efficient-generation-pancreasduodenum-homeobox-protein-1-posterior

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1<sup>+</sup> Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived pancreatic cells are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine and a platform to study human ...

Kyoto University

No methods for isolating induced alveolar epithelial progenitor cells (AEPCs) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been reported. Based on a study of the stepwise induction of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs), we identified carboxypeptidase M (CPM) as a surface marker of NKX2-1(+) "ventralized" anterior foregut endoderm cells (VAFECs) in vitro and in fetal human and murine lungs. Using SFTPC-GFP reporter hPSCs and a 3D coculture system with fetal human lung fibroblasts, we showed that CPM(+) cells isolated from VAFECs differentiate into AECs, demonstrating that CPM is a marker of AEPCs. Moreover, 3D coculture differentiation of CPM(+) cells formed spheroids with lamellar-body-like structures and an increased expression of surfactant proteins compared with 2D differentiation. Methods to induce and isolate AEPCs using CPM and consequently generate alveolar epithelial spheroids would aid human pulmonary disease modeling and regenerative medicine. 

Generation of alveolar epithelial spheroids via isolated progenitor cells from human pluripotent stem cells.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are potential unlimited cell sources for renal cells in regenerative medicine. This review highlights recent advance in the directed differentiation of human iPSCs into kidney lineages and discusses the remaining challenges to generate functional or mature renal cells from human iPSCs.

Kidney regeneration from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Transplantation of in-vitro-generated organ buds is a promising approach toward regenerating functional and vascularized organs. Though it has been recently shown in the context of liver models, demonstrating the applicability of this approach to other systems by delineating the molecular mechanisms guiding organ bud formation is critical. Here, we demonstrate a generalized method for organ bud formation from diverse tissues by combining pluripotent stem cell-derived tissue-specific progenitors or relevant tissue samples with endothelial cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The MSCs initiated condensation within these heterotypic cell mixtures, which was dependent upon substrate matrix stiffness. Defining optimal mechanical properties promoted formation of 3D, transplantable organ buds from tissues including kidney, pancreas, intestine, heart, lung, and brain. Transplanted pancreatic and renal buds were rapidly vascularized and self-organized into functional, tissue-specific structures. These findings provide a general platform for harnessing mechanical properties to generate vascularized, complex organ buds with broad applications for regenerative medicine.

Vascularized and Complex Organ Buds from Diverse Tissues via Mesenchymal Cell-Driven Condensation.

Isolation of specific cell types, including pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived populations, is frequently accomplished using cell surface antigens expressed by the cells of interest. However, specific antigens for many cell types have not been identified, making their isolation difficult. Here, we describe an efficient method for purifying cells based on endogenous miRNA activity. We designed synthetic mRNAs encoding a fluorescent protein tagged with sequences targeted by miRNAs expressed by the cells of interest. These miRNA switches control their translation levels by sensing miRNA activities. Several miRNA switches (miR-1-, miR-208a-, and miR-499a-5p-switches) efficiently purified cardiomyocytes differentiated from human PSCs, and switches encoding the apoptosis inducer Bim enriched for cardiomyocytes without cell sorting. This approach is generally applicable, as miR-126-, miR-122-5p-, and miR-375-switches purified endothelial cells, hepatocytes, and insulin-producing cells differentiated from hPSCs, respectively. Thus, miRNA switches can purify cell populations for which other isolation strategies are unavailable. 

Efficient Detection and Purification of Cell Populations Using Synthetic MicroRNA Switches.

Cell therapy using renal progenitors differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has the potential to significantly reduce the number of patients receiving dialysis therapy. However, the differentiation cultures may contain undifferentiated or undesired cell types that cause unwanted side effects, such as neoplastic formation, when transplanted into a body. Moreover, the hESCs/iPSCs are often genetically modified in order to isolate the derived renal progenitors, hampering clinical applications. To establish an isolation method for renal progenitors induced from hESCs/iPSCs without genetic modifications, we screened antibodies against cell surface markers. We identified the combination of four markers, CD9CD140aCD140bCD271, which could enrich OSR1SIX2 renal progenitors. Furthermore, these isolated cells ameliorated renal injury in an acute kidney injury (AKI) mouse model when used for cell therapy. These cells could contribute to the development of hiPSC-based cell therapy and disease modeling against kidney diseases.

Development of new method to enrich human iPSC-derived renal progenitors using cell surface markers.

Cholangiocytes are the epithelial cells that line bile ducts, and ductal plate malformation is a developmental anomaly of bile ducts that causes severe congenital biliary disorders. However, because of a lack of specific marker genes, methods for the stepwise differentiation and isolation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cholangiocyte progenitors at ductal plate stages have not been established. We herein generated an AQP1-GFP reporter hiPSC line and developed a combination treatment with transforming growth factor (TGF) β2 and epidermal growth factor (EGF) to induce hiPSC-derived hepatoblasts into AQP1 cells in vitro. By confirming that the isolated AQP1 cells showed similar gene expression patterns to cholangiocyte progenitors at the remodeling ductal plate stage around gestational week (GW) 20, we established a differentiation protocol from hiPSCs through SOX9CK19AQP1 ductal plate-like cells into SOX9CK19AQP1 remodeling ductal plate-like cells. We further generated 3D bile duct-like structures from the induced ductal plate-like cells. These results suggest that AQP1 is a useful marker for the generation of remodeling ductal plate cells from hiPSCs. Our methods may contribute to elucidating the differentiation mechanisms of ductal plate cells and the pathogenesis of ductal plate malformation.

Differentiation and isolation of iPSC-derived remodeling ductal plate-like cells by use of an AQP1-GFP reporter human iPSC line.

The generation of ureteric bud (UB), which is the renal progenitor that gives rise to renal collecting ducts and lower urinary tract, from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provides a cell source for studying the development of UB and kidney disease. Here we describe a stepwise and efficient two-dimensional differentiation method of hiPSCs into Wolffian duct (WD) cells. We also describe how to generate three-dimensional WD epithelial structures that can differentiate into UB-like structures.

Kenji Osafune

Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA)

Kyoto University

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1⁺ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures

Kenji Osafune

Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA)

Kyoto University

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1+ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1⁺ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures