技术资料

$\$-Thalassemia ($\$-Thal) is a group of life-threatening blood disorders caused by either point mutations or deletions of nucleotides in $\$-globin gene (HBB). It is estimated that 4.5% of the population in the world carry $\$-Thal mutants (1),posing a persistent threat to public health. The generation of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and subsequent correction of the disease-causing mutations offer an ideal therapeutic solution to this problem. However,homologous recombination-based gene correction in human iPSCs remains largely inefficient. Here,we describe a robust process combining efficient generation of integration-free $\$-Thal iPSCs from the cells of patients and transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-based universal correction of HBB mutations in situ. We generated integration-free and gene-corrected iPSC lines from two patients carrying different types of homozygous mutations and showed that these iPSCs are pluripotent and have normal karyotype. We showed that the correction process did not generate TALEN-induced off targeting mutations by sequencing. More importantly,the gene-corrected $\$-Thal iPS cell lines from each patient can be induced to differentiate into hematopoietic progenitor cells and then further to erythroblasts expressing normal $\$-globin. Our studies provide an efficient and universal strategy to correct different types of $\$-globin mutations in $\$-Thal iPSCs for disease modeling and applications. View Publication

We describe here the effects of three drugs that are either approved or have the potential for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) patients through the in vitro activities of human natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells (DCs). Our results indicate that 1,25(OH)2D3,the biologically active metabolite of vitamin D3,calcipotriol and FTY720 augment IL-2-activated NK cell lysis of K562 and RAJI tumor cell lines as well as immature (i) and mature (m) DCs,with variable efficacies. These results are corroborated with the ability of the drugs to up-regulate the expression of NK cytotoxicity receptors NKp30 and NKp44,as well as NKG2D on the surfaces of NK cells. Also,they down-regulate the expression of the killer inhibitory receptor CD158. The three drugs down-regulate the expression of CCR6 on the surface of iDCs,whereas vitamin D3 and calcipotriol tend to up-regulate the expression of CCR7 on mDCs,suggesting that they may influence the migration of DCs into the lymph nodes. Finally,vitamin D3,calcipotriol and FTY720 enhance NK17/NK1 cell lysis of K562 cells,suggesting that a possible mechanism of action for these drugs is via activating these newly described cells. In conclusion,our results show novel mechanisms of action for vitamin D3,calcipotriol and FTY720 on cells of the innate immune system. View Publication

Metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is incurable for most patients. Since mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been suggested as a crucial modulator of tumor biology,we aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of mTOR targeting for CRC therapy. To this purpose,we analyzed mTOR expression and the effect of mTOR inhibition in cancer stem-like cells isolated from three human metastatic CRCs (CoCSCs). CoCSCs exhibited a strong mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2) expression,and a rare expression of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1). This latter correlated with differentiation,being expressed in CoCSC-derived xenografts. We indicate Serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) as the possible main mTORC2 effector in CoCSCs,as highlighted by the negative effect on cancer properties following its knockdown. mTOR inhibitors affected CoCSCs differently,resulting in proliferation,autophagy as well as apoptosis induction. The apoptosis-inducing mTOR inhibitor Torin-1 hindered growth,motility,invasion,and survival of CoCSCs in vitro,and suppressed tumor growth in vivo with a concomitant reduction in vessel formation. Torin-1 also affected the expression of markers for cell proliferation,angio-/lympho-genesis,and stemness in vivo,including Ki67,DLL1,DLL4,Notch,Lgr5,and CD44. Importantly,Torin-1 did not affect the survival of normal colon stem cells in vivo,suggesting its selectivity towards cancer cells. Thus,we propose Torin-1 as a powerful drug candidate for metastatic CRC therapy. View Publication

The extensive molecular characterization of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs),human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is required before they can be applied in the future for personalized medicine and drug discovery. Despite the efforts that have been made with kinome analyses,we still lack in-depth insights into the molecular signatures of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that are related to pluripotency. Here,we present the first detailed and distinct repertoire of RTK characteristic for hPSC pluripotency by determining both the expression and phosphorylation profiles of RTKs in hESCs and hiPSCs using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers that target conserved tyrosine kinase domains and phospho-RTK array,respectively. Among the RTKs tested,the up-regulation of EPHA1,ERBB2,FGFR4 and VEGFR2 and the down-regulation of AXL,EPHA4,PDGFRB and TYRO3 in terms of both their expression and phosphorylation levels were predominantly related to the maintenance of hPSC pluripotency. Notably,the specific inhibition of AXL was significantly advantageous in maintaining undifferentiated hESCs and hiPSCs and for the overall efficiency and kinetics of hiPSC generation. Additionally,a global phosphoproteomic analysis showed that ∼30% of the proteins (293 of 970 phosphoproteins) showed differential phosphorylation upon AXL inhibition in undifferentiated hPSCs,revealing the potential contribution of AXL-mediated phosphorylation dynamics to pluripotency-related signaling networks. Our findings provide a novel molecular signature of AXL in pluripotency control that will complement existing pluripotency-kinome networks. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs),including human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells,are promising for numerous biomedical applications,such as cell replacement therapies,tissue and whole-organ engineering,and high-throughput pharmacology and toxicology screening. Each of these applications requires large numbers of cells of high quality; however,the scalable expansion and differentiation of hPSCs,especially for clinical utilization,remains a challenge. We report a simple,defined,efficient,scalable,and good manufacturing practice-compatible 3D culture system for hPSC expansion and differentiation. It employs a thermoresponsive hydrogel that combines easy manipulation and completely defined conditions,free of any human- or animal-derived factors,and entailing only recombinant protein factors. Under an optimized protocol,the 3D system enables long-term,serial expansion of multiple hPSCs lines with a high expansion rate (∼20-fold per 5-d passage,for a 1072-fold expansion over 280 d),yield (∼2.0 × 107 cells per mL of hydrogel),and purity (∼95% Oct4+),even with single-cell inoculation,all of which offer considerable advantages relative to current approaches. Moreover,the system enabled 3D directed differentiation of hPSCs into multiple lineages,including dopaminergic neuron progenitors with a yield of ∼8 × 107 dopaminergic progenitors per mL of hydrogel and ∼80-fold expansion by the end of a 15-d derivation. This versatile system may be useful at numerous scales,from basic biological investigation to clinical development. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have the potential for unlimited expansion and differentiation into cell types of all three germ layers. Cryopreservation is a key process for successful application of hPSCs. However,the current conventional method leads to poor recovery of hPSCs after thawing. Here,we demonstrate a highly efficient recovery method for hPSC cryopreservation by slow freezing and single-cell dissociation. After confirming hPSC survivability after freeze-thawing,we found that hPSCs that were freeze-thawed as colonies showed markedly decreased survival,whereas freeze-thawed single hPSCs retained the majority of their viability. These observations indicated that hPSCs should be cryopreserved as single cells. Freeze-thawed single hPSCs efficiently adhered and survived in the absence of a ROCK inhibitor by optimization of the seeding density. The high recovery rate enabled conventional colony passaging for subculture within 3 days post-thawing. The improved method was also adapted to a xeno-free culture system. Moreover,the cell recovery postcryopreservation was highly supported by coating culture surfaces with human laminin-521 that promotes adhesion of dissociated single hPSCs. This simplified but highly efficient cryopreservation method allows easy handling of cells and bulk storage of high-quality hPSCs. View Publication

An immunohistological study in the human breast and the rodent breast (from inbred Ludwig/Wistar/Olac rats) was conducted with the use of a murine monoclonal antibody,which reacts with the common acute lymphoblastic antigen,a glycosylated polypeptide of a molecular weight of 100,000. The epitope,as recognized by this antibody,is expressed on myoepithelial cells of the normal human and rat breasts and was studied in the developing rodent mammary gland. Ultrastructural studies in the normal human breast clearly demonstrated the presence of the antigen on the lateral membrane of the myoepithelial cells with no staining of luminal cells,blood vessels,or stromal elements. The antigen survived prolonged enzymatic digestion of human breast tissue and could be demonstrated on myoepithelial cells in single-cell suspensions of human breast where it stained approximately 3-14% of the total cell population. The presence of this antigen on myoepithelial cells is discussed in the context of myoepithelial differentiation in the breast and the potential utility of the antibodies for cell separation. View Publication

Cancer-initiating cells (CICs) that are responsible for tumor initiation,propagation,and resistance to standard therapies have been isolated from human solid tumors,including colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to obtain an immunological profile of CRC-derived CICs and to identify CIC-associated target molecules for T cell immunotherapy. We have isolated cells with CIC properties along with their putative non-CIC autologous counterparts from human primary CRC tissues. These CICs have been shown to display tumor-initiating/stemness" properties� View Publication

The cyclooxygenase pathway is strongly implicated in breast cancer progression but the role of this pathway in the biology of breast cancer stem/progenitor cells has not been defined. Recent attention has focused on targeting the cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) pathway downstream of the COX-2 enzyme by blocking the activities of individual prostaglandin E (EP) receptors. Prostaglandin E receptor 4 (EP4) is widely expressed in primary invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast and antagonizing this receptor with small molecule inhibitors or shRNA directed to EP4 inhibits metastatic potential in both syngeneic and xenograft models. Breast cancer stem/progenitor cells are defined as a subpopulation of cells that drive tumor growth,metastasis,treatment resistance,and relapse. Mammosphere-forming breast cancer cells of human (MDA-MB-231,SKBR3) or murine (66.1,410.4) origin of basal-type,Her-2 phenotype and/or with heightened metastatic capacity upregulate expression of both EP4 and COX-2 and are more tumorigenic compared to the bulk population. In contrast,luminal-type or non-metastatic counterparts (MCF7,410,67) do not increase COX-2 and EP4 expression in mammosphere culture. Treatment of mammosphere-forming cells with EP4 inhibitors (RQ-15986,AH23848,Frondoside A) or EP4 gene silencing,but not with a COX inhibitor (Indomethacin) reduces both mammosphere-forming capacity and the expression of phenotypic markers (CD44(hi)/CD24(low),aldehyde dehydrogenase) of breast cancer stem cells. Finally,an orally delivered EP4 antagonist (RQ-08) reduces the tumor-initiating capacity and markedly inhibits both the size of tumors arising from transplantation of mammosphere-forming cells and phenotypic markers of stem cells in vivo. These studies support the continued investigation of EP4 as a potential therapeutic target and provide new insight regarding the role of EP4 in supporting a breast cancer stem cell/tumor-initiating phenotype. View Publication

Realization of the full potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in clinical applications requires development of well-defined conditions for their growth and differentiation. A novel fully defined polyvinyl alcohol/hyaluronan (PVA/HA) polysaccharide nanofiber was developed for hiPSCs culture in commercially available xeno-free,chemically defined medium. Vitronectin peptide (VP) was immobilized to PVA/HA nanofibers through NHS/EDC chemistry. The hiPSCs successfully grew and proliferated on the VP-decorated PVA/HA nanofibers,similar to those on MatrigelTM. Such well-defined,xeno-free and safe nanofiber substrate that supports culture of hiPSCs will not only help to accelerate the translational perspectives of hiPSCs,but also provide a platform to investigate the cell-nanofiber interaction mechanisms that regulate stem cell proliferation and differentiation. ?? 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. View Publication

A systematic evaluation of three different methods for generating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells was performed using the same set of parental cells in our quest to develop a feeder independent and xeno-free method for somatic cell reprogramming that could be transferred into a GMP environment. When using the BJ fibroblast cell line,the highest reprogramming efficiency (1.89% of starting cells) was observed with the mRNA based method which was almost 20 fold higher than that observed with the retrovirus (0.2%) and episomal plasmid (0.10%) methods. Standard characterisation tests did not reveal any differences in an array of pluripotency markers between the iPS lines derived using the various methods. However,when the same methods were used to reprogram three different primary fibroblasts lines,two derived from patients with rapid onset parkinsonism dystonia and one from an elderly healthy volunteer,we consistently observed higher reprogramming efficiencies with the episomal plasmid method,which was 4 fold higher when compared to the retroviral method and over 50 fold higher than the mRNA method. Additionally,with the plasmid reprogramming protocol,recombinant vitronectin and synthemax® could be used together with commercially available,fully defined,xeno-free essential 8 medium without significantly impacting the reprogramming efficiency. To demonstrate the robustness of this protocol,we reprogrammed a further 2 primary patient cell lines,one with retinosa pigmentosa and the other with Parkinsons disease. We believe that we have optimised a simple and reproducible method which could be used as a starting point for developing GMP protocols,a prerequisite for generating clinically relevant patient specific iPS cells. View Publication

Summary Direct reprogramming of adult somatic cells into alternative cell types has been shown for several lineages. We previously showed that GATA4,MEF2C,and TBX5 (GMT) directly reprogrammed nonmyocyte mouse heart cells into induced cardiomyocyte-like cells (iCMs) in vitro and in vivo. However,GMT alone appears insufficient in human fibroblasts,at least in vitro. Here,we show that GMT plus ESRRG and MESP1 induced global cardiac gene-expression and phenotypic shifts in human fibroblasts derived from embryonic stem cells,fetal heart,and neonatal skin. Adding Myocardin and ZFPM2 enhanced reprogramming,including sarcomere formation,calcium transients,and action potentials,although the efficiency remained low. Human iCM reprogramming was epigenetically stable. Furthermore,we found that transforming growth factor β signaling was important for,and improved the efficiency of,human iCM reprogramming. These findings demonstrate that human fibroblasts can be directly reprogrammed toward the cardiac lineage,and lay the foundation for future refinements in vitro and in vivo. textcopyright 2013 The Authors. View Publication