搜索结果: 'methocult media formulations for human hematopoietic cells serum containing'

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Teratogenic substances induce adverse effects during the development of the embryo. Multilineage differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) mimics the development of the embryo in vitro. Here,we propose a transcriptomic approach in hESCs for monitoring specific toxic effects of compounds as an alternative to traditional time-consuming and cost-intensive in vivo tests requiring large numbers of animals. This study was undertaken to explore the adverse effects of cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) on randomly differentiated hESCs.backslashnbackslashnEXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Human embryonic stem cells were used to investigate the effects of a developmental toxicant Ara-C. Sublethal concentrations of Ara-C were given for two time points,day 7 and day 14 during the differentiation. Gene expression was assessed with microarrays to determine the dysregulated transcripts in presence of Ara-C.backslashnbackslashnKEY RESULTS: Randomly differentiated hESCs were able to generate the multilineage markers. The low concentration of Ara-C (1 nM) induced the ectoderm and inhibited the mesoderm at day 14. The induction of ectodermal markers such as MAP2,TUBB III,PAX6,TH and NESTIN was observed with an inhibition of mesodermal markers such as HAND2,PITX2,GATA5,MYL4,TNNT2,COL1A1 and COL1A2. In addition,no induction of apoptosis was observed. Gene ontology revealed unique dysregulated biological process related to neuronal differentiation and mesoderm development. Pathway analysis showed the axon guidance pathway to be dysregulated.backslashnbackslashnCONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our results suggest that hESCs in combination with toxicogenomics offer a sensitive in vitro developmental toxicity model as an alternative to traditional animal experiments. View Publication

The lipophilic statin lovastatin decreases cholesterol synthesis and is a safe and effective treatment for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Growing evidence points at antitumor potential of lovastatin. Therefore,understanding the molecular mechanism of lovastatin function in different cell types is critical to effective therapy design. In this study,we investigated the effects of lovastatin on the differentiation potential of human embryonic stem (hES) cells (H9 cell line). Multiparameter flow cytometric assay was used to detect changes in the expression of transcription factors characteristic of hES cells. We found that lovastatin treatment delayed NANOG downregulation during ectodermal and endodermal differentiation. Likewise,expression of ectodermal (SOX1 and OTX2) and endodermal (GATA4 and FOXA2) markers was higher in treated cells. Exposure of hES cells to lovastatin led to a minor decrease in the expression of SSEA-3 and a significant reduction in CD133 expression. Treated cells also formed fewer embryoid bodies than control cells. By analyzing hES with and without CD133,we discovered that CD133 expression is required for proper formation of embryoid bodies. In conclusion,lovastatin reduced the heterogeneity of hES cells and impaired their differentiation potential. View Publication

Pluripotent stem cells display significant heterogeneity in gene expression,but whether this diversity is an inherent feature of the pluripotent state remains unknown. Single-cell gene expression analysis in cell subsets defined by surface antigen expression revealed that human embryonic stem cell cultures exist as a continuum of cell states,even under defined conditions that drive self-renewal. The majority of the population expressed canonical pluripotency transcription factors and could differentiate into derivatives of all three germ layers. A minority subpopulation of cells displayed high self-renewal capacity,consistently high transcripts for all pluripotency-related genes studied,and no lineage priming. This subpopulation was characterized by its expression of a particular set of intercellular signaling molecules whose genes shared common regulatory features. Our data support a model of an inherently metastable self-renewing population that gives rise to a continuum of intermediate pluripotent states,which ultimately become primed for lineage specification. ?? 2014 The Authors. View Publication

Various strategies have been published enabling cardiomyocyte differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. However the complex nature of signaling pathways involved as well as line-to-line variability compromises the application of a particular protocol to robustly obtain cardiomyocytes from multiple iPS lines. Hence it is necessary to identify optimized protocols with alternative combinations of specific growth factors and small molecules to enhance the robustness of cardiac differentiation. Here we focus on systematic modulation of BMP and WNT signaling to enhance cardiac differentiation. Moreover,we improve the efficacy of cardiac differentiation by enrichment via lactate. Using our protocol we show efficient derivation of cardiomyocytes from multiple human iPS lines. In particular we demonstrate cardiomyocyte differentiation within 15 days with an efficiency of up to 95 % as judged by flow cytometry staining against cardiac troponin T. Cardiomyocytes derived were functionally validated by alpha-actinin staining,transmission electron microscopy as well as electrophysiological analysis. We expect our protocol to provide a robust basis for scale-up production of functional iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes that can be used for cell replacement therapy and disease modeling. View Publication

The Mesenchymal-to-Epithelial Transition (MET) has been recognized as a crucial step for successful reprogramming of fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Thus,it has been demonstrated,that the efficiency of reprogramming can be enhanced by promoting an epithelial expression program in cells,with a concomitant repression of key mesenchymal genes. However,a detailed characterization of the epithelial transition associated with the acquisition of a pluripotent phenotype is still lacking to this date. Here,we integrate a panel of morphological approaches with gene expression analyses to visualize the dynamics of episomal reprogramming of human fibroblasts to iPSCs. We provide the first ultrastructural analysis of human fibroblasts at various stages of episomal iPSC reprogramming,as well as the first real-time live cell visualization of a MET occurring during reprogramming. The results indicate that the MET manifests itself approximately 6-12. days after electroporation,in synchrony with the upregulation of early pluripotency markers,and resembles a reversal of the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) which takes place during mammalian gastrulation. View Publication

Recurrent chromosomal alterations have been repeatedly reported in cultured human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The effects of these alterations on the capability of pluripotent cells to differentiate and on growth potential of their specific differentiated derivatives remain unclear. Here,we report that the hESC lines HUES-7 and -9 carrying multiple chromosomal alterations produce in vitro mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that show progressive growth arrest and enter senescence after 15 and 16 passages,respectively. There was no difference in their proliferative potential when compared with bone marrow-derived MSCs. Array comparative genomic hybridization analysis (aCGH) of hESCs and their mesenchymal derivatives revealed no significant differences in chromosomal alterations,suggesting that genetically altered hESCs are not selected out during differentiation. Our findings indicate that genetically unstable hESCs maintain their capacity to differentiate in vitro into MSCs,which exhibit an in vitro growth pattern of normal MSCs and not that of transformed cells. View Publication

Transplantation of human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) into the brain or spinal cord to replace lost cells,modulate the injury environment,or create a permissive milieu to protect and regenerate host neurons is a promising therapeutic strategy for neurological diseases. Deriving NPCs from human fetal tissue is feasible,although problematic issues include limited sources and ethical concerns. Here we describe a new and abundant source of NPCs derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). A novel chopping technique was used to transform adherent iPSCs into free-floating spheres that were easy to maintain and were expandable (EZ spheres) (Ebert et al. [2013] Stem Cell Res 10:417–427). These EZ spheres could be differentiated towards NPC spheres with a spinal cord phenotype using a combination of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) mitogens. Suspension cultures of NPCs derived from human iPSCs or fetal tissue have similar characteristics,although they were not similar when grown as adherent cells. In addition,iPSC-derived NPCs (iNPCs) survived grafting into the spinal cord of athymic nude rats with no signs of overgrowth and with a very similar profile to human fetal-derived NPCs (fNPCs). These results suggest that human iNPCs behave like fNPCs and could thus be a valuable alternative for cellular regenerative therapies of neurological diseases. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:2707–2728,2014. textcopyright 2014 Wiley Periodicals,Inc. View Publication

Targeted delivery of siRNA controlled by near-infrared light using hollow gold nanoshells has been demonstrated in cancer and stem cells models. Here,a universal surface module and several functionalization rules for the maximized delivery of short nucleic acids (here,siRNA) applicable for diverse gold nanocarriers are described. Streptavidin is devised as a handle to assemble biotinylated cell penetrating peptides (e.g.,transactivating transcriptional activator (TAT)),as well as an insulator between the positive charge of TAT and the dense negative charge of RNA. However,direct linking of streptavidin to functional siRNA inhibits its silencing activity. The approach then involves the orthogonal assembly of two types of RNA strands: one with biotin modification for cell targeting and penetration (scaffold RNA); the other without biotin as functional RNA (i.e.,siRNA). Initially,flexible single-stranded RNA is used for dense surface-packing,followed by hybridization with the complementary RNA strand to maximize the assembly of the targeting peptide for cellular uptake and siRNA delivery. This orthogonal approach for the delivery of short oligonucleotides,together with novel surface functionalization rules discovered here,should enable the use of these materials for nanomedicinal research and applications. View Publication

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used extensively as anti-microbial agents in various products,but little is known about their potential neurotoxic effects. In this study,we used glutamatergic neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells as a cellular model to study 20nm citrate-coated AgNPs (AgSCs) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated AgNPs (AgSPs) induced neurotoxicity. AgSCs significantly damaged neurite outgrowths; increased the production of reactive oxygen species and Ca(2+) influxes; reduced the expression of MAP2,PSD95,vGlut1 and NMDA receptor proteins at concentrations as low as 0.1μg/ml. In contrast,AgSPs exhibited neurotoxicity only at higher concentration. Furthermore,our results showed that AgSCs induced glutamate excitotoxicity by the activation of calmodulin and the induction of nitric oxide synthase; increased the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 α/β at Tyr(216) and Tau at Ser(396) and reduced the expression of Tau46,which are typically observed in Alzheimer's disease. This study indicated that stem cells can provide an excellent platform for studying nanoparticle induced neurotoxicity. View Publication

Mutations in Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are strongly associated with familial Parkinson's disease (PD). High expression levels in immune cells suggest a role of LRRK2 in regulating the immune system. In this study,we investigated the effect of the LRRK2 (G2019S) mutation in monocytes,using a human stem cell-derived model expressing LRRK2 at endogenous levels. We discovered alterations in the differentiation pattern of LRRK2 mutant,compared to non-mutant isogenic controls,leading to accelerated monocyte production and a reduction in the non-classical CD14+CD16+ monocyte subpopulation in the LRRK2 mutant cells. LPS-treatment of the iPSC-derived monocytes significantly increased the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines,demonstrating a functional response without revealing any significant differences between the genotypes. Assessment of the migrational capacity of the differentiated monocytes revealed moderate deficits in LRRK2 mutant cells,compared to their respective controls. Our findings indicate a pivotal role of LRRK2 in hematopoietic fate decision,endorsing the involvement of the immune system in the development of PD. View Publication

Gain of 20q11.21 is a chromosomal abnormality that is recurrently found in human pluripotent stem cells and cancers,strongly suggesting that this mutation confers a proliferative or survival advantage to these cells. In this work we studied three human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines that acquired a gain of 20q11.21 during in vitro culture. The study of the mRNA gene expression levels of the loci located in the common region of duplication showed that HM13,ID1,BCL2L1,KIF3B and the immature form of the micro-RNA miR-1825 were up-regulated in mutant cells. ID1 and BCL2L1 were further studied as potential drivers of the phenotype of hESC with a 20q11.21 gain. We found no increase in the protein levels of ID1,nor the downstream effects expected from over-expression of this gene. On the other hand,hESC with a gain of 20q11.21 had on average a 3-fold increase of Bcl-xL (the anti-apoptotic isoform of BCL2L1) protein levels. The mutant hESC underwent 2- to 3-fold less apoptosis upon loss of cell-to-cell contact and were ∼2-fold more efficient in forming colonies from a single cell. The key role of BCL2L1 in this mutation was further confirmed by transgenic over-expression of BCL2L1 in the wild-type cells,leading to apoptosis-resistant cells,and BCL2L1-knock-down in the mutant hESC,resulting in a restoration of the wild-type phenotype. This resistance to apoptosis supposes a significant advantage for the mutant cells,explaining the high frequency of gains of 20q11.21 in human pluripotent stem cells. View Publication

Astrocytes are instrumental to major brain functions,including metabolic support,extracellular ion regulation,the shaping of excitatory signaling events and maintenance of synaptic glutamate homeostasis. Astrocyte dysfunction contributes to numerous developmental,psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. The generation of adult human fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has provided novel opportunities to study mechanisms of astrocyte dysfunction in human-derived cells. To overcome the difficulties of cell type heterogeneity during the differentiation process from iPSCs to astroglial cells (iPS astrocytes),we generated homogenous populations of iPS astrocytes using zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN) technology. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) driven by the astrocyte-specific glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter was inserted into the safe harbor adeno-associated virus integration site 1 (AAVS1) locus in disease and control-derived iPSCs. Astrocyte populations were enriched using Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) and after enrichment more than 99% of iPS astrocytes expressed mature astrocyte markers including GFAP,S100$\$,NFIA and ALDH1L1. In addition,mature pure GFP-iPS astrocytes exhibited a well-described functional astrocytic activity in vitro characterized by neuron-dependent regulation of glutamate transporters to regulate extracellular glutamate concentrations. Engraftment of GFP-iPS astrocytes into rat spinal cord grey matter confirmed in vivo cell survival and continued astrocytic maturation. In conclusion,the generation of GFAP::GFP-iPS astrocytes provides a powerful in vitro and in vivo tool for studying astrocyte biology and astrocyte-driven disease pathogenesis and therapy. View Publication