This work was supported by the Bone Disease Program of Texas Award, the Caroline Wiess Law Fund Award, and the NIAMS of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01 AR072018, R21 AG064345, R01 CA221946 to D.P.&#160; We thank M.E. Dickinson and T.J. Vadakkan in the BCM Optical Imaging and Vital Microscopy Core&#160;and the&#160;BCM Advanced Technology Cores&#160;with funding from NIH (AI036211,&#160;CA125123, and DK056338).
.

All mice were maintained in pathogen-free conditions, and all procedures were approved by Baylor College of Medicine&#8217;s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
1. Mouse preparation
<ol>
	<li>Cross Mx1-Cre17 and Rosa26-loxP-stop-loxP-tdTomato (Tom)18 mice (purchased from the Jackson Laboratory) with &#945;SMA-GFP mice (provided here by Drs. Ivo Kalajzic and Henry Kronenberg) to generate Mx1-Cre+Rosa26-Tomato+&#945;SMA-GFP+ (Mx1/Tomato/&#945;SMA-GFP) reporter mice (Figure 2A).&#160;</li>
	<li>For Mx1-Cre induction, inject mice with 25 mg/kg pIpC every other day for 10 days.&#160;</li>
	<li>Irradiate mice with 9.5 Gy 1 day prior to intravenous transplantation of 1 x 106 whole bone marrow mononuclear cells from wild-type C57BL/6 mice (WT-BMT)19. &#160;</li>
	<li>After 6 to 8 weeks of recovery, subject mice to the in vivo imaging of periosteal cell migration protocol described below. 
	NOTE: Irradiation and WT-BMT of Mx1-Cre mice are necessary to eliminate endogenously Mx1-labeled hematopoietic cells that may respond to an injury. Six to eight weeks post-irradiation, the host&#39;s hematopoietic cell count is at &#60;5% and thus ready for imaging19.</li>
</ol>
2. Mouse restraint and imaging mount
<ol>
	<li>Create a mouse restraint with a 50 mL conical tube (Figure 1A).
	<ol>
		<li>Using pointed scissors, poke a hole through the bottom of the conical. Cut from the bottom hole to the top of the conical (the cut side will be the top of the restraint).&#160;</li>
		<li>Make a cut approximately 4&#8211;5 cm long parallel to the previous cut and halfway down (~2 cm) from the top of the restraint. Remove this section of the conical and smooth the edges were necessary.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Construct a conical tube imaging mount using an adjustable angle plate, a 0.5&#8221; optical post, and a right-angle clamp for the 0.5&#8221; post, 0.1875&#8221; Hex (Figure 1B and Table of Materials).
	<ol>
		<li>Adjust the angle plate to a 35&#176; angle. On the left side of the angle plate, screw the optical post into the second hole from the back of the plate.</li>
		<li>On the right side of the adjustable plate, insert a spring-loaded 0.1875&#8221; Hex-locking 0.25&#8221; thumbscrew into the second hole from the front and last holes on the plate. The right-angle clamp will be used with the optical post to secure the conical mouse restraint in place.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. Preoperative surgical procedure
<ol>
	<li>Mouse anesthesia
	<ol>
		<li>For pain management, subcutaneously inject the mouse with sustained release buprenorphine (1 mg/kg BW) 30&#8211;60 min prior to surgery.</li>
		<li>Anesthetize mice using rodent III CCM combination (combo III) anesthesia containing 37.5 mg/mL ketamine, 1.9 mg/mL xylazine, and 0.37 mg/mL acepromazine. The appropriate dosage for mice is 0.75&#8211;1.50 mL per 1 kg of body weight. The dose will last 30&#8211;45 min.</li>
		<li>Once the mouse is anesthetized, apply ophthalmic ointment to the eyes with a sterile cotton swab to prevent eye dehydration.</li>
		<li>For long-term imaging (&#62;45 min), administer anesthesia again to maintain proper anesthetic depth as follows.
		<ol>
			<li>Prepare a 1 mL syringe with a sufficient amount of combo III to maintain anesthesia for the planned imaging duration (0.75 mL/kg BW per 30 min of additional sedation). Attach a 25 G butterfly needle infusion set with 12&#8221; tubing to the syringe and push anesthetic through the tubing and needle.</li>
			<li>Insert the butterfly needle intraperitoneally, then tape the needle in place.&#160; 
			NOTE: This is how the additional combo III will be administered during imaging such that there is no need to move the animal or disrupt the plane of view.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Provide thermal support with a heating pad kept at 37&#176;C throughout the procedure.&#160;For prolonged imaging (&#62;1hr) additional fluid support will be necessary.&#160; Supplemental fluids can be provided I.P. with additional Combo III during imaging or 33 mL/kg saline (0.9 NaCl) subcutaneously.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Mouse restraint and preparation of the surgical site
	<ol>
		<li>Use clippers to remove as much hair as possible from the top of the head. Apply depilatory cream to the shaved area to remove any remaining hair at the surgical site.&#160;</li>
		<li>Ensure that the mouse is fully anesthetized by a lack of response to toe pinches. After 15 min, if the mouse is not fully anesthetized, administer a second smaller dose of combo III (&#60;0.75 mL/kg BW).</li>
		<li>Place the mouse in the restraint tail-first, sliding it far enough backwards such that the nose slightly hangs over the edge of the conical. &#160;</li>
		<li>Tape the front paws to the bottom of the conical tube using medical tape.</li>
		<li>Place conical tube with mouse on an imaging mount that is set at a 35&#176; angle and secure using the right-angle clamp (Figure 1C).</li>
		<li>Once the mouse is secure in the imaging mount, clean the surgical site 3x with alternating scrubs of betadine scrub and 70% isopropyl alcohol. Again, check that the animal is fully sedated.</li>
		<li>Move the mouse to a clean absorbent pad and place a drape over the mouse to create a large sterile field.&#160;&#160;&#160;</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Surgical procedure
<ol>
	<li>Opening incision
	<ol>
		<li>Using fine-tipped forceps, pick up the skin immediately medial to the right ear. With microdissection scissors, cut the skin being held by the forceps.&#160; 
		NOTE: Initiating the incision using the method described above creates a rounded incision that is more suitable for suturing after the procedure.</li>
		<li>Make a transverse incision starting from the initial incision toward the left ear (&#60;1 cm).&#160; Make another incision, starting from the initial incision, towards the nose of the animal (~2&#8211;3 mm past the right eye).</li>
		<li>Separate the skin from the periosteum using the forceps and scissors to gently cut through the connective tissue separating the skin from calvaria periosteum.&#160;</li>
		<li>Using a sterile cotton swab, apply some ophthalmic ointment to the top of the skin flap.&#160; Gently pick up the skin flap and fold it over the left eye. The intersection of the sagittal and coronal sutures should be clearly exposed (Figure 1E). 
		NOTE: The ophthalmic ointment is used to keep the skin flap in place.</li>
		<li>Flush the open surface with sterile PBS to clean the area of any blood and residual hair.&#160; 
		NOTE: If necessary, use fine-tipped forceps to remove hairs that remain after flushing, but be careful not to damage the periosteum.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Microfracture
	<ol>
		<li>To generate microfractures on the calvaria, remove the plunger of a 29 G insulin syringe and cut the back end of the syringe, around the 300&#8211;400 uL marks. 
		NOTE: This step makes it easier to maneuver under a dissection scope when producing the injury.</li>
		<li>Place the tip of a bevel (one to two needle widths) towards the nose from the coronal suture and one to two needle widths to the right of the sagittal suture (Figure 1E).</li>
		<li>Gently rotate the syringe clockwise, then counterclockwise several times. 
		NOTE: In young mice, a very small amount of downward pressure is needed to create a circular microfracture. Be careful not to let the needle penetrate the brain, as this will cause bleeding and interfere with imaging.</li>
		<li>Use a 27 G needle to widen the microfracture to ~0.4 mm. If bone fragments remain in the microfracture, flush the area with PBS. If bone fragments still remain in the microfracture, use the 29 G needle to gently scoop them out.&#160;</li>
		<li>Repeat steps 4.2.1&#8211;4.2.4 to create an injury on the left side of the sagittal suture. 
		NOTE: At this point, there are two options: 1) immediately proceed to CCL5 treatment (section 4.3) and imaging (section 5); or 2) close the surgical site following the postoperative procedures in section 6. At 24 h later, anesthetize the mouse again, reopen the surgical sight, treat the injury with CCL5 (section 4.3), and perform intravital imaging (section 5) and postoperative care (section 6).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>CCL5 treatment
	<ol>
		<li>From a stock of RANTES (100 ng/mL), make a solution of 10 ng/mL using basement membrane matrix (Table of Materials). Keep this solution on ice to keep the matrix in liquid form.</li>
		<li>Treat each injury with 2 &#956;L of CCL5 (10 ng/&#956;L) by using a 2-20 &#956;L pipette (this pipette tip has a larger diameter, which is more effective when using a viscous liquid). Allow the matrix to solidify.</li>
		<li>Once the matrix has solidified, gently cover the calvaria with the skin flap to ensure the tissue does not become dehydrated. Incubate for 1 h prior to imaging.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
5. Intravital imaging
<ol>
	<li>Microscope settings
	<ol>
		<li>Turn on the multiphoton laser (femtosecond titanium-sapphire laser). Set the wavelength to 880 nm and adjust the power for second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging (440 nm) of the bone.</li>
		<li>Turn on the 488 nm and 561 nm solid state lasers for excitation of GFP- and tdTomato-expressing cells, respectively.</li>
		<li>Turn on PMT (photomultiplier tube) detectors for second harmonic generation (405&#8211;455 nm detection) and GFP (505&#8211;550 nm detection) signals. Turn on HyD 3 detector for tomato (590&#8211;620 nm detection) signal.&#160;</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Mounting
	<ol>
		<li>Before moving the mouse to the scope, check the visual plane of the calvaria by gently pressing the back of the mouse&#8217;s head. If the plane is not level, adjust the position by gently rotating the mouse restraint to the left or the right.&#160; 
		NOTE: This is a critical step to ensure sufficient image quality.</li>
		<li>Apply sterile 2% methylcellulose in water (w/v) to cover the entire calvaria and skin flap and prevent drying of the tissue.</li>
		<li>Place the mouse on the XYZ-axis motorized microscope stage (Figure 1G). Using the epifluorescent light, align the mouse so that 1) it is facing to the microscope and 2) the intersection of the coronal and sagittal sutures is the centered reference point of the stage.</li>
		<li>Place the glass cover on the imaging area and double-check the alignment (Figure 1H).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Time-lapse imaging
	<ol>
		<li>Use a low magnification lens (25x water immersion objective with NA = 0.95) to scan the calvaria. Acquire a reference image of the sagittal and coronal suture intersection.</li>
		<li>Using the SHG and fluorescent signals from the cells, locate each injury sight and record the XYZ coordinates as well as the distances from the sagittal and coronal sutures (Figure 2B).</li>
		<li>Pick a location on either the coronal or sagittal sutures for long-term imaging. Take a detailed Z-stack image of this area from reference during imaging.&#160; 
		NOTE: Since the sutures represent a known P-SSC niche, this is where the cells will be migrating from in response to the calvaria injury.</li>
		<li>Use the time-lapse software settings to record an image every 1 min for at least 1 h. In the time between snapshots, compare the current field of view with the initial field of view. If they are different, use the Z-stack image to determine in which direction the field of view needs to be adjusted.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
6. Postoperative animal care
<ol>
	<li>After imaging, rinse the exposed calvaria with sterile PBS to remove the methylcellulose.&#160;</li>
	<li>To close the incision, gently place the skin flap over the calvaria. Use sterile cotton swabs to remove residual ophthalmic ointment and dry the incision site.</li>
	<li>Using monofilament nylon 5-0 size nonabsorbable sutures with an attached C-1 reverse cutting needle, close the surgical site. Use a sterile cotton swab to apply triple antibiotic ointment to the closed incision. 
	NOTE: Scarring is reduced with high quality suturing techniques and minimum bleeding.</li>
	<li>Place mouse in a clean cage on a warm surface and check every 15 min until sternal recumbency is achieved.</li>
	<li>Administer a second dose of sustained release buprenorphine 72 h post-surgery.</li>
	<li>Monitor daily for huddling behavior, ruffled fur, and/or lack of ambulation until sutures are removed (~1 week).&#160;</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Einhorn, T. A., Gerstenfeld, L. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fracture+healing:+mechanisms+and+interventions.">Fracture healing: mechanisms and interventions.</a> Nature Reviews Rheumatology. 11 (1), 45-54 (2015).</li><li>Murao, H., Yamamoto, K., Matsuda, S., Akiyama, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Periosteal+cells+are+a+major+source+of+soft+callus+in+bone+fracture.">Periosteal cells are a major source of soft callus in bone fracture.</a> Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism. 31 (4), 390-398 (2013).</li><li>Colnot, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Skeletal+cell+fate+decisions+within+periosteum+and+bone+marrow+during+bone+regeneration.">Skeletal cell fate decisions within periosteum and bone marrow during bone regeneration.</a> Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 24 (2), 274-282 (2009).</li><li>Roberts, S. J., van Gastel, N., Carmeliet, G., Luyten, F. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Uncovering+the+periosteum+for+skeletal+regeneration:+the+stem+cell+that+lies+beneath.">Uncovering the periosteum for skeletal regeneration: the stem cell that lies beneath.</a> Bone. 70, 10-18 (2015).</li><li>Duchamp de Lageneste, O., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Periosteum+contains+skeletal+stem+cells+with+high+bone+regenerative+potential+controlled+by+Periostin.">Periosteum contains skeletal stem cells with high bone regenerative potential controlled by Periostin.</a> Nature Communications. 9 (1), 773 (2018).</li><li>Olivos-Meza, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pretreatment+of+periosteum+with+TGF-beta1+in+situ+enhances+the+quality+of+osteochondral+tissue+regenerated+from+transplanted+periosteal+grafts+in+adult+rabbits.">Pretreatment of periosteum with TGF-beta1 in situ enhances the quality of osteochondral tissue regenerated from transplanted periosteal grafts in adult rabbits.</a> Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 18 (9), 1183-1191 (2010).</li><li>Debnath, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Discovery+of+a+periosteal+stem+cell+mediating+intramembranous+bone+formation.">Discovery of a periosteal stem cell mediating intramembranous bone formation.</a> Nature. 562 (7725), 133-139 (2018).</li><li>Ransom, R. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Axin2-expressing+cells+execute+regeneration+after+skeletal+injury.">Axin2-expressing cells execute regeneration after skeletal injury.</a> Scientific Reports. 6, 36524 (2016).</li><li>Ouyang, Z., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Prx1+and+3.2kb+Col1a1+promoters+target+distinct+bone+cell+populations+in+transgenic+mice.">Prx1 and 3.2kb Col1a1 promoters target distinct bone cell populations in transgenic mice.</a> Bone. 58, 136-145 (2013).</li><li>Wilk, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Postnatal+Calvarial+Skeletal+Stem+Cells+Expressing+PRX1+Reside+Exclusively+in+the+Calvarial+Sutures+and+Are+Required+for+Bone+Regeneration.">Postnatal Calvarial Skeletal Stem Cells Expressing PRX1 Reside Exclusively in the Calvarial Sutures and Are Required for Bone Regeneration.</a> Stem Cell Reports. 8 (4), 933-946 (2017).</li><li>Ortinau, L. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+of+Functionally+Distinct+Mx1+alphaSMA++Periosteal+Skeletal+Stem+Cells.">Identification of Functionally Distinct Mx1+alphaSMA+ Periosteal Skeletal Stem Cells.</a> Cell Stem Cell. 25 (6), 784-796 (2019).</li><li>Deveza, L., Ortinau, L., Lei, K., Park, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparative+analysis+of+gene+expression+identifies+distinct+molecular+signatures+of+bone+marrow-+and+periosteal-skeletal+stem/progenitor+cells.">Comparative analysis of gene expression identifies distinct molecular signatures of bone marrow- and periosteal-skeletal stem/progenitor cells.</a> PLoS One. 13 (1), 0190909 (2018).</li><li>Schindeler, A., McDonald, M. M., Bokko, P., Little, D. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bone+remodeling+during+fracture+repair:+The+cellular+picture.">Bone remodeling during fracture repair: The cellular picture.</a> Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology. 19 (5), 459-466 (2008).</li><li>Shi, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gli1+identifies+osteogenic+progenitors+for+bone+formation+and+fracture+repair.">Gli1 identifies osteogenic progenitors for bone formation and fracture repair.</a> Cell Stem Cell. 15 (2), 782-796 (2017).</li><li>Zhou, B. O., Yue, R., Murphy, M. M., Peyer, J. G., Morrison, S. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Leptin-receptor-expressing+mesenchymal+stromal+cells+represent+the+main+source+of+bone+formed+by+adult+bone+marrow.">Leptin-receptor-expressing mesenchymal stromal cells represent the main source of bone formed by adult bone marrow.</a> Cell Stem Cell. 15 (2), 154-168 (2014).</li><li>Grcevic, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+vivo+fate+mapping+identifies+mesenchymal+progenitor+cells.">In vivo fate mapping identifies mesenchymal progenitor cells.</a> Stem Cells. 30 (2), 187-196 (2012).</li><li>Kuhn, R., Schwenk, F., Aguet, M., Rajewsky, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Inducible+gene+targeting+in+mice.">Inducible gene targeting in mice.</a> Science. 269 (5229), 1427-1429 (1995).</li><li>Srinivas, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cre+reporter+strains+produced+by+targeted+insertion+of+EYFP+and+ECFP+into+the+ROSA26+locus.">Cre reporter strains produced by targeted insertion of EYFP and ECFP into the ROSA26 locus.</a> BMC Developmental Biology. 1, 4 (2001).</li><li>Park, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Endogenous+bone+marrow+MSCs+are+dynamic,+fate-restricted+participants+in+bone+maintenance+and+regeneration.">Endogenous bone marrow MSCs are dynamic, fate-restricted participants in bone maintenance and regeneration.</a> Cell Stem Cell. 10 (3), 259-272 (2012).</li><li>Nitzsche, F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Concise+Review:+MSC+Adhesion+Cascade-Insights+into+Homing+and+Transendothelial+Migration.">Concise Review: MSC Adhesion Cascade-Insights into Homing and Transendothelial Migration.</a> Stem Cells. 35 (6), 1446-1460 (2017).</li><li>Adler, J., Pagakis, S. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reducing+image+distortions+due+to+temperature-related+microscope+stage+drift.">Reducing image distortions due to temperature-related microscope stage drift.</a> Journal of Microscopy. 210, 131-137 (2003).</li><li>Roberts, S. J., Ke, H. Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Anabolic+Strategies+to+Augment+Bone+Fracture+Healing.">Anabolic Strategies to Augment Bone Fracture Healing.</a> Current Osteoporosis Reports. 16 (3), 289-298 (2018).</li></ol>

L.C.O. and D.P. disclose a pending patent entitled &#8220;Periosteal Skeletal Stem Cells in Bone Repair&#8221; (BAYM.P0264US.P1). The remaining authors declare no competing interests.

During bone healing, periosteal cells are the main source of newly differentiated chondrocytes and osteoblasts within an injury callus3. Similar to bone marrow, osteogenic/chondrogenic SSCs have also been identified in the periosteum4,5,6. Assessing endogenous P-SSC functional characteristics is technically challenging. Often, migratory dynamics of SSCs are assessed in vitro, making interpretation of thei...

Fracture repair is a dynamic, multicellular process that is distinct from embryonic skeletal development and remodeling. During this process, the induction of injury signals from damaged tissue is followed by the rapid recruitment, proliferation, and subsequent differentiation of skeletal stem/progenitor cells, which are all critical for the overall stability and fixation of fractures1. In particular, early stages of fracture healing require soft callus formation, which is mainly attributed to periosteal resident cells2. When bones are injured, a subset of periosteal cells rapidly respond and contribute to newly differentiated cartilage intermediates and osteoblasts within the callus3, implicating the presence of a distinct skeletal stem/progenitor cell population within the periosteum. Therefore, the identification and functional characterization of the periosteum-resident skeletal stem cells (SSCs) constitute a promising therapeutic approach for degenerative bone diseases and bone defects4.&#160;
SSCs are thought to reside in multiple tissue locations, including the bone marrow. Similar to bone marrow, osteogenic/chondrogenic SSCs have also been identified in the periosteum4,5,6.&#160; These periosteal SSCs (P-SSCs) can be labeled with early mesenchymal lineage markers (i.e., Prx1-Cre5, Ctsk-Cre7, and Axin2-CreER8) during fetal bone development4,7,8,9,10. A significant limitation of these single genetic lineage tracing models is that there is substantial heterogeneity within labeled cell populations. Furthermore, they cannot distinguish labeled SSCs from their progeny in vivo. To address this limitation, we recently developed a dual reporter mouse (Mx1-Cre+Rosa26-Tomato+&#945;SMA-GFP+) to distinctly visualize P-SSCs from bone marrow SSCs (BM-SSCs)11. With this model, it has been determined that P-SSCs are marked by Mx1+&#945;SMA+ dual labeling, whereas more differentiated Mx1+ cells reside in the bone marrow, endosteal and periosteal surfaces, and cortical and trabecular bones11,12.&#160;
Multiple cytokines and growth factors are known to regulate bone remodeling and repair and have been tested for the enhancement of skeletal repair in critical segment defects1,13. However, due to the cellular complexity of injury models generated through disruption of the bone compartment&#39;s physical barrier, the direct effects of these molecules on endogenous P-SSC migration and activation during healing are unclear. The functional characteristics and migratory dynamics of SSCs are often assessed in vitro by performing a transwell or scratch assay, in combination with cytokines or growth factors known to induce migration in other cell populations. Thus, interpretation of results from these in vitro experiments for application in their corresponding in vivo systems is challenging. Currently, in vivo assessment of skeletal stem/progenitor cell migration is not typically observed in real-time; rather, it is measured at fixed timepoints post-fracture5,7,14,15,16.&#160;&#160;
A limitation of this method is that migration is not assessed at a single-cell level; rather, it is measured via changes in cell populations. Due to recent advances in live animal intravital microscopy and generation of additional reporter mice, in vivo tracking of individual cells is now possible. Using live animal intravital microscopy, we observed the distinct migration of P-SSCs from the calvaria suture niche to a bone injury within 24&#8211;48 h post-injury in Mx1/Tomato/&#945;SMA-GFP mice.&#160;
CCL5/CCR5 was recently identified as a regulatory mechanism influencing the recruitment and activation P-SSCs during the early injury response. Interestingly, there was no detection of substantial P-SSC migration in response to an injury in real-time. However, treatment of an injury with CCL5 produces a robust, directionally distinct migration of P-SSCs, which can be captured in real-time. Therefore, the objective of this protocol is to provide a detailed methodology for recording the in vivo migration of P-SSCs in real-time after treatment with CCL5.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:720px;" width="719">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">&#189;&#8221; optical post</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">TR2</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">For imaging mount</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">1 mL syringe</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">BD</td>
			<td>309659</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">27G needle</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">BD PercisionGlide</td>
			<td>305111</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">29G insulin syringe</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">McKesson</td>
			<td>102-SN05C905P</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">50 mL conicol tube</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Falcon</td>
			<td>352098</td>
			<td>For mouse restraint</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Adjustable angle plate</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Renishaw</td>
			<td>R-PCA-5023-50-20</td>
			<td>For imaging mount</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Alcohol wipes</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Coviden</td>
			<td>6818</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">betadine surgical scrub</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Henry Schen</td>
			<td>67618-151-16</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Buprenorphine SR-LAB</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">ZooPharm</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1mg/mL Sustained Release</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:164px;">Combo III</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Obtained from staff veterinarian</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">37.6 mg/mL Ketamine; 1.9 mg/mL Xylazine; 0.37 mg/mL Acepronazine</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Coverslip</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Fisher</td>
			<td>12-545-87</td>
			<td>24 x 40 premium superslip</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Fine tip forcepts</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">FST</td>
			<td>11254-20</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Ketamine</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">KetaVed</td>
			<td>50989-161-06</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">100 mg/mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:164px;">Leica TCS SP8MP with DM6000CFS</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Leica Microsystems</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Matrigel</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">R &#38; D Systems</td>
			<td>344500101</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="45">
			<td height="45" style="height:45px;width:164px;">Medical tape</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">McKesson</td>
			<td>100199</td>
			<td>3&#34; x 10 yds (7.6 cm x 9.1 m)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:164px;">Methocellulose</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Electron Microscopy Sciences</td>
			<td>19560</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:164px;">Microdissection scissors</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">FST</td>
			<td>1456-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Motorized stage</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Anaheim automation</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Needle holder</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">FST</td>
			<td>12500-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:164px;">Nonabsorbable sutures</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">McKesson</td>
			<td>S913BX</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">monofilament nylon 5-0 nonabsorbable sutures with attached C-1 reverse cutting needle</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Opthalmic ointment</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Rugby</td>
			<td>0536-1086-91</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">RANTES</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Biolegend</td>
			<td>594202</td>
			<td>10 &#181;g/50 &#181;L</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:164px;">Right-angle clamp for &#189;&#8221; post, 3/16&#8221; Hex</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td>RA90</td>
			<td>For imaging mount</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:164px;">Spring-loaded 3/16&#8221; Hex-locking &#188;&#8221; thumbscrew</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td>TS25H</td>
			<td>For imaging mount</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Sterile cotton swabs</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Henry Schen</td>
			<td>100-9249</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Sterile DPBS (1x)</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Corning</td>
			<td>21-030-CV</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="71">
			<td height="71" style="height:71px;width:164px;">Sterile drapes</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">McKessen</td>
			<td>25-517</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:164px;">Surgical gloves</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">McKessen</td>
			<td>3158VA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:164px;">Triple antibiotic ointment</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Taro Pharmaceuticals U.s.a., Inc.</td>
			<td>51672-2120-2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:164px;">Vacutainer blood collection set</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">BD</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">REF 367298</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">25G butterfly needle infusion set with 12&#34; tubing</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

real-time imaging of ccl5-induced migration of periosteal skeletal stem cells in mice

Periosteal skeletal stem cells (P-SSCs) are essential for lifelong bone maintenance and repair, making them an ideal focus for the development of therapies to enhance fracture healing.&#160; Periosteal cells rapidly migrate to an injury to supply new chondrocytes and osteoblasts for fracture healing. Traditionally, the efficacy of a cytokine to induce cell migration has only been conducted in vitro by performing a transwell or scratch assay. With advancements in intravital microscopy using multiphoton excitation, it was recently discovered that 1) P-SSCs express the migratory gene CCR5 and 2) treatment with the CCR5 ligand known as CCL5 improves fracture healing and the migration of P-SSCs in response to CCL5. These results have been captured in real-time. Described here is a protocol to visualize P-SSC migration from the calvarial suture skeletal stem cell (SSC) niche towards an injury after treatment with CCL5. The protocol details the construction of a mouse restraint and imaging mount, surgical preparation of the mouse calvaria, induction of a calvaria defect, and acquisition of time-lapse imaging.

Skeletal progenitors have been proposed to have migratory or circulatory potential20. Recently, Mx1-Cre+Rosa26-Tomato+&#945;SMA-GFP+ (Mx1/Tomato/&#945;SMA-GFP) reporter mice were generated, in which P-SSCs are marked by Mx1+&#945;SMA+ dual labeling (Figure 2A,B). Substantial migration of Mx1+&#945;SMA+...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Real-Time Imaging of CCL5-Induced Migration of Periosteal Skeletal Stem Cells in Mice at JoVE.com

Real-Time Imaging of CCL5-Induced Migration of Periosteal Skeletal Stem Cells in Mice

This protocol describes the detection of CCL5-mediated periosteal skeletal stem cell migration in real-time using live animal intravital microscopy.

Periosteal skeletal stem cells (P-SSCs) are essential for lifelong bone maintenance and repair, making them an ideal focus for the development of ...

real-time-imaging-ccl5-induced-migration-periosteal-skeletal-stem

Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

2.2K Views.  Baylor College of Medicine. This protocol describes the detection of CCL5-mediated periosteal skeletal stem cell migration in real-time using live animal intravital microscopy.

Video: Real-Time Imaging of CCL5-Induced Migration of Periosteal Skeletal Stem Cells in Mice

Isolation and Quantitative Immunocytochemical Characterization of Primary Myogenic Cells and Fibroblasts from Human Skeletal Muscle

The repair and regeneration of skeletal muscle requires the action of satellite cells, which are the resident muscle stem cells. These can be isolated from human muscle biopsy samples using enzymatic digestion and their myogenic properties studied in culture. Quantitatively, the two main adherent cell types obtained from enzymatic digestion are: (i) the satellite cells (termed myogenic cells or muscle precursor cells), identified initially as CD56+ and later as CD56+/desmin+ cells and (ii) muscle-derived fibroblasts, identified as CD56&#8211; and TE-7+. Fibroblasts proliferate very efficiently in culture and in mixed cell populations these cells may overrun myogenic cells to dominate the culture. The isolation and purification of different cell types from human muscle is thus an important methodological consideration when trying to investigate the innate behavior of either cell type in culture. Here we describe a system of sorting based on the gentle enzymatic digestion of cells using collagenase and dispase followed by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) which gives both a high purity (&#62;95% myogenic cells) and good yield (~2.8 x 106 &#177; 8.87 x 105 cells/g tissue after 7 days in vitro) for experiments in culture. This approach is based on incubating the mixed muscle-derived cell population with magnetic microbeads beads conjugated to an antibody against CD56 and then passing cells though a magnetic field. CD56+ cells bound to microbeads are retained by the field whereas CD56&#8211; cells pass unimpeded through the column. Cell suspensions from any stage of the sorting process can be plated and cultured. Following a given intervention, cell morphology, and the expression and localization of proteins including nuclear transcription factors can be quantified using immunofluorescent labeling with specific antibodies and an image processing and analysis package.

The main adherent cell types derived from human muscle are myogenic cells and fibroblasts. Here, cell populations are enriched using magnetic-activated cell sorting based on the CD56 antigen. Subsequent immunolabelling with specific antibodies and use of image analysis techniques allows quantification of cytoplasmic and nuclear characteristics in individual cells.

The repair and regeneration of skeletal muscle requires the action of satellite cells, which are the resident muscle stem cells. These can be isolated ...

Horizontal Whole Mount: A Novel Processing and Imaging Protocol for Thick, Three-dimensional Tissue Cross-sections of Skin

Processing a tissue of interest to generate a microscopic image that supports a scientific argument can be challenging. The acquisition of high-quality microscopic images is not entirely dependent upon the quality of the microscope, but also upon the methods of tissue processing, which often involve multiple critical actions or steps. Furthermore, mesenchymal cell types in the skin and other tissues represent a new challenge for tissue preparation and imaging. Here, we present a complete process, from tissue harvest to microscopy. Our technique, called &#34;horizontal whole mount,&#34; is one that novices can quickly become proficient in and that allows for antigen preservation and detection in 60-300 &#181;m-thick sections cut with a cryostat. Sections of this thickness provide enhanced visualization of tissue microarchitecture in a three-dimensional environment. In addition, the protocol preserves mesenchymal cells in a manner that enhances image quality when compared to standard cryostat or paraffin sections, thereby increasing the efficacy and reliability of immunostaining. We believe that this protocol will benefit all laboratories that visualize skin, and possibly other tissues and organs.

This work presents a novel processing and imaging protocol for thick, three-dimensional tissue cross-section analysis that enables the full exploitation of confocal imaging modalities. This protocol preserves antigenicity and represents a robust system to analyze skin histology and potentially other tissue types.

Processing a tissue of interest to generate a microscopic image that supports a scientific argument can be challenging. The acquisition of high-quality ...

Evaluation of Injury-induced Senescence and In Vivo Reprogramming in the Skeletal Muscle

Cellular senescence is a stress response that is characterized by a stable cellular growth arrest, which is important for many physiological and pathological processes, such as cancer and ageing. Recently, senescence has also been implicated in tissue repair and regeneration. Therefore, it has become increasingly critical to identify senescent cells in vivo. Senescence-associated &#946;-galactosidase (SA-&#946;-Gal) assay is the most widely used assay to detect senescent cells both in culture and in vivo. This assay is based on the increased lysosomal contents in the senescent cells, which allows the histochemical detection of lysosomal &#946;-galactosidase activity at suboptimum pH (6 or 5.5). In comparison with other assays, such as flow cytometry, this allows the identification of senescent cells in their resident environment, which offers valuable information such as the location relating to the tissue architecture, the morphology, and the possibility of coupling with other markers via immunohistochemistry&#160;(IHC). The major limitation of the SA-&#946;-Gal assay is the requirement of fresh or frozen samples.
Here, we present a detailed protocol to understand how cellular senescence promotes cellular plasticity and tissue regeneration in vivo. We use SA-&#946;-Gal to detect senescent cells in the skeletal muscle upon injury, which is a well-established system to study tissue regeneration. Moreover, we use&#160;IHC to detect Nanog, a marker of pluripotent stem cells, in a transgenic mouse model. This protocol enables us to examine and quantify cellular senescence in the context of induced cellular plasticity and in vivo reprogramming.

Evaluation of Injury-induced Senescence and In Vivo Reprogramming in the Skeletal Muscle

Here we present a detailed protocol to detect both senescent and pluripotent stem cells in the skeletal muscle upon injury while inducing in vivo reprogramming. This method is suitable for evaluating the role of cellular senescence during tissue regeneration and reprogramming in vivo.

Cellular senescence is a stress response that is characterized by a stable cellular growth arrest, which is important for many physiological and ...

Multi-Photon Time Lapse Imaging to Visualize Development in Real-time: Visualization of Migrating Neural Crest Cells in Zebrafish Embryos

Congenital eye and craniofacial anomalies reflect disruptions in the neural crest, a transient population of migratory stem cells that give rise to numerous cell types throughout the body. Understanding the biology of the neural crest has been limited, reflecting a lack of genetically tractable models that can be studied in vivo and in real-time. Zebrafish is a particularly important developmental model for studying migratory cell populations, such as the neural crest. To examine neural crest migration into the developing eye, a combination of the advanced optical techniques of laser scanning microscopy with long wavelength multi-photon fluorescence excitation was implemented to capture high-resolution, three-dimensional, real-time videos of the developing eye in transgenic zebrafish embryos, namely Tg(sox10:EGFP) and Tg(foxd3:GFP), as sox10 and foxd3 have been shown in numerous animal models to regulate early neural crest differentiation and likely represent markers for neural crest cells. Multi-photon time-lapse imaging was used to discern the behavior and migratory patterns of two neural crest cell populations contributing to early eye development. This protocol provides information for generating time-lapse videos during zebrafish neural crest migration, as an example, and can be further applied to visualize the early development of many structures in the zebrafish and other model organisms.

A combination of the advanced optical techniques of laser scanning microscopy with long wavelength multi-photon fluorescence excitation was implemented to capture high-resolution, three-dimensional, real-time imaging of neural crest migration in Tg(sox10:EGFP) and Tg(foxd3:GFP) zebrafish embryos.

Congenital eye and craniofacial anomalies reflect disruptions in the neural crest, a transient population of migratory stem cells that give rise to ...

Single-cell Photoconversion in Living Intact Zebrafish

Animal and plant tissue is composed of distinct populations of cells. These cells interact over time to build and maintain the tissue and can cause disease when disrupted. Scientists have developed clever techniques to investigate characteristics and natural dynamics of these cells within intact tissue by expressing fluorescent proteins in subsets of cells. However, at times, experiments require more selected visualization of cells within the tissue, sometimes at the single-cell or population-of-cells manner. To achieve this and visualize single cells within a population of cells, scientists have utilized single-cell photoconversion of fluorescent proteins. To demonstrate this technique, we show here how to direct UV light to an Eos-expressing cell of interest in an intact, living zebrafish. We then image those photoconverted Eos+ cells 24 h later to determine how they changed in the tissue. We describe two techniques: single cell photoconversion and photoconversions of populations of cell. These techniques can be used to visualize cell-cell interactions, cell-fate and differentiation, and cell migrations, making it a technique that is applicable in numerous biological questions.

Here, we present a protocol to show how cell photoconversion is achieved through UV exposure to specific areas expressing the fluorescent protein, Eos, in living animals.

Animal and plant tissue is composed of distinct populations of cells. These cells interact over time to build and maintain the tissue and can cause ...

Identification of Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells by Immunofluorescence with Pax7 and Laminin Antibodies

Immunofluorescence is an effective method that helps to identify different cell types on tissue sections. In order to study the desired cell population, antibodies for specific cell markers are applied on tissue sections. In adult skeletal muscle, satellite cells (SCs) are stem cells that contribute to muscle repair and regeneration. Therefore, it is important to visualize and trace the satellite cell population under different physiological conditions. In resting skeletal muscle, SCs reside between the basal lamina and myofiber plasma membrane. A commonly used marker for identifying SCs on the myofibers or in cell culture is the paired box protein Pax7. In this article, an optimized Pax7 immunofluorescence protocol on skeletal muscle sections is presented that minimizes non-specific staining and background. Another antibody that recognizes a protein (laminin) of the basal lamina was also added to help identify SCs. Similar protocols can also be used to perform double or triple labeling with Pax7 and antibodies for additional proteins of interest.

The precise identification of satellite cells is essential for studying their functions under various physiological and pathological conditions. This article presents a protocol to identify satellite cells on adult skeletal muscle sections by immunofluorescence-based staining.

Immunofluorescence is an effective method that helps to identify different cell types on tissue sections. In order to study the desired cell population, ...

Computational Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline to Study the Distribution of Nuclei, Proteins, and the Cytoskeleton

The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) germline is used to study several biologically important processes including stem cell development, apoptosis, and chromosome dynamics. While the germline is an excellent model, the analysis is often two dimensional due to the time and labor required for three-dimensional analysis. Major readouts in such studies are the number/position of nuclei and protein distribution within the germline. Here, we present a method to perform automated analysis of the germline using confocal microscopy and computational approaches to determine the number and position of nuclei in each region of the germline. Our method also analyzes germline protein distribution that enables the three-dimensional examination of protein expression in different genetic backgrounds. Further, our study shows variations in cytoskeletal architecture in distinct regions of the germline that may accommodate specific spatial developmental requirements. Finally, our method enables automated counting of the sperm in the spermatheca of each germline. Taken together, our method enables rapid and reproducible phenotypic analysis of the C. elegans germline.

Computational Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline to Study the Distribution of Nuclei, Proteins, and the Cytoskeleton

We present an automated method for three-dimensional reconstruction of the Caenorhabditis elegans germline. Our method determines the number and position of each nucleus within the germline and analyses germline protein distribution and cytoskeletal structure.

The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) germline is used to study several biologically important processes including stem cell development, apoptosis, and ...

In Vitro Generation of Somite Derivatives from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

In response to signals such as WNTs, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and sonic hedgehog (SHH) secreted from surrounding tissues, somites (SMs) give rise to multiple cell types, including the myotome (MYO), sclerotome (SCL), dermatome (D), and syndetome (SYN), which in turn develop into skeletal muscle, axial skeleton, dorsal dermis, and axial tendon/ligament, respectively. Therefore, the generation of SMs and their derivatives from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is critical to obtain pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) for application in regenerative medicine and for disease research in the field of orthopedic surgery. Although the induction protocols for MYO and SCL from PSCs have been previously reported by several researchers, no study has yet demonstrated the induction of SYN and D from iPSCs. Therefore, efficient induction of fully competent SMs remains a major challenge. Here, we recapitulate human SM patterning with human iPSCs in vitro by mimicking the signaling environment during chick/mouse SM development, and report on methods of systematic induction of SM derivatives (MYO, SCL, D, and SYN) from human iPSCs under chemically defined conditions through the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) and SM states. Knowledge regarding chick/mouse&#160;SM development was successfully applied to the induction of SMs with human iPSCs. This method could be a novel tool for studying human somitogenesis and patterning without the use of embryos and for cell-based therapy and disease modeling.

We present here a protocol for the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into each somite derivative (myotome, sclerotome, dermatome, and syndetome) in chemically defined conditions, which has applications in future disease modeling and cell-based therapies in orthopedic surgery.

In response to signals such as WNTs, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and sonic hedgehog (SHH) secreted from surrounding tissues, somites (SMs) give ...

Assessment of Oxidative Damage in the Primary Mouse Ocular Surface Cells/Stem Cells in Response to Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) Damage

The ocular surface is subjected to regular wear and tear due to various environmental factors. Exposure to UV-C radiation constitutes an occupational health hazard. Here, we demonstrate the exposure of primary stem cells from the mouse ocular surface to UV-C radiation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation is the readout of the extent of oxidative stress/damage. In an experimental in vitro setting, it is also essential to assess the percentage of dead cells generated due to oxidative stress. In this article, we will demonstrate the 2&#39;,7&#39;-Dichlorofluoresceindiacetate (DCFDA) staining of UV-C exposed mouse primary ocular surface stem cells and their quantification based on the fluorescent images of DCFDA staining. DCFDA staining directly corresponds to ROS generation. We also demonstrate the quantification of dead and live cells by simultaneous staining with propidium iodide (PI) and Hoechst 3332 respectively and the percentage of DCFDA (ROS positive) and PI positive cells.

Assessment of Oxidative Damage in the Primary Mouse Ocular Surface Cells/Stem Cells in Response to Ultraviolet-C UV-C Damage

This protocol demonstrates the simultaneous detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS), live cells, and dead cells in live primary cultures from mouse ocular surface cells. 2&#39;,7&#39;-Dichlorofluoresceindiacetate, propidium iodide, and Hoechst staining are used to assess the ROS, dead cells, and live cells, respectively, followed by imaging and analysis.

The ocular surface is subjected to regular wear and tear due to various environmental factors. Exposure to UV-C radiation constitutes an occupational ...

Performing Human Skeletal Muscle Xenografts in Immunodeficient Mice

Treatment effects observed in animal studies often fail to be recapitulated in clinical trials. While this problem is multifaceted, one reason for this failure is the use of inadequate laboratory models. It is challenging to model complex human diseases in traditional laboratory organisms, but this issue can be circumvented through the study of human xenografts. The surgical method we describe here allows for the creation of human skeletal muscle xenografts, which can be used to model muscle disease and to carry out preclinical therapeutic testing. Under an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocol, skeletal muscle specimens are acquired from patients and then transplanted into NOD-Rag1null IL2r&gamma;null (NRG) host mice. These mice are ideal hosts for transplantation studies due to their inability to make mature lymphocytes and are thus unable to develop cell-mediated and humoral adaptive immune responses. Host mice are anaesthetized with isoflurane, and the mouse tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus muscles are removed. A piece of human muscle is then placed in the empty tibial compartment and sutured to the proximal and distal tendons of the peroneus longus muscle. The xenografted muscle is spontaneously vascularized and innervated by the mouse host, resulting in robustly regenerated human muscle that can serve as a model for preclinical studies.

Complex human diseases can be challenging to model in traditional laboratory model systems. Here, we describe a surgical approach to model human muscle disease through the transplantation of human skeletal muscle biopsies into immunodeficient mice.

Treatment effects observed in animal studies often fail to be recapitulated in clinical trials. While this problem is multifaceted, one reason for this ...