2B5, O1 and GFAP. Therefore, as a result of capsule parameter and microenvironment manipulation, we are capable of targeting cellular differentiation to both endodermal and ectodermal cell lineages.


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