技术资料

The identification of stem cells within a mixed population of cells is a major hurdle for stem cell biology--in particular,in the identification of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells during the reprogramming process. Based on the selective expression of stem cell surface markers,a method to specifically infect stem cells through antibody-conjugated lentiviral particles has been developed that can deliver both visual markers for live-cell imaging as well as selectable markers to enrich for iPS cells. Antibodies recognizing SSEA4 and CD24 mediated the selective infection of the iPS cells over the parental human fibroblasts,allowing for rapid expansion of these cells by puromycin selection. Adaptation of the vector allows for the selective marking of human embryonic stem (hES) cells for their removal from a population of differentiated cells. This method has the benefit that it not only identifies stem cells,but that specific genes,including positive and negative selection markers,regulatory genes or miRNA can be delivered to the targeted stem cells. The ability to specifically target gene delivery to human pluripotent stem cells has broad applications in tissue engineering and stem cell therapies. View Publication

Pluripotency is a unique state in which cells can self-renew indefinitely but also retain the ability to differentiate into other cell types upon receipt of extracellular cues. Although it is clear that stem cells have a distinct transcriptional program,little is known about how alterations in post-transcriptional mechanisms,such as mRNA turnover,contribute to the achievement and maintenance of pluripotency. Here we have assessed the rates of decay for the majority of mRNAs expressed in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and the fully differentiated human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) they were derived from. Comparison of decay rates in the two cell types led to the discovery of three independent regulatory mechanisms that allow coordinated turnover of specific groups of mRNAs. One mechanism results in increased stability of many histone mRNAs in iPS cells. A second pathway stabilizes a large set of zinc finger protein mRNAs,potentially through reduced levels of miRNAs that target them. Finally,a group of transcripts bearing 3' UTR C-rich sequence elements,many of which encode transcription factors,are significantly less stable in iPS cells. Intriguingly,two poly(C)-binding proteins that recognize this type of element are reciprocally expressed in iPS and HFF cells. Overall,our results highlight the importance of post-transcriptional control in pluripotent cells and identify miRNAs and RNA-binding proteins whose activity may coordinately control expression of a wide range of genes in iPS cells. View Publication

Differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into insulin-producing cells for cell replacement therapy of diabetes mellitus comprises the stepwise recapitulation of in vivo developmental stages of pancreatic organogenesis in an in vitro differentiation protocol. The chemical compounds IDE-1 and (-)-indolactam-V can be used to direct mouse and human ESCs through these stages to form definitive endoderm via an intermediate mesendodermal stage and finally into pancreatic endoderm. Cells of the pancreatic endoderm express the PDX1 transcription factor and contribute to all pancreatic cell types upon further in vitro or in vivo differentiation. Even though this differentiation approach is highly effective and reproducible,it generates heterogeneous populations containing PDX1-expressing pancreatic progenitors amongst other cell types. Thus,a technique to separate PDX1-expressing cells from this mixture is very desirable. Recently it has been reported that PDX1-positive pancreatic progenitors,derived from human embryonic stem cells,express the surface marker CD24. Therefore were subjected mouse and human ESCs to a small molecule differentiation approach and the expression of the surface marker CD24 was monitored in undifferentiated cells,cells committed to the definitive endoderm and cells reminiscent of the pancreatic endoderm. We observed that both mouse and human ESCs expressed CD24 in the pluripotent state,during the whole process of endoderm formation and upon further differentiation towards pancreatic endoderm. Thus CD24 is not a suitable cell surface marker for identification of PDX1-positive progenitor cells. View Publication

Neural differentiation of human embryonic (ES) and induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cell lines has been used for research in early human development,drug discovery,and cell replacement therapies. It is critical to establish generic differentiation protocols to compare the neural specification potential of each individually derived pluripotent stem cell line and identify the efficacious lines for research and therapeutic use. Here,we describe a reproducible and quantitative protocol to assess the neural progenitor (NP) generation of human pluripotent stem cell lines. This method includes a robust and well-defined neural inducing platform for Pax6(+) neural rosette (neuroectodermal cells) generation,propagation,and subsequent differentiation into nestin(+) NPs. A side-by-side comparison under common culture conditions among three human ES cell lines,TE03,TE06,and BG01V,and one iPS cell line,HD02,showed highly variable efficiency in their differentiation into NPs. View Publication

The differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) towards functional neurons particularly hold great potential for the cell-based replacement therapy in neurodegenerative diseases. Here,we describe a stepwise differentiation protocol that mimics the early stage of neural development in human to promote the generation of neuroprogenitors at a high yield. Both the hESCs and hiPSCs are initially cultured in an optimized feeder-free condition,which offer an efficient formation of aggregates. To specify the neuroectodermal specification,these aggregates are differentiated in a defined neural induction medium to develop into neural rosettes-like structures. The rosettes are expanded into free-floating sphere and can be further propagated or developed into variety of neuronal subtypes. View Publication

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are unique cells,which have the ability to differentiate into all cell types that comprise the adult organism. Furthermore,ESCs can infinitely self-renew under optimized conditions. These features place human ESCs (hESCs) in a position where these cells can be exploited for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches in treating human degenerative disorders. However,cell therapy approaches will require large amounts of clinically useable cells,not typically achievable using standard static cell culture methods. Here,we describe a method wherein clinically relevant numbers of hESCs can be generated in a cost and time effective manner. View Publication

More than 600 human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines have been reported today at the human European Embryonic Stem Cell Registry ( http://www.hescreg.eu/ ). Despite these high numbers,there are currently no general protocols for derivation,culture,and characterization of hESC. Moreover,data on the culture of the embryo used for the derivation (medium,day of ICM isolation) are usually not available but can have an impact on the derivation rate. We present here the protocols for derivation,culture and characterization as we applied them for the 22 hESC lines (named VUB-hESC) in our laboratory. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are self-renewing,pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of blastocysts,early-stage embryos,or blastomeres. hESCs can be propagated indefinitely in an undifferentiated state in vitro and have the ability to differentiate into all cell types of the body. Therefore,these cells can potentially provide an unlimited source of cells and hold promise for transplantation therapy,regenerative medicine,drug screening and discovery,and basic scientific research. Surplus human embryos donated for hESC derivation are extremely valuable,and inefficient derivation of hESCs would be a terrible waste of human embryos. Here,we describe a method for isolating hESC lines from human blastocysts with high efficiency. We also describe the methods for excising differentiated areas from partially differentiated hESC colonies and re-isolating undifferentiated hESCs from extremely differentiated hESC colonies. View Publication

Although since 1998 more than 1,200 different hESC lines have been established worldwide,there is still a recognized interest in the establishment of new lines of hESC,particularly from HLA types and ethnic groups underrepresented among the currently available lines. The methodology of hESC derivation has evolved significantly since the initial derivations using human LIF (hLIF) for maintenance of pluripotency. However,there are still a number of alternative strategies for the different steps involved in establishing a new line of hESC. We have analyzed the different strategies/parameters used between 1998 and 2010 for the derivation of the 375 hESC lines able to form teratomas in immunocompromised mice deposited in two international stem cell registries. Here we describe some trends in the methodology for establishing hESC lines,discussing the developments in the field. Nevertheless,we describe a much greater heterogeneity of strategies for hESCs derivation than what is used for murine ESC lines,indicating that optimum conditions have not been identified yet,and thus,hESC establishment is still an evolving field of research. View Publication

PURPOSE Bacillus anthracis infection (anthrax) can be highly lethal. Two recent outbreaks related to contaminated mail in the USA and heroin in the UK and Europe and its potential as a bioterrorist weapon have greatly increased concerns over anthrax in the developed world. METHODS This review summarizes the microbiology,pathogenesis,diagnosis,and management of anthrax. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Anthrax,a gram-positive bacterium,has typically been associated with three forms of infection: cutaneous,gastrointestinal,and inhalational. However,the anthrax outbreak among injection drug users has emphasized the importance of what is now considered a fourth disease form (i.e.,injectional anthrax) that is characterized by severe soft tissue infection. While cutaneous anthrax is most common,its early stages are distinct and prompt appropriate treatment commonly produces a good outcome. However,early symptoms with the other three disease forms can be nonspecific and mistaken for less lethal conditions. As a result,patients with gastrointestinal,inhalational,or injectional anthrax may have advanced infection at presentation that can be highly lethal. Once anthrax is suspected,the diagnosis can usually be made with gram stain and culture from blood or tissue followed by confirmatory testing (e.g.,PCR). While antibiotics are the mainstay of anthrax treatment,use of adjunctive therapies such as anthrax toxin antagonists are a consideration. Prompt surgical therapy appears to be important for successful management of injectional anthrax. View Publication

The aggressiveness of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is defined by local invasion and resistance to therapy. Within established GBM,a subpopulation of tumor-initiating cells with stem-like properties (GBM stem cells,GSCs) is believed to underlie resistance to therapy. The metabolic pathway autophagy has been implicated in the regulation of survival in GBM. However,the status of autophagy in GBM and its role in the cancer stem cell fraction is currently unclear. We found that a number of autophagy regulators are highly expressed in GBM tumors carrying a mesenchymal signature,which defines aggressiveness and invasion,and are associated with components of the MAPK pathway. This autophagy signature included the autophagy-associated genes DRAM1 and SQSTM1,which encode a key regulator of selective autophagy,p62. High levels of DRAM1 were associated with shorter overall survival in GBM patients. In GSCs,DRAM1 and SQSTM1 expression correlated with activation of MAPK and expression of the mesenchymal marker c-MET. DRAM1 knockdown decreased p62 localization to autophagosomes and its autophagy-mediated degradation,thus suggesting a role for DRAM1 in p62-mediated autophagy. In contrast,autophagy induced by starvation or inhibition of mTOR/PI-3K was not affected by either DRAM1 or p62 downregulation. Functionally,DRAM1 and p62 regulate cell motility and invasion in GSCs. This was associated with alterations of energy metabolism,in particular reduced ATP and lactate levels. Taken together,these findings shed new light on the role of autophagy in GBM and reveal a novel function of the autophagy regulators DRAM1 and p62 in control of migration/invasion in cancer stem cells. View Publication

Monocytes and macrophages are often claimed to have limited potential for proliferation in vivo and in vitro although a human monocyte subset with increased potential to proliferate in culture,termed the proliferative monocyte (PM),has previously been identified. The response of the putatively less mature PM to conditions conducive to haematopoietic stem cell culture was determined. Co-culture of monocytes on a HUVEC monolayer induced up to four cell divisions in a 9 day period. The PM response to haematopoietic growth factors (Flt3L,SCF,IL-6,IL-3 and M-CSF) was determined. M-CSF induced the greatest proliferative response in PM; IL-3 and Flt3L reduced basal and M-CSF-induced proliferation. The inhibition of M-CSFR kinase activity by GW2580 indicated that the ligand(s) for this receptor was a potent inducer of proliferation of this subset; inhibitors of intracellular signalling pathways also reduced PM proliferation. View Publication