Assessment of Differentiation Aspects by the Morphological Classification of Embryoid Bodies Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Abstract Background Ex vivo production of hematopoietic stem/precursor cells (HSPCs) represents a promising versatile approach for blood disorders. Methods To derive definitive HSPCs from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), we differentiated mesodermally specified embryoid bodies (EBs) on gelatin-coated plates in serum/feeder-free conditions. Results Seven-day EB maturation followed by an 8-day differentiation period on OP9 cells provided the highest number of definitive (CD34+ CD235a−, 69%, p < 0.01) and lowest number of primitive (CD34− CD235a+, 1.55%, p < 0.01) precursor cells along with the highest colony-forming units (149.8 ± 11.6, p < 0.01) in feeder-free conditions. Maximal HSPC fraction (CD34+ CD38− CD45RA− CD49f+ CD90+) was 7.6–8.9% after 10 days of hematopoietic differentiation with 14.5% adult β-globin expression following RBC differentiation. Myeloid and erythroid colonies were restricted strictly to the CD34+ CD43+ fraction (370.5 ± 65.7, p < 0.001), while the CD34− CD43+ fraction produced only a small number of colonies (21.6 ± 11.9). In addition, we differentiated the CD34+ CD43+ cells towards T-lymphocytes using the OP9/DLL1 co-culture system demonstrating double-positive T cells (CD4+ CD8+) with CD3+ expression displaying a broad T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. Confocal imaging of organoid-like structures revealed a close association of CD31+ cells with CD34+ and CD43+ cells, suggesting a potential emergence of HSPCs through endothelial to hematopoietic transition. Furthermore, fluorescently labeled organoids exhibited the emergence of spherical non-attached cells from rare progenitors at the border of the organoid center. Conclusions In summary, definitive HSPCs can be derived from ESCs through a dynamic cellular process from an organoid-like structure, where erythroid progeny are capable of producing adult hemoglobin and lymphoid progeny shows a diverse TCR repertoire.

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Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Embryoid Bodies Comprising the Three Embryonic Germ Layers

Molecular Medicine ◽

10.1007/bf03401776 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 88-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 1012

Author(s):

Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor ◽

Maya Schuldiner ◽

Dorit Karsenti ◽

Amir Eden ◽

Ofra Yanuka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Embryoid Bodies ◽

Germ Layers

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RUNX1a enhances hematopoietic lineage commitment from human embryonic stem cells and inducible pluripotent stem cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2012-08-451641 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 121 (15) ◽

pp. 2882-2890 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Dan Ran ◽

Wei-Jong Shia ◽

Miao-Chia Lo ◽

Jun-Bao Fan ◽

David A. Knorr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Ectopic Expression ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Embryoid Bodies ◽

Lineage Commitment ◽

Hematopoietic Differentiation

Abstract Advancements in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) research have potential to revolutionize therapeutic transplantation. It has been demonstrated that transcription factors may play key roles in regulating maintenance, expansion, and differentiation of hPSCs. In addition to its regulatory functions in hematopoiesis and blood-related disorders, the transcription factor RUNX1 is also required for the formation of definitive blood stem cells. In this study, we demonstrated that expression of endogenous RUNX1a, an isoform of RUNX1, parallels with lineage commitment and hematopoietic emergence from hPSCs, including both human embryonic stem cells and inducible pluripotent stem cells. In a defined hematopoietic differentiation system, ectopic expression of RUNX1a facilitates emergence of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and positively regulates expression of mesoderm and hematopoietic differentiation-related factors, including Brachyury, KDR, SCL, GATA2, and PU.1. HPCs derived from RUNX1a hPSCs show enhanced expansion ability, and the ex vivo–expanded cells are capable of differentiating into multiple lineages. Expression of RUNX1a in embryoid bodies (EBs) promotes definitive hematopoiesis that generates erythrocytes with β-globin production. Moreover, HPCs generated from RUNX1a EBs possess ≥9-week repopulation ability and show multilineage hematopoietic reconstitution in vivo. Together, our results suggest that RUNX1a facilitates the process of producing therapeutic HPCs from hPSCs.

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Human embryonic stem cells and derived contractile embryoid bodies are susceptible to Coxsakievirus B infection and respond to interferon Iβ treatment

Stem Cell Research ◽

10.1016/j.scr.2010.09.002 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 13-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

María E. Scassa ◽

Carolina Jaquenod de Giusti ◽

María Questa ◽

Gabriela Pretre ◽

Guillermo A. Videla Richardson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Embryoid Bodies

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Hematopoietic Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Vitro : Comparison of Three Cell Lines

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v112.11.4787.4787 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 112 (11) ◽

pp. 4787-4787

Author(s):

Marion Brenot ◽

Annelise Bennaceur-Griscelli ◽

Marc Peschanski ◽

Maria Teresa Mitjavila-Garcia

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Embryoid Bodies ◽

Hematopoietic Differentiation ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract Human embryonic stem cells (hES) isolated from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst have the ability to self renew indefinitely while maintaining their pluripotency to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. Therefore, hES represent an important source of cells for perspective cell therapies and serve as an essential tool for fundamental research, specifically for understanding pathophysiological mechanisms of human diseases for the development of novel pharmacological drugs. The generation of hematopoietic stem cells from hES may serve as an alternative source of cells for hematopoietic reconstitution following bone marrow transplantation and an interesting approach to understand early stages of hematopoietic development which are difficult to study in human embryos. Using two different methods, we have differentiated three hES cell lines (SA01, H1 and H9) into hematopoietic cells by generating embryoid bodies and co-culturing on the murine Op9 cell line. In both experimental approaches, we obtain cells expressing CD34 and when cultured in hematopoietic conditions, SA01 and H1 cell lines differentiate into various hematopoietic lineages as demonstrated by BFU-E, CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM colony formation, whereas H9 have almost exclusively granulo-macrophage differentiation. Cells composing these hematopoietic colonies express CD45, CD11b, CD31, CD41 and CD235 and staining with May Grundwald-Giemsa demonstrate neutrophil and erythrocyte morphology. These results demonstrate the capacity of hES to differentiate into mature hematopoietic cells in vitro. Nevertheless, there exist some quantitative and qualitative differences about hematopoietic differentiation between the hES cell lines used. However, we still have to evaluate their capacity to reconstitute hematopoiesis in vivo in an immune deficient mouse model. We will also be interested in developing in vitro methods to expand these hematopoietic precursor cells derived from hES which may be used as a viable source for future cell therapy.

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Hematopoietic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells progresses through sequential hematoendothelial, primitive, and definitive stages resembling human yolk sac development

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2004-11-4522 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 106 (3) ◽

pp. 860-870 ◽

Cited By ~ 250

Author(s):

Elias T. Zambidis ◽

Bruno Peault ◽

Tea Soon Park ◽

Fred Bunz ◽

Curt I. Civin

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Homeobox Gene ◽

Fetal Hemoglobin ◽

Yolk Sac ◽

Embryoid Bodies ◽

Hematopoietic Differentiation ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

AbstractWe elucidate the cellular and molecular kinetics of the stepwise differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to primitive and definitive erythromyelopoiesis from human embryoid bodies (hEBs) in serum-free clonogenic assays. Hematopoiesis initiates from CD45 hEB cells with emergence of semiadherent mesodermal-hematoendothelial (MHE) colonies that can generate endothelium and form organized, yolk sac–like structures that secondarily generate multipotent primitive hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs), erythroblasts, and CD13+CD45+ macrophages. A first wave of hematopoiesis follows MHE colony emergence and is predominated by primitive erythropoiesis characterized by a brilliant red hemoglobinization, CD71/CD325a (glycophorin A) expression, and exclusively embryonic/fetal hemoglobin expression. A second wave of definitive-type erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-e's), erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-e's), granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (GM-CFCs), and multilineage CFCs follows next from hEB progenitors. These stages of hematopoiesis proceed spontaneously from hEB-derived cells without requirement for supplemental growth factors during hEB differentiation. Gene expression analysis of differentiating hEBs revealed that initiation of hematopoiesis correlated with increased levels of SCL/TAL1, GATA1, GATA2, CD34, CD31, and the homeobox gene-regulating factor CDX4 These data indicate that hematopoietic differentiation of hESCs models the earliest events of embryonic and definitive hematopoiesis in a manner resembling human yolk sac development, thus providing a valuable tool for dissecting the earliest events in human HSPC genesis.

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Biochemical and morphological effects of hypoxic environment on human embryonic stem cells in long-term culture and differentiating embryoid bodies

Molecules and Cells ◽

10.1007/s10059-011-0016-8 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 123-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Hee-Joung Lim ◽

Jiyou Han ◽

Dong-Hun Woo ◽

Sung-Eun Kim ◽

Suel-Kee Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Embryoid Bodies ◽

Long Term Culture ◽

Hypoxic Environment

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Red Ginseng Extract Facilitates the Early Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Mesendoderm Lineage

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2011/167376 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Yoon Young Kim ◽

Seung-Yup Ku ◽

Zev Rosenwaks ◽

Hung Ching Liu ◽

Sun Kyung Oh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Embryoid Bodies ◽

Red Ginseng ◽

Cardiac Progenitors ◽

Early Differentiation ◽

Undifferentiated Hescs ◽

Wide Range

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have capacities to self-renew and differentiate into all cell typesin vitro. Red ginseng (RG) is known to have a wide range of pharmacological effectsin vivo; however, the reports on its effects on hESCs are few. In this paper, we tried to demonstrate the effects of RG on the proliferation and differentiation of hESCs. Undifferentiated hESCs, embryoid bodies (EBs), and hESC-derived cardiac progenitors (CPs) were treated with RG extract at 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/mL. After treatment of undifferentiated hESCs from day 2 to day 6 of culture, BrdU labeling showed that RG treatment increased the proliferation of hESCs, and the expression of Oct4 and Nanog was increased in RG-treated group. To find out the effects of RG on early differentiation stage cells, EBs were treated with RG extract for 10 days and attached for further differentiation. Immunostaining for three germ layer markers showed that RG treatment increased the expressions of Brachyury and HNF3βon EBs. Also, RG treatment increased the expression of Brachyury in early-stage and of Nkx2.5 in late-stage hESC-derived CPs. These results demonstrate facilitating effects of RG extract on the proliferation and early differentiation of hESC.

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