scholarly journals Recent progress in translational engineered in vitro models of the central nervous system

Brain ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (11) ◽  
pp. 3181-3213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Polyxeni Nikolakopoulou ◽  
Rossana Rauti ◽  
Dimitrios Voulgaris ◽  
Iftach Shlomy ◽  
Ben M Maoz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Practical Guidelines ◽  
Organ On A Chip ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Abstract The complexity of the human brain poses a substantial challenge for the development of models of the CNS. Current animal models lack many essential human characteristics (in addition to raising operational challenges and ethical concerns), and conventional in vitro models, in turn, are limited in their capacity to provide information regarding many functional and systemic responses. Indeed, these challenges may underlie the notoriously low success rates of CNS drug development efforts. During the past 5 years, there has been a leap in the complexity and functionality of in vitro systems of the CNS, which have the potential to overcome many of the limitations of traditional model systems. The availability of human-derived induced pluripotent stem cell technology has further increased the translational potential of these systems. Yet, the adoption of state-of-the-art in vitro platforms within the CNS research community is limited. This may be attributable to the high costs or the immaturity of the systems. Nevertheless, the costs of fabrication have decreased, and there are tremendous ongoing efforts to improve the quality of cell differentiation. Herein, we aim to raise awareness of the capabilities and accessibility of advanced in vitro CNS technologies. We provide an overview of some of the main recent developments (since 2015) in in vitro CNS models. In particular, we focus on engineered in vitro models based on cell culture systems combined with microfluidic platforms (e.g. ‘organ-on-a-chip’ systems). We delve into the fundamental principles underlying these systems and review several applications of these platforms for the study of the CNS in health and disease. Our discussion further addresses the challenges that hinder the implementation of advanced in vitro platforms in personalized medicine or in large-scale industrial settings, and outlines the existing differentiation protocols and industrial cell sources. We conclude by providing practical guidelines for laboratories that are considering adopting organ-on-a-chip technologies.

scholarly journals CellMap: Characterizing the types and composition of iPSC-derived cells from RNA-seq data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengyu Ouyang ◽  
Nathanael Bourgeois ◽  
Eugenia Lyashenko ◽  
Paige Cundiff ◽  
Patrick F Cullen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Single Nucleus ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived cell types are increasingly employed as in vitro model systems for drug discovery. For these studies to be meaningful, it is important to understand the reproducibility of the iPSC-derived cultures and their similarity to equivalent endogenous cell types. Single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) are useful to gain such understanding, but they are expensive and time consuming, while bulk RNA-seq data can be generated quicker and at lower cost. In silico cell type decomposition is an efficient, inexpensive, and convenient alternative that can leverage bulk RNA-seq to derive more fine-grained information about these cultures. We developed CellMap, a computational tool that derives cell type profiles from publicly available single-cell and single-nucleus datasets to infer cell types in bulk RNA-seq data from iPSC-derived cell lines.

scholarly journals Direct SARS-CoV-2 infection of the human inner ear may underlie COVID-19-associated audiovestibular dysfunction

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minjin Jeong ◽  
Karen E. Ocwieja ◽  
Dongjun Han ◽  
P. Ashley Wackym ◽  
Yichen Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inner Ear ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Cellular Models ◽  
Induced Pluripotent ◽  
Human Inner Ear

Abstract Background COVID-19 is a pandemic respiratory and vascular disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. There is a growing number of sensory deficits associated with COVID-19 and molecular mechanisms underlying these deficits are incompletely understood. Methods We report a series of ten COVID-19 patients with audiovestibular symptoms such as hearing loss, vestibular dysfunction and tinnitus. To investigate the causal relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and audiovestibular dysfunction, we examine human inner ear tissue, human inner ear in vitro cellular models, and mouse inner ear tissue. Results We demonstrate that adult human inner ear tissue co-expresses the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and FURIN cofactors required for virus entry. Furthermore, hair cells and Schwann cells in explanted human vestibular tissue can be infected by SARS-CoV-2, as demonstrated by confocal microscopy. We establish three human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived in vitro models of the inner ear for infection: two-dimensional otic prosensory cells (OPCs) and Schwann cell precursors (SCPs), and three-dimensional inner ear organoids. Both OPCs and SCPs express ACE2, TMPRSS2, and FURIN, with lower ACE2 and FURIN expression in SCPs. OPCs are permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection; lower infection rates exist in isogenic SCPs. The inner ear organoids show that hair cells express ACE2 and are targets for SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions Our results provide mechanistic explanations of audiovestibular dysfunction in COVID-19 patients and introduce hiPSC-derived systems for studying infectious human otologic disease.

scholarly journals Large-Scale Simulation of the Phenotypical Variability Induced by Loss-of-Function Long QT Mutations in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Cardiomyocytes

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 3583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelangelo Paci ◽  
Simona Casini ◽  
Milena Bellin ◽  
Jari Hyttinen ◽  
Stefano Severi
Keyword(s):  
Action Potential ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Prolonged Action ◽  
Long Qt ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Loss-of-function long QT (LQT) mutations inducing LQT1 and LQT2 syndromes have been successfully translated to human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) used as disease-specific models. However, their in vitro investigation mainly relies on experiments using small numbers of cells. This is especially critical when working with cells as heterogeneous as hiPSC-CMs. We aim (i) to investigate in silico the ionic mechanisms underlying LQT1 and LQT2 hiPSC-CM phenotypic variability, and (ii) to enable massive in silico drug tests on mutant hiPSC-CMs. We combined (i) data of control and mutant slow and rapid delayed rectifying K+ currents, IKr and IKs respectively, (ii) a recent in silico hiPSC-CM model, and (iii) the population of models paradigm to generate control and mutant populations for LQT1 and LQT2 cardiomyocytes. Our four populations contain from 1008 to 3584 models. In line with the experimental in vitro data, mutant in silico hiPSC-CMs showed prolonged action potential (AP) duration (LQT1: +14%, LQT2: +39%) and large electrophysiological variability. Finally, the mutant populations were split into normal-like hiPSC-CMs (with action potential duration similar to control) and at risk hiPSC-CMs (with clearly prolonged action potential duration). At risk mutant hiPSC-CMs carried higher expression of L-type Ca2+, lower expression of IKr and increased sensitivity to quinidine as compared to mutant normal-like hiPSC-CMs, resulting in AP abnormalities. In conclusion, we were able to reproduce the two most common LQT syndromes with large-scale simulations, which enable investigating biophysical mechanisms difficult to assess in vitro, e.g., how variations of ion current expressions in a physiological range can impact on AP properties of mutant hiPSC-CMs.

scholarly journals Chronic optical pacing conditioning of h-iPSC engineered cardiac tissues

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 204173141984174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Dwenger ◽  
William J Kowalski ◽  
Fei Ye ◽  
Fangping Yuan ◽  
Joseph P Tinney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Mechanical Stretch ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Cardiac Tissues ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

The immaturity of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived engineered cardiac tissues limits their ability to regenerate damaged myocardium and to serve as robust in vitro models for human disease and drug toxicity studies. Several chronic biomimetic conditioning protocols, including mechanical stretch, perfusion, and/or electrical stimulation promote engineered cardiac tissue maturation but have significant technical limitations. Non-contacting chronic optical stimulation using heterologously expressed channelrhodopsin light-gated ion channels, termed optogenetics, may be an advantageous alternative to chronic invasive electrical stimulation for engineered cardiac tissue conditioning. We designed proof-of-principle experiments to successfully transfect human induced pluripotent stem cell derived engineered cardiac tissues with a desensitization resistant, chimeric channelrhodopsin protein, and then optically paced engineered cardiac tissues to accelerate maturation. We transfected human induced pluripotent stem cell engineered cardiac tissues using an adeno-associated virus packaged chimeric channelrhodopsin and then verified optically paced by whole cell patch clamp. Engineered cardiac tissues were then chronically optically paced above their intrinsic beat rates in vitro from day 7 to 14. Chronically optically paced resulted in improved engineered cardiac tissue electrophysiological properties and subtle changes in the expression of some cardiac relevant genes, though active force generation and histology were unchanged. These results validate the feasibility of a novel chronically optically paced paradigm to explore non-invasive and scalable optically paced–induced engineered cardiac tissue maturation strategies.

scholarly journals Cardiac Progenitor Cells from Stem Cells: Learning from Genetics and Biomaterials

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Barreto ◽  
Leonie Hamel ◽  
Teresa Schiatti ◽  
Ying Yang ◽  
Vinoj George
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Cardiac Progenitor Cells ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Cardiac Progenitor Cells (CPCs) show great potential as a cell resource for restoring cardiac function in patients affected by heart disease or heart failure. CPCs are proliferative and committed to cardiac fate, capable of generating cells of all the cardiac lineages. These cells offer a significant shift in paradigm over the use of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes owing to the latter’s inability to recapitulate mature features of a native myocardium, limiting their translational applications. The iPSCs and direct reprogramming of somatic cells have been attempted to produce CPCs and, in this process, a variety of chemical and/or genetic factors have been evaluated for their ability to generate, expand, and maintain CPCs in vitro. However, the precise stoichiometry and spatiotemporal activity of these factors and the genetic interplay during embryonic CPC development remain challenging to reproduce in culture, in terms of efficiency, numbers, and translational potential. Recent advances in biomaterials to mimic the native cardiac microenvironment have shown promise to influence CPC regenerative functions, while being capable of integrating with host tissue. This review highlights recent developments and limitations in the generation and use of CPCs from stem cells, and the trends that influence the direction of research to promote better application of CPCs.

scholarly journals Standards for Deriving Nonhuman Primate-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Neural Stem Cells and Dopaminergic Lineage

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 2788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guang Yang ◽  
Hyenjong Hong ◽  
April Torres ◽  
Kristen Malloy ◽  
Gourav Choudhury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
The Body ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Humans and nonhuman primates (NHP) are similar in behavior and in physiology, specifically the structure, function, and complexity of the immune system. Thus, NHP models are desirable for pathophysiology and pharmacology/toxicology studies. Furthermore, NHP-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) may enable transformative developmental, translational, or evolutionary studies in a field of inquiry currently hampered by the limited availability of research specimens. NHP-iPSCs may address specific questions that can be studied back and forth between in vitro cellular assays and in vivo experimentations, an investigational process that in most cases cannot be performed on humans because of safety and ethical issues. The use of NHP model systems and cell specific in vitro models is evolving with iPSC-based three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems and organoids, which may offer reliable in vitro models and reduce the number of animals used in experimental research. IPSCs have the potential to give rise to defined cell types of any organ of the body. However, standards for deriving defined and validated NHP iPSCs are missing. Standards for deriving high-quality iPSC cell lines promote rigorous and replicable scientific research and likewise, validated cell lines reduce variability and discrepancies in results between laboratories. We have derived and validated NHP iPSC lines by confirming their pluripotency and propensity to differentiate into all three germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm) according to standards and measurable limits for a set of marker genes. The iPSC lines were characterized for their potential to generate neural stem cells and to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons. These iPSC lines are available to the scientific community. NHP-iPSCs fulfill a unique niche in comparative genomics to understand gene regulatory principles underlying emergence of human traits, in infectious disease pathogenesis, in vaccine development, and in immunological barriers in regenerative medicine.

scholarly journals Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models to Enable In Vitro Models for Screening in the Central Nervous System

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (16) ◽  
pp. 1852-1864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua G. Hunsberger ◽  
Anastasia G. Efthymiou ◽  
Nasir Malik ◽  
Mamta Behl ◽  
Ivy L. Mead ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Cell Models ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Induced Pluripotent ◽  
Stem Cell Models
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