A Pan-RNase Inhibitor Enabling CRISPR-mRNA Platforms for Engineering of Primary Human Monocytes

Monocytes and their downstream effectors are critical components of the innate immune system. Monocytes are equipped with chemokine receptors, allowing them to migrate to various tissues, where they can differentiate into macrophage and dendritic cell subsets and participate in tissue homeostasis, infection, autoimmune disease, and cancer. Enabling genome engineering in monocytes and their effector cells will facilitate a myriad of applications for basic and translational research. Here, we demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas9 RNPs can be used for efficient gene knockout in primary human monocytes. In addition, we demonstrate that intracellular RNases are likely responsible for poor and heterogenous mRNA expression as incorporation of pan-RNase inhibitor allows efficient genome engineering following mRNA-based delivery of Cas9 and base editor enzymes. Moreover, we demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas9 combined with an rAAV vector DNA donor template mediates site-specific insertion and expression of a transgene in primary human monocytes. Finally, we demonstrate that SIRPa knock-out monocyte-derived macrophages have enhanced activity against cancer cells, highlighting the potential for application in cellular immunotherapies.

ssDNA nanotubes for selective targeting of glioblastoma and delivery of doxorubicin for enhanced survival

Effective treatment of glioblastoma remains a daunting challenge. One of the major hurdles in the development of therapeutics is their inability to cross the blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB). Local delivery is an alternative approach that can still suffer from toxicity in the absence of target selectivity. Here, we show that nanotubes formed from self-assembly of ssDNA-amphiphiles are stable in serum and nucleases. After bilateral brain injections, nanotubes show preferential retention by tumors compared to normal brain and are taken up by glioblastoma cells through scavenger receptor binding and macropinocytosis. After intravenous injection, they cross the BBTB and internalize in glioblastoma cells. In a minimal residual disease model, local delivery of doxorubicin showed signs of toxicity in the spleen and liver. In contrast, delivery of doxorubicin by the nanotubes resulted in no systemic toxicity and enhanced mouse survival. Our results demonstrate that ssDNA nanotubes are a promising drug delivery vehicle to glioblastoma.

Liver development is restored by blastocyst complementation of HHEX knockout in mice and pigs

Background

There are over 17,000 patients in the US waiting to receive liver transplants, and these numbers are increasing dramatically. Significant effort is being made to obtain functional hepatocytes and liver tissue that can for therapeutic use in patients. Blastocyst complementation is a challenging, innovative technology that could fundamentally change the future of organ transplantation. It requires the knockout (KO) of genes essential for cell or organ development in early stage host embryos followed by injection of donor pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) into host blastocysts to generate chimeric offspring in which progeny of the donor cells populate the open niche to develop functional tissues and organs.

Methods

The HHEX gene is necessary for proper liver development. We engineered loss of HHEX gene expression in early mouse and pig embryos and performed intraspecies blastocyst complementation of HHEX KO embryos with eGFP-labeled PSCs in order to rescue the loss of liver development.

Results

Loss of HHEX gene expression resulted in embryonic lethality at day 10.5 in mice and produced characteristics of lethality at day 18 in pigs, with absence of liver tissue in both species. Analyses of mouse and pig HHEX KO fetuses confirmed significant loss of liver-specific gene and protein expression. Intraspecies blastocyst complementation restored liver formation and liver-specific proteins in both mouse and pig. Livers in complemented chimeric fetuses in both species were comprised of eGFP-labeled donor-derived cells and survived beyond the previously observed time of HHEX KO embryonic lethality.

Conclusions

This work demonstrates that loss of liver development in the HHEX KO can be rescued via blastocyst complementation in both mice and pigs. This complementation strategy is the first step towards generating interspecies chimeras for the goal of producing human liver cells, tissues, and potentially complete organs for clinical transplantation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-021-02348-z.

The American Public Is Ready to Accept Human-Animal Chimera Research

We report findings from a new survey of US public attitudes toward human-animal chimeric embryo (HACE) research, designed to compare with recently reported Japanese survey data. We find that 59% of the US public can personally accept the process of injecting human induced pluripotent stem cells into genetically modified swine embryos and having human tissues produced in a pig's body transplanted into a human. This is greater acceptance than in Japan, and there is even strong acceptance among those with strong religious affiliations and who self-identify as conservatives. We argue that strong public support for HACE research, as well as the emerging literature suggesting that humanization of research animals is very unlikely, should compel the NIH to lift its current moratorium on HACE research.

Zika virus-based immunotherapy enhances long-term survival of rodents with brain tumors through upregulation of memory T-cells

Zika virus (ZIKV) exhibits a tropism for brain tumor cells and has been used as an oncolytic virus to target brain tumors in mice with modest effects on extending median survival. Recent studies have highlighted the potential for combining virotherapy and immunotherapy to target cancer. We postulated that ZIKV could be used as an adjuvant to enhance the long-term survival of mice with malignant glioblastoma and generate memory T-cells capable of providing long-term immunity against cancer remission. To test this hypothesis mice bearing malignant intracranial GL261 tumors were subcutaneously vaccinated with irradiated GL261 cells previously infected with the ZIKV. Mice also received intracranial injections of live ZIKV, irradiation attenuated ZIKV, or irradiated GL261 cells previously infected with ZIKV. Long-term survivors were rechallenged with a second intracranial tumor to examine their immune response and look for the establishment of protective memory T-cells. Mice with subcutaneous vaccination plus intracranial irradiation attenuated ZIKV or intracranial irradiated GL261 cells previously infected with ZIKV exhibited the greatest extensions to overall survival. Flow cytometry analysis of immune cells within the brains of long-term surviving mice after tumor rechallenge revealed an increase in the number of T-cells, including CD4+ and tissue-resident effector/ effector memory CD4+ T-cells, in comparison to long-term survivors that were mock-rechallenged, and in comparison to naïve untreated mice challenged with intracranial gliomas. These results suggest that ZIKV can serve as an adjuvant to subcutaneous tumor vaccines that enhance long-term survival and generate protective tissue-resident memory CD4+ T-cells.

Hepatic Differentiation of Marmoset Embryonic Stem Cells and Functional Characterization of ESC-Derived Hepatocyte-Like Cells

Background

Primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) are the ideal candidates for studying critical liver functions such as drug metabolism and toxicity. However, as they are isolated from discarded livers that are unsuitable for transplantation, they possess limited expansion ability in vitro and their enzymatic functions deteriorate rapidly because they are often of poor quality. Therefore, there is a compelling reason to find reliable alternative sources of hepatocytes.

Methods

In this study, we report on efficient and robust differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESC) from the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus into functional hepatocyte-like cells (HLC) using a simple, and reproducible three-step procedure. ESC-derived HLCs were examined by morphological analysis and tested for their expression of hepatocyte-specific markers using a combination of immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and biochemical assays. Primary human hepatocytes were used as controls.

Results

ESC-derived HLCs expressed each of the hepatocyte-specific markers tested, including albumin; α-fetoprotein; asialoglycoprotein receptor 1; α-1 antitrypsin; hepatocyte nuclear factors 1α and 4; cytokeratin 18; hepatocyte growth factor receptor; transferrin; tyrosine aminotransferase; alkaline phosphatase; c-reactive protein; cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP1A2, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4; and coagulation factors FVII and FIX. They were functionally competent as demonstrated by biochemical assays in addition to producing urea.

Conclusion

Our data strongly suggest that marmoset HLCs possess characteristics similar to those of PHHs. They could, therefore, be invaluable for studies on drug metabolism and cell transplantation therapy for a variety of liver disorders. Because of the similarities in the anatomical and physiological features of the common marmoset to that of humans, Callithrix jacchus is an appropriate animal model to study human disease conditions and cellular functions.

Efficacy of Cell-Based Therapies for Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a leading cause of death and disability. Additionally, growing evidence suggests a link between TBI-induced neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disorders. Treatments for TBI patients are limited, largely focused on rehabilitation therapy, and ultimately, fail to provide long-term neuroprotective or neurorestorative benefits. Because of the prevalence of TBI and lack of viable treatments, new therapies are needed which can promote neurological recovery. Cell-based treatments are a promising avenue because of their potential to provide multiple therapeutic benefits. Cell-based therapies can promote neuroprotection via modulation of inflammation and promote neurorestoration via induction of angiogenesis and neurogenesis. Neural stem/progenitor cell transplantations have been investigated in preclinical TBI models for their ability to directly contribute to neuroregeneration, form neural-like cells, and improve recovery. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated in clinical trials through multiple different routes of administration. Intravenous administration of MSCs appears most promising, demonstrating a robust safety profile, correlation with neurological improvements, and reductions in systemic inflammation following TBI. While still preliminary, evidence suggests cell-based therapies may become a viable treatment for TBI based on their ability to promote neuroregeneration and reduce inflammation.

Interspecies Organogenesis for Human Transplantation

Blastocyst complementation combined with gene editing is an emerging approach in the field of regenerative medicine that could potentially solve the worldwide problem of organ shortages for transplantation. In theory, blastocyst complementation can generate fully functional human organs or tissues, grown within genetically engineered livestock animals. Targeted deletion of a specific gene(s) using gene editing to cause deficiencies in organ development can open a niche for human stem cells to occupy, thus generating human tissues. Within this review, we will focus on the pancreas, liver, heart, kidney, lung, and skeletal muscle, as well as cells of the immune and nervous systems. Within each of these organ systems, we identify and discuss (i) the common causes of organ failure; (ii) the current state of regenerative therapies; and (iii) the candidate genes to knockout and enable specific exogenous organ development via the use of blastocyst complementation. We also highlight some of the current barriers limiting the success of blastocyst complementation.

Efficacy of stem cell-based therapies for stroke

Stroke remains a prevalent disease with limited treatment options. Available treatments offer little in the way of enhancing neurogenesis and recovery. Because of the limitations of available treatments, new therapies for stroke are needed. Stem cell-based therapies for stroke offer promise because of their potential to provide neurorestorative benefits. Stem cell-based therapies aim to promote neurogenesis and replacement of lost neurons or protect surviving neurons in order to improve neurological recovery. The mechanism through which stem cell treatments mediate their therapeutic effect is largely dependent on the type of stem cell and route of administration. Neural stem cells have been shown in pre-clinical and clinical trials to promote functional recovery when used in intracerebral transplantations. The therapeutic effects of neural stem cells have been attributed to their formation of new neurons and promotion of neuroregeneration. Bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been shown to enhance neurogenesis in pre-clinical models in intracerebral transplantations, but lack clinical evidence to support this therapeutic approach in patients and appear to be less effective than neural stem cells. Intravenous and intra-arterial administration of BMSC and MSC have shown more promise, where their effects are largely mediated through neuroprotective mechanisms. The immune system has been implicated in exacerbating initial damage caused by stroke, and BMSC and MSC have demonstrated immunomodulatory properties capable of dampening post-stroke inflammation and potentially improving recovery. While still in development, stem cell therapies may yield new treatments for stroke which can improve neurological recovery.

Immunomodulation with Human Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells Ameliorates Ischemic Brain Injury - A Brain Transcriptome Profiling Analysis

Our group previously demonstrated that administration of a CD34-negative fraction of human non- hematopoietic umbilical cord blood stem cells (UCBSC) 48 h after ischemic injury could reduce infarct volume by 50% as well as significantly ameliorate neurological deficits. In the present study, we explored possible mechanisms of action using next generation RNA sequencing to analyze the brain transcriptome profiles in rats with ischemic brain injury following UCBSC therapy. Two days after ischemic injury, rats were treated with UCBSC. Five days after administration, total brain mRNA was then extracted for RNAseq analysis using Illumina Hiseq 2000. We found 275 genes that were significantly differentially expressed after ischemic injury compared with control brains. Following UCBSC treatment, 220 of the 275 differentially expressed genes returned to normal levels. Detailed analysis of these altered transcripts revealed that the vast majority were associated with activation of the immune system following cerebral ischemia which were normalized following UCBSC therapy. Major alterations in gene expression profiles after ischemia include blood-brain-barrier breakdown, cytokine production, and immune cell infiltration. These results suggest that UCBSC protect the brain following ischemic injury by down regulating the aberrant activation of innate and adaptive immune responses.

Concise Review: Human-Animal Neurological Chimeras: Humanized Animals or Human Cells in an Animal?

Blastocyst complementation is an emerging methodology in which human stem cells are transferred into genetically engineered preimplantation animal embryos eventually giving rise to fully developed human tissues and organs within the animal host for use in regenerative medicine. The ethical issues surrounding this method have caused the National Institutes of Health to issue a moratorium on funding for blastocyst complementation citing the potential for human cells to substantially contribute to the brain of the chimeric animal. To address this concern, we performed an in-depth review of the neural transplantation literature to determine how the integration of human cells into the nonhuman neural circuitry has altered the behavior of the host. Despite reports of widespread integration of human cell transplants, our review of 150 transplantation studies found no evidence suggestive of humanization of the animal host, and we thus conclude that, at present, concerns over humanization should not prevent research on blastocyst complementation to continue. We suggest proceeding in a controlled and transparent manner, however, and include recommendations for future research with careful consideration for how human cells may contribute to the animal host nervous system. Stem Cells 2019;37:444-452.

Reductions in behavioral deficits and neuropathology in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease following transplantation of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells is dependent on passage number

Introduction

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat (greater than 38) on the short arm of chromosome 4, resulting in loss and dysfunction of neurons in the neostriatum and cortex, leading to cognitive decline, motor dysfunction, and death, typically occurring 15 to 20 years after the onset of motor symptoms. Although an effective treatment for HD has remained elusive, current studies using transplants of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells provides considerable promise. This study further investigates the efficacy of these transplants with a focus on comparing how passage number of these cells may affect subsequent efficacy following transplantation.

Methods

In this study, mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the bone-marrow of mice (BM MSCs), were labeled with Hoechst after low (3 to 8) or high (40 to 50) numbers of passages and then transplanted intrastriatally into 5-week-old R6/2 mice, which carries the N-terminal fragment of the human HD gene (145 to 155 repeats) and rapidly develops symptoms analogous to the human form of the disease.

Results

It was observed that the transplanted cells survived and the R6/2 mice displayed significant behavioral and morphological sparing compared to untreated R6/2 mice, with R6/2 mice receiving high passage BM MSCs displaying fewer deficits than those receiving low-passage BM MSCs. These beneficial effects are likely due to trophic support, as an increase in brain derived neurotrophic factor mRNA expression was observed in the striatum following transplantation of BM MSCs.

Conclusion

The results from this study demonstrate that BM MSCs hold significant therapeutic value for HD, and that the amount of time the cells are exposed to in vitro culture conditions can alter their efficacy.

Intrastriatal transplantation of adenovirus-generated induced pluripotent stem cells for treating neuropathological and functional deficits in a rodent model of Huntington's disease

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) show considerable promise for cell replacement therapies for Huntington's disease (HD). Our laboratory has demonstrated that tail-tip fibroblasts, reprogrammed into iPSCs via two adenoviruses, can survive and differentiate into neuronal lineages following transplantation into healthy adult rats. However, the ability of these cells to survive, differentiate, and restore function in a damaged brain is unknown. To this end, adult rats received a regimen of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) to induce behavioral and neuropathological deficits that resemble HD. At 7, 21, and 42 days after the initiation of 3-NP or vehicle, the rats received intrastriatal bilateral transplantation of iPSCs. All rats that received 3-NP and vehicle treatment displayed significant motor impairment, whereas those that received iPSC transplantation after 3-NP treatment had preserved motor function. Histological analysis of the brains of these rats revealed significant decreases in optical densitometric measures in the striatum, lateral ventricle enlargement, as well as an increase in striosome size in all rats receiving 3-NP when compared with sham rats. The 3-NP-treated rats given transplants of iPSCs in the 7- or 21-day groups did not exhibit these deficits. Transplantation of iPSCs at the late-stage (42-day) time point did not protect against the 3-NP-induced neuropathology, despite preserving motor function. Transplanted iPSCs were found to survive and differentiate into region-specific neurons in the striatum of 3-NP rats, at all transplantation time points. Taken together, these results suggest that transplantation of adenovirus-generated iPSCs may provide a potential avenue for therapeutic treatment of HD.

Transplantation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the striata of R6/2 mice: behavioral and neuropathological analysis

Introduction

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat on the short arm of chromosome 4 resulting in cognitive decline, motor dysfunction, and death, typically occurring 15 to 20 years after the onset of motor symptoms. Neuropathologically, HD is characterized by a specific loss of medium spiny neurons in the caudate and the putamen, as well as subsequent neuronal loss in the cerebral cortex. The transgenic R6/2 mouse model of HD carries the N-terminal fragment of the human HD gene (145 to 155 repeats) and rapidly develops some of the behavioral characteristics that are analogous to the human form of the disease. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown the ability to slow the onset of behavioral and neuropathological deficits following intrastriatal transplantation in rodent models of HD. Use of MSCs derived from umbilical cord (UC) offers an attractive strategy for transplantation as these cells are isolated from a noncontroversial and inexhaustible source and can be harvested at a low cost. Because UC MSCs represent an intermediate link between adult and embryonic tissue, they may hold more pluripotent properties than adult stem cells derived from other sources.

Methods

Mesenchymal stem cells, isolated from the UC of day 15 gestation pups, were transplanted intrastriatally into 5-week-old R6/2 mice at either a low-passage (3 to 8) or high-passage (40 to 50). Mice were tested behaviorally for 6 weeks using the rotarod task, the Morris water maze, and the limb-clasping response. Following behavioral testing, tissue sections were analyzed for UC MSC survival, the immune response to the transplanted cells, and neuropathological changes.

Results

Following transplantation of UC MSCs, R6/2 mice did not display a reduction in motor deficits but there appeared to be transient sparing in a spatial memory task when compared to untreated R6/2 mice. However, R6/2 mice receiving either low- or high-passage UC MSCs displayed significantly less neuropathological deficits, relative to untreated R6/2 mice.

Conclusions

The results from this study demonstrate that UC MSCs hold promise for reducing the neuropathological deficits observed in the R6/2 rodent model of HD.

Survival and differentiation of adenovirus-generated induced pluripotent stem cells transplanted into the rat striatum

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer certain advantages over embryonic stem cells in cell replacement therapy for a variety of neurological disorders. However, reliable procedures, whereby transplanted iPSCs can survive and differentiate into functional neurons, without forming tumors, have yet to be devised. Currently, retroviral or lentiviral reprogramming methods are often used to reprogram somatic cells. Although the use of these viruses has proven to be effective, formation of tumors often results following in vivo transplantation, possibly due to the integration of the reprogramming genes. The goal of the current study was to develop a new approach, using an adenovirus for reprogramming cells, characterize the iPSCs in vitro, and test their safety, survivability, and ability to differentiate into region-appropriate neurons following transplantation into the rat brain. To this end, iPSCs were derived from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and tail-tip fibroblasts using a single cassette lentivirus or a combination of adenoviruses. The reprogramming efficiency and levels of pluripotency were compared using immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our data indicate that adenovirus-generated iPSCs from tail-tip fibroblasts are as efficient as the method we used for lentiviral reprogramming. All generated iPSCs were also capable of differentiating into neuronal-like cells in vitro. To test the in vivo survivability and the ability to differentiate into region-specific neurons in the absence of tumor formation, 400,000 of the iPSCs derived from tail-tip fibroblasts that were transfected with the adenovirus pair were transplanted into the striatum of adult, immune-competent rats. We observed that these iPSCs produced region-specific neuronal phenotypes, in the absence of tumor formation, at 90 days posttransplantation. These results suggest that adenovirus-generated iPSCs may provide a safe and viable means for neuronal replacement therapies.

Early cognitive dysfunction in the HD 51 CAG transgenic rat model of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in humans caused by an expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat that produces choreic movements, which are preceded by cognitive deficits. The HD transgenic rat (tgHD), which contains the human HD mutation with a 51 CAG repeat allele, exhibits motor deficits that begin when these rats are 12 months of age. However, there are no reports of cognitive dysfunction occurring prior to this. To assess whether cognitive dysfunction might precede motor deficits in tgHD rats, one group of 9-month-old male rats with homozygotic mutated genes and one group of wild-type (WT) rats underwent three testing phases in a unique Spatial Operant Reversal Test (SORT) paradigm, as well as assessment of spontaneous motor activity. After testing, morphological and histological examination of the brains were made. Results indicated that tgHD rats acquired the cued-response (Phase 1) portion of the SORT, but made significantly more errors during the reversal (Phase 2) and during the pseudorandomized reversals (Phase 3) portion of the study, when compared to WT rats. Analysis of the data using mathematical principles of reinforcement revealed no memory, motor, or motivational deficits. These results indicate that early cognitive dysfunction, as measured by the SORT, occur prior to motor deficits, gross anatomical changes, or cell loss in the tgHD rat with 51 CAG repeats, and suggest that this protocol could provide a useful screen for therapeutic studies.

The effects of acute voluntary wheel running on recovery of function following medial frontal cortical contusions in rats

PURPOSE

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) produces significant deficits in executive function, sensory-motor function, and on spatial learning tasks. We wish to study if recovery from TBI can be benefited by voluntary exercise.

METHODS

A variation of the stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) task was employed to measure rats ability to obtain maximum reinforcers in a complex behavioral task. A 2 × 2 (lesion × treatment) experimental design was constructed with 31 weight restricted male Long-Evans rats which received either bilateral cortical contusions to the medial frontal cortex or sham preparations following the acquisition of the SSRT task (matched based on pre-surgical performance). Following surgery, rats were randomly assigned to either an environment with free access to running wheels or traditional single housing without running wheels.

RESULTS

Rats receiving a bilateral TBI performed significantly worse than sham operated rats on a complex task. Contrary to our original hypothesis, acute exercise following injury exacerbated the deficits in the complex task that did not return to levels of the injured rats without access to running wheels until post-TBI day 13.

CONCLUSION

We found a significant interaction between severe bilateral TBI and the introduction of voluntary exercise immediately post-injury. In this paradigm, voluntary wheel running exacerbated the TBI-induced deficit, rather than reducing it.

Intragastric self-infusion of ethanol in high- and low-drinking mouse genotypes after passive ethanol exposure

Two experiments examined the effect of 5 days of passive exposure to ethanol (or water) on later self-infusion of ethanol or water via surgically implanted intragastric (IG) catheters in mouse genotypes previously shown to drink high (C57BL/6J, HAP2) or low (DBA/2J, LAP2) amounts of ethanol in home-cage continuous-access two-bottle choice procedures. Intragastric ethanol self-infusion was affected by both genotype and a history of passive ethanol exposure, with greater intakes in the high-drinking genotypes and in groups that received passive exposure to ethanol. Passive ethanol exposure also increased preference for the flavor that signaled ethanol infusion (S+), eliminating genetic differences in this measure. The increases in ethanol intake and S+ preference induced by ethanol exposure might have been mediated jointly by development of tolerance to aversive post-absorptive ethanol effects and negative reinforcement because of alleviation of withdrawal. Bout analyses indicated that ethanol exposure increased ethanol self-infusion by increasing the total number of daily bouts rather than by increasing bout size. These analyses also showed that DBA/2J mice infused larger ethanol bouts and a greater percentage of their total intakes in large bouts than C57BL/6J mice. Overall, these studies suggest that the IG self-infusion procedure is a potentially useful new tool for studying genetic and environmental influences on excessive ethanol intake and preference in mice.