The authors acknowledge previous training and general recommendations regarding starting hiPSC and organoid work from Drs. Christina Pacak, Silveli Susuki-Hatano, and Russell D&#39;Souza. They thank Dr. Chelsey Simmons for her guidance in using hydrogel systems for in vitro cell culture work. Also, the authors would like to thank Drs. Christine Rodriguez and Thomas Allison from STEMCELL Technologies for their guidance on hiPSC culture. The authors also thank TheWell Bioscience for covering the publication costs.

Matrix Comparison for Efficient Human Intestinal Organoid Generation from iPSCs

<ol>
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Dr. John Huang is founder &amp; CEO at TheWell Bioscience.

Selecting the optimal microenvironment for stem cell and organoid work is a pivotal early step when using these platforms for a wide range of applications. Our representative results show that Matrix 4-XFO3, in combination with a higher concentration of growth factors, leads to larger organoids, suggesting that the physical properties of xeno-free hydrogels can be harnessed to optimize organoid generation using these systems. It has been previously shown that the unique characteristics of the extracellular matrix (ECM) a...

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic and multifunctional component of tissues that plays a central role in regulating cell behavior and development. As a complex network, it provides structural support, cell adhesive ligands1, and storage of growth factors and cytokines that regulate cell signaling. For example, during wound healing, the ECM serves as a scaffold for migrating cells and as a reservoir of growth factors involved in tissue repair2. Similarly, dysregulation in the ECM can lead to an increase in the severity of various diseases such as fibrosis and cancer3,4. During embryonic development, the ECM guides tissue morphogenesis. For example, in the development of the heart, ECM components play a role in creating the correct architecture and function of the heart tissue5. Over a decade of research has shown that the stiffness of the microenvironment alone6,7 can control stem cell lineage specification. Therefore, it is not surprising that during in vitro cell differentiation, ECM influences stem cell fate by providing signals for differentiation.
Organoids can be generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Starting with a properly characterized iPSC line is required to generate organoids successfully. However, the lack of physiological cues in classical cell culture materials hinders efficient iPSC differentiation and organoid generation. Moreover, recent research has emphasized the significance of the composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM), interactions between cells and the ECM8, as well as mechanical and geometrical cues9,10,11 in the context of organoid expansion and differentiation12. Advancing organoid technology by improving reproducibility will involve incorporating tissue-specific physical and chemical cues.
Organoids aim to recapitulate the native tissue within a physiologically similar microenvironment. Choosing an ECM system that closely mimics the native tissue ECM is crucial for achieving physiological relevance regarding cell behavior, function, and response to stimuli13. The choice of ECM components can influence the differentiation of stem cells into specific cell types within the organoid. Different ECM proteins and their combinations can provide cues that guide cell fate14. For example, studies have shown that using specific ECM components can promote the differentiation of intestinal stem cells into mature intestinal cell types, resulting in physiologically relevant intestinal organoids15. While organoids are a valuable tool during disease modeling and drug testing, selecting an appropriate ECM system is pivotal to this application. An appropriate ECM system can enhance the accuracy of disease modeling by creating a microenvironment that resembles the affected tissue16. Furthermore, tissue-specific ECM can help generate organoids that better recapitulate disease-associated phenotypes and drug responses17. Optimizing the ECM system used in organoid differentiation is critical for achieving desired differentiation outcomes.
Commercially available basement membrane systems derived from animal ECM sources (e.g., Matrigel, Cultrex) and xeno-free hydrogel (e.g., VitroGel) are widely used in iPSC and organoid research. Companies that commercialize them and researchers that use them have laid out many instructions for their specific products and applications over the years. Many of these instructions served as a guide for the generation of this protocol. Furthermore, the benefits and setbacks associated with their intrinsic properties have been individually noted by many18,19,20,21. However, there is no systematic workflow to guide the selection of optimal systems for iPSC and organoid work. Here, a workflow to systematically evaluate the equivalency of ECM systems from various sources for iPSC and organoid work is provided. This is a comparative study of the maintenance of two different human iPSC lines (hiPSC) and human intestinal organoids (hIO) generation in four different matrices: Matrigel (Matrix 1-AB), Geltrex (Matrix 2-AB), Cultrex (Matrix 3-AB), and VitroGel (Matrix 4-XF). For organoid culture, four versions of the xeno-free matrix VitroGel that were previously optimized for organoid culture were used: ORGANOID 1 (Matrix 4-O1), ORGANOID 2 (Matrix 4-O2), ORGANOID 3 (Matrix 4-O3), ORGANOID 4 (Matrix 4-O4). Also, animal-derived matrices optimized for organoids were used: Matrigel High Concentration (Matrix 1-ABO) and Cultrex Type 2 (Matrix 3-ABO). Commercially available stem cell culture media (mTeSR Plus) and organoid differentiation kit (STEMdiff intestinal organoid kit) were used. This protocol combines the individual instructions from the products&#39; manufacturers with lab experiences to guide the reader toward a successful optimization of ECM for their specific iPSC and organoid work. Altogether, this protocol and representative results emphasize the importance of selecting the optimal microenvironment for stem cell work and organoid differentiation.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>24-Well Plate (Culture treated, sterile)</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>353504</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>37 &#176;C water bath</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>96-well plate&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>FB012931</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Advanced DMEM/F12</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>12634</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-adherence Rinsing Solutio</td>
			<td>STEMCELL Technologies</td>
			<td>7010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Biological safety cabinet (BSC)</td>
			<td>Labconco&#160;</td>
			<td>Logic</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Brightfield Microscope</td>
			<td>Echo Rebel</td>
			<td>REB-01-E2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BXS0116</td>
			<td>ATCC</td>
			<td>ACS-1030</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge with temperature control (4 &#176;C capabilities)</td>
			<td>ThermoScientific</td>
			<td>75002441</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Conical tubes, 15 mL, sterile</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>339650</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Conical tubes, 50 mL, sterile</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>339652</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cultrex RGF BME, Type 2</td>
			<td>Bio-techne</td>
			<td>3533-005-02</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cultrex Stem Cell Qualified RGF BME&#160;</td>
			<td>Bio-techne</td>
			<td>3434-010-02</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>D-PBS (Without Ca++ and Mg++)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>14190144</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GeltrexLDEV-Free, hESC-Qualified Reduce Growth Factor</td>
			<td>Gibco&#160;</td>
			<td>A14133-02</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GlutaMAX Supplement</td>
			<td>Thermo Fischer Scientific</td>
			<td>35050-061</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Guava Muse Cell Analyzer or another flow cytometry equipment (optional)</td>
			<td>Luminex</td>
			<td>0500-3115</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES buffer solution</td>
			<td>Thermo Fischer Scientific</td>
			<td>15630-056</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heralcell Vios Cell culture incubator (37 &#176;C, 5% CO2)</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific&#160;</td>
			<td>51033775</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>JMP Software</td>
			<td>SAS Institute</td>
			<td>JMP 16</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MATLAB</td>
			<td>MathWorks, Inc</td>
			<td>R2022b</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel Growth Factor Reduced (GFR) Basement Membrane Matrix LDEV free</td>
			<td>Corning&#160;</td>
			<td>356231</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel Matrix High Concentration (HC), Growth Factor Reduced (GFR) LDEV-free</td>
			<td>Corning&#160;</td>
			<td>354263</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>mTeSR Plus Medium</td>
			<td>STEMCELL Technologies</td>
			<td>100-0276</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nunclon Delta surface treated 24-well plate</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>144530</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PE Mouse Anti-human CD326 (EpCAM)</td>
			<td>BD Pharmingen</td>
			<td>566841</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PE Mouse Anti-human CDX2&#160;</td>
			<td>BD Pharmingen</td>
			<td>563428</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PE Mouse Anti-human FOXA2</td>
			<td>BD Pharmingen</td>
			<td>561589</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PerCP-Cy 5.5 Mouse Anti-human SSEA4&#160;</td>
			<td>BD Pharmingen</td>
			<td>561565</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ReLeSR</td>
			<td>STEMCELL</td>
			<td>5872</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SCTi003-A</td>
			<td>STEMCELL Technologies</td>
			<td>200-0510</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Serological pipettes (10 mL)&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-678-11E</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Serological pipettes (5 mL)&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-678-11D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>STEMdiff Intestinal Organoid Growth Medium</td>
			<td>STEMCELL Technologies</td>
			<td>5145</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>STEMdiff Intestinal Organoid Kit</td>
			<td>STEMCELL Technologies</td>
			<td>5140</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vitrogel Hydrogel Matrix</td>
			<td>TheWell Bioscience</td>
			<td>VHM01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>VitroGel ORGANOID Discovery Kit</td>
			<td>TheWell Bioscience</td>
			<td>VHM04-K</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

comparative study of basement-membrane matrices for human stem cell maintenance and intestinal organoid generation

Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in cell behavior and development. Organoids generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are in the spotlight of many research areas. However, the lack of physiological cues in classical cell culture materials hinders efficient iPSC differentiation. Incorporating commercially available ECM into stem cell culture provides physical and chemical cues beneficial for cell maintenance. Animal-derived commercially available basement membrane products are composed of ECM proteins and growth factors that support cell maintenance. Since the ECM holds tissue-specific properties that can modulate cell fate, xeno-free matrices are used to stream up translation to clinical studies. While commercially available matrices are widely used in hiPSC and organoid work, the equivalency of these matrices has not been evaluated yet. Here, a comparative study of hiPSC maintenance and human intestinal organoids (hIO) generation in four different matrices: Matrigel (Matrix 1-AB), Geltrex (Matrix 2-AB), Cultrex (Matrix 3-AB), and VitroGel (Matrix 4-XF) was conducted. Although the colonies lacked a perfectly round shape, there was minimal spontaneous differentiation, with over 85% of the cells expressing the stem cell marker SSEA-4. Matrix 4-XF led to the formation of 3D round clumps. Also, increasing the concentration of supplement and growth factors in the media used to make the Matrix 4-XF hydrogel solution improved hiPSC expression of SSEA-4 by 1.3-fold. Differentiation of Matrix 2-AB -maintained hiPSC led to fewer spheroid releases during the mid-/hindgut stage compared to the other animal-derived basement membranes. Compared to others, the xeno-free organoid matrix (Matrix 4-O3) leads to larger and more mature hIO, suggesting that the physical properties of xeno-free hydrogels can be harnessed to optimize organoid generation. Altogether, the results suggest that variations in the composition of different matrices affect stages of IO differentiation. This study raises awareness about the differences in commercially available matrices and provides a guide for matrix optimization during iPSC and IO work.

Following this protocol, commercially available basement membranes and a xeno-free hydrogel system were successfully utilized to cultivate hiPSC cells and differentiate them into hIO. The main objective of these experiments was to systematically evaluate the equivalency of matrices from various sources for hiPSC and hIO work. The first section of this protocol focused on the maintenance and characterization of a healthy iPSC culture that yields an efficient intestinal organoid generation. The process of coating the cultu...

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Author Spotlight: Advancing Organoid Generation for Drug Development Using iPSCs

Organoids have become valuable tools for disease modeling. The extracellular matrix (ECM)&#160;guides cell fate during organoid generation, and using a system that resembles the native tissue can improve model accuracy. This study compares the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived human intestinal organoids in animal-derived ECM and xeno-free hydrogels.

Comparative Study of Basement-Membrane Matrices for Human Stem Cell Maintenance and Intestinal Organoid Generation

Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in cell behavior and development. Organoids generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) ...

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1.1K Views.  University of Florida. Organoids have become valuable tools for disease modeling. The extracellular matrix (ECM) guides cell fate during organoid generation, and using a system that resembles the native tissue can improve model accuracy. This study compares the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived human intestinal organoids in animal-derived ECM and xeno-free hydrogels.

Video: Author Spotlight: Advancing Organoid Generation for Drug Development Using iPSCs

Alginate Microcapsule as a 3D Platform for Propagation and Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC) to Different Lineages

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are emerging as an attractive alternative source for cell replacement therapy since they can be expanded in culture indefinitely and differentiated to any cell types in the body. Various types of biomaterials have also been used in stem cell cultures to provide a microenvironment mimicking the stem cell niche1-3. The latter is important for promoting cell-to-cell interaction, cell proliferation, and differentiation into specific lineages as well as tissue organization by providing a three-dimensional (3D) environment4 such as encapsulation. The principle of cell encapsulation involves entrapment of living cells within the confines of semi-permeable membranes in 3D cultures2. These membranes allow for the exchange of nutrients, oxygen and stimuli across the membranes, whereas antibodies and immune cells from the host that are larger than the capsule pore size are excluded5. Here, we present an approach to culture and differentiate hESC DA neurons in a 3D microenvironment using alginate microcapsules. We have modified the culture conditions2 to enhance the viability of encapsulated hESC. We have previously shown that the addition of p160-Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, Y-27632 and human fetal fibroblast-conditioned serum replacement medium (hFF-CM) to the 3D platform significantly enhanced the viability of encapsulated hESC in which the cells expressed definitive endoderm marker genes1. We have now used this 3D platform for the propagation of hESC and efficient differentiation to DA neurons. Protein and gene expression analyses after the final stage of DA neuronal differentiation showed an increased expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a marker for DA neurons, &gt;100 folds after 2 weeks. We hypothesized that our 3D platform using alginate microcapsules may be useful to study the proliferation and directed differentiation of hESC to various lineages. This 3D system also allows the separation of feeder cells from hESC during the process of differentiation and also has potential for immune-isolation during transplantation in the future.

Alginate Microcapsule as a 3D Platform for Propagation and Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells hESC to Different Lineages

We have optimized a microencapsulation technique as an effective 3D platform for propagation and differentiation of embryonic stem cells to endoderm and dopaminergic (DA) neurons. It also provides an opportunity for immune-isolation of cells from the host during transplantation. This platform can be adapted for other cell types.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are emerging as an attractive alternative source for cell replacement therapy since they can be expanded in culture ...

Generation of Aligned Functional Myocardial Tissue Through Microcontact Printing

Advanced heart failure represents a major unmet clinical challenge, arising from the loss of viable and/or fully functional cardiac muscle cells. Despite optimum drug therapy, heart failure represents a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the developed world. A major challenge in drug development is the identification of cellular assays that accurately recapitulate normal and diseased human myocardial physiology in vitro. Likewise, the major challenges in regenerative cardiac biology revolve around the identification and isolation of patient-specific cardiac progenitors in clinically relevant quantities. These cells have to then be assembled into functional tissue that resembles the native heart tissue architecture. Microcontact printing allows for the creation of precise micropatterned protein shapes that resemble structural organization of the heart, thus providing geometric cues to control cell adhesion spatially. Herein we describe our approach for the isolation of highly purified myocardial cells from pluripotent stem cells differentiating in vitro, the generation of cell growth surfaces micropatterned with extracellular matrix proteins, and the assembly of the stem cell-derived cardiac muscle cells into anisotropic myocardial tissue.

The generation of aligned myocardial tissue is a key requirement for adapting the recent advances in stem cell biology to clinically useful purposes. Herein we describe a microcontact printing approach for the precise control of cell shape and function. Using highly purified populations of embryonic stem cell derived cardiac progenitors, we then generate anisotropic functional myocardial tissue.

Advanced heart failure represents a major unmet clinical challenge,  arising from the loss of viable and/or fully functional cardiac muscle  cells. ...

Construction of Defined Human Engineered Cardiac Tissues to Study Mechanisms of Cardiac Cell Therapy

Human cardiac tissue engineering can fundamentally impact therapeutic discovery through the development of new species-specific screening systems that replicate the biofidelity of three-dimensional native human myocardium, while also enabling a controlled level of biological complexity, and allowing non-destructive longitudinal monitoring of tissue contractile function. Initially, human engineered cardiac tissues (hECT) were created using the entire cell population obtained from directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells, which typically yielded less than 50% cardiomyocytes. However, to create reliable predictive models of human myocardium, and to elucidate mechanisms of heterocellular interaction, it is essential to accurately control the biological composition in engineered tissues. 
To address this limitation, we utilize live cell sorting for the cardiac surface marker SIRP&#945; and the fibroblast marker CD90 to create tissues containing a 3:1 ratio of these cell types, respectively, that are then mixed together and added to a collagen-based matrix solution. Resulting hECTs are, thus, completely defined in both their cellular and extracellular matrix composition.
Here we describe the construction of defined hECTs as a model system to understand mechanisms of cell-cell interactions in cell therapies, using an example of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) that are currently being used in human clinical trials. The defined tissue composition is imperative to understand how the hMSCs may be interacting with the endogenous cardiac cell types to enhance tissue function. A bioreactor system is also described that simultaneously cultures six hECTs in parallel, permitting more efficient use of the cells after sorting.

This manuscript describes the creation of defined engineered cardiac tissues using surface marker expression and cell sorting. The defined tissues can then be used in a multi-tissue bioreactor to investigate mechanisms of cardiac cell therapy in order to provide a functional, yet controlled, model system of the human heart.

Human cardiac tissue engineering can fundamentally impact therapeutic discovery through the development of new species-specific screening systems that ...

Efficient Generation and Editing of Feeder-free IPSCs from Human Pancreatic Cells Using the CRISPR-Cas9 System

Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types of the body. The pluripotent cells are thus coveted for research in regenerative medicine and are currently in clinical trials for eye diseases, diabetes, heart diseases, and other disorders. The potential to differentiate into specialized cell types coupled with the recent advances in genome editing technologies including the CRISPR/Cas system have provided additional opportunities for tailoring the genome of iPSC for varied applications including disease modeling, gene therapy, and biasing pathways of differentiation, to name a few. Among the available editing technologies, the CRISPR/Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes has emerged as a tool of choice for site-specific editing of the eukaryotic genome. The CRISPRs are easily accessible, inexpensive, and highly efficient in engineering targeted edits. The system requires a Cas9 nuclease and a guide sequence (20-mer) specific to the genomic target abutting a 3-nucleotide &#34;NGG&#34; protospacer-adjacent-motif (PAM) for targeting Cas9 to the desired genomic locus, alongside a universal Cas9 binding tracer RNA (together called single guide RNA or sgRNA). Here we present a step-by-step protocol for efficient generation of feeder-independent and footprint-free iPSC and describe methodologies for genome editing of iPSC using the Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. The genome editing protocol is effective and can be easily multiplexed by pre-complexing sgRNAs for more than one target with the Cas9 protein and simultaneously delivering into the cells. Finally, we describe a simplified approach for identification and characterization of iPSCs with desired edits. Taken together, the outlined strategies are expected to streamline generation and editing of iPSC for manifold applications.

This protocol describes in detail the generation of footprint-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human pancreatic cells in feeder-free conditions, followed by editing using CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins and characterization of the modified single-cell clones.

Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types of the body. The pluripotent cells are thus coveted ...

The Organoid Reconstitution Assay (ORA) for the Functional Analysis of Intestinal Stem and Niche Cells

The intestinal epithelium is characterized by an extremely rapid turnover rate. In mammals, the entire epithelial lining is renewed within 4 - 5 days. Adult intestinal stem cells reside at the bottom of the crypts of Lieberk&#252;hn, are earmarked by expression of the Lgr5 gene, and preserve homeostasis through their characteristic high proliferative rate1. Throughout the small intestine, Lgr5+ stem cells are intermingled with specialized secretory cells called Paneth cells. Paneth cells secrete antibacterial compounds (i.e., lysozyme and cryptdins/defensins) and exert a controlling role on the intestinal flora. More recently, a novel function has been discovered for Paneth cells, namely their capacity to provide niche support to Lgr5+ stem cells through several key ligands as Wnt3, EGF, and Dll12.
When isolated ex vivo and cultured in the presence of specific growth factors and extracellular matrix components, whole intestinal crypts give rise to long-lived and self-renewing 3D structures called organoids that highly resemble the crypt-villus epithelial architecture of the adult small intestine3. Organoid cultures, when established from whole crypts, allow the study of self-renewal and differentiation of the intestinal stem cell niche, though without addressing the contribution of its individual components, namely the Lgr5+ and Paneth cells.
Here, we describe a novel approach to the organoid assay that takes advantage of the ability of Paneth and Lgr5+ cells to associate and form organoids when co-cultured. This approach, here referred to as &#34;organoid reconstitution assay&#34; (ORA), allows the genetic and biochemical modification of Paneth or Lgr5+ stem cells, followed by reconstitution into organoids. As such, it allows the functional analysis of the two main components of the intestinal stem cell niche.

The Organoid Reconstitution Assay ORA for the Functional Analysis of Intestinal Stem and Niche Cells

Intestinal organoid cultures are established from whole crypts and do not allow the analysis of self-renewal and differentiation in a cell-specific fashion. This protocol describes reconstitution of sorted stem (Lgr5+) and niche (Paneth) cells, which give rise to organoids while enabling their prior biochemical and genetic modification and functional analysis.

The intestinal epithelium is characterized by an extremely rapid turnover rate. In mammals, the entire epithelial lining is renewed within 4 - 5 days. ...

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

The basement membrane is a critical component of cellular bilayers that can vary in stiffness, composition, architecture, and porosity. In vitro studies of endothelial-epithelial bilayers have traditionally relied on permeable support models that enable bilayer culture, but permeable supports are limited in their ability to replicate the diversity of human basement membranes. In contrast, hydrogel models that require chemical synthesis are highly tunable and allow for modifications of both the material stiffness and the biochemical composition via incorporation of biomimetic peptides or proteins. However, traditional hydrogel models are limited in functionality because they lack pores for cell-cell contacts and functional in vitro migration studies. Additionally, due to the thickness of traditional hydrogels, incorporation of pores that span the entire thickness of hydrogels has been challenging. In the present study, we use poly-(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) hydrogels and a novel zinc oxide templating method to address the previous shortcomings of biomimetic hydrogels. As a result, we present an ultrathin, basement membrane-like hydrogel that permits the culture of confluent cellular bilayers on a customizable scaffold with variable pore architectures, mechanical properties, and biochemical composition.

Current bilayer culture models do not allow for functional in vitro studies that mimic in vivo microenvironments. Using polyethylene glycol and a zinc oxide templating method, this protocol describes the development of an ultrathin biomimetic basement membrane with tunable stiffness, porosity, and biochemical composition that closely mimics in vivo extracellular matrices.

The basement membrane is a critical component of cellular bilayers that can vary in stiffness, composition, architecture, and porosity. In vitro studies ...

Scalable Generation of Mature Cerebellar Organoids from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells and Characterization by Immunostaining

The cerebellum plays a critical role in the maintenance of balance and motor coordination, and a functional defect in different cerebellar neurons can trigger cerebellar dysfunction. Most of the current knowledge about disease-related neuronal phenotypes is based on postmortem tissues, which makes understanding of disease progression and development difficult. Animal models and immortalized cell lines have also been used as models for neurodegenerative disorders. However, they do not fully recapitulate human disease. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have great potential for disease modeling and provide a valuable source for regenerative approaches. In recent years, the generation of cerebral organoids from patient-derived iPSCs improved the prospects for neurodegenerative disease modeling. However, protocols that produce large numbers of organoids and a high yield of mature neurons in 3D culture systems are lacking. The protocol presented is a new approach for reproducible and scalable generation of human iPSC-derived organoids under chemically-defined conditions using scalable single-use bioreactors, in which organoids acquire cerebellar identity. The generated organoids are characterized by the expression of specific markers at both mRNA and protein level. The analysis of specific groups of proteins allows the detection of different cerebellar cell populations, whose localization is important for the evaluation of organoid structure. Organoid cryosectioning and further immunostaining of organoid slices are used to evaluate the presence of specific cerebellar cell populations and their spatial organization.

This protocol describes a dynamic culture system to produce controlled size aggregates of human pluripotent stem cells and further stimulate differentiation in cerebellar organoids under chemically-defined and feeder-free conditions using a single-use bioreactor.

The cerebellum plays a critical role in the maintenance of balance and motor coordination, and a functional defect in different cerebellar neurons can ...

A Culture Method to Maintain Quiescent Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), like other mammalian HSCs, maintain lifelong hematopoiesis in the bone marrow. HSCs remain quiescent in vivo, unlike more differentiated progenitors, and enter the cell cycle rapidly after chemotherapy or irradiation to treat bone marrow injury or in vitro culture. By mimicking the bone marrow microenvironment in the presence of abundant fatty acids, cholesterol, low concentration of cytokines, and hypoxia, human HSCs maintain quiescence in vitro. Here, a detailed protocol for maintaining functional HSCs in the quiescent state in vitro is described. This method will enable studies of the behavior of human HSCs under physiological conditions.

This protocol enables the maintenance of quiescent human hematopoietic stem cells in vitro by mimicking the bone marrow microenvironment using abundant fatty acids, cholesterol, lower concentrations of cytokines, and hypoxia.

Human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), like other mammalian HSCs, maintain lifelong hematopoiesis in the bone marrow. HSCs remain quiescent in vivo, ...

Combining Human Organoids and Organ-on-a-Chip Technology to Model Intestinal Region-Specific Functionality

The intestinal mucosa is a complex physical and biochemical barrier that fulfills a myriad of important functions. It enables the transport, absorption, and metabolism of nutrients and xenobiotics while facilitating a symbiotic relationship with microbiota and restricting the invasion of microorganisms. Functional interaction between various cell types and their physical and biochemical environment is vital to establish and maintain intestinal tissue homeostasis. Modeling these complex interactions and integrated intestinal physiology in vitro is a formidable goal with the potential to transform the way new therapeutic targets and drug candidates are discovered and developed.
Organoids and Organ-on-a-Chip technologies have recently been combined to generate human-relevant intestine chips suitable for studying the functional aspects of intestinal physiology and pathophysiology in vitro. Organoids derived from the biopsies of the small (duodenum) and large intestine are seeded into the top compartment of an organ chip and then successfully expand&#160;as monolayers while preserving the distinct cellular, molecular, and functional features of each intestinal region. Human intestine tissue-specific microvascular endothelial cells are incorporated in the bottom compartment of the organ chip to recreate the epithelial-endothelial interface. This novel platform facilitates luminal exposure to nutrients, drugs, and microorganisms, enabling studies of intestinal transport, permeability, and host-microbe interactions.
Here, a detailed protocol is provided for the establishment of intestine chips representing the human duodenum (duodenum chip) and colon (colon chip), and their subsequent culture under continuous flow and peristalsis-like deformations. We demonstrate methods for assessing drug metabolism and CYP3A4 induction in duodenum chip using prototypical inducers and substrates. Lastly, we provide a step-by-step procedure&#160;for the in vitro modeling of interferon gamma (IFN&#947;)-mediated barrier disruption (leaky gut syndrome) in a colon chip, including methods for evaluating the alteration of paracellular permeability, changes in cytokine secretion, and transcriptomic profiling of the cells within the chip.

Biopsy-derived intestinal organoids and organ-on-a-chips technologies are combined into a microphysiological platform to recapitulate region-specific intestinal functionality.

The intestinal mucosa is a complex physical and biochemical barrier that fulfills a myriad of important functions. It enables the transport, absorption, ...

Reconstituting Cytoarchitecture and Function of Human Epithelial Tissues on an Open-Top Organ-Chip

Nearly all human organs are lined with epithelial tissues, comprising one or multiple layers of tightly connected cells organized into three-dimensional (3D) structures. One of the main functions of epithelia is the formation of barriers that protect the underlining tissues against physical and chemical insults and infectious agents. In addition, epithelia mediate the transport of nutrients, hormones, and other signaling molecules, often creating biochemical gradients that guide cell positioning and compartmentalization within the organ. Owing to their central role in determining organ-structure and function, epithelia are important therapeutic targets for many human diseases that are not always captured by animal models. Besides the obvious species-to-species differences, conducting research studies on barrier function and transport properties of epithelia in animals is further compounded by the difficulty of accessing these tissues in a living system. While two-dimensional (2D) human cell cultures are useful for answering basic scientific questions, they often yield poor in vivo predictions. To overcome these limitations, in the last decade, a plethora of micro-engineered biomimetic platforms, known as organs-on-a-chip, have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional in vitro and animal testing. Here, we describe an Open-Top Organ-Chip (or Open-Top Chip), a platform designed for modeling organ-specific epithelial tissues, including skin, lungs, and the intestines. This chip offers new opportunities for reconstituting the multicellular architecture and function of epithelial tissues, including the capability to recreate a 3D stromal component by incorporating tissue-specific fibroblasts and endothelial cells within a mechanically active system. This Open-Top Chip provides an unprecedented tool for studying epithelial/mesenchymal and vascular interactions at multiple scales of resolution, from single cells to multi-layer tissue constructs, thus allowing molecular dissection of the intercellular crosstalk of epithelialized organs in health and disease.

The present protocol describes the capabilities and the essential culture modalities of the Open-Top Organ-Chip for the successful establishment and maturation of full-thickness organ-on-chip cultures of primary tissues (skin, alveolus, airway, and intestine), providing the opportunity to investigate different functional aspects of the human epithelial/mesenchymal and vascular niche interface in vitro.

Nearly all human organs are lined with epithelial tissues, comprising one or multiple layers of tightly connected cells organized into three-dimensional ...