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Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to become most of the cell types that make up an organism. However,the signals that trigger these cells to turn into neurons rather than lung cells or muscle cells,for example,are not fully understood. Proteins called growth factors are known to have a role in this process,as are transcription factors,but it is not clear if other factors are also involved. In an attempt to identify additional mechanisms that could contribute to the formation of neurons,Sun et al. screened more than 2,000 small molecules for their ability to transform mouse pluripotent stem cells into neurons in cell culture. Surprisingly,they found that a compound called selamectin,which is used to treat parasitic flatworm infections,also triggered stem cells to turn into neurons. Selamectin works by blocking a particular type of ion channel in flatworms,but this ion channel is not found in vertebrates,which means that selamectin must be promoting the formation of neurons in mice via a different mechanism. Given that a drug related to selamectin is known to act on a subtype of receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA,Sun et al. wondered whether these receptors—known as GABAA receptors—might also underlie the effects of selamectin. Consistent with this idea,drugs that increased GABAA activity stimulated the formation of neurons,whereas drugs that reduced GABAA function blocked the effects of selamectin. In addition,Sun et al. showed that selamectin triggers human embryonic stem cells to become neurons,and that it also promotes the formation of new neurons in developing zebrafish in vivo. As well as revealing an additional mechanism for the formation of neurons from stem cells,the screening technique introduced by Sun et al. could help to identify further pro-neuronal molecules,which could aid the treatment of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. DOI: [http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00508.002][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.7554/eLife.00508.002 View Publication

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is among the most prevalent forms of dementia affecting the aging population,and pharmacological therapies to date have not been successful in preventing disease progression. Future therapeutic efforts may benefit from the development of models that enable basic investigation of early disease pathology. In particular,disease-relevant models based on human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) may be promising approaches to assess the impact of neurotoxic agents in AD on specific neuronal populations and thereby facilitate the development of novel interventions to avert early disease mechanisms. We implemented an efficient paradigm to convert hPSCs into enriched populations of cortical glutamatergic neurons emerging from dorsal forebrain neural progenitors,aided by modulating Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. Since AD is generally known to be toxic to glutamatergic circuits,we exposed glutamatergic neurons derived from hESCs to an oligomeric pre-fibrillar forms of Aβ known as globulomers"� View Publication

The development of strategies to eradicate primary human acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cells is a major challenge to the leukemia research field. In particular,primitive leukemia cells,often termed leukemia stem cells,are typically refractory to many forms of therapy. To investigate improved strategies for targeting of human AML cells we compared the molecular mechanisms regulating oxidative state in primitive (CD34(+)) leukemic versus normal specimens. Our data indicate that CD34(+) AML cells have elevated expression of multiple glutathione pathway regulatory proteins,presumably as a mechanism to compensate for increased oxidative stress in leukemic cells. Consistent with this observation,CD34(+) AML cells have lower levels of reduced glutathione and increased levels of oxidized glutathione compared with normal CD34(+) cells. These findings led us to hypothesize that AML cells will be hypersensitive to inhibition of glutathione metabolism. To test this premise,we identified compounds such as parthenolide (PTL) or piperlongumine that induce almost complete glutathione depletion and severe cell death in CD34(+) AML cells. Importantly,these compounds only induce limited and transient glutathione depletion as well as significantly less toxicity in normal CD34(+) cells. We further determined that PTL perturbs glutathione homeostasis by a multifactorial mechanism,which includes inhibiting key glutathione metabolic enzymes (GCLC and GPX1),as well as direct depletion of glutathione. These findings demonstrate that primitive leukemia cells are uniquely sensitive to agents that target aberrant glutathione metabolism,an intrinsic property of primary human AML cells. View Publication

Applications of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived-cardiac myocytes (hiPSC-CMs) would be strengthened by the ability to generate specific cardiac myocyte (CM) lineages. However,purification of lineage-specific hiPSC-CMs is limited by the lack of cell marking techniques. Here,we have developed an iPSC-CM marking system using recombinant adenoviral reporter constructs with atrial- or ventricular-specific myosin light chain-2 (MLC-2) promoters. MLC-2a and MLC-2v selected hiPSC-CMs were purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and their biochemical and electrophysiological phenotypes analyzed. We demonstrate that the phenotype of both populations remained stable in culture and they expressed the expected sarcomeric proteins,gap junction proteins and chamber-specific transcription factors. Compared to MLC-2a cells,MLC-2v selected CMs had larger action potential amplitudes and durations. In addition,by immunofluorescence,we showed that MLC-2 isoform expression can be used to enrich hiPSC-CM consistent with early atrial and ventricular myocyte lineages. However,only the ventricular myosin light chain-2 promoter was able to purify a highly homogeneous population of iPSC-CMs. Using this approach,it is now possible to develop ventricular-specific disease models using iPSC-CMs while atrial-specific iPSC-CM cultures may require additional chamber-specific markers. ?? 2013 Elsevier B.V. View Publication

Background The AAVS1 locus is viewed as a ‘safe harbor' for transgene insertion into human genome. In the present study,we report a new method for AAVS1 targeting in human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Methods We have developed two baculoviral transduction systems: one to deliver zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) and a DNA donor template for site-specific gene insertion and another to mediate Cre recombinase-mediated cassette exchange system to replace the inserted transgene with a new transgene. Results Our ZFN system provided the targeted integration efficiency of a Neo-EGFP cassette of 93.8% in G418-selected,stable hiPSC colonies. Southern blotting analysis of 20 AASV1 targeted colonies revealed no random integration events. Among 24 colonies examined for mono- or biallelic AASV1 targeting,25% of them were biallelically modified. The selected hiPSCs displayed persistent enhanced green fluorescent protein expression and continued the expression of stem cell pluripotency markers. The hiPSCs maintained the ability to differentiate into three germ lineages in derived embryoid bodies and transgene expression was retained in the differentiated cells. After pre-including the loxP-docking sites into the Neo-EGFP cassette,we demonstrated that a baculovirus-Cre/loxP system could be used to facilitate the replacement of the Neo-EGFP cassette with another transgene cassette at the AAVS1 locus. Conclusions Given high targeting efficiency,stability in expression of inserted transgene and flexibility in transgene exchange,the approach reported in the present study holds potential for generating genetically-modified human pluripotent stem cells suitable for developmental biology research,drug development,regenerative medicine and gene therapy. Copyright textcopyright 2013 John Wiley & Sons,Ltd. View Publication

The restoration of pluripotency circuits by the reactivation of endogenous stemness factors,such as SOX2,may provide a new paradigm in cancer development. The tumoral stem cell reprogramming hypothesis,i.e.,the ability of stemness factors to redirect normal and differentiated tumor cells toward a less-differentiated and stem-like state,adds new layers of complexity to cancer biology,because the effects of such reprogramming may remain dormant until engaged later in response to (epi)genetic and/or (micro)environmental events. To test this hypothesis,we utilized an in vitro model of a SOX2-overexpressing cancer stem cell (CSC)-like cellular state that was recently developed in our laboratory by employing Yamanaka's nuclear reprogramming technology in the estrogen receptor $$ (ER$$)-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Despite the acquisition of distinct molecular features that were compatible with a breast CSC-like cellular state,such as strong aldehyde dehydrogenase activity,as detected by ALDEFLUOR,and overexpression of the SSEA-4 and CD44 breast CSC markers,the tumor growth-initiating ability of SOX2-overexpressing CSC-like MCF-7 cells solely occurred in female nude mice supplemented with estradiol when compared with MCF-7 parental cells. Ser118 phosphorylation of estrogen receptor $$ (ER$$),which is a pivotal integrator of the genomic and nongenomic E 2/ER$$ signaling pathways,drastically accumulated in nuclear speckles in the interphase nuclei of SOX2-driven CSC-like cell populations. Moreover,SOX2-positive CSC-like cells accumulated significantly higher numbers of actively dividing cells,and the highest levels of phospho-Ser118-ER$$ occurred when chromosomes lined up on a metaphase plate. The previously unrecognized link between E 2/ER$$ signaling and SOX2-driven stem cell circuitry may significantly impact our current understanding of breast cancer initiation and progression,i.e.,SOX2 can promote non-genomic E 2 signaling that leads to nuclear phospho-Ser118-ER$$,which ultimately exacerbates genomic ER signaling in response to E 2. Because E 2 stimulation has been recently shown to enhance breast tumor-initiating cell survival by downregulating miR-140,which targets SOX2,the establishment of a bidirectional cross-talk interaction between the stem cell self-renewal regulator,SOX2,and the local and systemic ability of E 2 to increase breast CSC activity may have profound implications for the development of new CSC-directed strategies for breast cancer prevention and therapy. View Publication

Asymmetry of cell fate is one fundamental property of stem cells,in which one daughter cell self-renews,whereas the other differentiates. Evidence of nonrandom template segregation (NRTS) of chromosomes during asymmetric cell divisions in phylogenetically divergent organisms,such as plants,fungi,and mammals,has already been shown. However,before this current work,asymmetric inheritance of chromatids has never been demonstrated in differentiating embryonic stem cells (ESCs),and its molecular mechanism has remained unknown. Our results unambiguously demonstrate NRTS in asymmetrically dividing,differentiating human and mouse ESCs. Moreover,we show that NRTS is dependent on DNA methylation and on Dnmt3 (DNA methyltransferase-3),indicating a molecular mechanism that regulates this phenomenon. Furthermore,our data support the hypothesis that retention of chromatids with the old" template DNA preserves the epigenetic memory of cell fate� View Publication

Gene silencing agents such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) and microRNA offer the promise to modulate expression of almost every gene for the treatment of human diseases including cancer. However,lack of vehicles for effective systemic delivery to the disease organs has greatly limited their in vivo applications. In this study,we developed a high capacity polycation-functionalized nanoporous silicon (PCPS) platform comprised of nanoporous silicon microparticles functionalized with arginine-polyethyleneimine inside the nanopores for effective delivery of gene silencing agents. Incubation of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells with PCPS loaded with STAT3 siRNA (PCPS/STAT3) or GRP78 siRNA (PCPS/GRP78) resulted in 91 and 83% reduction of STAT3 and GRP78 gene expression in vitro. Treatment of cells with a microRNA-18a mimic in PCPS (PCPS/miR-18) knocked down 90% expression of the microRNA-18a target gene ATM. Systemic delivery of PCPS/STAT3 siRNA in murine model of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer enriched particles in tumor tissues and reduced STAT3 expression in cancer cells,causing significant reduction of cancer stem cells in the residual tumor tissue. At the therapeutic dosage,PCPS/STAT3 siRNA did not trigger acute immune response in FVB mice,including changes in serum cytokines,chemokines,and colony-stimulating factors. In addition,weekly dosing of PCPS/STAT3 siRNA for four weeks did not cause signs of subacute toxicity based on changes in body weight,hematology,blood chemistry,and major organ histology. Collectively,the results suggest that we have developed a safe vehicle for effective delivery of gene silencing agents. View Publication

Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts,and can be preserved in vitro in a naive inner-cell-mass-like configuration by providing exogenous stimulation with leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and small molecule inhibition of ERK1/ERK2 and GSK3β signalling (termed 2i/LIF conditions). Hallmarks of naive pluripotency include driving Oct4 (also known as Pou5f1) transcription by its distal enhancer,retaining a pre-inactivation X chromosome state,and global reduction in DNA methylation and in H3K27me3 repressive chromatin mark deposition on developmental regulatory gene promoters. Upon withdrawal of 2i/LIF,naive mouse ES cells can drift towards a primed pluripotent state resembling that of the post-implantation epiblast. Although human ES cells share several molecular features with naive mouse ES cells,they also share a variety of epigenetic properties with primed murine epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs). These include predominant use of the proximal enhancer element to maintain OCT4 expression,pronounced tendency for X chromosome inactivation in most female human ES cells,increase in DNA methylation and prominent deposition of H3K27me3 and bivalent domain acquisition on lineage regulatory genes. The feasibility of establishing human ground state naive pluripotency in vitro with equivalent molecular and functional features to those characterized in mouse ES cells remains to be defined. Here we establish defined conditions that facilitate the derivation of genetically unmodified human naive pluripotent stem cells from already established primed human ES cells,from somatic cells through induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell reprogramming or directly from blastocysts. The novel naive pluripotent cells validated herein retain molecular characteristics and functional properties that are highly similar to mouse naive ES cells,and distinct from conventional primed human pluripotent cells. This includes competence in the generation of cross-species chimaeric mouse embryos that underwent organogenesis following microinjection of human naive iPS cells into mouse morulas. Collectively,our findings establish new avenues for regenerative medicine,patient-specific iPS cell disease modelling and the study of early human development in vitro and in vivo. View Publication

Purvalanol A is a specific CDK inhibitor which triggers apoptosis by causing cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. Although it has strong apoptotic potential,the mechanistic action of Purvalanol A on significant cell signaling targets has not been clarified yet. Polyamines are crucial metabolic regulators affected by CDK inhibition because of their role in cell cycle progress as well. In addition,malignant cells possess impaired polyamine homeostasis with high level of intracellular polyamines. Especially induction of polyamine catabolic enzymes spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT),polyamine oxidase (PAO) and spermine oxidase (SMO) induced toxic by-products in correlation with the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. In this study,we showed that Purvalanol A induced apoptosis in caspase- dependent manner in MCF-7 ER(+) cells,while MDA-MB-231 (ER-) cells were less sensitive against drug. In addition Bcl-2 is a critical target for Purvalanol A,since Bcl-2 overexpressed cells are more resistant to Purvalanol A-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore,exposure of MCF-7 cells to Purvalanol A triggered SSAT and PAO upregulation and the presence of PAO/SMO inhibitor,MDL 72,527 prevented Purvalanol A-induced apoptosis. View Publication

Invasion and metastasis are the major cause of deaths in patients with esophageal cancer. In this study,we isolated cancer stem-like cells from an esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line EC109 based on aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1),and found that ALDH1A1(high) cells possessed the capacities of self-renewal,differentiation and tumor initiation,indications of stem cell properties. To support their stemness,ALDH1A1(high) cells exhibited increased potential of invasion and metastasis as compared with ALDH1A1(low) cells. ALDH1A1(high) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells expressed increased levels of mRNA for vimentin,matrix metalloproteinase 2,7 and 9 (MMP2,MMP7 and MMP9),but decreased the level of E-cadherin mRNA,suggesting that epithelial-mesenchymal transition and secretary MMPs may be attributed to the high invasive and metastatic capabilities of ALDH1A1(high) cells. Furthermore,we examined esophageal squamous cell carcinoma specimens from 165 patients and found that ALDH1A1(high) cells were associated with esophageal squamous dysplasia and the grades,differentiation and invasion depth,lymph node metastasis and UICC stage of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma,as well as poor prognosis of patients. Our results provide the strong evidence that ALDH1A1(high) cancer stem-like cells contribute to the invasion,metastasis and poor outcome of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. View Publication

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to evaluate the allosteric mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor BAY 86-9766 in monotherapy and in combination with sorafenib in orthotopic and subcutaneous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) models with different underlying etiologies in two species. DESIGN: Antiproliferative potential of BAY 86-9766 and synergistic effects with sorafenib were studied in several HCC cell lines. Relevant pathway signaling was studied in MH3924a cells. For in vivo testing,the HCC cells were implanted subcutaneously or orthotopically. Survival and mode of action (MoA) were analyzed. RESULTS: BAY 86-9766 exhibited potent antiproliferative activity in HCC cell lines with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values ranging from 33 to 762 nM. BAY 86-9766 was strongly synergistic with sorafenib in suppressing tumor cell proliferation and inhibiting phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). BAY 86-9766 prolonged survival in Hep3B xenografts,murine Hepa129 allografts,and MH3924A rat allografts. Additionally,tumor growth,ascites formation,and serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were reduced. Synergistic effects in combination with sorafenib were shown in Huh-7,Hep3B xenografts,and MH3924A allografts. On the signaling pathway level,the combination of BAY 86-9766 and sorafenib led to inhibition of the upregulatory feedback loop toward MEK phosphorylation observed after BAY 86-9766 monotreatment. With regard to the underlying MoA,inhibition of ERK phosphorylation,tumor cell proliferation,and microvessel density was observed in vivo. CONCLUSION: BAY 86-9766 shows potent single-agent antitumor activity and acts synergistically in combination with sorafenib in preclinical HCC models. These results support the ongoing clinical development of BAY 86-9766 and sorafenib in advanced HCC. View Publication