技术资料

Human neural stem cells hold great promise for research and therapy in neural disease. We describe the generation of integration-free and expandable human neural progenitor cells (NPCs). We combined an episomal system to deliver reprogramming factors with a chemically defined culture medium to reprogram epithelial-like cells from human urine into NPCs (hUiNPCs). These transgene-free hUiNPCs can self-renew and can differentiate into multiple functional neuronal subtypes and glial cells in vitro. Although functional in vivo analysis is still needed,we report that the cells survive and differentiate upon transplant into newborn rat brain. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have the potential to provide an infinite source of tissues for regenerative medicine. Although defined xeno-free media have been developed,culture conditions for reliable propagation of hESCs still require considerable improvement. Here we show that recombinant E8 fragments of laminin isoforms (LM-E8s),which are the minimum fragments conferring integrin-binding activity,promote greater adhesion of hESCs and hiPSCs than do Matrigel and intact laminin isoforms. Furthermore,LM-E8s sustain long-term self-renewal of hESCs and hiPSCs in defined xeno-free media with dissociated cell passaging. We successfully maintained three hESC and two hiPSC lines on LM-E8s in three defined media for 10 passages. hESCs maintained high level expression of pluripotency markers,had a normal karyotype after 30 passages and could differentiate into all three germ layers. This culture system allows robust proliferation of hESCs and hiPSCs for therapeutic applications. View Publication

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is one of the leading prenatal causes of congenital mental retardation and deformities world-wide. Access to cultured human neuronal lineages,necessary to understand the species specific pathogenic effects of HCMV,has been limited by difficulties in sustaining primary human neuronal cultures. Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells now provide an opportunity for such research. We derived iPS cells from human adult fibroblasts and induced neural lineages to investigate their susceptibility to infection with HCMV strain Ad169. Analysis of iPS cells,iPS-derived neural stem cells (NSCs),neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and neurons suggests that (i) iPS cells are not permissive to HCMV infection,i.e.,they do not permit a full viral replication cycle; (ii) Neural stem cells have impaired differentiation when infected by HCMV; (iii) NPCs are fully permissive for HCMV infection; altered expression of genes related to neural metabolism or neuronal differentiation is also observed; (iv) most iPS-derived neurons are not permissive to HCMV infection; and (v) infected neurons have impaired calcium influx in response to glutamate. View Publication

The translational potential of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) is limited by their rarity in somatic organs,heterogeneity,and need for harvest by invasive procedures. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could be an advantageous source of MSCs,but attempts to derive MSCs from pluripotent cells have required cumbersome or untranslatable techniques,such as coculture,physical manipulation,sorting,or viral transduction. We devised a single-step method to direct mesengenic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and iPSCs using a small molecule inhibitor. First,epithelial-like monolayer cells were generated by culturing ESCs/iPSCs in serum-free medium containing the transforming growth factor-β pathway inhibitor SB431542. After 10 days,iPSCs showed upregulation of mesodermal genes (MSX2,NCAM,HOXA2) and downregulation of pluripotency genes (OCT4,LEFTY1/2). Differentiation was then completed by transferring cells into conventional MSC medium. The resultant development of MSC-like morphology was associated with increased expression of genes,reflecting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Both ESC- and iPSC-derived MSCs exhibited a typical MSC immunophenotype,expressed high levels of vimentin and N-cadherin,and lacked expression of pluripotency markers at the protein level. Robust osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation was induced in vitro in ES-MSCs and iPS-MSCs,whereas adipogenic differentiation was limited,as reported for primitive fetal MSCs and ES-MSCs derived by other methods. We conclude that treatment with SB431542 in two-dimensional cultures followed by culture-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition leads to rapid and uniform MSC conversion of human pluripotent cells without the need for embryoid body formation or feeder cell coculture,providing a robust,clinically applicable,and efficient system for generating MSCs from human iPSCs. View Publication

Pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is defined by their ability to differentiate into three germ layers and derivative cell types and is established by an interactive network of proteins including OCT4 (also known as POU5F1; ref. ),NANOG (refs ,),SOX2 (ref. ) and their binding partners. The forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved regulators of longevity and stress response whose function is inhibited by AKT protein kinase. FoxO proteins are required for the maintenance of somatic and cancer stem cells; however,their function in ESCs is unknown. We show that FOXO1 is essential for the maintenance of human ESC pluripotency,and that an orthologue of FOXO1 (Foxo1) exerts a similar function in mouse ESCs. This function is probably mediated through direct control by FOXO1 of OCT4 and SOX2 gene expression through occupation and activation of their respective promoters. Finally,AKT is not the predominant regulator of FOXO1 in human ESCs. Together these results indicate that FOXO1 is a component of the circuitry of human ESC pluripotency. These findings have critical implications for stem cell biology,development,longevity and reprogramming,with potentially important ramifications for therapy. View Publication

The midbody is a singular organelle formed between daughter cells during cytokinesis and required for their final separation. Midbodies persist in cells long after division as midbody derivatives (MB(d)s),but their fate is unclear. Here we show that MB(d)s are inherited asymmetrically by the daughter cell with the older centrosome. They selectively accumulate in stem cells,induced pluripotent stem cells and potential cancer 'stem cells' in vivo and in vitro. MB(d) loss accompanies stem-cell differentiation,and involves autophagic degradation mediated by binding of the autophagic receptor NBR1 to the midbody protein CEP55. Differentiating cells and normal dividing cells do not accumulate MB(d)s and possess high autophagic activity. Stem cells and cancer cells accumulate MB(d)s by evading autophagosome encapsulation and exhibit low autophagic activity. MB(d) enrichment enhances reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem cells and increases the in vitro tumorigenicity of cancer cells. These results indicate unexpected roles for MB(d)s in stem cells and cancer 'stem cells'. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their differentiated progeny allow for investigation of important changes/events during normal embryonic development. Currently most of the research is focused on proteinacous changes occurring as a result of differentiation of stem cells and little is known about changes in cell surface glycosylation patterns. Identification of cell lineage specific glycans can help in understanding their role in maintenance,proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore,these glycans can serve as markers for isolation of homogenous populations of cells. Using a panel of eight biotinylated lectins,the glycan expression of hESCs,hESCs-derived human neural progenitors (hNP) cells,and hESCs-derived mesenchymal progenitor (hMP) cells was investigated. Our goal was to identify glycans that are unique for hNP cells and use the corresponding lectins for cell isolation. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry were used to determine expression and localization of glycans,respectively,in each cell type. These results show that the glycan expression changes upon differentiation of hESCs and is different for neural and mesenchymal lineage. For example,binding of PHA-L lectin is low in hESCs (14±4.4%) but significantly higher in differentiated hNP cells (99±0.4%) and hMP cells (90±3%). Three lectins: VVA,DBA and LTL have low binding in hESCs and hMP cells,but significantly higher binding in hNP cells. Finally,VVA lectin binding was used to isolate hNP cells from a mixed population of hESCs,hNP cells and hMP cells. This is the first report that compares glycan expression across these human stem cell lineages and identifies significant differences. Also,this is the first study that uses VVA lectin for isolation for human neural progenitor cells. View Publication

We demonstrate that dissociated human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are intrinsically programmed to form lumens. PSCs form two-cell cysts with a shared apical domain within 20 hr of plating; these cysts collapse to form monolayers after 5 days. Expression of pluripotency markers is maintained throughout this time. In two-cell cysts,an apical domain,marked by EZRIN and atypical PKC$\$,is surrounded by apically targeted organelles (early endosomes and Golgi). Molecularly,actin polymerization,regulated by ARP2/3 and mammalian diaphanous-related formin 1 (MDIA),promotes lumen formation,whereas actin contraction,mediated by MYOSIN-II,inhibits this process. Finally,we show that lumenal shape can be manipulated in bioengineered micro-wells. Since lumen formation is an indispensable step in early mammalian development,this system can provide a powerful model for investigation of this process in a controlled environment. Overall,our data establish that lumenogenesis is a fundamental cell biological property of human PSCs. View Publication

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a progressive neurologic disorder representing one of the most common causes of mental retardation in females. To date mutations in three genes have been associated with this condition. Classic RTT is caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene,whereas variants can be due to mutations in either MECP2 or FOXG1 or CDKL5. Mutations in CDKL5 have been identified both in females with the early onset seizure variant of RTT and in males with X-linked epileptic encephalopathy. CDKL5 is a kinase protein highly expressed in neurons,but its exact function inside the cell is unknown. To address this issue we established a human cellular model for CDKL5-related disease using the recently developed technology of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). iPSCs can be expanded indefinitely and differentiated in vitro into many different cell types,including neurons. These features make them the ideal tool to study disease mechanisms directly on the primarily affected neuronal cells. We derived iPSCs from fibroblasts of one female with p.Q347X and one male with p.T288I mutation,affected by early onset seizure variant and X-linked epileptic encephalopathy,respectively. We demonstrated that female CDKL5-mutated iPSCs maintain X-chromosome inactivation and clones express either the mutant CDKL5 allele or the wild-type allele that serve as an ideal experimental control. Array CGH indicates normal isogenic molecular karyotypes without detection of de novo CNVs in the CDKL5-mutated iPSCs. Furthermore,the iPS cells can be differentiated into neurons and are thus suitable to model disease pathogenesis in vitro. View Publication

Stem cells hold great promise for therapies aimed at regenerating damaged tissue,drug screening and studying in vitro models of human disease. However,many challenges remain before these applications can become a reality. One such challenge is developing chemically defined and scalable culture conditions for derivation and expansion of clinically viable human pluripotent stem cells,as well as controlling their differentiation with high specificity. Interaction of stem cells with their extracellular microenvironment plays an important role in determining their differentiation commitment and functions. Regenerative medicine approaches integrating cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions,and soluble factors could lead to development of robust microenvironments to control various cellular responses. Indeed,several of these recent developments have provided significant insight into the design of microenvironments that can elicit the targeted cellular response. In this article,we will focus on some of these developments with an emphasis on matrix-mediated expansion of human pluripotent stem cells while maintaining their pluripotency. We will also discuss the role of matrix-based cues and cell-cell interactions in the form of soluble signals in directing stem cell differentiation into musculoskeletal lineages. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cells hold promising potential in many therapeutics applications including regenerative medicine and drug discovery. Over the past three decades,embryonic stem cell research has illustrated that embryonic stem cells possess two important and distinct properties: the ability to continuously self-renew and the ability to differentiate into all specialized cell types. In this article,we will discuss the continuing evolution of human pluripotent stem cell culture by examining requirements needed for the maintenance of self-renewal in vitro. We will also elaborate on the future direction of the field toward generating a robust and completely defined culture system,which has brought forth collaborations amongst biologists and engineers. As human pluripotent stem cell research progresses towards identifying solutions for debilitating diseases,it will be critical to establish a defined,reproducible and scalable culture system to meet the requirements of these clinical applications. View Publication

We have developed a synthetic polymer interface for the long-term self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in defined media. We successfully cultured hESCs on hydrogel interfaces of aminopropylmethacrylamide (APMAAm) for over 20 passages in chemically-defined mTeSR™1 media and demonstrated pluripotency of multiple hESC lines with immunostaining and quantitative RT-PCR studies. Results for hESC proliferation and pluripotency markers were both qualitatively and quantitatively similar to cells cultured on Matrigel™-coated substrates. Mechanistically,it was resolved that bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the mTeSR™1 media was critical for cell adhesion on APMAAm hydrogel interfaces. This study uniquely identified a robust long-term culture surface for the self-renewal of hESCs without the use of biologic coatings (e.g.,peptides,proteins,or Matrigel™) in completely chemically-defined media that employed practical culturing techniques amenable to clinical-scale cell expansion. View Publication