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Neural rosettes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been claimed to be a highly robust in vitro cellular model for biomedical application. They are able to propagate in vitro in the presence of mitogens,including basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). However,these two mitogens are also involved in anterior-posterior patterning in a gradient dependent manner along the neural tube axis. Here,we compared the regional identity of neural rosette cells and specific neural subtypes of their progeny propagated with low and high concentrations of bFGF and EGF. We observed that low concentrations of bFGF and EGF in the culturing system were able to induce forebrain identity of the neural rosettes and promote subsequent cortical neuronal differentiation. On the contrary,high concentrations of these mitogens stimulate a mid-hindbrain fate of the neural rosettes,resulting in subsequent cholinergic neuron differentiation. Thus,our results indicate that different concentrations of bFGF and EGF supplemented during propagation of neural rosettes are involved in altering the identity of the resultant neural cells. View Publication

Vascularization of engineered human skin constructs is crucial for recapitulation of systemic drug delivery and for their long-term survival,functionality,and viable engraftment. In this study,the latest microfabrication techniques are used and a novel bioengineering approach is established to micropattern spatially controlled and perfusable vascular networks in 3D human skin equivalents using both primary and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived endothelial cells. Using 3D printing technology makes it possible to control the geometry of the micropatterned vascular networks. It is verified that vascularized human skin equivalents (vHSEs) can form a robust epidermis and establish an endothelial barrier function,which allows for the recapitulation of both topical and systemic delivery of drugs. In addition,the therapeutic potential of vHSEs for cutaneous wounds on immunodeficient mice is examined and it is demonstrated that vHSEs can both promote and guide neovascularization during wound healing. Overall,this innovative bioengineering approach can enable in vitro evaluation of topical and systemic drug delivery as well as improve the potential of engineered skin constructs to be used as a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of cutaneous wounds. View Publication

The high proliferation rate of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is thought to arise partly from very low expression of p21. However,how p21 is suppressed in ESCs has been unclear. We found that p53 binds to the p21 promoter in human ESCs (hESCs) as efficiently as in differentiated human mesenchymal stem cells,however it does not promote p21 transcription in hESCs. We observed an enrichment for both the repressive histone H3K27me3 and activating histone H3K4me3 chromatin marks at the p21 locus in hESCs,suggesting it is a suppressed,bivalent domain which overrides activation by p53. Reducing H3K27me3 methylation in hESCs rescued p21 expression,and ectopic expression of p21 in hESCs triggered their differentiation. Further,we uncovered a subset of bivalent promoters bound by p53 in hESCs that are similarly induced upon differentiation in a p53-dependent manner,whereas p53 promotes the transcription of other target genes which do not show an enrichment of H3K27me3 in ESCs. Our studies reveal a unique epigenetic strategy used by ESCs to poise undesired p53 target genes,thus balancing the maintenance of pluripotency in the undifferentiated state with a robust response to differentiation signals,while utilizing p53 activity to maintain genomic stability and homeostasis in ESCs. View Publication

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have the ability to differentiate in any specialized somatic cell type,which makes them an attractive tool for a wide variety of scientific approaches,including regenerative medicine. However,their pluripotent state and their growth in compact colonies render them difficult to access and,therefore,restrict delivery of specific agents for cell manipulation. Thus,our investigation focus was set on the evaluation of the capability of Layer-by-Layer (LbL) designed microcarriers to serve as a potential drug delivery system to iPSCs,as they offer several appealing advantages. Most notably,these carriers allow for the transport of active agents in a protected environment and for a rather specific delivery through surface modifications. As we could show,charge and mode of LbL carrier application as well as the size of the iPSC colonies determine the interaction with and the uptake rate by iPSCs. None of the examined conditions had an influence on iPSC colony properties such as colony morphology and size or maintenance of pluripotent properties. An overall interaction rate of LbL carriers with iPSCs of up to 20 % was achieved. Those data emphasize the applicability of LbL carriers for stem cell research. Additionally,the potential use of LbL carriers as a promising delivery tool for iPSCs was contrasted to viral particles and liposomes. The identified differences among those delivery tools have substantiated our major conclusion that LbL carrier uptake rate is influenced by characteristic features of the iPSC colonies (most notably colony size) in addition to their surface charges. View Publication

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be derived from various types of somatic cells by transient overexpression of 4 Yamanaka factors (OCT4,SOX2,C-MYC,and KLF4). Patient-specific iPSC derivatives (e.g.,neuronal,cardiac,hepatic,muscular,and endothelial cells [ECs]) hold great promise in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. In this study,we aimed to evaluate whether the cellular origin can affect the differentiation,in vivo behavior,and single-cell gene expression signatures of human iPSC-derived ECs. We derived human iPSCs from 3 types of somatic cells of the same individuals: fibroblasts (FB-iPSCs),ECs (EC-iPSCs),and cardiac progenitor cells (CPC-iPSCs). We then differentiated them into ECs by sequential administration of Activin,BMP4,bFGF,and VEGF. EC-iPSCs at early passage (10 textless P textless 20) showed higher EC differentiation propensity and gene expression of EC-specific markers (PECAM1 and NOS3) than FB-iPSCs and CPC-iPSCs. In vivo transplanted EC-iPSC-ECs were recovered with a higher percentage of CD31(+) population and expressed higher EC-specific gene expression markers (PECAM1,KDR,and ICAM) as revealed by microfluidic single-cell quantitative PCR (qPCR). In vitro EC-iPSC-ECs maintained a higher CD31(+) population than FB-iPSC-ECs and CPC-iPSC-ECs with long-term culturing and passaging. These results indicate that cellular origin may influence lineage differentiation propensity of human iPSCs; hence,the somatic memory carried by early passage iPSCs should be carefully considered before clinical translation. View Publication

Photoreceptor degeneration due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a primary cause of inherited retinal blindness. Photoreceptor cell-replacement may hold the potential for repair in a completely degenerate retina by reinstating light sensitive cells to form connections that relay information to downstream retinal layers. This study assessed the therapeutic potential of photoreceptor progenitors derived from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (ESCs and iPSCs) using a protocol that is suitable for future clinical trials. ESCs and iPSCs were cultured in four specific stages under defined conditions,resulting in generation of a near-homogeneous population of photoreceptor-like progenitors. Following transplantation into mice with end-stage retinal degeneration,these cells differentiated into photoreceptors and formed a cell layer connected with host retinal neurons. Visual function was partially restored in treated animals,as evidenced by two visual behavioral tests. Furthermore,the magnitude of functional improvement was positively correlated with the number of engrafted cells. Similar efficacy was observed using either ESCs or iPSCs as source material. These data validate the potential of human pluripotent stem cells for photoreceptor replacement therapies aimed at photoreceptor regeneration in retinal disease. View Publication

Pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a potential renewable cell source for regenerative medicine and drug testing. To obtain adequate cell numbers for these applications,there is a need to develop scalable cell culture platforms to propagate hESCs. In this study,we encapsulated hESCs in calcium alginate microfibers as single cells,for expansion and differentiation under chemically defined conditions. hESCs were suspended in 1% (w/v) alginate solution at high cell density (textgreater10(7) cells/mL) and extruded at 5 m/min into a low calcium concentration bath (10 mM) for gelation. Mild citrate buffer (2.5 mM),which did not affect hESCs viability,was used to release the cells from the calcium alginate hydrogel. Encapsulation as single cells was critical,as this allowed the hESCs to grow in the form of relatively small and uniform aggregates. This alginate microfiber system allowed for expansion of an hESC line,HUES7,for up to five passages while maintaining pluripotency. Immunohistochemistry,polymerase chain reaction,and other analyses showed that passage 5 (P5) HUES7 cells expressed proteins and genes characteristic of pluripotent stem cells,possessed normal karyotype,and were able to form representative tissues of the three embryonic germ layers in vitro and in vivo. Encapsulated HUES7 cells at P5 could also be induced to directly differentiate into liver-like cells. Collectively,our experiments show that the alginate microfiber system can be used as a three-dimensional cell culture platform for long-term expansion and differentiation of hESCs under defined conditions. View Publication

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-releasing interneurons play an important modulatory role in the cortex and have been implicated in multiple neurological disorders. Patient-derived interneurons could provide a foundation for studying the pathogenesis of these diseases as well as for identifying potential therapeutic targets. Here,we identified a set of genetic factors that could robustly induce human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into GABAergic neurons (iGNs) with high efficiency. We demonstrated that the human iGNs express neurochemical markers and exhibit mature electrophysiological properties within 6-8 weeks. Furthermore,in vitro,iGNs could form functional synapses with other iGNs or with human-induced glutamatergic neurons (iENs). Upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice,human iGNs underwent synaptic maturation and integration into host neural circuits. Taken together,our rapid and highly efficient single-step protocol to generate iGNs may be useful to both mechanistic and translational studies of human interneurons. View Publication

Various scalable three-dimensional culture systems for regenerative medicine using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been developed to date. However,stable production of hiPSCs with homogeneous qualities still remains a challenge. Here,we describe a novel and simple embryoid body (EB) formation system using unique microfabricated culture vessels. Furthermore,this culture system is useful for high throughput EB formation and rapid generation of differentiated cells such as neural stem cells (NSCs) from hiPSCs. The period of NSC differentiation was significantly shortened under high EB density culture conditions. Simultaneous mass production of a pure population of NSCs was possible within 4 days. These results indicate that the novel culture system might not only become a unique tool to obtain new insights into developmental biology based on human stem cells,but also provide an important tractable platform for efficient and stable production of NSCs for clinical applications. View Publication

The emerging models of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) self-organizing organoids provide a valuable in vitro platform for studying self-organizing processes that presumably mimic in vivo human developmental events. Here we report that through a chemical screen,we identified two novel and structurally similar small molecules BIR1 and BIR2 which robustly induced the self-organization of a balloon-shaped three-dimensional structure when applied to two-dimensional adherent hESC cultures in the absence of growth factors. Gene expression analyses and functional assays demonstrated an endothelial identity of this balloon-like structure,while cell surface marker analyses revealed a VE-cadherin+CD31+CD34+KDR+CD43???putative endothelial progenitor population. Furthermore,molecular marker labeling and morphological examinations characterized several other distinct DiI-Ac-LDL+multi-cellular modules and a VEGFR3+sprouting structure in the balloon cultures that likely represented intermediate structures of balloon-formation. View Publication

Cardiovascular progenitor cells (CPCs) expressing the ISL1-LIM-homeodomain transcription factor contribute developmentally to cardiomyocytes in all 4 chambers of the heart. Here,we show that ISL1-CPCs can be applied to myocardial regeneration following injury. We used a rapid 3D methylcellulose approach to form murine and human ISL1-CPC spheroids that engrafted after myocardial infarction in murine hearts,where they differentiated into cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells,integrating into the myocardium and forming new blood vessels. ISL1-CPC spheroid-treated mice exhibited reduced infarct area and increased blood vessel formation compared with control animals. Moreover,left ventricular (LV) contractile function was significantly better in mice transplanted with ISL1-CPCs 4 weeks after injury than that in control animals. These results provide proof-of-concept of a cardiac repair strategy employing ISL1-CPCs that,based on our previous lineage-tracing studies,are committed to forming heart tissue,in combination with a robust methylcellulose spheroid-based delivery approach. View Publication

The ability to rationally target disease-causing mutations has been made possible with programmable nucleases with the CRISPR/Cas9 system representing a facile platform for individualized gene-based medicine. In this study we employed footprint free reprogramming of fibroblasts from a patient with mutations to the Fanconi anemia I (FANCI) gene to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). This process was accomplished without gene complementation and the resultant iPSC were able to be gene corrected in a robust manner using the Cas9 nickase. The self-renewing iPSC that were maintained under feeder free conditions were differentiated into cells with characteristics of definitive hematopoiesis. This defined and highly efficient procedure employed small molecule modulation of the hematopoietic differentiation pathway and a vascular induction technique to generate hematopoietic progenitors. In sum,our results demonstrate the ability to induce patient derived FA cells to pluripotency for patient specific therapeutic cell derivation. View Publication