Article
Biology
Wai Hoe Ng, Elizabeth K. Johnston, Jun Jie Tan, Jacqueline M. Bliley, Adam W. Feinberg, Donna B. Stolz, Ming Sun, Piyumi Wijesekara, Finn Hawkins, Darrell N. Kotton, Xi Ren
Summary: The interaction between the developing heart and lung is crucial for their proper formation. Researchers have developed a new human model using pluripotent stem cells to investigate this relationship, creating microtissues containing both heart and lung cells. The presence of developing heart cells was found to accelerate lung maturation in the microtissues, and the heart and lung tissues were observed to automatically separate from each other during later stages.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Julia Vallverdu, Raquel A. Martinez Garcia de la Torre, Inge Mannaerts, Stefaan Verhulst, Ayla Smout, Mar Coll, Silvia Arino, Teresa Rubio-Tomas, Beatriz Aguilar-Bravo, Celia Martinez-Sanchez, Delia Blaya, Catherine M. Verfaillie, Leo A. van Grunsven, Pau Sancho-Bru
Summary: Human iPSCs are differentiated into HSCs with growth factors for in vitro modeling. The protocol yields iPSC-HSCs with phenotypic and functional characteristics of primary HSCs, suitable for high-throughput in vitro studies. Coculturing iPSC-HSCs with hepatocytes allows for the formation of 3D hepatic spheroids, enabling modeling and drug screening studies.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Alberto Posabella, Andrea B. Alber, Hendrik J. Undeutsch, Raoul A. Droeser, Anthony N. Hollenberg, Laertis Ikonomou, Darrell N. Kotton
Summary: Stem cell-based therapies hold potential for reconstituting organ function, particularly in addressing hypothyroidism. Research has shown promise in engineering thyroid follicular epithelial cells to potentially cure the disease, but technical and biological challenges need to be overcome to achieve long-term cure through cell- and/or gene-based therapies.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Hong Cao, Qian Zhou, Chungeng Liu, Yecen Zhang, Minghui Xie, Weihua Qiao, Nianguo Dong
Summary: This study investigates the effect of substrate stiffness on the differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (h-iPSCs) into valve endothelial-like cells (h-iVECs). The results show that moderate substrate stiffness can enhance the differentiation efficiency of h-iVECs and is regulated by the WNT/Calcineurin signaling pathway. This study emphasizes the importance of using substrate stiffness to achieve a more specific and mature differentiation of h-iVECs.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carolina Villarroya-Beltri, Ana Filipa B. Martins, Alejandro Garcia, Daniel Gimenez, Eduardo Zarzuela, Monica Novo, Cristina Del Alamo, Jose Gonzalez-Martinez, Gloria C. Bonel-Perez, Irene Diaz, Maria Guillamot, Massimo Chiesa, Ana Losada, Osvaldo Grana-Castro, Meritxell Rovira, Javier Munoz, Maria Salazar-Roa, Marcos Malumbres
Summary: Maintenance of stemness is regulated by CDC14, a CDK-counteracting phosphatase, which dephosphorylates UTF1 to trigger its degradation and control neural differentiation. Lack of CDC14 results in deficient neural system development and impaired neural differentiation from ESCs. CDC14 phosphatases are critical molecular switches linking cell cycle regulation and self-renewal.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Liliya Nazlamova, Emma-Jane Cassidy, Jane C. Sowden, Andrew Lotery, Jorn Lakowski
Summary: A fluorescent reporter cell line for human cone photoreceptors was generated using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, allowing for tracking and analysis of cone cell development. The reporter cell line accurately labels cone cells and reveals migratory activity during in vitro differentiation.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Michelle Vanessa Kamga Kapchoup, Juergen Hescheler, Filomain Nguemo
Summary: Hydroxychloroquine (HDQ) has been widely studied for its potential use in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. This antimalarial drug has shown beneficial effects on stem cell proliferation and cardiomyocyte activity, but it can also be toxic at high concentrations. Identifying risk factors and understanding the cardiotoxic profile of HDQ is challenging.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleanor Luce, Clara Steichen, Soumeya Abed, Anne Weber, Philippe Leboulch, Leila Maouche-Chretien, Anne Dubart-Kupperschmitt
Summary: The study demonstrates that siPSCs can differentiate into liver cells and self-organize into 3D structures, facilitating research on liver development and the development of co-culture systems.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Fabian Oceguera-Yanez, Alfonso Avila-Robinson, Knut Woltjen
Summary: This article provides an overview of strategies for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) towards skin components, with a particular focus on keratinocytes. The use of patient-derived human induced PSCs (iPSCs) and skin organoid generation allows researchers to model inherited skin diseases and search for potential treatments.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pei Lu, Mao Li, Donghui Zhang, Wei Jiang
Summary: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in regulating cell fate in pluripotent stem cells. They have four major functional mechanisms based on different types of cofactors. Further understanding of lncRNA-based regulation will provide more insights into the drivers manipulating cell fate.
Article
Biology
Lucie Zilova, Venera Weinhardt, Tinatini Tavhelidse, Christina Schlagheck, Thomas Thumberger, Joachim Wittbrodt
Summary: Organoids derived from rapidly developing teleosts show efficient assembly of anterior neural structures, particularly the retina, within just 4 days. The number of aggregated cells and genetic factors crucially impact morphological changes, reflecting the in vivo situation. High efficiency and rapid development of fish-derived organoids combined with advanced genome editing techniques allow for immediate research on development, disease, and the impact of physical environment on morphogenesis and differentiation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mina Ishioka, Yuma Nihashi, Yoichi Sunagawa, Koji Umezawa, Takeshi Shimosato, Hiroshi Kagami, Tatsuya Morimoto, Tomohide Takaya
Summary: This study found that inhibition of nucleolin by iSN04 can promote the differentiation of cardiac mesoderm into cardiomyocytes but interferes with the differentiation of early mesoderm into the cardiac lineage. This is the first report on generating cardiomyocytes from pluripotent stem cells using a DNA aptamer. iSN04 does not induce hypertrophic responses in primary-cultured cardiomyocytes, making it useful and safe for regenerative therapy of heart failure using stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yong-Jin Kim, Amin Tamadon, Yoon-Young Kim, Byeong-Cheol Kang, Seung-Yup Ku
Summary: This review focuses on the current knowledge of epigenetic regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation and differentiation from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells through histone modification and microRNAs, the maintenance of pluripotency, and its alteration during cardiac lineage differentiation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Crystal C. Kennedy, Erin E. Brown, Nadia O. Abutaleb, George A. Truskey
Summary: The vascular endothelium plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy vessel function throughout the body. Differentiated endothelial cells from induced pluripotent stem cells are widely used in in vitro models and in vivo applications. Furthermore, the use of pluripotent stem cells offers advantages in avoiding difficulties associated with sourcing primary endothelial cells.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yue Su, Ling Wang, Zhiqiang Fan, Ying Liu, Jiaqi Zhu, Deborah Kaback, Julia Oudiz, Tayler Patrick, Siu Pok Yee, Xiuchun (Cindy) Tian, Irina Polejaeva, Young Tang
Summary: This study successfully generated biPSCs with long-term self-renewal capacity and pluripotent characteristics from bovine mesenchymal stem cells. The cells exhibited morphological changes under different culture conditions, and transcriptome analysis showed high similarity to bovine ESCs and embryos. The naive-like biPSCs also demonstrated the ability to integrate into extra-embryonic tissues.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)