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Background and purpose: In this study,we applied an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based model of inherited erythromelalgia (IEM) to screen a library of 281 small molecules,aiming to identify candidate pain-modulating compounds. Experimental approach: Human iPSC-derived sensory neuron-like cells,which exhibit action potentials in response to noxious stimulation,were evaluated using whole-cell patch-clamp and microelectrode array (MEA) techniques. Key results: Sensory neuron-like cells derived from individuals with IEM showed spontaneous electrical activity characteristic of genetic pain disorders. The drug screen identified four compounds (AZ106,AZ129,AZ037 and AZ237) that significantly decreased spontaneous firing with minimal toxicity. The calculated IC50 values indicate the potential efficacy of these compounds. Electrophysiological analysis confirmed the compounds' ability to reduce action potential generation in IEM patient-specific iPSC-derived sensory neuron-like cells. Conclusions and implications: Our screening approach demonstrates the reproducibility and effectiveness of human neuronal disease modelling offering a promising avenue for discovering new analgesics. These findings address a critical gap in current therapeutic strategies for both general and neuropathic pain,warranting further investigation. This study highlights the innovative use of patient-derived iPSC sensory neuronal models in pain research and emphasises the potential for personalised medicine in developing targeted analgesics. Key points: Utilisation of human iPSCs for efficient differentiation into sensory neuron-like cells offers a novel strategy for studying pain mechanisms. IEM sensory neuron-like cells exhibit key biomarkers and generate action potentials in response to noxious stimulation. IEM sensory neuron-like cells display spontaneous electrical activity,providing a relevant nociceptive model. Screening of 281 compounds identified four candidates that significantly reduced spontaneous firing with low cytotoxicity. Electrophysiological profiling of selected compounds revealed promising insights into their mechanisms of action,specifically modulating the NaV 1.7 channel for targeted analgesia. View Publication

SummaryThyroid carcinoma represents the first malignancy among the endocrine organs. Investigating the cellular hierarchy and the mechanisms underlying the initiation of thyroid carcinoma is crucial in thyroid cancer research. Here,we present a protocol for deriving thyroid cell lineage from human embryonic stem cells. We also describe steps for engineering thyroid progenitor cells utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 technology,which can be used to perform in vivo studies,thus facilitating the development of representative thyroid tumorigenesis models.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol,please refer to Veschi et al.1 Graphical abstract Highlights•Differentiation protocol for thyroid cell lineages from human embryonic stem cells•CRISPR-Cas9-mediated cellular engineering for common thyroid cancer genetic alteration•Orthotopic injection of thyroid progenitors to recapitulate thyroid cancer progression Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics. Thyroid carcinoma represents the first malignancy among the endocrine organs. Investigating the cellular hierarchy and the mechanisms underlying the initiation of thyroid carcinoma is crucial in thyroid cancer research. Here,we present a protocol for deriving thyroid cell lineage from human embryonic stem cells. We also describe steps for engineering thyroid progenitor cells utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 technology,which can be used to perform in vivo studies,thus facilitating the development of representative thyroid tumorigenesis models. View Publication

Visual Abstract Generation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived motor neurons (MNs) offers an unprecedented approach to modeling movement disorders such as dystonia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However,achieving survival poses a significant challenge when culturing induced MNs,especially when aiming to reach late maturation stages. Utilizing hiPSC-derived motor neurons and primary mouse astrocytes,we assembled two types of coculture systems: direct coculturing of neurons with astrocytes and indirect coculture using culture inserts that physically separate neurons and astrocytes. Both systems significantly enhance neuron survival. Compared with these two systems,no significant differences in neurodevelopment,maturation,and survival within 3 weeks,allowing to prepare neurons at maturation stages. Using the indirect coculture system,we obtained highly pure MNs at the late mature stage from hiPSCs. Transcriptomic studies of hiPSC-derived MNs showed a typical neurodevelopmental switch in gene expression from the early immature stage to late maturation stages. Mature genes associated with neurodevelopment and synaptogenesis are highly enriched in MNs at late stages,demonstrating that these neurons achieve maturation. This study introduces a novel tool for the preparation of highly pure hiPSC-derived neurons,enabling the determination of neurological disease pathogenesis in neurons at late disease onset stages through biochemical approaches,which typically necessitate highly pure neurons. This advancement is particularly significant in modeling age-related neurodegeneration. View Publication

IntroductionThe inflammatory response after spinal cord injury (SCI) is an important contributor to secondary damage. Infiltrating macrophages can acquire a spectrum of activation states,however,the microenvironment at the SCI site favors macrophage polarization into a pro-inflammatory phenotype,which is one of the reasons why macrophage transplantation has failed.MethodsIn this study,we investigated the therapeutic potential of the macrophage secretome for SCI recovery. We investigated the effect of the secretome in vitro using peripheral and CNS-derived neurons and human neural stem cells. Moreover,we perform a pre-clinical trial using a SCI compression mice model and analyzed the recovery of motor,sensory and autonomic functions. Instead of transplanting the cells,we injected the paracrine factors and extracellular vesicles that they secrete,avoiding the loss of the phenotype of the transplanted cells due to local environmental cues.ResultsWe demonstrated that different macrophage phenotypes have a distinct effect on neuronal growth and survival,namely,the alternative activation with IL-10 and TGF-?1 (M(IL-10+TGF-?1)) promotes significant axonal regeneration. We also observed that systemic injection of soluble factors and extracellular vesicles derived from M(IL-10+TGF-?1) macrophages promotes significant functional recovery after compressive SCI and leads to higher survival of spinal cord neurons. Additionally,the M(IL-10+TGF-?1) secretome supported the recovery of bladder function and decreased microglial activation,astrogliosis and fibrotic scar in the spinal cord. Proteomic analysis of the M(IL-10+TGF-?1)-derived secretome identified clusters of proteins involved in axon extension,dendritic spine maintenance,cell polarity establishment,and regulation of astrocytic activation.DiscussionOverall,our results demonstrated that macrophages-derived soluble factors and extracellular vesicles might be a promising therapy for SCI with possible clinical applications. View Publication

BackgroundAbnormalities in T cell activation play an important role in the pathogenesis of myocarditis,and persistent T cell responses can lead to autoimmunity and chronic cardiac inflammation,as well as even dilated cardiomyopathy. Although previous work has examined the role of T cells in myocarditis in animal models,the specific mechanism for human cardiomyocytes has not been investigated.MethodsIn this study,we constructed the human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) and established the T cell-mediated cardiac injury model by co-culturing with activated CD4 + T or CD8 + T cells that were isolated from peripheral mononuclear blood to elucidate the pathogenesis of myocardial cell injury caused by inflammation.ResultsBy combination of quantitative proteomics with tissue and cell immunofluorescence examination,we established a proteome profile of inflammatory myocardia from hiPSC-CMs with obvious cardiomyocyte injury and increased levels of lactate dehydrogenase content,creatine kinase isoenzyme MB and cardiac troponin. A series of molecular dysfunctions of hiPSC-CMs was observed and indicated that CD4 + cells could produce direct cardiomyocyte injury by activating the NOD-like receptor signals pathway.ConclusionsThe data presented in our study established a proteome map of inflammatory myocardial based on hiPSC-CMs injury model. These results can provide guidance in the discovery of improved clinical treatments for myocarditis.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-024-03791-4. View Publication

Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) modifies chromatin through catalysis of histone H2A lysine 119 monoubiquitination (H2AK119ub1). RING1 and RNF2 interchangeably serve as the catalytic subunit within PRC1. Pathogenic missense variants in PRC1 core components reveal functions of these proteins that are obscured in knockout models. While Ring1a knockout models remain healthy,the microcephaly and neuropsychiatric phenotypes associated with a pathogenic RING1 missense variant implicate unappreciated functions. Using an in vitro model of neurodevelopment,we observe that RING1 contributes to the broad placement of H2AK119ub1,and that its targets overlap with those of RNF2. PRC1 complexes harboring hypomorphic RING1 bind target loci but do not catalyze H2AK119ub1,reducing H2AK119ub1 by preventing catalytically active complexes from accessing the locus. This results in delayed DNA damage repair and cell cycle progression in neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Conversely,reduced H2AK119ub1 due to hypomorphic RING1 does not generate differential expression that impacts NPC differentiation. In contrast,hypomorphic RNF2 generates a greater reduction in H2AK119ub1 that results in both delayed DNA repair and widespread transcriptional changes. These findings suggest that the DNA damage response is more sensitive to H2AK119ub1 dosage change than is regulation of gene expression. Here,the authors establish a human in vitro model of neurodevelopment to investigate an allelic series of clinically relevant RING1 and RNF2 missense variants. The observations reveal that missense variants function according to a dominant-negative genetic mechanism. View Publication

BackgroundOrganoids,as near-physiological 3D culture systems,offer new opportunities to study the pathogenesis of various organs in mimicking the cellular complexity and functionality of human organs.MethodHere we used a quite simple and very practicable method to successfully generate induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human lung organoids (LuOrg) in a matrix-free manner as an alternative to the widely used preclinical mouse models in order to investigate normal lung damage in detail and as close as possible to the patient. We performed detailed morphological and molecular analyses,including bulk and single cell RNA sequencing,of generated lung organoids and evaluated the quality and robustness of our model as a potential in vitro platform for lung diseases,namely radiation-induced lung injury.ResultsA matrix-free method for differentiation of iPSCs can be used to obtain lung organoids that morphologically reflect the target tissue of the human lung very well,especially with regard to the cellular composition. The different cellular fates were investigated following the genotoxic stress induced by radiation and revealed further insights in the radiation-sensitivity of the different lung cells. Finally,we provide cellular gene sets found to be induced in the different lung organoid cellular subsets after irradiation,which could be used as additional RT response and particularly senescence gene sets in future studies.ConclusionBy establishing these free-floating LuOrgs for the investigation of cancer therapeutic approaches as a new and patient-oriented in vitro platform particularly in experimental radiooncology,not only a reduction in the number of experimental animals,but also an adequately and meaningfully replacement of corresponding animal experiments can be achieved. View Publication

Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) have been shown to be useful for the development of cell-based regenerative strategies and for modelling drug discovery. However,stem cell-derived HLCs are not identical in nature to primary human hepatocytes (PHHs),which could affect the cell phenotype and,potentially,model reliability. Therefore,we employed the in-depth gene expression profiling of HLCs and other important and relevant cell types,which led to the identification of clear similarities and differences between them at the transcriptional level. Through gene set enrichment analysis,we identified that genes that are critical for immune signalling pathways become downregulated upon HLC differentiation. Our analysis also found that TAV.HLCs exhibit a mild gene signature characteristic of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia,but not other selected cancers. Importantly,HLCs present significant similarity to PHHs,making them genuinely valuable for modelling human liver biology in vitro and for the development of prototype cell-based therapies for pre-clinical testing. View Publication

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) control organ morphogenesis during development as well as tissue homeostasis and repair in the adult organism. Despite their importance,many mechanisms that regulate FGF function are still poorly understood. Interestingly,the thermodynamic stability of 22 mammalian FGFs varies widely,with some FGFs remaining stable at body temperature for more than 24 h,while others lose their activity within minutes. How thermodynamic stability contributes to the function of FGFs during development remains unknown. Here we show that FGF10,an important limb and lung morphogen,exists as an intrinsically unstable protein that is prone to unfolding and is rapidly inactivated at 37?°C. Using rationally driven directed mutagenesis,we have developed several highly stable (STAB) FGF10 variants with a melting temperature of over 19?°C more than that of wildtype FGF10. In cellular assays in vitro,the FGF10-STABs did not differ from wildtype FGF10 in terms of binding to FGF receptors,activation of downstream FGF receptor signaling in cells,and induction of gene expression. In mouse embryonal lung explants,FGF10-STABs,but not wildtype FGF10,suppressed branching,resulting in increased alveolarization and expansion of epithelial tissue. Similarly,FGF10-STAB1,but not FGF10 wildtype,inhibited the growth of mouse embryonic tibias and markedly altered limb morphogenesis when implanted into chicken limb buds,collectively demonstrating that thermal instability should be considered an important regulator of FGF function that prevents ectopic signaling. Furthermore,we show enhanced differentiation of human iPSC-derived lung organoids and improved regeneration in ex vivo lung injury models mediated by FGF10-STABs,suggesting an application in cell therapy.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00018-025-05681-1. View Publication

SummaryCardiac fibrosis is a key characteristic of heart failure. CTPR390,an experimental anti-fibrotic inhibitor targeting Hsp90,has shown success in animal models,but remains unexplored in human cardiac models. This study evaluated an engineered cardiac connective tissue (ECCT) model,focusing on changes in the extracellular matrix and fibroblasts. Results showed that CTPR390 prevented architectural changes in TGF?1-activated ECCT,preserving tissue perimeter,collagen fibers alignment while reducing structured areas and degree of collagen structuration. CTPR390 treatment reduced cell area of fibroblasts under tension,without changes in the internal rounded cells devoid of tension. Fibroblast recruitment to tension areas was diminished,showing biomechanical behavior similar to control ECCT. This treatment also lowered the gene and protein expression of key pro-fibrotic markers. Here,advanced biotechnology was employed to detect the detailed structure of tissue fibrosis reduction after administering CTPR390,representing a significant advancement toward clinical application for cardiac fibrosis treatment. Graphical abstract Highlights•CTPR390 prevented architectural changes in TGF?1-activated ECCT•CTPR390 preserves tissue perimeter,collagen fibers alignment•CTPR390 reduces structured areas and degree of collagen structuration•CTPR390-trested ECCTs presented a biomechanical behavior similar to control ECCT Molecular biology; Cell biology View Publication

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a neurological disorder caused by epigenetic silencing of the FMR1 gene. Reactivation of FMR1 is a potential therapeutic approach for FXS that would correct the root cause of the disease. Here,using a candidate-based shRNA screen,we identify nine epigenetic repressors that promote silencing of FMR1 in FXS cells (called FMR1 Silencing Factors,or FMR1- SFs). Inhibition of FMR1-SFs with shRNAs or small molecules reactivates FMR1 in cultured undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells,neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and post-mitotic neurons derived from FXS patients. One of the FMR1-SFs is the histone methyltransferase EZH2,for which an FDA-approved small molecule inhibitor,EPZ6438 (also known as tazemetostat),is available. We show that EPZ6438 substantially corrects the characteristic molecular and electrophysiological abnormalities of cultured FXS neurons. Unfortunately,EZH2 inhibitors do not efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier,limiting their therapeutic use for FXS. Recently,antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based approaches have been developed as effective treatment options for certain central nervous system disorders. We therefore derived efficacious ASOs targeting EZH2 and demonstrate that they reactivate FMR1 expression and correct molecular and electrophysiological abnormalities in cultured FXS neurons,and reactivate FMR1 expression in human FXS NPCs engrafted within the brains of mice. Collectively,our results establish EZH2 inhibition in general,and EZH2 ASOs in particular,as a therapeutic approach for FXS. View Publication

In mammals,early embryonic gastrulation process is high energy demanding. Previous studies showed that,unlike endoderm and mesoderm cells,neuroectoderm differentiated from human embryonic stem cells relied on aerobic glycolysis as the major energy metabolic process,which generates lactate as the final product. Here we explored the function of intracellular lactate during neuroectoderm differentiation. Our results revealed that the intracellular lactate level was elevated in neuroectoderm and exogenous lactate could further promote hESCs differentiation towards neuroectoderm. Changing intracellular lactate levels by sodium lactate or LDHA inhibitors had no obvious effect on BMP or WNT/?-catenin signaling during neuroectoderm differentiation. Notably,histone lactylation,especially H3K18 lactylation was significant upregulated during this process. We further performed CUT&Tag experiments and the results showed that H3K18la is highly enriched at gene promoter regions. By analyzing data from CUT&Tag and RNA-seq experiments,we further identified that four genes,including PAX6,were transcriptionally upregulated by lactate during neuroectoderm differentiation. A H3K18la modification site at PAX6 promoter was verified and exogenous lactate could also rescue the level of PAX6 after shPAX6 inhibition.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00018-024-05510-x. View Publication