scholarly journals hPSC-Derived Enteric Ganglioids Model Human ENS Development and Function

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Homa Majd ◽  
Ryan M Samuel ◽  
Jonathan T Ramirez ◽  
Ali Kalantari ◽  
Kevin Barber ◽  
...  

The enteric nervous system (ENS) plays a central role in gut physiology and mediating the crosstalk between the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and other organs. The human ENS has remained elusive, highlighting the need for an in vitro modeling and mapping blueprint. Here we map out the developmental and functional features of the human ENS, by establishing robust and scalable 2D ENS cultures and 3D enteric ganglioids from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). These models recapitulate the remarkable neuronal and glial diversity found in primary tissue and enable comprehensive molecular analyses that uncover functional and developmental relationships within these lineages. As a salient example of the power of this system, we performed in-depth characterization of enteric nitrergic neurons (NO neurons) which are implicated in a wide range of GI motility disorders. We conducted an unbiased screen and identified drug candidates that modulate the activity of NO neurons and demonstrated their potential in promoting motility in mouse colonic tissue ex vivo. We established a high-throughput strategy to define the developmental programs involved in NO neuron specification and discovered that PDGFR inhibition boosts the induction of NO neurons in enteric ganglioids. Transplantation of these ganglioids in the colon of NO neuron-deficient mice results in extensive tissue engraftment, providing a xenograft model for the study of human ENS in vivo and the development of cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative GI disorders. These studies provide a framework for deciphering fundamental features of the human ENS and designing effective strategies to treat enteric neuropathies.  

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 159
Author(s):  
Tina Schönberger ◽  
Joachim Fandrey ◽  
Katrin Prost-Fingerle

Hypoxia is a key characteristic of tumor tissue. Cancer cells adapt to low oxygen by activating hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), ensuring their survival and continued growth despite this hostile environment. Therefore, the inhibition of HIFs and their target genes is a promising and emerging field of cancer research. Several drug candidates target protein–protein interactions or transcription mechanisms of the HIF pathway in order to interfere with activation of this pathway, which is deregulated in a wide range of solid and liquid cancers. Although some inhibitors are already in clinical trials, open questions remain with respect to their modes of action. New imaging technologies using luminescent and fluorescent methods or nanobodies to complement widely used approaches such as chromatin immunoprecipitation may help to answer some of these questions. In this review, we aim to summarize current inhibitor classes targeting the HIF pathway and to provide an overview of in vitro and in vivo techniques that could improve the understanding of inhibitor mechanisms. Unravelling the distinct principles regarding how inhibitors work is an indispensable step for efficient clinical applications and safety of anticancer compounds.


Leukemia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1743-1751 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Hipp ◽  
Y-T Tai ◽  
D Blanset ◽  
P Deegen ◽  
J Wahl ◽  
...  

Abstract B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is a highly plasma cell-selective protein that is expressed on malignant plasma cells of multiple myeloma (MM) patients and therefore is an ideal target for T-cell redirecting therapies. We developed a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) targeting BCMA and CD3ɛ (BI 836909) and studied its therapeutic impacts on MM. BI 836909 induced selective lysis of BCMA-positive MM cells, activation of T cells, release of cytokines and T-cell proliferation; whereas BCMA-negative cells were not affected. Activity of BI 836909 was not influenced by the presence of bone marrow stromal cells, soluble BCMA or a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL). In ex vivo assays, BI 836909 induced potent autologous MM cell lysis in both, newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory patient samples. In mouse xenograft studies, BI 836909 induced tumor cell depletion in a subcutaneous NCI-H929 xenograft model and prolonged survival in an orthotopic L-363 xenograft model. In a cynomolgus monkey study, administration of BI 836909 led to depletion of BCMA-positive plasma cells in the bone marrow. Taken together, these results show that BI 836909 is a highly potent and efficacious approach to selectively deplete BCMA-positive MM cells and represents a novel immunotherapeutic for the treatment of MM.


2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (1) ◽  
pp. H71-H79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maggie M. Kuo ◽  
Dae Hee Kim ◽  
Sandeep Jandu ◽  
Yehudit Bergman ◽  
Siqi Tan ◽  
...  

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has emerged as an important gasotransmitter in the vasculature. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that H2S contributes to coronary vasoregulation and evaluated the physiological relevance of two sources of H2S, namely, cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) and 3-mercaptypyruvate sulfertransferase (MPST). MPST was detected in human coronary artery endothelial cells as well as rat and mouse coronary artery; CSE was not detected in the coronary vasculature. Rat coronary artery homogenates produced H2S through the MPST pathway but not the CSE pathway in vitro. In vivo coronary vasorelaxation response was similar in CSE knockout mice, wild-type mice (WT), and WT mice treated with the CSE inhibitor propargylglycine, suggesting that CSE-produced H2S does not have a significant role in coronary vasoregulation in vivo. Ex vivo, the MPST substrate 3-mercaptopyruvate (3-MP) and H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) elicited similar coronary vasoreactivity responses. Pyruvate did not have any effects on vasoreactivity. The vasoactive effect of H2S appeared to be nitric oxide (NO) dependent: H2S induced coronary vasoconstriction in the presence of NO and vasorelaxation in its absence. Maximal endothelial-dependent relaxation was intact after 3-MP and NaHS induced an increase in preconstriction tone, suggesting that endothelial NO synthase activity was not significantly inhibited. In vitro, H2S reacted with NO, which may, in part explain the vasoconstrictive effects of 3-MP and NaHS. Taken together, these data show that MPST rather than CSE generates H2S in coronary artery, mediating its effects through direct modulation of NO. This has important implications for H2S-based therapy in healthy and diseased coronary arteries.


2007 ◽  
Vol 204 (13) ◽  
pp. 3103-3111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian G. Petrich ◽  
Patrizia Marchese ◽  
Zaverio M. Ruggeri ◽  
Saskia Spiess ◽  
Rachel A.M. Weichert ◽  
...  

Integrins are critical for hemostasis and thrombosis because they mediate both platelet adhesion and aggregation. Talin is an integrin-binding cytoplasmic adaptor that is a central organizer of focal adhesions, and loss of talin phenocopies integrin deletion in Drosophila. Here, we have examined the role of talin in mammalian integrin function in vivo by selectively disrupting the talin1 gene in mouse platelet precursor megakaryocytes. Talin null megakaryocytes produced circulating platelets that exhibited normal morphology yet manifested profoundly impaired hemostatic function. Specifically, platelet-specific deletion of talin1 led to spontaneous hemorrhage and pathological bleeding. Ex vivo and in vitro studies revealed that loss of talin1 resulted in dramatically impaired integrin αIIbβ3-mediated platelet aggregation and β1 integrin–mediated platelet adhesion. Furthermore, loss of talin1 strongly inhibited the activation of platelet β1 and β3 integrins in response to platelet agonists. These data establish that platelet talin plays a crucial role in hemostasis and provide the first proof that talin is required for the activation and function of mammalian α2β1 and αIIbβ3 integrins in vivo.


2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Ożarowski ◽  
Radosław Kujawski ◽  
Przemysław Ł. Mikołajczak ◽  
Karolina Wielgus ◽  
Andrzej Klejewski ◽  
...  

Summary Flavonoids and their conjugates are the most important group of natural chemical compounds in drug discovery and development. The search for pharmacological activity and new mechanisms of activity of these chemical compounds, which may inhibit mediators of inflammation and influence the structure and function of endothelial cells, can be an interesting pharmacological strategy for the prevention and adjunctive treatments of hypertension, especially induced by pregnancy. Because cardiovascular diseases have multi-factorial pathogenesis these natural chemical compounds with wide spectrum of biological activities are the most interesting source of new drugs. Extracts from one of the most popular plant used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi could be a very interesting source of flavonoids because of its exact content in quercetin, apigenin, chrysin and scutellarin as well as in baicalin. These flavonoids exert vasoprotective properties and many activities such as: anti-oxidative via several pathways, anti-in-flammatory, anti-ischaemic, cardioprotective and anti-hypertensive. However, there is lack of summaries of results of studies in context of potential and future application of flavonoids with determined composition and activity. Our review aims to provide a literature survey of in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo pharmacological studies of selected flavonoids (apigenin, chrysin and scutellarin, baicalin) in various models of hypertension carried out in 2008–2018.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. N. Parayath ◽  
S. B. Stephan ◽  
A. L. Koehne ◽  
P. S. Nelson ◽  
M. T. Stephan

AbstractEngineering chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) or T cell receptors (TCR) helps create disease-specific T cells for targeted therapy, but the cost and rigor associated with manufacturing engineered T cells ex vivo can be prohibitive, so programing T cells in vivo may be a viable alternative. Here we report an injectable nanocarrier that delivers in vitro-transcribed (IVT) CAR or TCR mRNA for transiently reprograming of circulating T cells to recognize disease-relevant antigens. In mouse models of human leukemia, prostate cancer and hepatitis B-induced hepatocellular carcinoma, repeated infusions of these polymer nanocarriers induce sufficient host T cells expressing tumor-specific CARs or virus-specific TCRs to cause disease regression at levels similar to bolus infusions of ex vivo engineered lymphocytes. Given their ease of manufacturing, distribution and administration, these nanocarriers, and the associated platforms, could become a therapeutic for a wide range of diseases.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuko Kobayashi ◽  
Takanori Sasaki ◽  
Fumiaki Takenaka ◽  
Hiromasa Yakushiji ◽  
Yoshihiro Fujii ◽  
...  

Mesothelin (MSLN) is a 40-kDa cell differentiation-associated glycoprotein appearing with carcinogenesis and is highly expressed in many human cancers, including the majority of pancreatic adenocarcinomas, ovarian cancers, and mesotheliomas, while its expression in normal tissue is limited to mesothelial cells lining the pleura, pericardium, and peritoneum. Clone 11-25 is a murine hybridoma secreting monoclonal antibody (mAb) against human MSLN. In this study, we applied the 11-25 mAb toin vivoimaging to detect MSLN-expressing tumors. Inin vitroandex vivoimmunochemical studies, we demonstrated specificity of 11-25 mAb to membranous MSLN expressed on several pancreatic cancer cells. We showed the accumulation of Alexa Fluor 750-labeled 11-25 mAb in MSLN-expressing tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice. Then, 11-25 mAb was labeled with64Cu via a chelating agent DOTA and was used in bothin vitrocell binding assay andin vivopositron emission tomography (PET) imaging in the tumor-bearing mice. We confirmed that64Cu-labeled 11-25 mAb highly accumulated in MSLN-expressing tumors as compared to MSLN-negative ones. The64Cu-labeled 11-25 mAb is potentially useful as a PET probe capable of being used for wide range of tumors, rather than18F-FDG that occasionally provides nonspecific accumulation into the inflammatory lesions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Mattke ◽  
Srividya Vasu ◽  
Carly M. Darden ◽  
Kenjiro Kumano ◽  
Michael C. Lawrence ◽  
...  

Exosomes are known for their ability to transport nucleic acid, lipid, and protein molecules, which allows for communication between cells and tissues. The cargo of the exosomes can have a variety of effects on a wide range of targets to mediate biological function. Pancreatic islet transplantation is a minimally invasive cell replacement therapy to prevent or reverse diabetes mellitus and is currently performed in patients with uncontrolled type 1 diabetes or chronic pancreatitis. Exosomes have become a focus in the field of islet transplantation for the study of diagnostic markers of islet cell viability and function. A growing list of miRNAs identified from exosomes collected during the process of isolating islets can be used as diagnostic biomarkers of islet stress and damage, leading to a better understanding of critical steps of the isolation procedure that can be improved to increase islet yield and quality. Exosomes have also been implicated as a possible contributor to islet graft rejection following transplantation, as they carry donor major histocompatibility complex molecules, which are then processed by recipient antigen-presenting cells and sensed by the recipient immune cells. Exosomes may find their way into the therapeutic realm of islet transplantation, as exosomes isolated from mesenchymal stem cells have shown promising results in early studies that have seen increased viability and functionality of isolated and grafted islets in vitro as well as in vivo. With the study of exosomes still in its infancy, continued research on the role of exosomes in islet transplantation will be paramount to understanding beta cell regeneration and improving long-term graft function.


Development ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (22) ◽  
pp. dev193920
Author(s):  
Susie Barbeau ◽  
Julie Tahraoui-Bories ◽  
Claire Legay ◽  
Cécile Martinat

ABSTRACTThe neuromuscular junction (NMJ) has been the model of choice to understand the principles of communication at chemical synapses. Following groundbreaking experiments carried out over 60 years ago, many studies have focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and physiology of these synapses. This Review summarizes the progress made to date towards obtaining faithful models of NMJs in vitro. We provide a historical approach discussing initial experiments investigating NMJ development and function from Xenopus to mice, the creation of chimeric co-cultures, in vivo approaches and co-culture methods from ex vivo and in vitro derived cells, as well as the most recent developments to generate human NMJs. We discuss the benefits of these techniques and the challenges to be addressed in the future for promoting our understanding of development and human disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Li ◽  
Clifford Pereira ◽  
Elise Eleanor Hill ◽  
Olivia Vukcevich ◽  
Aijun Wang

: Peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) frequently occur secondary to traumatic injuries. Recovery from these injuries can be expectedly poor, especially in proximal injuries. In order to study and improve peripheral nerve regeneration, scientists rely on peripheral nerve models to identify and test therapeutic interventions. In this review, we discuss the best described and most commonly used peripheral nerve models that scientists have and continue to use to study peripheral nerve physiology and function.


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