Evidence that cell transplants can improve recovery outcomes in spinal cord injury (SCI) models substantiates treatment strategies involving cell replacement for humans with SCI. Most pre‐clinical ...studies of cell replacement in SCI examine thoracic injury models. However, as most human injuries occur at the cervical level, it is critical to assess potential treatments in cervical injury models and examine their effectiveness using at‐level histological and functional measures. To directly address cervical SCI, we used a C5 midline contusion injury model and assessed the efficacy of a candidate therapeutic for thoracic SCI in this cervical model. The contusion generates reproducible, bilateral movement and histological deficits, although a number of injury parameters such as acute severity of injury, affected gray‐to‐white matter ratio, extent of endogenous remyelination, and at‐level locomotion deficits do not correspond with these parameters in thoracic SCI. On the basis of reported benefits in thoracic SCI, we transplanted human embryonic stem cell (hESC)‐derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) into this cervical model. hESC‐derived OPC transplants attenuated lesion pathogenesis and improved recovery of forelimb function. Histological effects of transplantation included robust white and gray matter sparing at the injury epicenter and, in particular, preservation of motor neurons that correlated with movement recovery. These findings further our understanding of the histopathology and functional outcomes of cervical SCI, define potential therapeutic targets, and support the use of these cells as a treatment for cervical SCI. STEM CELLS 2010;28:152–163
Demyelination contributes to loss of function after spinal cord injury, and thus a potential therapeutic strategy involves replacing myelin-forming cells. Here, we show that transplantation of human ...embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) into adult rat spinal cord injuries enhances remyelination and promotes improvement of motor function. OPCs were injected 7 d or 10 months after injury. In both cases, transplanted cells survived, redistributed over short distances, and differentiated into oligodendrocytes. Animals that received OPCs 7 d after injury exhibited enhanced remyelination and substantially improved locomotor ability. In contrast, when OPCs were transplanted 10 months after injury, there was no enhanced remyelination or locomotor recovery. These studies document the feasibility of predifferentiating hESCs into functional OPCs and demonstrate their therapeutic potential at early time points after spinal cord injury.
Genomic stability is critical for the clinical use of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. We performed high-resolution SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) analysis on 186 pluripotent ...and 119 nonpluripotent samples. We report a higher frequency of subchromosomal copy number variations in pluripotent samples compared to nonpluripotent samples, with variations enriched in specific genomic regions. The distribution of these variations differed between hESCs and hiPSCs, characterized by large numbers of duplications found in a few hESC samples and moderate numbers of deletions distributed across many hiPSC samples. For hiPSCs, the reprogramming process was associated with deletions of tumor-suppressor genes, whereas time in culture was associated with duplications of oncogenic genes. We also observed duplications that arose during a differentiation protocol. Our results illustrate the dynamic nature of genomic abnormalities in pluripotent stem cells and the need for frequent genomic monitoring to assure phenotypic stability and clinical safety.
► hESCs and hiPSCs show more gene copy number variation than somatic cells ► Degree of abnormality differs more between hESC lines than hiPSC lines ► Deletions common in hiPSCs after reprogramming, duplications appear over time ► Recurrent duplications occur at specific genomic loci in pluripotent cells
To investigate whether sheets of retina organoids derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can differentiate, integrate, and improve visual function in an immunodeficient rat model of severe ...retinal degeneration (RD).
3D hESC-derived retina organoids were analyzed by quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence. Sheets dissected from retina organoids (30-65 days of differentiation) were transplanted into the subretinal space of immunodeficient rho S334ter-3 rats. Visual function was tested by optokinetic testing and electrophysiologic recording in the superior colliculus. Transplants were analyzed at 54 to 300 days postsurgery by immunohistochemistry for donor and retinal markers.
Retina organoids contained multiple retinal cell types, including progenitor populations capable of developing new cones and rods. After transplantation into an immunodeficient rat model of severe RD, the transplanted sheets differentiated, integrated, and produced functional photoreceptors and other retinal cells, according to the longer human developmental timetable. Maturation of the transplanted retinal cells created visual improvements that were measured by optokinetic testing and electrophysiologic recording in the superior colliculus. Immunohistochemistry analysis indicated that the donor cells were synaptically active. Extensive transplant projections could be seen within the host RD retina. Optical coherence tomography imaging monitored long-term transplant growth and survival up to 10 months postsurgery.
These data demonstrate that the transplantation of sheets dissected from hESC-derived retina organoids is a potential therapeutic method for restoring vision in advanced stages of RD.
This article reviews stem cell-based strategies for spinal cord injury repair, and practical issues concerning their translation to the clinic. Recent progress in the stem cell field includes ...clinically compliant culture conditions and directed differentiation of both embryonic stem cells and somatic stem cells. We provide a brief overview of the types of stem cells under evaluation, comparing their advantages and disadvantages for use in human clinical trials. We review the practical considerations and risks that must be addressed before human treatments can begin. With a growing understanding of these practical issues, stem cell biology, and spinal cord injury pathophysiology, stem cell-based therapies are moving closer to clinical application.
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are potential sources of cells for modeling disease and development, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. However, it is important to identify factors that ...may impact the utility of hPSCs for these applications. In an unbiased analysis of 205 hPSC and 130 somatic samples, we identified hPSC-specific epigenetic and transcriptional aberrations in genes subject to X chromosome inactivation (XCI) and genomic imprinting, which were not corrected during directed differentiation. We also found that specific tissue types were distinguished by unique patterns of DNA hypomethylation, which were recapitulated by DNA demethylation during in vitro directed differentiation. Our results suggest that verification of baseline epigenetic status is critical for hPSC-based disease models in which the observed phenotype depends on proper XCI or imprinting and that tissue-specific DNA methylation patterns can be accurately modeled during directed differentiation of hPSCs, even in the presence of variations in XCI or imprinting.
► Global analysis of DNA methylation differences between somatic and pluripotent cells ► Tissue-specific DNA demethylation occurs during differentiation ► X chromosome inactivation is unstable in pluripotent cells over time in culture ► Aberrations in X inactivation and imprinting are maintained during differentiation
A promising personal immunotherapy is autologous dendritic cells (DC) loaded ex vivo with autologous tumor antigens (ATA) derived from self-renewing autologous cancer cells. DC-ATA are suspended in ...granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor at the time of each subcutaneous injection. Previously, irradiated autologous tumor cell vaccines have produced encouraging results in 150 cancer patients, but the DC-ATA vaccine demonstrated superiority in single-arm and randomized trials in metastatic melanoma. DC-ATA have been injected into more than 200 patients with melanoma, glioblastoma, and ovarian, hepatocellular, and renal cell cancers. Key observations include: 1 greater than 95% success rates for tumor cell cultures and monocyte collection for dendritic cell production; 2 injections are well-tolerated; 3 the immune response is rapid and includes primarily TH1/TH17 cellular responses; 4 efficacy has been suggested by delayed but durable complete tumor regressions in patients with measurable disease, by progression-free survival in glioblastoma, and by overall survival in melanoma.
Motor neuron loss is characteristic of cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and contributes to functional deficit.
In order to investigate the amenability of the injured adult spinal cord to motor ...neuron differentiation, we transplanted spinal cord injured animals with a high purity population of human motor neuron progenitors (hMNP) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). In vitro, hMNPs displayed characteristic motor neuron-specific markers, a typical electrophysiological profile, functionally innervated human or rodent muscle, and secreted physiologically active growth factors that caused neurite branching and neuronal survival. hMNP transplantation into cervical SCI sites in adult rats resulted in suppression of intracellular signaling pathways associated with SCI pathogenesis, which correlated with greater endogenous neuronal survival and neurite branching. These neurotrophic effects were accompanied by significantly enhanced performance on all parameters of the balance beam task, as compared to controls. Interestingly, hMNP transplantation resulted in survival, differentiation, and site-specific integration of hMNPs distal to the SCI site within ventral horns, but hMNPs near the SCI site reverted to a neuronal progenitor state, suggesting an environmental deficiency for neuronal maturation associated with SCI.
These findings underscore the barriers imposed on neuronal differentiation of transplanted cells by the gliogenic nature of the injured spinal cord, and the physiological relevance of transplant-derived neurotrophic support to functional recovery.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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