1
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Du J, Liu X, Marasini S, Wang Z, Dammen-Brower K, Yarema KJ, Jia X. Metabolically Glycoengineered Neural Stem Cells Boost Neural Repair After Cardiac Arrest. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2024; 34:2309866. [PMID: 39071865 PMCID: PMC11281434 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202309866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Cardiac arrest (CA)-induced cerebral ischemia remains challenging with high mortality and disability. Neural stem cell (NSC) engrafting is an emerging therapeutic strategy with considerable promise that, unfortunately, is severely compromised by limited cell functionality after in vivo transplantation. This groundbreaking report demonstrates that metabolic glycoengineering (MGE) using the "Ac5ManNTProp (TProp)" monosaccharide analog stimulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, improves cell adhesion, and enhances neuronal differentiation in human NSCs in vitro thereby substantially increasing the therapeutic potential of these cells. For the first time, MGE significantly enhances NSC efficacy for treating ischemic brain injury after asphyxia CA in rats. In particular, neurological deficit scores and neurobehavioral tests experience greater improvements when the therapeutic cells are pretreated with TProp than with "stand-alone" NSC therapy. Notably, the TProp-NSC group exhibits significantly stronger neuroprotective functions including enhanced differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and reduced microglia recruitment; furthermore, Wnt pathway agonists and inhibitors demonstrate a pivotal role for Wnt signaling in the process. These findings help establish MGE as a promising avenue for addressing current limitations associated with NSC transplantation via beneficially influencing neural regeneration and synaptic plasticity, thereby offering enhanced therapeutic options to boost brain recovery following global ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Subash Marasini
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Zhuoran Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Kris Dammen-Brower
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205
- Translational Cell and Tissue Engineering Center, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231
| | - Kevin J. Yarema
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205
- Translational Cell and Tissue Engineering Center, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231
| | - Xiaofeng Jia
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205
- Department of Orthopedics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
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2
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Nakano H, Nakano A. The role of metabolism in cardiac development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 156:201-243. [PMID: 38556424 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Metabolism is the fundamental process that sustains life. The heart, in particular, is an organ of high energy demand, and its energy substrates have been studied for more than a century. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in understanding the role of metabolism in the early differentiation of pluripotent stem cells and in cancer research. Studies have revealed that metabolic intermediates from glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle act as co-factors for intracellular signal transduction, playing crucial roles in regulating cell behaviors. Mitochondria, as the central hub of metabolism, are also under intensive investigation regarding the regulation of their dynamics. The metabolic environment of the fetus is intricately linked to the maternal metabolic status, and the impact of the mother's nutrition and metabolic health on fetal development is significant. For instance, it is well known that maternal diabetes increases the risk of cardiac and nervous system malformations in the fetus. Another notable example is the decrease in the risk of neural tube defects when pregnant women are supplemented with folic acid. These examples highlight the profound influence of the maternal metabolic environment on the fetal organ development program. Therefore, gaining insights into the metabolic environment within developing fetal organs is critical for deepening our understanding of normal organ development. This review aims to summarize recent findings that build upon the historical recognition of the environmental and metabolic factors involved in the developing embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruko Nakano
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Atsushi Nakano
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Cell Physiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
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3
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Meier AB, Zawada D, De Angelis MT, Martens LD, Santamaria G, Zengerle S, Nowak-Imialek M, Kornherr J, Zhang F, Tian Q, Wolf CM, Kupatt C, Sahara M, Lipp P, Theis FJ, Gagneur J, Goedel A, Laugwitz KL, Dorn T, Moretti A. Epicardioid single-cell genomics uncovers principles of human epicardium biology in heart development and disease. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1787-1800. [PMID: 37012447 PMCID: PMC10713454 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01718-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
The epicardium, the mesothelial envelope of the vertebrate heart, is the source of multiple cardiac cell lineages during embryonic development and provides signals that are essential to myocardial growth and repair. Here we generate self-organizing human pluripotent stem cell-derived epicardioids that display retinoic acid-dependent morphological, molecular and functional patterning of the epicardium and myocardium typical of the left ventricular wall. By combining lineage tracing, single-cell transcriptomics and chromatin accessibility profiling, we describe the specification and differentiation process of different cell lineages in epicardioids and draw comparisons to human fetal development at the transcriptional and morphological levels. We then use epicardioids to investigate the functional cross-talk between cardiac cell types, gaining new insights into the role of IGF2/IGF1R and NRP2 signaling in human cardiogenesis. Finally, we show that epicardioids mimic the multicellular pathogenesis of congenital or stress-induced hypertrophy and fibrotic remodeling. As such, epicardioids offer a unique testing ground of epicardial activity in heart development, disease and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Meier
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Dorota Zawada
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria Teresa De Angelis
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University 'Magna Graecia', Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Laura D Martens
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Helmholtz Association-Munich School for Data Science (MUDS), Munich, Germany
| | - Gianluca Santamaria
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University 'Magna Graecia', Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Sophie Zengerle
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Monika Nowak-Imialek
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Jessica Kornherr
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Fangfang Zhang
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Qinghai Tian
- Center for Molecular Signaling (PZMS), Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, Research Center for Molecular Imaging and Screening, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Cordula M Wolf
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
- Department of Congenital Heart Defects and Pediatric Cardiology, German Heart Center Munich, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Kupatt
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Makoto Sahara
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Peter Lipp
- Center for Molecular Signaling (PZMS), Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, Research Center for Molecular Imaging and Screening, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Fabian J Theis
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Julien Gagneur
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Goedel
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karl-Ludwig Laugwitz
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Tatjana Dorn
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Alessandra Moretti
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany.
- Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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4
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Song C, Kong F, Nong H, Cai L, Tian Y, Hou H, Wang L, Qiu X. Ammonium Persulfate-Loaded Carboxylic Gelatin-Methacrylate Nanoparticles Promote Cardiac Repair by Activating Epicardial Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition via Autophagy and the mTOR Pathway. ACS NANO 2023; 17:20246-20261. [PMID: 37782701 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c06229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Restoring damaged myocardial tissue with therapeutic exogenous cells still has some limitations, such as immunological rejection, immature cardiac properties, risk of tumorigenicity, and a low cell survival rate in the ischemic myocardium microenvironment. Activating the endogenous stem cells with functional biomaterials might overcome these limitations. Research has highlighted the multiple differentiation potential of epicardial cells via epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in both heart development and cardiac regeneration. In our previous research, a carboxylic gelatin-methacrylate (carbox-GelMA) nanoparticle (NP) was fabricated to carry ammonium persulfate (APS), and APS-loaded carbox-GelMA NPs (NPs/APS) could drive the EMT of MCF-7 cells in vitro and promote cancer cell migration and invasion in vivo. The present study explored the roles of functional NPs/APS in the EMT of Wilms' tumor 1-positive (WT1+) epicardial cells and in the repair of myocardial infarction (MI). The WT1+ epicardial cells transformed into endothelial-like cells after being treated with NPs/APS in vitro, and the cardiac functions were improved significantly after injecting NPs/APS into the infarcted hearts in vivo. Furthermore, simultaneous activation of both autophagy and the mTOR pathway was confirmed during the NPs/APS-induced EMT process in WT1+ epicardial cells. Together, this study highlights the function of NPs/APS in the repair of MI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Song
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510900, China
| | - Fanxuan Kong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Huijia Nong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials Research Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Liu Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials Research Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ye Tian
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials Research Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Honghao Hou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Leyu Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials Research Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xiaozhong Qiu
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510900, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510515, China
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5
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Human multilineage pro-epicardium/foregut organoids support the development of an epicardium/myocardium organoid. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6981. [PMID: 36379937 PMCID: PMC9666429 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34730-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The epicardium, the outer epithelial layer that covers the myocardium, derives from a transient organ known as pro-epicardium, crucial during heart organogenesis. The pro-epicardium develops from lateral plate mesoderm progenitors, next to septum transversum mesenchyme, a structure deeply involved in liver embryogenesis. Here we describe a self-organized human multilineage organoid that recreates the co-emergence of pro-epicardium, septum transversum mesenchyme and liver bud. Additionally, we study the impact of WNT, BMP and retinoic acid signaling modulation on multilineage organoid specification. By co-culturing these organoids with cardiomyocyte aggregates, we generated a self-organized heart organoid comprising an epicardium-like layer that fully surrounds a myocardium-like tissue. These heart organoids recapitulate the impact of epicardial cells on promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation and structural and functional maturation. Therefore, the human heart organoids described herein, open the path to advancing knowledge on how myocardium-epicardium interaction progresses during heart organogenesis in healthy or diseased settings.
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6
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Wiesinger A, Li J, Fokkert L, Bakker P, Verkerk AO, Christoffels VM, Boink GJJ, Devalla HD. A single cell transcriptional roadmap of human pacemaker cell differentiation. eLife 2022; 11:76781. [PMID: 36217819 PMCID: PMC9553210 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Each heartbeat is triggered by the sinoatrial node (SAN), the primary pacemaker of the heart. Studies in animal models have revealed that pacemaker cells share a common progenitor with the (pro)epicardium, and that the pacemaker cardiomyocytes further diversify into ‘transitional’, ‘tail’, and ‘head’ subtypes. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms, especially of human pacemaker cell development, are poorly understood. Here, we performed single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and trajectory inference on human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) differentiating to SAN-like cardiomyocytes (SANCMs) to construct a roadmap of transcriptional changes and lineage decisions. In differentiated SANCM, we identified distinct clusters that closely resemble different subpopulations of the in vivo SAN. Moreover, the presence of a side population of proepicardial cells suggested their shared ontogeny with SANCM, as also reported in vivo. Our results demonstrate that the divergence of SANCM and proepicardial lineages is determined by WNT signaling. Furthermore, we uncovered roles for TGFβ and WNT signaling in the branching of transitional and head SANCM subtypes, respectively. These findings provide new insights into the molecular processes involved in human pacemaker cell differentiation, opening new avenues for complex disease modeling in vitro and inform approaches for cell therapy-based regeneration of the SAN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Wiesinger
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jiuru Li
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lianne Fokkert
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Priscilla Bakker
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Vincent M Christoffels
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gerard J J Boink
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Harsha D Devalla
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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7
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Darche FF, Ullrich ND, Huang Z, Koenen M, Rivinius R, Frey N, Schweizer PA. Improved Generation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Pacemaker Cells Using Novel Differentiation Protocols. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137318. [PMID: 35806319 PMCID: PMC9266442 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Current protocols for the differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) into cardiomyocytes only generate a small amount of cardiac pacemaker cells. In previous work, we reported the generation of high amounts of cardiac pacemaker cells by co-culturing hiPSC with mouse visceral endoderm-like (END2) cells. However, potential medical applications of cardiac pacemaker cells generated according to this protocol, comprise an incalculable xenogeneic risk. We thus aimed to establish novel protocols maintaining the differentiation efficiency of the END2 cell-based protocol, yet eliminating the use of END2 cells. Three protocols were based on the activation and inhibition of the Wingless/Integrated (Wnt) signaling pathway, supplemented either with retinoic acid and the Wnt activator CHIR99021 (protocol B) or with the NODAL inhibitor SB431542 (protocol C) or with a combination of all three components (protocol D). An additional fourth protocol (protocol E) was used, which was originally developed by the manufacturer STEMCELL Technologies for the differentiation of hiPSC or hESC into atrial cardiomyocytes. All protocols (B, C, D, E) were compared to the END2 cell-based protocol A, serving as reference, in terms of their ability to differentiate hiPSC into cardiac pacemaker cells. Our analysis revealed that protocol E induced upregulation of 12 out of 15 cardiac pacemaker-specific genes. For comparison, reference protocol A upregulated 11, while protocols B, C and D upregulated 9, 10 and 8 cardiac pacemaker-specific genes, respectively. Cells differentiated according to protocol E displayed intense fluorescence signals of cardiac pacemaker-specific markers and showed excellent rate responsiveness to adrenergic and cholinergic stimulation. In conclusion, we characterized four novel and END2 cell-independent protocols for the differentiation of hiPSC into cardiac pacemaker cells, of which protocol E was the most efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice F. Darche
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.K.); (R.R.); (N.F.); (P.A.S.)
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-6221-56-8676; Fax: +49-6221-56-5515
| | - Nina D. Ullrich
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ziqiang Huang
- EMBL Imaging Centre, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Michael Koenen
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.K.); (R.R.); (N.F.); (P.A.S.)
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rasmus Rivinius
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.K.); (R.R.); (N.F.); (P.A.S.)
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Norbert Frey
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.K.); (R.R.); (N.F.); (P.A.S.)
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Patrick A. Schweizer
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.K.); (R.R.); (N.F.); (P.A.S.)
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
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8
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Abstract
An ensemble of in vitro cardiac tissue models has been developed over the past several decades to aid our understanding of complex cardiovascular disorders using a reductionist approach. These approaches often rely on recapitulating single or multiple clinically relevant end points in a dish indicative of the cardiac pathophysiology. The possibility to generate disease-relevant and patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cells has further leveraged the utility of the cardiac models as screening tools at a large scale. To elucidate biological mechanisms in the cardiac models, it is critical to integrate physiological cues in form of biochemical, biophysical, and electromechanical stimuli to achieve desired tissue-like maturity for a robust phenotyping. Here, we review the latest advances in the directed stem cell differentiation approaches to derive a wide gamut of cardiovascular cell types, to allow customization in cardiac model systems, and to study diseased states in multiple cell types. We also highlight the recent progress in the development of several cardiovascular models, such as cardiac organoids, microtissues, engineered heart tissues, and microphysiological systems. We further expand our discussion on defining the context of use for the selection of currently available cardiac tissue models. Last, we discuss the limitations and challenges with the current state-of-the-art cardiac models and highlight future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilip Thomas
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.).,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.)
| | - Suji Choi
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA (S.C., K.K.P.)
| | - Christina Alamana
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.).,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.)
| | - Kevin Kit Parker
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA (S.C., K.K.P.).,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA (K.K.P.)
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.).,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.).,Greenstone Biosciences, Palo Alto, CA (J.C.W.)
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9
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CDH18 is a fetal epicardial biomarker regulating differentiation towards vascular smooth muscle cells. NPJ Regen Med 2022; 7:14. [PMID: 35110584 PMCID: PMC8810917 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-022-00207-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The epicardium is a mesothelial layer covering the myocardium serving as a progenitor source during cardiac development. The epicardium reactivates upon cardiac injury supporting cardiac repair and regeneration. Fine-tuned balanced signaling regulates cell plasticity and cell-fate decisions of epicardial-derived cells (EPCDs) via epicardial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, powerful tools to investigate epicardial function, including markers with pivotal roles in developmental signaling, are still lacking. Here, we recapitulated epicardiogenesis using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and identified type II classical cadherin CDH18 as a biomarker defining lineage specification in human active epicardium. The loss of CDH18 led to the onset of EMT and specific differentiation towards cardiac smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, GATA4 regulated epicardial CDH18 expression. These results highlight the importance of tracing CDH18 expression in hiPSC-derived epicardial cells, providing a model for investigating epicardial function in human development and disease and enabling new possibilities for regenerative medicine.
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10
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Whitehead AJ, Hocker JD, Ren B, Engler AJ. Improved epicardial cardiac fibroblast generation from iPSCs. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2021; 164:58-68. [PMID: 34826415 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2021.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Since the initial isolation of human embryonic stem cells and subsequent discovery of reprogramming methods for somatic cells, thousands of protocols have been developed to create each of the hundreds of cell types found in-vivo with significant focus on disease-prone systems, e.g., cardiovascular. Robust protocols exist for many of these cell types, except for cardiac fibroblasts (CF). Very recently, several competing methods have been developed to generate these cells through a developmentally conserved epicardial pathway. Such methods generate epicardial cells, but here we report that prolonged exposure to growth factors such as bFGF induces fibroblast spindle-like morphology and similar chromatin architecture to primary CFs. Media conditions for growth and assays are provided, as well as suggestions for seeding densities and timepoints for protein harvest of extracellular matrix. We demonstrate marker expression and matrix competency of resultant cells as shown next to primary human cardiac fibroblasts. These methods provide additional guidance to the original protocol and result in an increasingly stable phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Whitehead
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - James D Hocker
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Laboratory of Gene Regulation, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bing Ren
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biomedical Sciences Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Laboratory of Gene Regulation, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adam J Engler
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biomedical Sciences Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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11
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Wiesinger A, Boink GJJ, Christoffels VM, Devalla HD. Retinoic acid signaling in heart development: Application in the differentiation of cardiovascular lineages from human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:2589-2606. [PMID: 34653403 PMCID: PMC8581056 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) signaling plays an important role during heart development in establishing anteroposterior polarity, formation of inflow and outflow tract progenitors, and growth of the ventricular compact wall. RA is also utilized as a key ingredient in protocols designed for generating cardiac cell types from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). This review discusses the role of RA in cardiogenesis, currently available protocols that employ RA for differentiation of various cardiovascular lineages, and plausible transcriptional mechanisms underlying this fate specification. These insights will inform further development of desired cardiac cell types from human PSCs and their application in preclinical and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Wiesinger
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard J J Boink
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vincent M Christoffels
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Harsha D Devalla
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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12
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Floy ME, Givens SE, Matthys OB, Mateyka TD, Kerr CM, Steinberg AB, Silva AC, Zhang J, Mei Y, Ogle BM, McDevitt TC, Kamp TJ, Palecek SP. Developmental lineage of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac fibroblasts affects their functional phenotype. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21799. [PMID: 34339055 PMCID: PMC8349112 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100523r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts (CFBs) support heart function by secreting extracellular matrix (ECM) and paracrine factors, respond to stress associated with injury and disease, and therefore are an increasingly important therapeutic target. We describe how developmental lineage of human pluripotent stem cell-derived CFBs, epicardial (EpiC-FB), and second heart field (SHF-FB) impacts transcriptional and functional properties. Both EpiC-FBs and SHF-FBs exhibited CFB transcriptional programs and improved calcium handling in human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac tissues. We identified differences including in composition of ECM synthesized, secretion of growth and differentiation factors, and myofibroblast activation potential, with EpiC-FBs exhibiting higher stress-induced activation potential akin to myofibroblasts and SHF-FBs demonstrating higher calcification and mineralization potential. These phenotypic differences suggest that EpiC-FBs have utility in modeling fibrotic diseases while SHF-FBs are a promising source of cells for regenerative therapies. This work directly contrasts regional and developmental specificity of CFBs and informs CFB in vitro model selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha E Floy
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sophie E Givens
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Oriane B Matthys
- UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkley, CA, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Taylor D Mateyka
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Charles M Kerr
- Molecular Cell Biology and Pathobiology Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Alexandra B Steinberg
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ana C Silva
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ying Mei
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Brenda M Ogle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Todd C McDevitt
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Timothy J Kamp
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sean P Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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13
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Tan JJ, Guyette JP, Miki K, Xiao L, Kaur G, Wu T, Zhu L, Hansen KJ, Ling KH, Milan DJ, Ott HC. Human iPS-derived pre-epicardial cells direct cardiomyocyte aggregation expansion and organization in vitro. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4997. [PMID: 34404774 PMCID: PMC8370973 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24921-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epicardial formation is necessary for normal myocardial morphogenesis. Here, we show that differentiating hiPSC-derived lateral plate mesoderm with BMP4, RA and VEGF (BVR) can generate a premature form of epicardial cells (termed pre-epicardial cells, PECs) expressing WT1, TBX18, SEMA3D, and SCX within 7 days. BVR stimulation after Wnt inhibition of LPM demonstrates co-differentiation and spatial organization of PECs and cardiomyocytes (CMs) in a single 2D culture. Co-culture consolidates CMs into dense aggregates, which then form a connected beating syncytium with enhanced contractility and calcium handling; while PECs become more mature with significant upregulation of UPK1B, ITGA4, and ALDH1A2 expressions. Our study also demonstrates that PECs secrete IGF2 and stimulate CM proliferation in co-culture. Three-dimensional PEC-CM spheroid co-cultures form outer smooth muscle cell layers on cardiac micro-tissues with organized internal luminal structures. These characteristics suggest PECs could play a key role in enhancing tissue organization within engineered cardiac constructs in vitro. The authors form pre-epicardial cells (PECs) from hiPSC-derived lateral plate mesoderm on treating with BMP4, RA and VEGF, and co-culture these PECs with cardiomyocytes, inducing cardiomyocyte aggregation, proliferation and network formation with more mature structures and improved beating/contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jie Tan
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
| | - Jacques P Guyette
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kenji Miki
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Center for iPS Cell Research and Applications, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ling Xiao
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gurbani Kaur
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tong Wu
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liye Zhu
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katrina J Hansen
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - King-Hwa Ling
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - David J Milan
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Leducq Foundation, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Harald C Ott
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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14
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Campostrini G, Meraviglia V, Giacomelli E, van Helden RW, Yiangou L, Davis RP, Bellin M, Orlova VV, Mummery CL. Generation, functional analysis and applications of isogenic three-dimensional self-aggregating cardiac microtissues from human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:2213-2256. [PMID: 33772245 PMCID: PMC7611409 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00497-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Tissue-like structures from human pluripotent stem cells containing multiple cell types are transforming our ability to model and understand human development and disease. Here we describe a protocol to generate cardiomyocytes (CMs), cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and cardiac endothelial cells (ECs), the three principal cell types in the heart, from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and combine them in three-dimensional (3D) cardiac microtissues (MTs). We include details of how to differentiate, isolate, cryopreserve and thaw the component cells and how to construct and analyze the MTs. The protocol supports hiPSC-CM maturation and allows replacement of one or more of the three heart cell types in the MTs with isogenic variants bearing disease mutations. Differentiation of each cell type takes ~30 d, while MT formation and maturation requires another 20 d. No specialist equipment is needed and the method is inexpensive, requiring just 5,000 cells per MT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Campostrini
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Viviana Meraviglia
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Elisa Giacomelli
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben W.J. van Helden
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Loukia Yiangou
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Richard P. Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Milena Bellin
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands,Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy,Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, 35129 Padua, Italy,Correspondence to , or
| | - Valeria V. Orlova
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands,Correspondence to , or
| | - Christine L. Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands,Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, University of Twente, The Netherlands,Correspondence to , or
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15
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Abstract
The epicardium is a multipotent cell layer that is vital to myocardial development and regeneration. Epicardial cells contribute to cardiac fibroblast and smooth muscle populations of the heart and secrete paracrine factors that promote cardiomyocyte proliferation and angiogenesis. Despite a central role in cardiac biology, the mechanisms by which epicardial cells influence cardiac growth are largely unknown, and robust models of the epicardium are needed. Here, we review our protocol for differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into epicardial-like cells through temporal modulation of canonical Wnt signaling. iPSC-derived epicardial cells (iECs) resemble in vivo epicardial cells morphologically and display markers characteristic of the developing epicardium. We also review our protocol for differentiating iECs into fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells through treatment with bFGF and TGF-β1, respectively. iECs provide a platform for studying fundamental epicardial biology and can inform strategies for therapeutic heart regeneration.
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16
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Jarrell DK, Vanderslice EJ, VeDepo MC, Jacot JG. Engineering Myocardium for Heart Regeneration-Advancements, Considerations, and Future Directions. Front Cardiovasc Med 2020; 7:586261. [PMID: 33195474 PMCID: PMC7588355 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2020.586261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States among both adults and infants. In adults, 5-year survival after a heart attack is <60%, and congenital heart defects are the top killer of liveborn infants. Problematically, the regenerative capacity of the heart is extremely limited, even in newborns. Furthermore, suitable donor hearts for transplant cannot meet the demand and require recipients to use immunosuppressants for life. Tissue engineered myocardium has the potential to replace dead or fibrotic heart tissue in adults and could also be used to permanently repair congenital heart defects in infants. In addition, engineering functional myocardium could facilitate the development of a whole bioartificial heart. Here, we review and compare in vitro and in situ myocardial tissue engineering strategies. In the context of this comparison, we consider three challenges that must be addressed in the engineering of myocardial tissue: recapitulation of myocardial architecture, vascularization of the tissue, and modulation of the immune system. In addition to reviewing and analyzing current progress, we recommend specific strategies for the generation of tissue engineered myocardial patches for heart regeneration and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon K Jarrell
- Jacot Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Ethan J Vanderslice
- Jacot Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Mitchell C VeDepo
- Jacot Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Jeffrey G Jacot
- Jacot Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
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17
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Endogenous IGF Signaling Directs Heterogeneous Mesoderm Differentiation in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Cell Rep 2020; 29:3374-3384.e5. [PMID: 31825822 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
During embryogenesis, various cell types emerge simultaneously from their common progenitors under the influence of intrinsic signals. Human embryonic stem cells can differentiate to diverse cell types of three embryonic lineages, making them an excellent system for understanding the regulatory mechanism that maintains the balance of different cell types in embryogenesis. In this report, we demonstrate that insulin-like growth factor (IGF) proteins are endogenously expressed during differentiation, and their temporal expression contributes to the cell fate diversity in mesoderm differentiation. Small molecule LY294002 inhibits the IGF pathway to promote cardiomyocyte differentiation while suppressing epicardial and noncardiac cell fates. LY294002-induced cardiomyocytes demonstrate characteristic cardiomyocyte features and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac differentiation. We further show that LY294002 induces cardiomyocytes through CK2 pathway inhibition. This study elucidates the crucial roles of endogenous IGF in mesoderm differentiation and shows that the inhibition of the IGF pathway is an effective approach for generating cardiomyocytes.
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18
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Protze SI, Lee JH, Keller GM. Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular Cells: From Developmental Biology to Therapeutic Applications. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 25:311-327. [PMID: 31491395 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Advances in our understanding of cardiovascular development have provided a roadmap for the directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to the major cell types found in the heart. In this Perspective, we review the state of the field in generating and maturing cardiovascular cells from hPSCs based on our fundamental understanding of heart development. We then highlight their applications for studying human heart development, modeling disease-performing drug screening, and cell replacement therapy. With the advancements highlighted here, the promise that hPSCs will deliver new treatments for degenerative and debilitating diseases may soon be fulfilled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie I Protze
- McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Jee Hoon Lee
- BlueRock Therapeutics ULC, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Gordon M Keller
- McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
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19
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Paik DT, Chandy M, Wu JC. Patient and Disease-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Discovery of Personalized Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapeutics. Pharmacol Rev 2020; 72:320-342. [PMID: 31871214 PMCID: PMC6934989 DOI: 10.1124/pr.116.013003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as an effective platform for regenerative therapy, disease modeling, and drug discovery. iPSCs allow for the production of limitless supply of patient-specific somatic cells that enable advancement in cardiovascular precision medicine. Over the past decade, researchers have developed protocols to differentiate iPSCs to multiple cardiovascular lineages, as well as to enhance the maturity and functionality of these cells. Despite significant advances, drug therapy and discovery for cardiovascular disease have lagged behind other fields such as oncology. We speculate that this paucity of drug discovery is due to a previous lack of efficient, reproducible, and translational model systems. Notably, existing drug discovery and testing platforms rely on animal studies and clinical trials, but investigations in animal models have inherent limitations due to interspecies differences. Moreover, clinical trials are inherently flawed by assuming that all individuals with a disease will respond identically to a therapy, ignoring the genetic and epigenomic variations that define our individuality. With ever-improving differentiation and phenotyping methods, patient-specific iPSC-derived cardiovascular cells allow unprecedented opportunities to discover new drug targets and screen compounds for cardiovascular disease. Imbued with the genetic information of an individual, iPSCs will vastly improve our ability to test drugs efficiently, as well as tailor and titrate drug therapy for each patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- David T Paik
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Mark Chandy
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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20
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Branco MA, Cabral JM, Diogo MM. From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to 3D Cardiac Microtissues: Progress, Applications and Challenges. Bioengineering (Basel) 2020; 7:E92. [PMID: 32785039 PMCID: PMC7552661 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering7030092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The knowledge acquired throughout the years concerning the in vivo regulation of cardiac development has promoted the establishment of directed differentiation protocols to obtain cardiomyocytes (CMs) and other cardiac cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), which play a crucial role in the function and homeostasis of the heart. Among other developments in the field, the transition from homogeneous cultures of CMs to more complex multicellular cardiac microtissues (MTs) has increased the potential of these models for studying cardiac disorders in vitro and for clinically relevant applications such as drug screening and cardiotoxicity tests. This review addresses the state of the art of the generation of different cardiac cells from hPSCs and the impact of transitioning CM differentiation from 2D culture to a 3D environment. Additionally, current methods that may be employed to generate 3D cardiac MTs are reviewed and, finally, the adoption of these models for in vitro applications and their adaptation to medium- to high-throughput screening settings are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maria Margarida Diogo
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal; (M.A.B.); (J.M.S.C.)
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21
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Giacomelli E, Meraviglia V, Campostrini G, Cochrane A, Cao X, van Helden RWJ, Krotenberg Garcia A, Mircea M, Kostidis S, Davis RP, van Meer BJ, Jost CR, Koster AJ, Mei H, Míguez DG, Mulder AA, Ledesma-Terrón M, Pompilio G, Sala L, Salvatori DCF, Slieker RC, Sommariva E, de Vries AAF, Giera M, Semrau S, Tertoolen LGJ, Orlova VV, Bellin M, Mummery CL. Human-iPSC-Derived Cardiac Stromal Cells Enhance Maturation in 3D Cardiac Microtissues and Reveal Non-cardiomyocyte Contributions to Heart Disease. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 26:862-879.e11. [PMID: 32459996 PMCID: PMC7284308 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 310] [Impact Index Per Article: 77.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cardiomyocytes (CMs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are functionally immature, but this is improved by incorporation into engineered tissues or forced contraction. Here, we showed that tri-cellular combinations of hiPSC-derived CMs, cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), and cardiac endothelial cells also enhance maturation in easily constructed, scaffold-free, three-dimensional microtissues (MTs). hiPSC-CMs in MTs with CFs showed improved sarcomeric structures with T-tubules, enhanced contractility, and mitochondrial respiration and were electrophysiologically more mature than MTs without CFs. Interactions mediating maturation included coupling between hiPSC-CMs and CFs through connexin 43 (CX43) gap junctions and increased intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP). Scaled production of thousands of hiPSC-MTs was highly reproducible across lines and differentiated cell batches. MTs containing healthy-control hiPSC-CMs but hiPSC-CFs from patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy strikingly recapitulated features of the disease. Our MT model is thus a simple and versatile platform for modeling multicellular cardiac diseases that will facilitate industry and academic engagement in high-throughput molecular screening. Cardiac fibroblasts and endothelial cells induce hiPSC-cardiomyocyte maturation CX43 gap junctions form between cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes cAMP-pathway activation contributes to hiPSC-cardiomyocyte maturation Patient-derived hiPSC-cardiac fibroblasts cause arrhythmia in microtissues
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Giacomelli
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Viviana Meraviglia
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Giulia Campostrini
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Amy Cochrane
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Xu Cao
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ruben W J van Helden
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ana Krotenberg Garcia
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Maria Mircea
- Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sarantos Kostidis
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Richard P Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Berend J van Meer
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Carolina R Jost
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Abraham J Koster
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Hailiang Mei
- Sequencing Analysis Support Core, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - David G Míguez
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto Nicolas Cabrera and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Aat A Mulder
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mario Ledesma-Terrón
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto Nicolas Cabrera and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Giulio Pompilio
- Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine Unit, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Sala
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Daniela C F Salvatori
- Central Laboratory Animal Facility, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Roderick C Slieker
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Public Health Institute, VU University Medical Center, 1007 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Sommariva
- Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine Unit, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
| | - Antoine A F de Vries
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Giera
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Semrau
- Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Leon G J Tertoolen
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Valeria V Orlova
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Milena Bellin
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, 35129 Padua, Italy.
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, University of Twente, 7500 Enschede, the Netherlands.
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22
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Modeling Cardiovascular Diseases with hiPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes in 2D and 3D Cultures. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093404. [PMID: 32403456 PMCID: PMC7246991 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, the generation of cardiac disease models based on human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has become of common use, providing new opportunities to overcome the lack of appropriate cardiac models. Although much progress has been made toward the generation of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPS-CMs), several lines of evidence indicate that two-dimensional (2D) cell culturing presents significant limitations, including hiPS-CMs immaturity and the absence of interaction between different cell types and the extracellular matrix. More recently, new advances in bioengineering and co-culture systems have allowed the generation of three-dimensional (3D) constructs based on hiPSC-derived cells. Within these systems, biochemical and physical stimuli influence the maturation of hiPS-CMs, which can show structural and functional properties more similar to those present in adult cardiomyocytes. In this review, we describe the latest advances in 2D- and 3D-hiPSC technology for cardiac disease mechanisms investigation, drug development, and therapeutic studies.
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23
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Floy ME, Mateyka TD, Foreman KL, Palecek SP. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac stromal cells and their applications in regenerative medicine. Stem Cell Res 2020; 45:101831. [PMID: 32446219 PMCID: PMC7931507 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2020.101831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Recent advances in stem cell biology have led to the development and engineering of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiac cells and tissues for application in cellular therapy and cardiotoxicity studies. Initial studies in this area have largely focused on improving differentiation efficiency and maturation states of cardiomyocytes. However, other cell types in the heart, including endothelial and stromal cells, play crucial roles in cardiac development, injury response, and cardiomyocyte function. This review discusses recent advances in differentiation of hPSCs to cardiac stromal cells, identification and classification of cardiac stromal cell types, and application of hPSC-derived cardiac stromal cells and tissues containing these cells in regenerative and drug development applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha E Floy
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Taylor D Mateyka
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Koji L Foreman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sean P Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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24
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Sirbu IO, Chiş AR, Moise AR. Role of carotenoids and retinoids during heart development. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1865:158636. [PMID: 31978553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The nutritional requirements of the developing embryo are complex. In the case of dietary vitamin A (retinol, retinyl esters and provitamin A carotenoids), maternal derived nutrients serve as precursors to signaling molecules such as retinoic acid, which is required for embryonic patterning and organogenesis. Despite variations in the composition and levels of maternal vitamin A, embryonic tissues need to generate a precise amount of retinoic acid to avoid congenital malformations. Here, we summarize recent findings regarding the role and metabolism of vitamin A during heart development and we survey the association of genes known to affect retinoid metabolism or signaling with various inherited disorders. A better understanding of the roles of vitamin A in the heart and of the factors that affect retinoid metabolism and signaling can help design strategies to meet nutritional needs and to prevent birth defects and disorders associated with altered retinoid metabolism. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Carotenoids recent advances in cell and molecular biology edited by Johannes von Lintig and Loredana Quadro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioan Ovidiu Sirbu
- Biochemistry Department, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; Timisoara Institute of Complex Systems, V. Lucaciu 18, 300044 Timisoara, Romania.
| | - Aimée Rodica Chiş
- Biochemistry Department, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Alexander Radu Moise
- Medical Sciences Division, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology and Biomolecular Sciences Program, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada.
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25
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Jiang Y, Lian XL. Heart regeneration with human pluripotent stem cells: Prospects and challenges. Bioact Mater 2020; 5:74-81. [PMID: 31989061 PMCID: PMC6965207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease, ranging from congenital heart disease to adult myocardial infarction, is the leading cause of death worldwide. In pursuit of reliable cardiovascular regenerative medicine, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), offer plenty of potential cell-based applications. HPSCs are capable of proliferating indefinitely in an undifferentiated state, and are also pluripotent, being able to differentiate into virtually any somatic cell types given specific stepwise cues, thus representing an unlimited source to generate functional cardiovascular cells for heart regeneration. Here we recapitulated current advances in developing efficient protocols to generate hPSC-derived cardiovascular cell lineages, including cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, and epicardial cells. We also discussed applications of hPSC-derived cells in combination with compatible bioactive materials, promising trials of cell transplantation in animal models of myocardial infarction, and potential hurdles to bring us closer to the ultimate goal of cell-based heart repair. HPSCs hold tremendous therapeutic potential for treating CVDs. HPSCs could differentiate into multiple cardiovascular cell lineages. Transplantation of hPSC-derived cardiovascular cells and biomaterials shows promising results, but challenges still remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqian Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Xiaojun Lance Lian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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26
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Gambardella L, McManus SA, Moignard V, Sebukhan D, Delaune A, Andrews S, Bernard WG, Morrison MA, Riley PR, Göttgens B, Gambardella Le Novère N, Sinha S. BNC1 regulates cell heterogeneity in human pluripotent stem cell-derived epicardium. Development 2019; 146:dev174441. [PMID: 31767620 PMCID: PMC6955213 DOI: 10.1242/dev.174441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The murine developing epicardium heterogeneously expresses the transcription factors TCF21 and WT1. Here, we show that this cell heterogeneity is conserved in human epicardium, regulated by BNC1 and associated with cell fate and function. Single cell RNA sequencing of epicardium derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC-epi) revealed that distinct epicardial subpopulations are defined by high levels of expression for the transcription factors BNC1 or TCF21. WT1+ cells are included in the BNC1+ population, which was confirmed in human foetal hearts. THY1 emerged as a membrane marker of the TCF21 population. We show that THY1+ cells can differentiate into cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs), whereas THY1- cells were predominantly restricted to SMCs. Knocking down BNC1 during the establishment of the epicardial populations resulted in a homogeneous, predominantly TCF21high population. Network inference methods using transcriptomic data from the different cell lineages derived from the hPSC-epi delivered a core transcriptional network organised around WT1, TCF21 and BNC1. This study unveils a list of epicardial regulators and is a step towards engineering subpopulations of epicardial cells with selective biological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Gambardella
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AZ, UK
| | - Sophie A McManus
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AZ, UK
| | - Victoria Moignard
- Department of Haematology, Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AZ, UK
| | | | | | | | - William G Bernard
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AZ, UK
| | - Maura A Morrison
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AZ, UK
| | - Paul R Riley
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Berthold Göttgens
- Department of Haematology, Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AZ, UK
| | | | - Sanjay Sinha
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AZ, UK
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27
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Barreto S, Hamel L, Schiatti T, Yang Y, George V. Cardiac Progenitor Cells from Stem Cells: Learning from Genetics and Biomaterials. Cells 2019; 8:E1536. [PMID: 31795206 PMCID: PMC6952950 DOI: 10.3390/cells8121536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac Progenitor Cells (CPCs) show great potential as a cell resource for restoring cardiac function in patients affected by heart disease or heart failure. CPCs are proliferative and committed to cardiac fate, capable of generating cells of all the cardiac lineages. These cells offer a significant shift in paradigm over the use of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes owing to the latter's inability to recapitulate mature features of a native myocardium, limiting their translational applications. The iPSCs and direct reprogramming of somatic cells have been attempted to produce CPCs and, in this process, a variety of chemical and/or genetic factors have been evaluated for their ability to generate, expand, and maintain CPCs in vitro. However, the precise stoichiometry and spatiotemporal activity of these factors and the genetic interplay during embryonic CPC development remain challenging to reproduce in culture, in terms of efficiency, numbers, and translational potential. Recent advances in biomaterials to mimic the native cardiac microenvironment have shown promise to influence CPC regenerative functions, while being capable of integrating with host tissue. This review highlights recent developments and limitations in the generation and use of CPCs from stem cells, and the trends that influence the direction of research to promote better application of CPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Barreto
- Guy Hilton Research Centre, School of Pharmacy & Bioengineering, Keele University, Staffordshire ST4 7QB, UK; (S.B.); (T.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | | | - Teresa Schiatti
- Guy Hilton Research Centre, School of Pharmacy & Bioengineering, Keele University, Staffordshire ST4 7QB, UK; (S.B.); (T.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Ying Yang
- Guy Hilton Research Centre, School of Pharmacy & Bioengineering, Keele University, Staffordshire ST4 7QB, UK; (S.B.); (T.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Vinoj George
- Guy Hilton Research Centre, School of Pharmacy & Bioengineering, Keele University, Staffordshire ST4 7QB, UK; (S.B.); (T.S.); (Y.Y.)
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28
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D'Antonio-Chronowska A, Donovan MKR, Young Greenwald WW, Nguyen JP, Fujita K, Hashem S, Matsui H, Soncin F, Parast M, Ward MC, Coulet F, Smith EN, Adler E, D'Antonio M, Frazer KA. Association of Human iPSC Gene Signatures and X Chromosome Dosage with Two Distinct Cardiac Differentiation Trajectories. Stem Cell Reports 2019; 13:924-938. [PMID: 31668852 PMCID: PMC6895695 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of understanding how variability across induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines due to non-genetic factors (clone and passage) influences their differentiation outcome, large-scale studies capable of addressing this question have not yet been conducted. Here, we differentiated 191 iPSC lines to generate iPSC-derived cardiovascular progenitor cells (iPSC-CVPCs). We observed cellular heterogeneity across the iPSC-CVPC samples due to varying fractions of two cell types: cardiomyocytes (CMs) and epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs). Comparing the transcriptomes of CM-fated and EPDC-fated iPSCs, we discovered that 91 signature genes and X chromosome dosage differences are associated with these two distinct cardiac developmental trajectories. In an independent set of 39 iPSCs differentiated into CMs, we confirmed that sex and transcriptional differences affect cardiac-fate outcome. Our study provides novel insights into how iPSC transcriptional and X chromosome gene dosage differences influence their response to differentiation stimuli and, hence, cardiac cell fate. Cellular heterogeneity across iPSC-CVPCs due to varying fractions of CMs and EPDCs iPSC non-genetic factors (clone and passage) associated with cardiac cell fate Expression levels of signature genes in iPSCs associated with cardiac lineage fate iPSC donor sex plays a role in cardiac lineage fate
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Margaret K R Donovan
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Phuong Nguyen
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kyohei Fujita
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sherin Hashem
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Hiroko Matsui
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Mana Parast
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michelle C Ward
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Florence Coulet
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Erin N Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Eric Adler
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Matteo D'Antonio
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Kelly A Frazer
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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29
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Owen TJ, Harding SE. Multi-cellularity in cardiac tissue engineering, how close are we to native heart tissue? J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2019; 40:151-157. [PMID: 31222588 PMCID: PMC6726707 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-019-09528-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Tissue engineering is a complex field where the elements of biology and engineering are combined in an attempt to recapitulate the native environment of the body. Tissue engineering has shown one thing categorically; that the human body is extremely complex and it is truly a difficult task to generate this in the lab. There have been varied attempts at trying to generate a model for the heart with numerous cell types and different scaffolds or materials. The common underlying theme in these approaches is to combine together matrix material and different cell types to make something similar to heart tissue. Multi-cellularity is an essential aspect of the heart and therefore critical to any approach which would try to mimic such a complex tissue. The heart is made up of many cell types that combine to form complex structures like: deformable chambers, a tri-layered heart muscle, and vessels. Thus, in this review we will summarise how tissue engineering has progressed in modelling the heart and what gaps still exist in this dynamic field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Owen
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London Hammersmith Campus, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Sian E Harding
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London Hammersmith Campus, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
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30
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Liu Y, Liu B, Li Y, Li Y, Du J, Deng S, Jing X, She Q. Autophagy is involved in the differentiation of epicardial progenitor cells into vascular smooth muscle cells in mice. Exp Cell Res 2019; 375:60-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Abstract
After decades of directed research, no effective regenerative therapy is currently available to repair the injured human heart. The epicardium, a layer of mesothelial tissue that envelops the heart in all vertebrates, has emerged as a new player in cardiac repair and regeneration. The epicardium is essential for muscle regeneration in the zebrafish model of innate heart regeneration, and the epicardium also participates in fibrotic responses in mammalian hearts. This structure serves as a source of crucial cells, such as vascular smooth muscle cells, pericytes, and fibroblasts, during heart development and repair. The epicardium also secretes factors that are essential for proliferation and survival of cardiomyocytes. In this Review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of the biology of the epicardium and the effect of these findings on the candidacy of this structure as a therapeutic target for heart repair and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingli Cao
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Kenneth D Poss
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Regeneration Next, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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32
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Chen H, Zhang A, Wu JC. Harnessing cell pluripotency for cardiovascular regenerative medicine. Nat Biomed Eng 2018; 2:392-398. [PMID: 31011193 PMCID: PMC10902213 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-018-0244-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), in particular embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, have received enormous attention in cardiovascular regenerative medicine owing to their ability to expand and differentiate into functional cardiomyocytes and other cardiovascular cell types. Despite the potential applications of hPSCs for tissue regeneration in patients suffering from cardiovascular disease, whether hPSC-based therapies can be safe and efficacious remains inconclusive, with strong evidence from clinical trials lacking. Critical factors limiting therapeutic efficacy are the degree of maturity and purity of the hPSC-derived differentiated progeny, and the tumorigenic risk associated with residual undifferentiated cells. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in cardiac-cell differentiation from hPSCs and in the direct reprogramming of non-myocyte cells for cardiovascular regenerative applications. We also discuss approaches for the delivery of cells to diseased tissue, and how such advances are contributing to progress in cardiac tissue engineering for tackling heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haodong Chen
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Angela Zhang
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Abstract
Despite therapeutic advances that have prolonged life, myocardial infarction (MI) remains a leading cause of death worldwide and imparts a significant economic burden. The advancement of treatments to improve cardiac repair post-MI requires the discovery of new targeted treatment strategies. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the epicardial covering of the heart in both cardiac development and lower vertebrate cardiac regeneration. The epicardium serves as a source of cardiac cells including smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and cardiac fibroblasts. Mammalian adult epicardial cells are typically quiescent. However, the fetal genetic program is reactivated post-MI, and epicardial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurs as an inherent mechanism to support neovascularization and cardiac healing. Unfortunately, endogenous EMT is not enough to encourage sufficient repair. Recent developments in our understanding of the mechanisms supporting the EMT process has led to a number of studies directed at augmenting epicardial EMT post-MI. With a focus on the role of the primary cilium, this review outlines the newly demonstrated mechanisms supporting EMT, the role of epicardial EMT in cardiac development, and promising advances in augmenting epicardial EMT as potential therapeutics to support cardiac repair post-MI.
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34
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Rao KS, Spees JL. Harnessing Epicardial Progenitor Cells and Their Derivatives for Rescue and Repair of Cardiac Tissue After Myocardial Infarction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 3:149-158. [PMID: 29057207 DOI: 10.1007/s40610-017-0066-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Ischemic heart disease and stroke lead to the greatest number of deaths worldwide. Despite decreased time to intervention and improvements in the standard of care, 1 out of 5 patients that survive a myocardial infarction (MI) still face long-term chronic heart failure and a 5-year mortality rate of about 50%. Based on their multi-potency for differentiation and paracrine activity, epicardial cells and their derivatives have potential to rescue jeopardized tissue and/or promote cardiac regeneration. Here we review the diagnosis and treatment of MI, basic epicardial cell biology, and potential treatment strategies designed to harness the reparative properties of epicardial cells. RECENT FINDINGS During cardiac development, epicardial cells covering the surface of the heart generate migratory progenitor cells that contribute to the coronary vasculature and the interstitial fibroblasts. Epicardial cells also produce paracrine signals required for myocardial expansion and cardiac growth. In adults with myocardial infarction, epicardial cells and their derivatives provide paracrine factors that affect myocardial remodeling and repair. At present, the intrinsic mechanisms and extrinsic signals that regulate epicardial cell fate and paracrine activity in adults remain poorly understood. SUMMARY Human diseases that result in heart failure due to negative remodeling or extensive loss of viable cardiac tissue require new, effective treatments. Improved understanding of epicardial cell function(s) and epicardial-mediated secretion of growth factors, cytokines and hormones during cardiac growth, homeostasis and injury may lead to new ways to treat patients with myocardial infarction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krithika S Rao
- Department of Medicine, Stem Cell Core, University of Vermont, Colchester, VT 05446
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Vermont, Colchester, VT 05446
| | - Jeffrey L Spees
- Department of Medicine, Stem Cell Core, University of Vermont, Colchester, VT 05446
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Vermont, Colchester, VT 05446
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35
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Bhute VJ, Bao X, Dunn KK, Knutson KR, McCurry EC, Jin G, Lee WH, Lewis S, Ikeda A, Palecek SP. Metabolomics Identifies Metabolic Markers of Maturation in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. Theranostics 2017; 7:2078-2091. [PMID: 28656061 PMCID: PMC5485423 DOI: 10.7150/thno.19390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) hold immense clinical potential and recent studies have enabled generation of virtually pure hPSC-CMs with high efficiency in chemically defined and xeno-free conditions. Despite these advances, hPSC-CMs exhibit an immature phenotype and are arrhythmogenic in vivo, necessitating development of strategies to mature these cells. hPSC-CMs undergo significant metabolic alterations during differentiation and maturation. A detailed analysis of the metabolic changes accompanying maturation of hPSC-CMs may prove useful in identifying new strategies to expedite hPSC-CM maturation and also may provide biomarkers for testing or validating hPSC-CM maturation. In this study we identified global metabolic changes which take place during long-term culture and maturation of hPSC-CMs derived from three different hPSC lines. We have identified several metabolic pathways, including phospholipid metabolism and pantothenate and Coenzyme A metabolism, which showed significant enrichment upon maturation in addition to fatty acid oxidation and metabolism. We also identified increases in glycerophosphocholine and the glycerophosphocholine:phosphocholine ratio as potential metabolic biomarkers of maturation. These biomarkers were also affected in a similar manner during murine heart development in vivo. These results support that hPSC-CM maturation is associated with extensive metabolic changes in metabolic network utilization and understanding the roles of these metabolic changes has the potential to develop novel approaches to monitor and expedite hPSC-CM maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijesh J. Bhute
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Xiaoping Bao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kaitlin K. Dunn
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kylie R. Knutson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Eric C. McCurry
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Gyuhyung Jin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Wei-Hua Lee
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Sarah Lewis
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Akihiro Ikeda
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Sean P. Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Bao X, Bhute VJ, Han T, Qian T, Lian X, Palecek SP. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived epicardial progenitors can differentiate to endocardial-like endothelial cells. Bioeng Transl Med 2017; 2:191-201. [PMID: 29170757 PMCID: PMC5675097 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
During heart development, epicardial progenitors contribute various cardiac lineages including smooth muscle cells, cardiac fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. However, their specific contribution to the human endothelium has not yet been resolved, at least in part due to the inability to expand and maintain human primary or pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)‐derived epicardial cells. Here we first generated CDH5‐2A‐eGFP knock‐in hPSC lines and differentiated them into self‐renewing WT1+ epicardial cells, which gave rise to endothelial cells upon VEGF treatment in vitro. In addition, we found that the percentage of endothelial cells correlated with WT1 expression in a WT1‐2A‐eGFP reporter line. The resulting endothelial cells displayed many endocardium‐like endothelial cell properties, including high expression levels of endocardial‐specific markers, nutrient transporters and well‐organized tight junctions. These findings suggest that human epicardial progenitors may have the capacity to form endocardial endothelium during development and have implications for heart regeneration and cardiac tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Bao
- Dept. of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 53706, USA
| | - Vijesh J Bhute
- Dept. of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 53706, USA
| | - Tianxiao Han
- Dept. of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 53706, USA
| | - Tongcheng Qian
- Dept. of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 53706, USA
| | - Xiaojun Lian
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Biology and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Sean P Palecek
- Dept. of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 53706, USA
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