技术资料

Organs-on-chips are microengineered in vitro tissue structures that can be used as platforms for physiological and pathological research. They provide tissue-like microenvironments in which different cell types can be co-cultured in a controlled manner to create synthetic organ mimics. Blood vessels are an integral part of all tissues in the human body. Development of vascular structures is therefore an important research topic for advancing the field of organs-on-chips since generated tissues will require a blood or nutrient supply. Here,we have engineered three-dimensional constructs of vascular tissue inside microchannels by injecting a mixture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells,human embryonic stem cell-derived pericytes (the precursors of vascular smooth muscle cells) and rat tail collagen I into a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic channel with dimensions 500 μm × 120 μm × 1 cm (w × h × l). Over the course of 12 h,the cells organized themselves into a single long tube resembling a blood vessel that followed the contours of the channel. Detailed examination of tube morphology by confocal microscopy revealed a mature endothelial monolayer with complete PECAM-1 staining at cell–cell contacts and pericytes incorporated inside the tubular structures. We also demonstrated that tube formation was disrupted in the presence of a neutralizing antibody against transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β). The TGF-β signaling pathway is essential for normal vascular development; deletion of any of its components in mouse development results in defective vasculogenesis and angiogenesis and mutations in humans have been linked to multiple vascular genetic diseases. In the engineered microvessels,inhibition of TGF-β signaling resulted in tubes with smaller diameters and higher tortuosity,highly reminiscent of the abnormal vessels observed in patients with one particular vascular disease known as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). In summary,we have developed microengineered three-dimensional vascular structures that can be used as a model to test the effects of drugs and study the interaction between different human vascular cell types. In the future,the model may be integrated into larger tissue constructs to advance the development of organs-on-chips. View Publication

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal female malignancies and epigenetic abnormalities are thought to play a vital role in the pathogenesis,development and progression of ovarian cancer. Our goal was to investigate whether the combination of trichostatin A (TSA) and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine) was superior to single agent on tumorigenicity of ovarian cancer cells. We found that tumorigenicity and metastasis of SKOV3 cells were significantly suppressed by the combination of TSA and decitabine in xenograft mouse models. Migration capacity was markedly suppressed through the induction of E-cadherin and suppression of N-cadherin when treated with TSA and decitabine. Invasion was also suppressed at least partially through inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 with the combined treatment. The combination drugs markedly inhibited spheroid formation and significantly impaired migration and invasion capacity of spheroid derived cells through inhibition of Twist,N-cadherin,MMP-2,MMP-9 and induction of E-cadherin. Epigenetically,the activity of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) were markedly inhibited when TSA was used in combination with decitabine,especially the expression of DNMT3A/3B and HDAC1/2. Acetylation of histone H3 and H4 were more markedly stimulated with the combination than with either agent alone. The expression level of lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) was also suppressed. The transcription activity marker dimethylated-H3K4 was induced,but the dimethylated-H3K9 was suppressed by exposure to the combined drugs. These results suggest that the combination of TSA and decitabine significantly suppresses tumorigenicity by inhibiting migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells via regulating the expression of the cadherins and MMPs,which may be epigenetically regulated by DNA methylation and histone modification. View Publication

BACKGROUND Central to appropriate thrombin formation at sites of vascular injury is the concerted assembly of plasma- and/or platelet-derived factor (F) Va and FXa on the activated platelet surface. While the plasma-derived procofactor,FV,must be proteolytically activated by α-thrombin to FVa to function in prothrombinase,the platelet molecule is released from α-granules in a partially activated state,obviating the need for proteolytic activation. OBJECTIVES The current study was performed to test the hypothesis that subsequent to its endocytosis by megakaryocytes,plasma-derived FV is proteolytically processed to form the platelet-derived pool. METHODS & RESULTS Subsequent to FV endocytosis,a time-dependent increase in FV proteolytic products was observed in megakaryocyte lysates by SDS-PAGE followed by phosphorimaging or western blotting. This cleavage was specific and resulted in the formation of products similar in size to FV/Va present in a platelet lysate as well as to the α-thrombin-activated FVa heavy chain and light chain,and their respective precursors. Other proteolytic products were unique to endocytosed FV. The product/precursor relationships of these fragments were defined using anti-FV heavy and light chain antibodies with defined epitopes. Activity measurements indicated that megakaryocyte-derived FV fragments exhibited substantial FVa cofactor activity that was comparable to platelet-derived FV/Va. CONCLUSIONS Taken together,these observations suggest that prior to its packaging in α-granules endocytosed FV undergoes proteolysis by one or more specific megakaryocyte protease(s) to form the partially activated platelet-derived pool. View Publication

Stroke is a leading cause of human death and disability in the adult population in the United States and around the world. While stroke treatment is limited,stem cell transplantation has emerged as a promising regenerative therapy to replace or repair damaged tissues and enhance functional recovery after stroke. Recently,the creation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells through reprogramming of somatic cells has revolutionized cell therapy by providing an unlimited source of autologous cells for transplantation. In addition,the creation of vector-free and transgene-free human iPS (hiPS) cells provides a new generation of stem cells with a reduced risk of tumor formation that was associated with the random integration of viral vectors seen with previous techniques. However,the potential use of these cells in the treatment of ischemic stroke has not been explored. In the present investigation,we examined the neuronal differentiation of vector-free and transgene-free hiPS cells and the transplantation of hiPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells (hiPS-NPCs) in an ischemic stroke model in mice. Vector-free hiPS cells were maintained in feeder-free and serum-free conditions and differentiated into functional neurons in vitro using a newly developed differentiation protocol. Twenty eight days after transplantation in stroke mice,hiPS-NPCs showed mature neuronal markers in vivo. No tumor formation was seen up to 12 months after transplantation. Transplantation of hiPS-NPCs restored neurovascular coupling,increased trophic support and promoted behavioral recovery after stroke. These data suggest that using vector-free and transgene-free hiPS cells in stem cell therapy are safe and efficacious in enhancing recovery after focal ischemic stroke in mice. View Publication

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a valuable resource for discovery of epigenetic changes critical to cell type-specific differentiation. Although iPS cells have been generated from other terminally differentiated cells,the reprogramming of normal adult human basal prostatic epithelial (E-PZ) cells to a pluripotent state has not been reported. Here,we attempted to reprogram E-PZ cells by forced expression of Oct4,Sox2,c-Myc,and Klf4 using lentiviral vectors and obtained embryonic stem cell (ESC)-like colonies at a frequency of 0.01%. These E-PZ-iPS-like cells with normal karyotype gained expression of pluripotent genes typical of iPS cells (Tra-1-81,SSEA-3,Nanog,Sox2,and Oct4) and lost gene expression characteristic of basal prostatic epithelial cells (CK5,CK14,and p63). E-PZ-iPS-like cells demonstrated pluripotency by differentiating into ectodermal,mesodermal,and endodermal cells in vitro,although lack of teratoma formation in vivo and incomplete demethylation of pluripotency genes suggested only partial reprogramming. Importantly,E-PZ-iPS-like cells re-expressed basal epithelial cell markers (CD44,p63,MAO-A) in response to prostate-specific medium in spheroid culture. Androgen induced expression of androgen receptor (AR),and co-culture with rat urogenital sinus further induced expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA),a hallmark of secretory cells,suggesting that E-PZ-iPS-like cells have the capacity to differentiate into prostatic basal and secretory epithelial cells. Finally,when injected into mice,E-PZ-iPS-like cells expressed basal epithelial cell markers including CD44 and p63. When co-injected with rat urogenital mesenchyme,E-PZ-iPS-like cells expressed AR and expression of p63 and CD44 was repressed. DNA methylation profiling identified epigenetic changes in key pathways and genes involved in prostatic differentiation as E-PZ-iPS-like cells converted to differentiated AR- and PSA-expressing cells. Our results suggest that iPS-like cells derived from prostatic epithelial cells are pluripotent and capable of prostatic differentiation; therefore,provide a novel model for investigating epigenetic changes involved in prostate cell lineage specification. View Publication

Definitive endoderm can be derived from human embryonic stem cells using low serum medium with cytokines involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition,including Activin A and Wnt3A. The purpose of this study was to develop an improved protocol that permits the induction of definitive endoderm while avoiding the high rate of cell death that often occurs with existing protocols. By including insulin and other nutrients,we demonstrate that cell viability can be preserved throughout differentiation. In addition,modifying a matrigel sandwich method previously reported to induce precardiac mesoderm allows for enhanced endodermal differentiation based on expression of endoderm-associated genes. The morphological and migratory characteristics of cells cultured by the technique,as well as gene expression patterns,indicate that the protocol can emulate key events in gastrulation towards the induction of definitive endoderm. View Publication

Metabolic labeling with stable isotopes is a prominent technique for comparative quantitative proteomics,and stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) is the most commonly used approach. SILAC is,however,traditionally limited to simple tissue culture regimens and only rarely employed in the context of complex culturing conditions as those required for human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Classic hESC culture is based on the use of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) as a feeder layer,and as a result,possible xenogeneic contamination,contribution of unlabeled amino acids by the feeders,interlaboratory variability of MEF preparation,and the overall complexity of the culture system are all of concern in conjunction with SILAC. We demonstrate a feeder-free SILAC culture system based on a customized version of a commonly used,chemically defined hESC medium developed by Ludwig et al. and commercially available as mTeSR1 [mTeSR1 is a trade mark of WiCell (Madison,WI) licensed to STEMCELL Technologies (Vancouver,Canada)]. This medium,together with adjustments to the culturing protocol,facilitates reproducible labeling that is easily scalable to the protein amounts required by proteomic work flows. It greatly enhances the usability of quantitative proteomics as a tool for the study of mechanisms underlying hESCs differentiation and self-renewal. Associated data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD000151. View Publication

PURPOSE FK506-binding protein like (FKBPL) and its peptide derivative,AD-01,have already shown tumor growth inhibition and CD44-dependent antiangiogenic activity. Here,we explore the ability of AD-01 to target CD44-positive breast cancer stem cells (BCSC). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Mammosphere assays and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effect of FKBPL overexpression/knockdown and AD-01 treatment ± other anticancer agents on BCSCs using breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7/MDA-231/ZR-75),primary patient samples,and xenografts. Delays in tumor initiation were evaluated in vivo. The anti-stem cell mechanisms were determined using clonogenic assays,quantitative PCR (qPCR),and immunofluorescence. RESULTS AD-01 treatment was highly effective at inhibiting the BCSC population by reducing mammosphere-forming efficiency and ESA(+)/CD44(+)/CD24(-) or aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)(+) cell subpopulations in vitro and tumor initiation in vivo. The ability of AD-01 to inhibit the self-renewal capacity of BCSCs was confirmed; mammospheres were completely eradicated by the third generation. The mechanism seems to be due to AD-01-mediated BCSC differentiation shown by a significant decrease in the number of holoclones and an associated increase in meroclones/paraclones; the stem cell markers,Nanog,Oct4,and Sox2,were also significantly reduced. Furthermore,we showed additive inhibitory effects when AD-01 was combined with the Notch inhibitor,DAPT. AD-01 was also able to abrogate a chemo- and radiotherapy-induced enrichment in BCSCs. Finally,FKBPL knockdown led to an increase in Nanog/Oct4/Sox2 and an increase in BCSCs,highlighting a role for endogenous FKBPL in stem cell signaling. CONCLUSIONS AD-01 has dual antiangiogenic and anti-BCSC activity,which will be advantageous as this agent enters clinical trial. View Publication

Mammosphere and breast tumoursphere culture have gained popularity as in vitro assays for propagating and analysing normal and cancer stem cells. Whether the spheres derived from different sources or parent cultures themselves are indeed single entities enriched in stem/progenitor cells compared to other culture formats has not been fully determined. We surveyed sphere-forming capacity across 26 breast cell lines,immunophenotyped spheres from six luminal- and basal-like lines by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry and compared clonogenicity between sphere,adherent and matrigel culture formats using in vitro functional assays. Analyses revealed morphological and molecular intra- and inter-sphere heterogeneity,consistent with adherent parental cell line phenotypes. Flow cytometry showed sphere culture does not universally enrich for markers previously associated with stem cell phenotypes,although we found some cell-line specific changes between sphere and adherent formats. Sphere-forming efficiency was significantly lower than adherent or matrigel clonogenicity and constant over serial passage. Surprisingly,self-renewal capacity of sphere-derived cells was similar/lower than other culture formats. We observed significant correlation between long-term-proliferating-cell symmetric division rates in sphere and adherent cultures,suggesting functional overlap between the compartments sustaining them. Experiments with normal primary human mammary epithelia,including sorted luminal (MUC1(+)) and basal/myoepithelial (CD10(+)) cells revealed distinct luminal-like,basal-like and mesenchymal entities amongst primary mammospheres. Morphological and colony-forming-cell assay data suggested mammosphere culture may enrich for a luminal progenitor phenotype,or induce reversion/relaxation of the basal/mesenchymal in vitro selection occurring with adherent culture. Overall,cell line tumourspheres and primary mammospheres are not homogenous entities enriched for stem cells,suggesting a more cautious approach to interpreting data from these assays and careful consideration of its limitations. Sphere culture may represent an alternative 3-dimensional culture system which rather than universally 'enriching' for stem cells,has utility as one of a suite of functional assays that provide a read-out of progenitor activity. View Publication

Lymphocyte activation is regulated by costimulatory and inhibitory receptors,of which both B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) and CD160 engage herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM). Notably,it remains unclear how HVEM functions with each of its ligands during immune responses. In this study,we show that HVEM specifically activates CD160 on effector NK cells challenged with virus-infected cells. Human CD56(dim) NK cells were costimulated specifically by HVEM but not by other receptors that share the HVEM ligands LIGHT,Lymphotoxin-α,or BTLA. HVEM enhanced human NK cell activation by type I IFN and IL-2,resulting in increased IFN-γ and TNF-α secretion,and tumor cell-expressed HVEM activated CD160 in a human NK cell line,causing rapid hyperphosphorylation of serine kinases ERK1/2 and AKT and enhanced cytolysis of target cells. In contrast,HVEM activation of BTLA reduced cytolysis of target cells. Together,our results demonstrate that HVEM functions as a regulator of immune function that activates NK cells via CD160 and limits lymphocyte-induced inflammation via association with BTLA. View Publication

Available methods for differentiating human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent cells (iPSCs) into neurons are often cumbersome,slow,and variable. Alternatively,human fibroblasts can be directly converted into induced neuronal (iN) cells. However,with present techniques conversion is inefficient,synapse formation is limited,and only small amounts of neurons can be generated. Here,we show that human ESCs and iPSCs can be converted into functional iN cells with nearly 100% yield and purity in less than 2weeks by forced expression of a single transcription factor. The resulting ES-iN or iPS-iN cells exhibit quantitatively reproducible properties independent of the cell line of origin,form mature pre- and postsynaptic specializations,and integrate into existing synaptic networks when transplanted into mouse brain. As illustrated by selected examples,our approach enables large-scale studies of human neurons for questions such as analyses of human diseases,examination of human-specific genes,and drug screening View Publication

Overexpression of the adverse prognostic marker ERBB2 occurs in 30% of breast cancers and is associated with aggressive disease and poor outcomes. Our recent findings have shown that NR1D1 and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ)-binding protein (PBP) act through a common pathway in upregulating several genes in the de novo fatty acid synthesis network,which is highly active in ERBB2-positive breast cancer cells. NR1D1 and PBP are functionally related to PPARγ,a well-established positive regulator of adipogenesis and lipid storage. Here,we report that inhibition of the PPARγ pathway reduces the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)-positive population in ERBB2-positive breast cancer cells. Results from in vitro tumorsphere formation assays demonstrate that the PPARγ antagonists GW9662 and T0070907 decrease tumorsphere formation in ERBB2-positive cells,but not other breast cells. We show that the mechanism by which GW9662 treatment causes a reduction in ALDH-positive population cells is partially due to ROS,as it can be rescued by treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine. Furthermore,global gene expression analyses show that GW9662 treatment suppresses the expression of several lipogenic genes,including ACLY,MIG12,FASN and NR1D1,and the stem-cell related genes KLF4 and ALDH in BT474 cells. Antagonist treatment also decreases the level of acetylation in histone 3 and histone 4 in BT474 cells,compared with MCF7 cells. In vivo,GW9662 pre-treatment inhibits the tumor-seeding ability of BT474 cells. Together,these results show that the PPARγ pathway is critical for the cancer stem cell properties of ERBB2-positive breast cancer cells. View Publication