scholarly journals Identification and characterization of hPSC-derived FOXA2+ progenitor cells with ventricular cardiac differentiation potential

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Dubois ◽  
Damelys Calderon ◽  
Nadeera Wickramasinghe ◽  
Lily Sarrafha ◽  
Christoph Schaniel ◽  
...  

While much progress has been made in understanding early cardiac development, the precise mechanisms that specify the different cardiomyocyte subtypes remain poorly understood. Recent data from our lab have shown that transient Foxa2 expression identifies a progenitor population with exclusive ventricular differentiation potential in the mouse heart. Here we have translated this concept to the human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) system. Using a FOXA2-GFP reporter cell line we characterized expression of FOXA2 during hPSC cardiac differentiation and found that a subset of cardiac mesoderm precursors transiently expresses FOXA2. Gene expression analysis of FOXA2+ and FOXA2- cardiac mesoderm revealed that both populations similarly express early cardiac specification markers such as PDGFRA, TBX5, and ISL1, while other key candidates including TBX20 and GATA4 are significantly upregulated in the FOXA2+ population. Isolation and subsequent differentiation of FOXA2+ and FOXA2- populations demonstrates their comparable differentiation potential to both cardiomyocytes and epicardial cells. However, cardiomyocytes derived from FOXA2+ precursors showed enhanced differentiation efficiency toward ventricular cardiomyocytes compared to cardiomyocytes derived from FOXA2- precursors. To identify new mechanisms that regulate ventricular specification, we performed small molecule screening and found that inhibition of the EGFR pathway strongly increased the cardiac mesoderm population in general, and the FOXA2+ precursors in particular. Finally, we have identified a combination of cell surface markers to specifically isolate FOXA2+ cardiac precursors. In summary, our results suggest that FOXA2+ cardiac mesoderm harbors ventricular-specific differentiation potential and isolation of these cells permits the generation of cultures enriched for ventricular cardiomyocytes. Generating such enriched cardiac populations will be relevant for regenerative medicine approaches, as well as for disease modeling from induced pluripotent stem cells.

2020 ◽  
Vol 127 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Mesquita ◽  
Jacquelynn Morrissey ◽  
Yutao Xi ◽  
Gustavo Monnerat ◽  
Fabio Nogueira ◽  
...  

Extracellular matrix (ECM) can directly modulate cell proliferation, migration and differentiation by mediating diverse growth factors and signaling interactions. Protocols for cardiomyocyte differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that recapitulate cardiac development frequently result in a mixed cardiac cell population dominated overwhelmingly by ventricular-like cells. Utilizing the inherent biological capabilities of decellularized ECM (dECM) from human myocardium, we developed a method for committing human iPSCs to an atrial-like cell phenotype. We employed a modified decellularization method to generate small particles (125-500 μm) of human atrial and ventricular dECM. The particles presented a fractal dimension (1.63 and 1.71) that suggested self-similarity across particle sizes of both atrial and ventricular dECM. Quantifications of DNA (3.37±0.50 and 2.77±0.62% of cadaveric), GAG (0.44±0.08 and 0.59±0.13 μg/mg), and SDS (2.46±1.20 and 2.91±2.53 μg/mg) validated the absence of difference of atrial and ventricular dECM. Proteomic profiling revealed dECM chamber-specific clustered populations. Ventricular and atrial dECM segregated into ventricular and atrial parts based on component 1 (19.5%) and component 2 (13.9%). A total of 14% of atrial proteins were matrisome atrial-related and 13% of ventricle proteins were matrisome ventricular-related. Myocytes differentiated in the presence of atrial dECM showed similar differentiation efficiency (66.6±10.2 vs 65.5±12.7% of cTNT) and, importantly, increased atrial markers, as confirmed by qPCR (SLP and COUPF-I) and flow cytometry (43.5%±12.7% vs 23.9%±10.8% of MLC2a) in comparison to control. We observed an increase in atrial cells (38.4% vs 14.8%) by action potential duration (APD), with statistical differences in cAPD10 (57.1±20.2 vs 104.4±48.7 ms) and cAPD20 (76.2±22 vs 126±47.4 ms). Altogether, we demonstrate that human atrial ECM retains cues to drive cardiac differentiation to an atrial fate, doubling the number of atrial cells with a functional atrial phenotype. These findings are a critical step toward generating sufficient quantities of atrial cells, which can be used for chamber-specific cardiac disease modeling and drug development.


Author(s):  
Xun Xu ◽  
Yan Nie ◽  
Weiwei Wang ◽  
Imran Ullah ◽  
Wing Tai Tung ◽  
...  

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are a promising cell source to generate the patient-specific lung organoid given their superior differentiation potential. However, the current 3D cell culture approach is tedious and time-consuming with a low success rate and high batch-to-batch variability. Here, we explored the establishment of lung bud organoids by systematically adjusting the initial confluence levels and homogeneity of cell distribution. The efficiency of single cell seeding and clump seeding was compared. Instead of the traditional 3D culture, we established a 2.5D organoid culture to enable the direct monitoring of the internal structure via microscopy. It was found that the cell confluence and distribution prior to induction were two key parameters, which strongly affected hiPSC differentiation trajectories. Lung bud organoids with positive expression of NKX 2.1, in a single-cell seeding group with homogeneously distributed hiPSCs at 70%confluence (SC_70%_hom) or a clump seeding group with heterogeneously distributed cells at 90%confluence (CL_90%_het), can be observed as early as 9 days post induction. These results suggest that a successful lung bud organoid formation with single-cell seeding of hiPSCs requires a moderate confluence and homogeneous distribution of cells, while high confluence would be a prominent factor to promote the lung organoid formation when seeding hiPSCs as clumps. 2.5D organoids generated with defined culture conditions could become a simple, efficient, and valuable tool facilitating drug screening, disease modeling and personalized medicine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Miki ◽  
Kohei Deguchi ◽  
Misato Nakanishi-Koakutsu ◽  
Antonio Lucena-Cacace ◽  
Shigeru Kondo ◽  
...  

AbstractOne of the earliest maturation steps in cardiomyocytes (CMs) is the sarcomere protein isoform switch between TNNI1 and TNNI3 (fetal and neonatal/adult troponin I). Here, we generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) carrying a TNNI1EmGFP and TNNI3mCherry double reporter to monitor and isolate mature sub-populations during cardiac differentiation. Extensive drug screening identifies two compounds, an estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ) agonist and an S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 inhibitor, that enhances cardiac maturation and a significant change to TNNI3 expression. Expression, morphological, functional, and molecular analyses indicate that hiPSC-CMs treated with the ERRγ agonist show a larger cell size, longer sarcomere length, the presence of transverse tubules, and enhanced metabolic function and contractile and electrical properties. Here, we show that ERRγ-treated hiPSC-CMs have a mature cellular property consistent with neonatal CMs and are useful for disease modeling and regenerative medicine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ratchapong Netsrithong ◽  
Siriwal Suwanpitak ◽  
Bootsakorn Boonkaew ◽  
Kongtana Trakarnsanga ◽  
Lung-Ji Chang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer a renewable source of cells for the generation of hematopoietic cells for cell-based therapy, disease modeling, and drug screening. However, current serum/feeder-free differentiation protocols rely on the use of various cytokines, which makes the process very costly or the generation of embryoid bodies (EBs), which are labor-intensive and can cause heterogeneity during differentiation. Here, we report a simple feeder and serum-free monolayer protocol for efficient generation of iPSC-derived multipotent hematoendothelial progenitors (HEPs), which can further differentiate into endothelial and hematopoietic cells including erythroid and T lineages. Methods Formation of HEPs from iPSCs was initiated by inhibition of GSK3 signaling for 2 days followed by the addition of VEGF and FGF2 for 3 days. The HEPs were further induced toward mature endothelial cells (ECs) in an angiogenic condition and toward T cells by co-culturing with OP9-DL1 feeder cells. Endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition (EHT) of the HEPs was further promoted by supplementation with the TGF-β signaling inhibitor. Erythroid differentiation was performed by culturing the hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) in a three-stage erythroid liquid culture system. Results Our protocol significantly enhanced the number of KDR+ CD34+ CD31+ HEPs on day 5 of differentiation. Further culture of HEPs in angiogenic conditions promoted the formation of mature ECs, which expressed CD34, CD31, CD144, vWF, and ICAM-1, and could exhibit the formation of vascular-like network and acetylated low-density lipoprotein (Ac-LDL) uptake. In addition, the HEPs were differentiated into CD8+ T lymphocytes, which could be expanded up to 34-fold upon TCR stimulation. Inhibition of TGF-β signaling at the HEP stage promoted EHT and yielded a large number of HSPCs expressing CD34 and CD43. Upon erythroid differentiation, these HSPCs were expanded up to 40-fold and displayed morphological changes following stages of erythroid development. Conclusion This protocol offers an efficient and simple approach for the generation of multipotent HEPs and could be adapted to generate desired blood cells in large numbers for applications in basic research including developmental study, disease modeling, and drug screening as well as in regenerative medicine.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda C.P. Mesquita ◽  
Jacquelynn Morrissey ◽  
Gustavo Monnerat ◽  
Gilberto B. Domont ◽  
Fabio C. S. Nogueira ◽  
...  

During fetal development, cardiomyocytes switch from glycolysis to oxidative metabolism to sustain the energy requirements of functional cells. State-of-the-art cardiac differentiation protocols yield phenotypically immature cardiomyocytes, and common methods to improve metabolic maturation require multistep protocols to induce maturation only after cardiac specification is completed. Here, we describe a maturation method using ventricle-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) that promoted early-stage metabolic maturation of cardiomyocytes differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Chemically and architecturally preserved particles (45-500 µm) of pig ventricular dECM were added to hiPSCs at the start of differentiation. At the end of our maturation protocol (day 15 of cardiac differentiation), we observed an intimate interaction between cardiomyocytes and dECM particles without impairment of cardiac differentiation efficiency (~70% of cTNT+). Compared with control cells (those cultured without pig dECM), 15-day-old dECM-treated cardiomyocytes demonstrated increased expression of markers related to cardiac metabolic maturation, MAPK1, FOXO1, and FOXO3, and a switch from ITGA6 (the immature integrin isoform) to ITGA3 and ITGA7 (those present in adult cardiomyocytes). Electrical parameters and responsiveness to dobutamine also improved in pig ventricular dECM-treated cells. Extending the culture time to 30 days, we observed a switch from glucose to fatty acid metabolism, indicated by decreased glucose uptake and increased fatty acid consumption in cells cultured with dECM. Together, these data suggest that dECM contains endogenous cues that enable metabolic maturation of hiPSC-CMs at early stages of cardiac differentiation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1588-1602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Yu Chang ◽  
Hsiao-Chien Ting ◽  
Ching-Ann Liu ◽  
Hong-Lin Su ◽  
Tzyy-Wen Chiou ◽  
...  

Many neurodegenerative diseases are progressive, complex diseases without clear mechanisms or effective treatments. To study the mechanisms underlying these diseases and to develop treatment strategies, a reliable in vitro modeling system is critical. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have the ability to self-renew and possess the differentiation potential to become any kind of adult cell; thus, they may serve as a powerful material for disease modeling. Indeed, patient cell-derived iPSCs can differentiate into specific cell lineages that display the appropriate disease phenotypes and vulnerabilities. In this review, we highlight neuronal differentiation methods and the current development of iPSC-based neurodegenerative disease modeling tools for mechanism study and drug screening, with a discussion of the challenges and future inspiration for application.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaifang Wang ◽  
Maryam Farzaneh

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) is one of the main diseases causing female infertility that occurs in about 1% of women between 30-40 years of age. There are few effective methods for the treatment of women with POI. In the past few years, stem cell-based therapy as one of the most highly investigated new therapies has emerged as a promising strategy for the treatment of POI. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can self-renew indefinitely and differentiate into any type of cell. Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) as a type of pluripotent stem cells are the most powerful candidate for the treatment of POI. Human-induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs) are derived from adult somatic cells by the treatment with exogenous defined factors to create an embryonic-like pluripotent state. Both hiPSCs and hESCs can proliferate and give rise to ectodermal, mesodermal, endodermal, and germ cell lineages. After ovarian stimulation, the number of available oocytes is limited and the yield of total oocytes with high quality is low. Therefore, a robust and reproducible in-vitro culture system that supports the differentiation of human oocytes from PSCs is necessary. Very few studies have focused on the derivation of oocyte-like cells from hiPSCs and the details of hPSCs differentiation into oocytes have not been fully investigated. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the differentiation potential of hPSCs into human oocyte-like cells.


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