技术资料

Loss-of-function studies are fundamental for dissecting gene function. Yet,methods to rapidly and effectively perturb genes in mammalian cells,and particularly in stem cells,are scarce. Here we present a system for simultaneous conditional regulation of two different proteins in the same mammalian cell. This system harnesses the plant auxin and jasmonate hormone-induced degradation pathways,and is deliverable with only two lentiviral vectors. It combines RNAi-mediated silencing of two endogenous proteins with the expression of two exogenous proteins whose degradation is induced by external ligands in a rapid,reversible,titratable and independent manner. By engineering molecular tuners for NANOG,CHK1,p53 and NOTCH1 in mammalian stem cells,we have validated the applicability of the system and demonstrated its potential to unravel complex biological processes. View Publication

Directed differentiation of stem cells offers a scalable solution to the need for human cell models recapitulating islet biology and T2D pathogenesis. We profiled mRNA expression at 6 stages of an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) model of endocrine pancreas development from 2 donors,and characterized the distinct transcriptomic profiles associated with each stage. Established regulators of endodermal lineage commitment,such as SOX17 (log2 fold change [FC] compared to iPSCs = 14.2,p-value = 4.9 × 10(-5)) and the pancreatic agenesis gene GATA6 (log2 FC = 12.1,p-value = 8.6 × 10(-5)),showed transcriptional variation consistent with their known developmental roles. However,these analyses highlighted many other genes with stage-specific expression patterns,some of which may be novel drivers or markers of islet development. For example,the leptin receptor gene,LEPR,was most highly expressed in published data from in vivo-matured cells compared to our endocrine pancreas-like cells (log2 FC = 5.5,p-value = 2.0 × 10(-12)),suggesting a role for the leptin pathway in the maturation process. Endocrine pancreas-like cells showed significant stage-selective expression of adult islet genes,including INS,ABCC8,and GLP1R,and enrichment of relevant GO-terms (e.g. insulin secretion"; odds ratio = 4.2� View Publication

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) syndrome is caused by mutation of the gene ACVR1,encoding a constitutive active bone morphogenetic protein type I receptor (also called ALK2) to induce heterotopic ossification in the patient. To genetically correct it,we attempted to generate the mutant ALK2-iPSCs (mALK2-iPSCs) from FOP-human dermal fibroblasts. However,the mALK2 leads to inhibitory pluripotency maintenance,or impaired clonogenic potential after single-cell dissociation as an inevitable step,which applies gene-correction tools to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Thus,current iPSC-based gene therapy approach reveals a limitation that is not readily applicable to iPSCs with ALK2 mutation. Here we developed a simplified one-step procedure by simultaneously introducing reprogramming and gene-editing components into human fibroblasts derived from patient with FOP syndrome,and genetically treated it. The mixtures of reprogramming and gene-editing components are composed of reprogramming episomal vectors,CRISPR/Cas9-expressing vectors and single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide harboring normal base to correct ALK2 c.617GtextgreaterA. The one-step-mediated ALK2 gene-corrected iPSCs restored global gene expression pattern,as well as mineralization to the extent of normal iPSCs. This procedure not only helps save time,labor and costs but also opens up a new paradigm that is beyond the current application of gene-editing methodologies,which is hampered by inhibitory pluripotency-maintenance requirements,or vulnerability of single-cell-dissociated iPSCs. View Publication

BACKGROUND Recently,accumulating evidence has shown that exosomes,the naturally secreted nanocarriers of cells,can exert therapeutic effects in various disease models in the absence of parent cells. However,application of exosomes in bone defect repair and regeneration has been rarely reported,and little is known regarding their underlying mechanisms. METHODS Exosomes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hiPS-MSC-Exos) were combined with tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) to repair critical-sized calvarial bone defects,and the efficacy was assessed by histological examination. We evaluated the in vitro effects of hiPSC-MSC-Exos on the proliferation,migration,and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) by cell-counting,scratch assays,and qRT-PCR,respectively. Gene expression profiling and bioinformatics analyses were also used to identify the underlying mechanisms in the repair. RESULTS We found that the exosome/β-TCP combination scaffolds could enhance osteogenesis as compared to pure β-TCP scaffolds. In vitro assays showed that the exosomes could release from β-TCP and could be internalized by hBMSCs. In addition,the internalization of exosomes into hBMSCs could profoundly enhance the proliferation,migration,and osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Furthermore,gene expression profiling and bioinformatics analyses demonstrated that exosome/β-TCP combination scaffolds significantly altered the expression of a network of genes involved in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Functional studies further confirmed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was the critical mediator during the exosome-induced osteogenic responses of hBMSCs. CONCLUSIONS We propose that the exosomes can enhance the osteoinductivity of β-TCP through activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway of hBMSCs,which means that the exosome/β-TCP combination scaffolds possess better osteogenesis activity than pure β-TCP scaffolds. These results indicate that naturally secreted nanocarriers-exosomes can be used as a bioactive material to improve the bioactivity of the biomaterials,and that hiPS-MSC-Exos combined with β-TCP scaffolds can be potentially used for repairing bone defects. View Publication

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and other tauopathies characterized by focal brain neurodegeneration and pathological accumulation of proteins are commonly associated with tau mutations. However,the mechanism of neuronal loss is not fully understood. To identify molecular events associated with tauopathy,we studied induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons from individuals carrying the tau-A152T variant. We highlight the potential of in-depth phenotyping of human neuronal cell models for pre-clinical studies and identification of modulators of endogenous tau toxicity. Through a panel of biochemical and cellular assays,A152T neurons showed accumulation,redistribution,and decreased solubility of tau. Upregulation of tau was coupled to enhanced stress-inducible markers and cell vulnerability to proteotoxic,excitotoxic,and mitochondrial stressors,which was rescued upon CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeting of tau or by pharmacological activation of autophagy. Our findings unmask tau-mediated perturbations of specific pathways associated with neuronal vulnerability,revealing potential early disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets for FTD and other tauopathies. View Publication

Various systems for differentiating hematopoietic cells from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have been developed,although none have been fully optimized. In this report,we describe the development of a novel three-dimensional system for differentiating hematopoietic cells from PSCs using collagen sponges (CSs) reinforced with poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers as a scaffold. PSCs seeded onto CSs were differentiated in a stepwise manner with appropriate cytokines under serum-free and feeder-free conditions. This process yielded several lineages of floating hematopoietic cells repeatedly for more than 1 month. On immunohistochemical staining,we detected CD34+ cells and CD45+ cells in the surface and cavities of the CS. Taking advantage of the portability of this system,we were able to culture multiple CSs together floating in medium,making it possible to harvest large numbers of hematopoietic cells repeatedly. Given these findings,we suggest that this novel three-dimensional culture system may be useful in the large-scale culture of PSC-derived hematopoietic cells. View Publication

Utilizing a fast 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) 2-dimensional chemical shift imaging (2D-CSI) method,this study examined the heterogeneity of creatine kinase (CK) forward flux rate of hearts with postinfarction left ventricular (LV) remodeling. Immunosuppressed Yorkshire pigs were assigned to 4 groups: 1) A sham-operated normal group (SHAM,n = 6); 2) A 60 minutes distal left anterior descending coronary artery ligation and reperfusion (MI,n = 6); 3) Open patch group; ligation injury plus open fibrin patch over the site of injury (Patch,n = 6); and 4) Cell group,hiPSCs-cardiomyocytes,-endothelial cells,and -smooth muscle cells (2 million,each) were injected into the injured myocardium pass through a fibrin patch (Cell+Patch,n = 5). At 4 weeks,the creatine phosphate (PCr)/ATP ratio,CK forward flux rate (Flux PCr→ATP),and k constant of CK forward flux rate (kPCr→ATP) were severely decreased at border zone myocardium (BZ) adjacent to MI. Cell treatment results in significantly increase of PCr/ATP ratio and improve the value of kPCr→ATP and Flux PCr→ATP in BZ myocardium. Moreover,the BZ myocardial CK total activity and protein expression of CK mitochondria isozyme and CK myocardial isozyme were significantly reduced,but recovered in response to cell treatment. Thus,cell therapy results in improvement of BZ bioenergetic abnormality in hearts with postinfarction LV remodeling,which is accompanied by significantly improvements in BZ CK activity and CK isozyme expression. The fast 2D 31P MR CSI mapping can reliably measure the heterogeneity of bioenergetics in hearts with post infarction LV remodeling. View Publication

The hepatic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) holds great potential for application in regenerative medicine,pharmacological drug screening,and toxicity testing. However,full maturation of hiPSC into functional hepatocytes has not yet been achieved. In this study,we investigated the potential of a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) hollow fiber membrane bioreactor technology to improve the hepatic differentiation of hiPSC in comparison to static two-dimensional (2D) cultures. A total of 100 × 10(6) hiPSC were seeded into each 3D bioreactor (n = 3). Differentiation into definitive endoderm (DE) was induced by adding activin A,Wnt3a,and sodium butyrate to the culture medium. For further maturation,hepatocyte growth factor and oncostatin M were added. The same differentiation protocol was applied to hiPSC maintained in 2D cultures. Secretion of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP),a marker for DE,was significantly (p textless 0.05) higher in 2D cultures,while secretion of albumin,a typical characteristic for mature hepatocytes,was higher after hepatic differentiation of hiPSC in 3D bioreactors. Functional analysis of multiple cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes showed activity of CYP1A2,CYP2B6,and CYP3A4 in both groups,although at a lower level compared to primary human hepatocytes (PHH). CYP2B6 activities were significantly (p textless 0.05) higher in 3D bioreactors compared with 2D cultures,which is in line with results from gene expression. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the majority of cells was positive for albumin,cytokeratin 18 (CK18),and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-alpha (HNF4A) at the end of the differentiation process. In addition,cytokeratin 19 (CK19) staining revealed the formation of bile duct-like structures in 3D bioreactors similar to native liver tissue. The results indicate a better maturation of hiPSC in the 3D bioreactor system compared to 2D cultures and emphasize the potential of dynamic 3D culture systems in stem cell differentiation approaches for improved formation of differentiated tissue structures. View Publication

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hiPSC-MSCs),dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and bone marrow MSCs (hBMSCs) are exciting cell sources in regenerative medicine. However,there has been no report comparing hDPSCs,hBMSCs and hiPSC-MSCs for bone engineering in an injectable calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffold. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a novel injectable CPC containing hydrogel fibers encapsulating stem cells for bone engineering,and (2) compare cell viability,proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs,hiPSC-MSCs from bone marrow (BM-hiPSC-MSCs) and from foreskin (FS-hiPSC-MSCs),and hBMSCs in CPC for the first time. The results showed that the injection did not harm cell viability. The porosity of injectable CPC was 62%. All four types of cells proliferated and differentiated down the osteogenic lineage inside hydrogel fibers in CPC. hDPSCs,BM-hiPSC-MSCs,and hBMSCs exhibited high alkaline phosphatase,runt-related transcription factor,collagen I,and osteocalcin gene expressions. Cell-synthesized minerals increased with time (ptextless0.05),with no significant difference among hDPSCs,BM-hiPSC-MSCs and hBMSCs (ptextgreater0.1). Mineralization by hDPSCs,BM-hiPSC-MSCs,and hBMSCs inside CPC at 14d was 14-fold that at 1d. FS-hiPSC-MSCs were inferior in osteogenic differentiation compared to the other cells. In conclusion,hDPSCs,BM-hiPSC-MSCs and hBMSCs are similarly and highly promising for bone tissue engineering; however,FS-hiPSC-MSCs were relatively inferior in osteogenesis. The novel injectable CPC with cell-encapsulating hydrogel fibers may enhance bone regeneration in dental,craniofacial and orthopedic applications. View Publication

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is the most common autosomal recessive ataxia. This severe neurodegenerative disease is caused by an expansion of guanine-adenine-adenine (GAA) repeats located in the first intron of the frataxin (FXN) gene,which represses its transcription. Although transcriptional silencing is associated with heterochromatin-like changes in the vicinity of the expanded GAAs,the exact mechanism and pathways involved in transcriptional inhibition are largely unknown. As major remodeling of the epigenome is associated with somatic cell reprogramming,modulating chromatin modification pathways during the cellular transition from a somatic to a pluripotent state is likely to generate permanent changes to the epigenetic landscape. We hypothesize that the epigenetic modifications in the vicinity of the GAA repeats can be reversed by pharmacological modulation during somatic cell reprogramming. We reprogrammed FRDA fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in the presence of various small molecules that target DNA methylation and histone acetylation and methylation. Treatment of FRDA iPSCs with two compounds,sodium butyrate (NaB) and Parnate,led to an increase in FXN expression and correction of repressive marks at the FXN locus,which persisted for several passages. However,prolonged culture of the epigenetically modified FRDA iPSCs led to progressive expansions of the GAA repeats and a corresponding decrease in FXN expression. Furthermore,we uncovered that differentiation of these iPSCs into neurons also results in resilencing of the FXN gene. Taken together,these results demonstrate that transcriptional repression caused by long GAA repeat tracts can be partially or transiently reversed by altering particular epigenetic modifications,thus revealing possibilities for detailed analyses of silencing mechanism and development of new therapeutic approaches for FRDA. View Publication

Treatment of acute liver failure by cell transplantation is hindered by a shortage of human hepatocytes. Current protocols for hepatic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) result in low yields,cellular heterogeneity,and limited scalability. In the present study,we have developed a novel multicellular spheroid-based hepatic differentiation protocol starting from embryoid bodies of hiPSCs (hiPSC-EBs) for robust mass production of human hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) using two novel inhibitors of the Wnt pathway. The resultant hiPSC-EB-HLCs expressed liver-specific genes,secreted hepatic proteins such as Albumin,Alpha Fetoprotein,and Fibrinogen,metabolized ammonia,and displayed cytochrome P450 activities and functional activities typical of mature primary hepatocytes,such as LDL storage and uptake,ICG uptake and release,and glycogen storage. Cell transplantation of hiPSC-EB-HLC in a rat model of acute liver failure significantly prolonged the mean survival time and resolved the liver injury when compared to the no-transplantation control animals. The transplanted hiPSC-EB-HLCs secreted human albumin into the host plasma throughout the examination period (2 weeks). Transplantation successfully bridged the animals through the critical period for survival after acute liver failure,providing promising clues of integration and full in vivo functionality of these cells after treatment with WIF-1 and DKK-1. View Publication

A progressive increase in MECP2 protein levels is a crucial and precisely regulated event during neurodevelopment,but the underlying mechanism is unclear. We report that MECP2 is regulated post-transcriptionally during in vitro differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into cortical neurons. Using reporters to identify functional RNA sequences in the MECP2 3' UTR and genetic manipulations to explore the role of interacting factors on endogenous MECP2,we discover combinatorial mechanisms that regulate RNA stability and translation. The RNA-binding protein PUM1 and pluripotent-specific microRNAs destabilize the long MECP2 3' UTR in hESCs. Hence,the 3' UTR appears to lengthen during differentiation as the long isoform becomes stable in neurons. Meanwhile,translation of MECP2 is repressed by TIA1 in hESCs until HuC predominates in neurons,resulting in a switch to translational enhancement. Ultimately,3' UTR-directed translational fine-tuning differentially modulates MECP2 protein in the two cell types to levels appropriate for normal neurodevelopment. View Publication