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In This Article

  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Protocol
  • Representative Results
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Materials
  • References
  • Reprints and Permissions

Summary

This assay utilizes mouse embryonic stem cells differentiated into embryoid bodies cultured in 3D-collagen gel to analyze the biological processes that control sprouting angiogenesis in vitro. The technique can be applied for testing drugs, modeling diseases, and for studying specific genes in the context of deletions that are embryonically lethal.

Abstract

Recent advances in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and gene editing technologies enable the development of novel human cell-based disease models for phenotypic drug discovery (PDD) programs. Although these novel devices could predict the safety and efficacy of investigational drugs in humans more accurately, their development to the clinic still strongly rely on mammalian data, notably the use of mouse disease models. In parallel to human organoid or organ-on-chip disease models, the development of relevant in vitro mouse models is therefore an unmet need for evaluating direct drug efficacy and safety comparisons between species and in vivo and in vitro conditions. Here, a vascular sprouting assay that utilizes mouse embryonic stem cells differentiated into embryoid bodies (EBs) is described. Vascularized EBs cultured onto 3D-collagen gel develop new blood vessels that expand, a process called sprouting angiogenesis. This model recapitulates key features of in vivo sprouting angiogenesis-formation of blood vessels from a pre-existing vascular network-including endothelial tip cell selection, endothelial cell migration and proliferation, cell guidance, tube formation, and mural cell recruitment. It is amenable to screening for drugs and genes modulating angiogenesis and shows similarities with recently described three-dimensional (3D) vascular assays based on human iPSC technologies.

Introduction

In the past three decades, target-based drug discovery (TDD) has been widely employed in drug discovery by the pharmaceutical industry. TDD incorporates a defined molecular target playing an important role in a disease and relies on the development of relatively simple cell culture systems and readouts for drug screening1. Most typical disease models used in TDD programs include traditional cell culture methods such as cancer cells or immortalized cell lines grown within artificial environments and non-physiological substrates. Although many of these models have provided viable tools for identifying successful drug candidates, the use of such s....

Protocol

1. Media preparation and culture of mESC

  1. Prepare conditioned medium +/- (CM+/-) using the supplement 1x Glasgow MEM (G-MEM BHK-21) medium with 10% (vol/vol) heat-inactivated Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), 0.05 mM β-mercaptoethanol, 1x non-essential amino acids (NEAA 1x), 2 mM L-glutamine, and 1 mM sodium pyruvate.
  2. Prepare conditioned medium +/+ (CM+/+) using the supplement CM+/- medium with Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) (1,500 U/mL) and 0.1 mM β-mercaptoethanol.
  3. Prepare conditioned.......

Representative Results

The protocol overview of the blood vessel sprouting assay is shown in Figure 1. Nine-day-old EBs derived from three independent 129/Ola mESC lines (Z/Red, R1, and E14) were enzymatically dissociated into single cells using collagenase A. Cells were stained for PECAM-1 and analyzed by Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) as described. All the cell lines exhibited robust endothelial differentiation, and no differences in their ability to differentiate into endothelial cells were observed.......

Discussion

This protocol describes an unbiased, robust, and reproducible 3D EB-based vascular sprouting assay that is amenable to screening for drugs and genes modulating angiogenesis. This method offers advantages over many widely used two dimensional (2D) assays using endothelial cell cultures such as Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) to monitor migration (lateral scratch assay or the Boyden chamber assay)22,23 or proliferation (counting cell number, de.......

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Nederlandse organisatie voor gezondheidsonderzoek en zorginnovatie (ZonMW 446002501), Health Holland (LSHM19057-H040), Leading Fellows Programme Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND, and by the Association Maladie de Rendu-Osler (AMRO).

....

Materials

NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
2-mercaptoethanolMilipore, Merck805740Biohazard: adequate safety instructions should be taken when handling
Agar NobleDifco, BD Pharmigen214220
Alexa Fluo 555 goat anti rat IgGLife technologiesA21434
APC conjugated rat anti-mouse PECAM-1 antibody (clone MEC13.3)BD Biosciences551262
APC Rat IgG2a κ Isotype Control (Clone  R35-95)BD Biosciences553932
Axiovert 25 inverted phase contrast tissue culture microscopeZEISS
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (bFGF)Peprotech450-33
Benchtop Centrifuge, Allegra X-15RBeckman Coulter392932
Biosafety cabinet BioVanguard (Green Line)Telstar133H401001
Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)Sigma-AldrichA9418
Cell counting chamber, Buerker, 0.100mmMarienfeld640211
Cell culture dishes 60 x 15mmCorning353802
Cell culture dishes, 35 x 10 mmCorning353801
Cell culture plates 12-wellCorning3512
CFX96 Touch Real-Time PCR Detection SystemBiorad1855196
Chicken serumSigma-AldrichC5405
CHIR-99021 (CT99021) HClSelleckchemS2924
Collagen I, High Concentration, Rat Tail, 100mgCorning354249
Collagenase ARoche10103586001
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, TCS SP5Leica
Cover glasses, 24 × 50 mmVwr631-0146
DAPT γ‑secretase inhibitorSigma AldrichD5942
DC101 anti mouse VEGFR-2 CloneBioXcellBP0060
DC101 isotype rat IgG1BioXcellBP0290
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)Sigma-AldrichD2438-5XBiohazard: adequate safety instructions should be taken when handling
DPBS (10x), no calcium, no magnesiumGibco, Thermofisher scientific14200067
EDTA 40 mMGibco, Thermofisher scientific15575-038
Embryonic stem-cell Fetal Bovine SerumGibco, Thermofisher scientific16141-079Should be lot-tested for maximum ES cell viability and growth. Heat inactivate at 60°C and store at −20 °C for up to 1 year
Eppendorf Microcentrifuge 5415REppendorf AG Z605212
Erythropoietin, human (hEPO), 250 U (2.5 µg) (1 mL)Roche11120166001
ESGRO Recombinant Mouse LIF Protein (10⁷ units  1 mL)Milipore, MerckESG1107
Falcon tubes 15 mLGreiner Bio-One188271
Falcon tubes 50 mLGreiner Bio-0ne227270
Filter tip ,clear ,sterile F.Gilson, P-200Greiner Bio-One739288
Filter tip ,clear ,sterile F.Gilson, P10Greiner Bio-One771288
Filter tip ,clear ,sterile F.Gilson, P1000Greiner Bio-One740288
FITC conjugated anti-α Smooth Muscle Actin (SMA) (clone 1A4)Sigma AldrichF3777
FITC conjugated rat anti-mouse CD45 (clone 30-F11)Biolegend103107
FITC Rat IgG2b, κ Isotype Ctrl Antibody (clone RTK4530)Biolegend400605
Fluorscent mounting mediaDAKOS3023
GascompressCutisoft45846
Gauze Cutisoft 10 x 10 cmBsn Medical45844_00
Gel blotting paper, Grade GB003WhatmanWHA10547922
Gelatin solution, type BSigma-AldrichG1393-100 ml
Glasgow's MEM (GMEM)Gibco, Thermofisher scientific21710082
IHC Zinc FixativeBD Pharmigen550523
IncuSafe CO2 IncubatorPHCBiMCO-170AICUV-PE
Interleukin-6, human (hIL-6)Roche11138600001
L-Glutamine 200 mMGibco, Thermofisher scientific25030-024
MEM Non-Essential Amino Acids Solution (100x)Gibco, Thermofisher scientific11140035
Microscope slide boxKartell Labware278
Microscope slide, StarfrostKnittel glassVS113711FKB.0
Mm_Cdh5_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00110467
Mm_Eng_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00148981
Mm_Epha4_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00093576
Mm_Ephb2_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00154014
Mm_Flt1_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00096292
Mm_Flt4_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00099064
Mm_Gapdh_3_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT01658692
Mm_Kdr_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00097020
Mm_Notch1_1_SG QuantiTect PrimerQiagenQT00156982
Mm_Nr2f2_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00153104
Mm_Pecam1_1_SG QuantiTect PrimerQiagenQT01052044
Mm_Tek_1_SG QuantiTect Primer AssayQiagenQT00114576
Mouse (ICR) Inactivated Embryonic Fibroblasts  (2 M)Gibco, Thermofisher scientificA24903Store vials in liquid nitrogen (195.79 °C) indefinitely
Mouse embryonic stem cell line 7AC5/EYFP (ATCC SCRC-1033)ATCCSCRC-1033Generated by Dr A Nagy, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada. [Hadjantonakis, A. K., et al. Mechanisms of Development. 76 (1–2), 79–90 (1998)].
Mouse embryonic stem cell lines Acvrl1 +/- and Acvrl1 +/+Generated at Leiden University Medical Centre [Thalgott, J.H. et al. Circulation. 138 (23), 2698–2712 (2018)].
Mouse embryonic stem cells line E14Provided by M Letarte laboratory and generated according to Cho, S. K., et al. Blood. 98 (13), 3635–3642 (2001).
Mouse embryonic stem cells line R1 (ATCC SCRC-1011)ATCCSCRC-1011Generated by Dr A Nagy, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada. [Nagy, A., et al. Procedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 90 (18), 8424–8428 (1993)].
Mouse embryonic stem cells line Z/Red (strain 129/Ola)Generated by Dr A Nagy, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada [Vintersten, K., et al. Genesis. 40 (4), 241–246 (2004)].
NanoDrop 1000 UV/VIS SpectrophotometerThermo Fischer ScientificND-1000
PD0325901SelleckchemS1036
PDGF-BB, Recombinant HumanPeprotech100-14B
Pecam-1 antibody, Rat Anti-MouseBD Biosciences550274
Penicillin-streptomycin (10,000 U/mL)Gibco, Thermofisher scientific15140122
Petri dish, PS, 94/16 mm, standard ,with vents, sterileGreiner Bio-One633181
Pipetboy acu 2Integra-Biosciences155 019
Pipetman G Multichannel P8 x 200GGilsonF144072
Pipetman G Starter Kit, 4 Pipette Kit, P2G, P20G, P200G, P1000GGilsonF167360
Recombinant Human BMP-4 ProteinR&D Systems314-BP
RNeasy Plus mini KitQIAGEN74134
Serological pipettes, 10 mLGreiner Bio-One607 180
Serological pipettes, 25 mLGreiner Bio-One760 180
Serological pipettes, 5 mLGreiner Bio-One606 180
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)Merck106498
Sodium pyruvate 100 mMGibco, Thermofisher scientific11360039
Test tubes 5ml round-bottom with cell-strainer capCorning352235
Thermal cycler, T100Biorad1861096
Triton X-100 (BioXtra)Sigma AldrichT9284
Trypan Blue Solution, 0.4%Gibco, Thermofisher scientific15250061
Trypsin (2.5%)Gibco, Thermofisher scientific15090046
Vacuum Filter/Storage Bottle System, 500 mLCorning430758
VEGFA165 , recombinant murinePeprotech450-32
Water, SterileFresenius-KabiB230531
Waterbath, Lab-Line DigitalThermo Fischer Scientific18052A

References

  1. Moffat, J. G., Vincent, F., Lee, J. A., Eder, J., Prunotto, M. Opportunities and challenges in phenotypic drug discovery: an industry perspective. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 16 (8), 531-543 (2017).
  2. Horvath, P., et al.

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