技术资料

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) represent a promising source of tissues of different cell lineages because of their high degree of self-renewal and their unique ability to give rise to most somatic cell lineages. In this article,we report on a new approach to differentiate hESCs into neural stem cells that can be differentiated further into neuronal restricted cells. We have rapidly and efficiently differentiated hESCs into neural stem cells by presenting the cell adhesion molecule,E-cadherin,to undifferentiated hESCs via E-cadherin transfected fibroblast monolayers. The neural restricted progenitor cells rapidly express nestin and beta-III-tubulin,but not glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) during the 1-week E-cadherin induction phase,suggesting that E-cadherin promotes rapid neuronal differentiation. Further,these cells are able to achieve enhanced neuronal differentiation with the addition of exogenous growth factors. Cadherin-induced hESCs show a loss in Oct4 and nestin expression associated with positive staining for vimentin,neurofilament,and neural cell adhesion molecule. Moreover,blocking by functional E-cadherin antibody and failure of paracrine stimulation suggested that direct E-cadherin engagement is necessary to induce neural restriction. By providing hESCs with molecular cues to promote differentiation,we are able to utilize a specific cell-cell adhesion molecule,E-cadherin,to influence the nature and degree of neural specialization. View Publication

Nature Methods 8,293 (2011). doi:10.1038/nmeth0411-293 View Publication

Although regulation of histone methylation is believed to contribute to embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal,the mechanisms remain obscure. We show here that the histone H3 trimethyl lysine 4 (H3K4me3) demethylase,KDM5B,is a downstream Nanog target and critical for ESC self-renewal. Although KDM5B is believed to function as a promoter-bound repressor,we find that it paradoxically functions as an activator of a gene network associated with self-renewal. ChIP-Seq reveals that KDM5B is predominantly targeted to intragenic regions and that it is recruited to H3K36me3 via an interaction with the chromodomain protein MRG15. Depletion of KDM5B or MRG15 increases intragenic H3K4me3,increases cryptic intragenic transcription,and inhibits transcriptional elongation of KDM5B target genes. We propose that KDM5B activates self-renewal-associated gene expression by repressing cryptic initiation and maintaining an H3K4me3 gradient important for productive transcriptional elongation. View Publication

Human ESC and iPSC are an attractive source of cells of high quantity and purity to be used to elucidate early human development processes,for drug discovery,and in clinical cell therapy applications. To efficiently differentiate pluripotent cells into a pure population of hematopoietic progenitors we have developed a new 2-dimensional,defined and highly efficient protocol that avoids the use of feeder cells,serum or embryoid body formation. Here we showed that a single matrix protein in combination with growth factors and a hypoxic environment is sufficient to generate from pluripotent cells hematopoietic progenitors capable of differentiating further in mature cell types of different lineages of the blood system. We tested the differentiation method using hESCs and 9 iPSC lines generated from different tissues. These data indicate the robustness of the protocol providing a valuable tool for the generation of clinical-grade hematopoietic cells from pluripotent cells. View Publication

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess tumor-tropic properties and consequently have been used to deliver therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Their potential in cancer therapy highlights the need for a consistent and renewable source for the production of uniform human MSCs suitable for clinical applications. In this study,we seek to investigate whether human embryonic stem cells can be used as a cell source to fulfill this goal. We generated MSC-like cells from two human embryonic stem cell lines,HuES9 and H1,and observed that MSC-like cells derived from human embryonic stem cells were able to migrate into human glioma intracranial xenografts after being injected into the cerebral hemisphere contralateral to the tumor inoculation site. We engineered these cells with baculoviral and lentiviral vectors,respectively,for transient and stable expression of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene. In tumor-bearing mice the engineered MSC-like cells were capable of inhibiting tumor growth and prolonging survival in the presence of ganciclovir after they were injected either directly into the xenografts or into the opposite hemisphere. Our findings suggest that human embryonic stem cell-derived MSCs may be a viable and attractive alternative for large-scale derivation of targeting vehicles for cancer therapy. View Publication

Since the derivation of the first human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines by Thomson and coworkers in 1998,more than 1,200 different hESC lines have been established worldwide. Nevertheless,there is still a recognized interest in the establishment of new lines of hESC,particularly from HLA types and ethnic groups currently underrepresented among the available lines. The methodology of hESC derivation has evolved significantly since 1998,when human LIF (hLIF) was used for maintenance of pluripotency. However,there are a number of different strategies for the several steps involved in establishing a new line of hESC. Here we make a survey of the most relevant parameters used between 1998 and 2010 for the derivation of the 375 hESC lines deposited in two international stem cell registries,and able to form teratomas in immunocompromised mice. Although we identify some trends in the methodology for establishing hESC lines,our data reveal a much greater heterogeneity of strategies than what is used for derivation of murine ESC lines,indicating that optimum conditions have not been consolidated yet,and thus,hESC establishment is still an evolving field of research. View Publication

We have developed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient with X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (X-CGD),a defect of neutrophil microbicidal reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation resulting from gp91(phox) deficiency. We demonstrated that mature neutrophils differentiated from X-CGD iPSCs lack ROS production,reproducing the pathognomonic CGD cellular phenotype. Targeted gene transfer into iPSCs,with subsequent selection and full characterization to ensure no off-target changes,holds promise for correction of monogenic diseases without the insertional mutagenesis caused by multisite integration of viral or plasmid vectors. Zinc finger nuclease-mediated gene targeting of a single-copy gp91(phox) therapeutic minigene into one allele of the safe harbor" AAVS1 locus in X-CGD iPSCs without off-target inserts resulted in sustained expression of gp91(phox) and substantially restored neutrophil ROS production. Our findings demonstrate how precise gene targeting may be applied to correction of X-CGD using zinc finger nuclease and patient iPSCs." View Publication

BACKGROUND: Neural induction of human pluripotent stem cells often yields heterogeneous cell populations that can hamper quantitative and comparative analyses. There is a need for improved differentiation and enrichment procedures that generate highly pure populations of neural stem cells (NSC),glia and neurons. One way to address this problem is to identify cell-surface signatures that enable the isolation of these cell types from heterogeneous cell populations by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We performed an unbiased FACS- and image-based immunophenotyping analysis using 190 antibodies to cell surface markers on naïve human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and cell derivatives from neural differentiation cultures. From this analysis we identified prospective cell surface signatures for the isolation of NSC,glia and neurons. We isolated a population of NSC that was CD184(+)/CD271(-)/CD44(-)/CD24(+) from neural induction cultures of hESC and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). Sorted NSC could be propagated for many passages and could differentiate to mixed cultures of neurons and glia in vitro and in vivo. A population of neurons that was CD184(-)/CD44(-)/CD15(LOW)/CD24(+) and a population of glia that was CD184(+)/CD44(+) were subsequently purified from cultures of differentiating NSC. Purified neurons were viable,expressed mature and subtype-specific neuronal markers,and could fire action potentials. Purified glia were mitotic and could mature to GFAP-expressing astrocytes in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings illustrate the utility of immunophenotyping screens for the identification of cell surface signatures of neural cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells. These signatures can be used for isolating highly pure populations of viable NSC,glia and neurons by FACS. The methods described here will enable downstream studies that require consistent and defined neural cell populations. View Publication

Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (Shp2),encoded by Ptpn11,is a member of the nonreceptor protein-tyrosine phosphatase family,and functions in cell survival,proliferation,migration,and differentiation in many tissues. Here we report that loss of Ptpn11 in murine hematopoietic cells leads to bone marrow aplasia and lethality. Mutant mice show rapid loss of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and immature progenitors of all hematopoietic lineages in a gene dosage-dependent and cell-autonomous manner. Ptpn11-deficient HSCs and progenitors undergo apoptosis concomitant with increased Noxa expression. Mutant HSCs/progenitors also show defective Erk and Akt activation in response to stem cell factor and diminished thrombopoietin-evoked Erk activation. Activated Kras alleviates the Ptpn11 requirement for colony formation by progenitors and cytokine/growth factor responsiveness of HSCs,indicating that Ras is functionally downstream of Shp2 in these cells. Thus,Shp2 plays a critical role in controlling the survival and maintenance of HSCs and immature progenitors in vivo. View Publication

Genetic reprogramming of human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could offer replenishable cell sources for transplantation therapies. To fulfill their promises,human iPSCs will ideally be free of exogenous DNA (footprint-free),and be derived and cultured in chemically defined media free of feeder cells. Currently,methods are available to enable efficient derivation of footprint-free human iPSCs. However,each of these methods has its limitations. We have previously derived footprint-free human iPSCs by employing episomal vectors for transgene delivery,but the process was inefficient and required feeder cells. Here,we have greatly improved the episomal reprogramming efficiency using a cocktail containing MEK inhibitor PD0325901,GSK3β inhibitor CHIR99021,TGF-β/Activin/Nodal receptor inhibitor A-83-01,ROCK inhibitor HA-100 and human leukemia inhibitory factor. Moreover,we have successfully established a feeder-free reprogramming condition using chemically defined medium with bFGF and N2B27 supplements and chemically defined human ESC medium mTeSR1 for the derivation of footprint-free human iPSCs. These improvements enabled the routine derivation of footprint-free human iPSCs from skin fibroblasts,adipose tissue-derived cells and cord blood cells. This technology will likely be valuable for the production of clinical-grade human iPSCs. View Publication

One of the key consequences of exposure of human cells to genotoxic agents is the activation of DNA damage responses (DDR). While the mechanisms underpinning DDR in fully differentiated somatic human cells have been studied extensively,molecular signaling events and pathways involved in DDR in pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESC) remain largely unexplored. We studied changes in the human genome-wide transcriptome of H9 hESC line following exposures to 1Gy of gamma-radiation at 2h and 16h post-irradiation. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to verify the expression data for a subset of genes. In parallel,the cell growth,DDR kinetics,and expression of pluripotency markers in irradiated hESC were monitored. The changes in gene expression in hESC after exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) are substantially different from those observed in somatic human cell lines. Gene expression patterns at 2h post-IR showed almost an exclusively p53-dependent,predominantly pro-apoptotic,signature with a total of only 30 up-regulated genes. In contrast,the gene expression patterns at 16h post-IR showed 354 differentially expressed genes,mostly involved in pro-survival pathways,such as increased expression of metallothioneins,ubiquitin cycle,and general metabolism signaling. Cell growth data paralleled trends in gene expression changes. DDR in hESC followed the kinetics reported for human somatic differentiated cells. The expression of pluripotency markers characteristic of undifferentiated hESC was not affected by exposure to IR during the time course of our analysis. Our data on dynamics of transcriptome response of irradiated hESCs may provide a valuable tool to screen for markers of IR exposure of human cells in their most naive state; thus unmasking the key elements of DDR; at the same time,avoiding the complexity of interpreting distinct cell type-dependent genotoxic stress responses of terminally differentiated cells. View Publication

A major road-block in stem cell therapy is the poor homing and integration of transplanted stem cells with the targeted host tissue. Human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells are considered an excellent alternative to embryonic stem (ES) cells and we tested the feasibility of using small,physiological electric fields (EFs) to guide hiPS cells to their target. Applied EFs stimulated and guided migration of cultured hiPS cells toward the anode,with a stimulation threshold of textless30 mV/mm; in three-dimensional (3D) culture hiPS cells remained stationary,whereas in an applied EF they migrated directionally. This is of significance as the therapeutic use of hiPS cells occurs in a 3D environment. EF exposure did not alter expression of the pluripotency markers SSEA-4 and Oct-4 in hiPS cells. We compared EF-directed migration (galvanotaxis) of hiPS cells and hES cells and found that hiPS cells showed greater sensitivity and directedness than those of hES cells in an EF,while hES cells migrated toward cathode. Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibition,a method to aid expansion and survival of stem cells,significantly increased the motility,but reduced directionality of iPS cells in an EF by 70-80%. Thus,our study has revealed that physiological EF is an effective guidance cue for the migration of hiPS cells in either 2D or 3D environments and that will occur in a ROCK-dependent manner. Our current finding may lead to techniques for applying EFs in vivo to guide migration of transplanted stem cells. View Publication