scholarly journals Fetal lung underdevelopment is rescued by administration of amniotic fluid stem cell extracellular vesicles in rodents

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (590) ◽  
pp. eaax5941
Author(s):  
Lina Antounians ◽  
Vincenzo D. Catania ◽  
Louise Montalva ◽  
Benjamin D. Liu ◽  
Huayun Hou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Pulmonary Hypoplasia ◽  
Fetal Lung ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Lung Growth ◽  
Regenerative Ability

Fetal lung underdevelopment, also known as pulmonary hypoplasia, is characterized by decreased lung growth and maturation. The most common birth defect found in babies with pulmonary hypoplasia is congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Despite research and clinical advances, babies with CDH still have high morbidity and mortality rates, which are directly related to the severity of lung underdevelopment. To date, there is no effective treatment that promotes fetal lung growth and maturation. Here, we describe a stem cell–based approach in rodents that enhances fetal lung development via the administration of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs). Using fetal rodent models of pulmonary hypoplasia (primary epithelial cells, organoids, explants, and in vivo), we demonstrated that AFSC-EV administration promoted branching morphogenesis and alveolarization, rescued tissue homeostasis, and stimulated epithelial cell and fibroblast differentiation. We confirmed this regenerative ability in in vitro models of lung injury using human material, where human AFSC-EVs obtained following good manufacturing practices restored pulmonary epithelial homeostasis. Investigating EV mechanism of action, we found that AFSC-EV beneficial effects were exerted via the release of RNA cargo. MicroRNAs regulating the expression of genes involved in lung development, such as the miR17–92 cluster and its paralogs, were highly enriched in AFSC-EVs and were increased in AFSC-EV–treated primary lung epithelial cells compared to untreated cells. Our findings suggest that AFSC-EVs hold regenerative ability for underdeveloped fetal lungs, demonstrating potential for therapeutic application in patients with pulmonary hypoplasia.

scholarly journals Impaired Fetal Lung Development can be Rescued by Administration of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Antounians ◽  
Vincenzo D. Catania ◽  
Louise Montalva ◽  
Benjamin D. Liu ◽  
Huayun Hou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Pulmonary Hypoplasia ◽  
Fetal Lung ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells ◽  
Fetal Lung Development ◽  
Regenerative Ability

AbstractIncomplete lung development, also known as pulmonary hypoplasia, is a recognized cause of neonatal death and poor outcome for survivors. To date, there is no effective treatment that promotes fetal lung growth and maturation. Herein, we describe a novel stem cell-based approach that enhances fetal lung development via the administration of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs). In experimental models of pulmonary hypoplasia, administration of AFSC-EVs promoted lung branching morphogenesis and alveolarization, and stimulated pulmonary epithelial cell and fibroblast differentiation. This regenerative ability was confirmed in two models of injured human lung cells, where human AFSC-EVs obtained following good manufacturing practices restored pulmonary epithelial homeostasis. AFSC-EV beneficial effects were exerted via the release of RNA cargo, primarily miRNAs, that regulate the expression of genes involved in fetal lung development. Our findings suggest that AFSC-EVs hold regenerative ability for underdeveloped fetal lungs, demonstrating potential for therapeutic application.One Sentence SummaryFetal lung regeneration via administration of extracellular vesicles derived from amniotic fluid stem cells

scholarly journals Autophagy is impaired in fetal hypoplastic lungs and rescued by administration of amniotic fluid stem cell extracellular vesicles

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasra Khalaj ◽  
Lina Antounians ◽  
Rebeca Lopes Figueira ◽  
Martin Post ◽  
Augusto Zani
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Pulmonary Hypoplasia ◽  
Fetal Lung ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Lung Epithelial Cells ◽  
Normal Lung ◽  
Amniotic Fluid Stem Cell ◽  
Human Fetal Lung

Rationale: Pulmonary hypoplasia secondary to congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is characterized by reduced branching morphogenesis, which is responsible for poor clinical outcomes. Administration of amniotic fluid stem cell extracellular vesicles (AFSC-EVs) rescues branching morphogenesis in rodent fetal models of pulmonary hypoplasia. Herein, we hypothesized that AFSC-EVs exert their regenerative potential by affecting autophagy, a process required for normal lung development. Objectives: To evaluate autophagy in hypoplastic lungs throughout gestation and establish whether AFSC-EV administration improves branching morphogenesis through autophagy-mediated mechanisms. Methods: EVs were isolated from c-kit+ AFSC conditioned medium by ultracentrifugation and characterized for size, morphology, and EV markers. Branching morphogenesis was inhibited in rat fetuses by nitrofen administration to dams and in human fetal lung explants by blocking RAC1 activity with NSC23766. Expression of autophagy activators (BECN1 and ATG5) and adaptor (SQSTM1/p62) was analyzed in vitro (rat and human fetal lung explants) and in vivo (rat fetal lungs). Mechanistic studies on rat fetal primary lung epithelial cells were conducted using inhibitors for microRNA-17 and -20a contained in the AFSC-EV cargo and known to regulate autophagy. Measurements and Main Results: Rat and human models of fetal pulmonary hypoplasia showed reduced autophagy mainly at pseudoglandular and canalicular stages. AFSC-EV administration restored autophagy in both pulmonary hypoplasia models by transferring miR-17~92 cluster members contained in the EV cargo. Conclusions: AFSC-EV treatment rescues branching morphogenesis partly by restoring autophagy through miRNA cargo transfer. This study enhances our understanding of pulmonary hypoplasia pathogenesis and creates new opportunities for fetal therapeutic intervention in CDH babies.

scholarly journals Amniotic fluid stem cell extracellular vesicles promote fetal lung branching and cell differentiation in experimental congenital diaphragmatic hernia

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasra Khalaj ◽  
Rebeca Lopes Figueira ◽  
Lina Antounians ◽  
Sree Gandhi ◽  
Matthew Wales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Diaphragmatic Hernia ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Pulmonary Hypoplasia ◽  
Fetal Lung ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Beta Catenin

Pulmonary hypoplasia secondary to congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is characterized by impaired branching morphogenesis and differentiation. We have previously demonstrated that administration of extracellular vesicles derived from rat amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSC-EVs) rescues development of hypoplastic lungs at the pseudoglandular and alveolar stages in rodent models of CDH. Herein, we tested whether AFSC-EVs exert their regenerative effects at the canalicular and saccular stages, as these are translationally relevant for clinical intervention. To induce fetal pulmonary hypoplasia, we gavaged rat dams with nitrofen at embryonic day 9.5 and demonstrated that nitrofen-exposed lungs had impaired branching morphogenesis, dysregulated signaling pathways relevant to lung development (FGF10/FGFR2, ROBO/SLIT, Ephrin, Neuropilin 1, beta-catenin) and impaired epithelial and mesenchymal cell marker expression at both stages. AFSC-EVs administered to nitrofen-exposed lung explants rescued airspace density and increased the expression levels of key factors responsible for branching morphogenesis. Moreover, AFSC-EVs rescued the expression of alveolar type 1 and 2 cell markers at both canalicular and saccular stages, and restored markers of club, ciliated epithelial, and pulmonary neuroendocrine cells at the saccular stage. AFSC-EV treated lungs also had restored markers of lipofibroblasts and PDGFRA+ cells to control levels at both stages. EV tracking showed uptake of AFSC-EV RNA cargo throughout the fetal lung and an mRNA-miRNA network analysis identified that several miRNAs responsible for regulating lung development processes were contained in the AFSC-EV cargo. These findings suggest that AFSC-EV based therapies hold potential for restoring fetal lung growth and maturation in babies with pulmonary hypoplasia secondary to CDH.

scholarly journals STATs in Lung Development: Distinct Early and Late Expression, Growth Modulation and Signaling Dysregulation in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina Piairo ◽  
Rute S. Moura ◽  
Maria João Baptista ◽  
Jorge Correia-Pinto ◽  
Cristina Nogueira-Silva
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia ◽  
Diaphragmatic Hernia ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Pulmonary Hypoplasia ◽  
Fetal Lung ◽  
Developmental Expression ◽  
Lung Growth ◽  
Growth Modulation ◽  
Late Expression

Background: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a life-threatening developmental anomaly, intrinsically combining severe pulmonary hypoplasia and hypertension. During development, signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) are utilized to elicit cell growth, differentiation, and survival. Methods: We used the nitrofen-induced CDH rat model. At selected gestational time points, lungs were divided into two experimental groups, i.e., control or CDH. We performed immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis to investigate the developmental expression profile of the complete family of STATs (STAT1-6), plus specific STATs activation (p-STAT3, p-STAT6) and regulation by SOCS (SOCS3) in normal lungs against those of diseased lungs. The normal fetal lung explants were treated with piceatannol (STAT3 inhibitor) in vitro followed by morphometrical analysis. Results: Molecular profiling of STATs during the lung development revealed distinct early and late expression signatures. Experimental CDH altered the STATs expression, activation, and regulation in the fetal lungs. In particular, STAT3 and STAT6 were persistently over-expressed and early over-activated. Piceatannol treatment dose-dependently stimulated the fetal lung growth. Conclusion: These findings suggest that STATs play an important role during normal fetal lung development and CDH pathogenesis. Moreover, functionally targeting STAT signaling modulates fetal lung growth, which highlights that STAT3 and STAT6 signaling might be promising therapeutic targets in reducing or preventing pulmonary hypoplasia in CDH.

scholarly journals In vitro models of fetal lung development to enhance research into congenital lung diseases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soichi Shibuya ◽  
Jessica Allen-Hyttinen ◽  
Paolo De Coppi ◽  
Federica Michielin
Keyword(s):  
Lung Development ◽  
Lung Diseases ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Fetal Lung ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Normal Lung ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Pseudoglandular Stage

Abstract Purpose This paper aims to build upon previous work to definitively establish in vitro models of murine pseudoglandular stage lung development. These can be easily translated to human fetal lung samples to allow the investigation of lung development in physiologic and pathologic conditions. Methods Lungs were harvested from mouse embryos at E12.5 and cultured in three different settings, i.e., whole lung culture, mesenchyme-free epithelium culture, and organoid culture. For the whole lung culture, extracted lungs were embedded in Matrigel and incubated on permeable filters. Separately, distal epithelial tips were isolated by firstly removing mesothelial and mesenchymal cells, and then severing the tips from the airway tubes. These were then cultured either in branch-promoting or self-renewing conditions. Results Cultured whole lungs underwent branching morphogenesis similarly to native lungs. Real-time qPCR analysis demonstrated expression of key genes essential for lung bud formation. The culture condition for epithelial tips was optimized by testing different concentrations of FGF10 and CHIR99021 and evaluating branching formation. The epithelial rudiments in self-renewing conditions formed spherical 3D structures with homogeneous Sox9 expression. Conclusion We report efficient protocols for ex vivo culture systems of pseudoglandular stage mouse embryonic lungs. These models can be applied to human samples and could be useful to paediatric surgeons to investigate normal lung development, understand the pathogenesis of congenital lung diseases, and explore novel therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals The Regenerative Potential of Amniotic Fluid Stem Cell Extracellular Vesicles: Lessons Learned by Comparing Different Isolation Techniques

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Antounians ◽  
Areti Tzanetakis ◽  
Ornella Pellerito ◽  
Vincenzo D. Catania ◽  
Adrienne Sulistyo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Isolation Techniques ◽  
Amniotic Fluid Stem Cell

scholarly journals Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans are required for lung growth and morphogenesis in vitro

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (6) ◽  
pp. L1323-L1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Shannon ◽  
Kathleen McCormick-Shannon ◽  
Michael S. Burhans ◽  
Xiaofei Shangguan ◽  
Kalpana Srivastava ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chondroitin Sulfate ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Sodium Chlorate ◽  
Surfactant Protein ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Clara Cell ◽  
Normal Lung ◽  
Lung Growth ◽  
Isolated Lung

Proteoglycans (PGs) have been shown to play a key role in the development of many tissues. We have investigated the role of sulfated PGs in early rat lung development by treating cultured tissues with 30 mM sodium chlorate, a global inhibitor of PG sulfation. Chlorate treatment disrupted growth and branching of embryonic day 13 lung explants. Isolated lung epithelium (LgE) migrated toward and invaded lung mesenchyme (LgM), and chlorate irreversibly suppressed this response. Chlorate also inhibited migration of LgE toward beads soaked in FGF10. Chlorate severely decreased branching morphogenesis in tissue recombinants consisting of LgM plus either LgE or tracheal epithelium (TrE) and decreased expression of surfactant protein C gene ( SP-C). Chlorate also reduced bone morphogenetic protein-4 expression in cultured tips and recombinants but had no effect on the expression of clara cell 10-kDa protein ( CC10), sonic hedgehog ( Shh), FGF10, and FGF receptor 2IIIb. Chlorate reduced the growth of LgE in mesenchyme-free culture but did not affect SP-C expression. In contrast, chlorate inhibited both rudiment growth and the induction of SP-C in mesenchyme-free cultured TrE. Treatment of lung tips and tissue recombinants with chondroitinase ABC abolished branching morphogenesis. Chondroitinase also suppressed growth of TrE in mesenchyme-free culture. Chondroitinase treatment, however, had no effect on the induction of SP-C expression in any of these cultures. These results demonstrate the overall importance of sulfated PGs to normal lung development and demonstrate a dynamic role for chondroitin sulfate PGs in embryonic lung growth and morphogenesis.

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