scholarly journals Tendon Stem/Progenitor Cells and Their Interactions with Extracellular Matrix and Mechanical Loading

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuanxin Zhang ◽  
Jun Zhu ◽  
Yiqin Zhou ◽  
Bhavani P. Thampatty ◽  
James H-C. Wang

Tendons are unique connective tissues in the sense that their biological properties are largely determined by their tendon-specific stem cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding the stem cells, mechanical loading conditions placed on the tendon, and the complex interactions among them. This review is aimed at providing an overview of recent advances in the identification and characterization of tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) and their interactions with ECM and mechanical loading. In addition, the effects of such interactions on the maintenance of tendon homeostasis and the initiation of tendon pathological conditions are discussed. Moreover, the challenges in further investigations of TSPC mechanobiology in vitro and in vivo are outlined. Finally, future research efforts are suggested, which include using specific gene knockout models and single-cell transcription profiling to enable a broad and deep understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of tendons.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amparo López-Carrasco ◽  
Susana Martín-Vañó ◽  
Rebeca Burgos-Panadero ◽  
Ezequiel Monferrer ◽  
Ana P Berbegall ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Increased tissue stiffness is a common feature of malignant solid tumors, often associated with metastasis and poor patient outcomes. Vitronectin, as an extracellular matrix anchorage glycoprotein related to a stiff matrix, is present in a particularly increased quantity and specific distribution in high-risk neuroblastoma. Furthermore, as cells can sense and transform the proprieties of the extracellular matrix into chemical signals through mechanotransduction, genotypic changes related to stiffness are possible. Methods We have applied high density SNPa and NGS techniques to in vivo and in vitro models (orthotropic xenograft vitronectin knock-out mice and 3D bioprinted hydrogels with different stiffness) using two representative neuroblastoma cell lines (the MYCN amplified SK-N-BE(2) and the ALK mutated SH-SY5Y), to discern how tumor genomics patterns and clonal heterogeneity of both cell lines are affected. Results We describe a remarkable subclonal selection of some genomic aberrations in SK-N-BE(2) cells grown in knock-out vitronectin xenograft mice that also emerged when cultured for long times in stiff hydrogels. Specially, we detected an enlarged subclonal cell population with chromosome 9 aberrations in both models. Similar abnormalities were found in human high-risk neuroblastoma with MYCN amplification. Genomics of the SH-SY5Y cell line remained stable when cultured in both models. Conclusions Focus on heterogeneous intratumor segmental chromosome aberrations and mutations, as a mirror image of tumor microenvironment, is a vital area of future research.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 117 (18) ◽  
pp. 4773-4777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hal E. Broxmeyer ◽  
Man-Ryul Lee ◽  
Giao Hangoc ◽  
Scott Cooper ◽  
Nutan Prasain ◽  
...  

Abstract Cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) is crucial for cord blood (CB) banking and transplantation. We evaluated recovery of functional HPC cryopreserved as mononuclear or unseparated cells for up to 23.5 years compared with prefreeze values of the same CB units. Highly efficient recovery (80%-100%) was apparent for granulocyte-macrophage and multipotential hematopoietic progenitors, although some collections had reproducible low recovery. Proliferative potential, response to multiple cytokines, and replating of HPC colonies was extensive. CD34+ cells isolated from CB cryopreserved for up to 21 years had long-term (≥ 6 month) engrafting capability in primary and secondary immunodeficient mice reflecting recovery of long-term repopulating, self-renewing HSCs. We recovered functionally responsive CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells with differentiation representing all 3 germ cell lineages in vitro and in vivo, and detected high proliferative endothelial colony forming cells, results of relevance to CB biology and banking.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 4083
Author(s):  
Xing Yu Li ◽  
Shang Ying Wu ◽  
Po Sing Leung

Pancreatic progenitor cells (PPCs) are the primary source for all pancreatic cells, including beta-cells, and thus the proliferation and differentiation of PPCs into islet-like cell clusters (ICCs) opens an avenue to providing transplantable islets for diabetic patients. Meanwhile, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can enhance the development and function of different cell types of interest, but their role on PPCs remains unknown. We aimed to explore the mechanism-of-action whereby MSCs induce the in vitro and in vivo PPC/ICC development by means of our established co-culture system of human PPCs with human fetal bone marrow-derived MSCs. We examined the effect of MSC-conditioned medium on PPC proliferation and survival. Meanwhile, we studied the effect of MSC co-culture enhanced PPC/ICC function in vitro and in vivo co-/transplantation. Furthermore, we identified IGF1 as a critical factor responsible for the MSC effects on PPC differentiation and proliferation via IGF1-PI3K/Akt and IGF1-MEK/ERK1/2, respectively. In conclusion, our data indicate that MSCs stimulated the differentiation and proliferation of human PPCs via IGF1 signaling, and more importantly, promoted the in vivo engraftment function of ICCs. Taken together, our protocol may provide a mechanism-driven basis for the proliferation and differentiation of PPCs into clinically transplantable islets.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 3171-3171
Author(s):  
Yue Si ◽  
Cordula Leurs ◽  
Edward Srour ◽  
Samantha Ciccone ◽  
Helmut Hanenberg ◽  
...  

Abstract Fanconi anemia (FA) is a complex autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized within the hematological system by progressive bone marrow aplasia, a high propensity to develop acute myeloid leukemia, and hypersensitivity to alkylating agents including mitomycin c. The identification of individual FA genes raises the potential of using gene transfer technology to express/introduce the functional cDNA in/into deficient autologous stem cells. We have previously shown that in the absence of genetic correction with a retroviral mediated Fancc transgene, ex vivo culture of Fancc−/− stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) predisposes uncorrected Fancc−/− HSPC cells to clonal hematopoiesis (Haneline, Blood 2003). Therefore we examined the potential of a helper-free human foamy virus (HFV) derived construct that encodes both the human FANCC and EGFP transgenes to transduce murine Fancc−/− HSC in the absence of prestimulation. In initial experiments, we determined that 40–80% of progenitors were transduced following a single overnight HFV infection using a 20:1 moiety of infection. Subsequent studies demonstrated that HFV efficiently transduced primitive hematopoietic progenitors in G0 and G1 phases of the cell cycle as evidenced both by using multicolor fluorescence activated cell sorting and subsequent culture of sorted cell populations in high proliferating potential (HPP-CFC) and low proliferating potential colony forming assays. Aliquots of HFV transduced cells that were transduced with the construct encoding both Fancc and EGFP, or the reporter transgene only were transplanted into irradiated recipient mice. Four months following transplantation, bone marrow cells were isolated from the reconstituted recipients and clonogenic assays were established in a range of mitomycin c (MMC) concentrations. In these experiments, the MMC hypersensitivity of Fancc−/− progenitors was corrected to wild-type levels. To assess quantitatively the potential of HFV expressed FANCC to correct stem cell repopulating ability, we next utilized the competitive repopulating assay. In two replicate experiments, we determined that the repopulating activity of HFV-transduced Fancc−/− stem cells was comparable to wildtype controls six months following transplantation in primary and secondary recipients. Collectively, these data provide in vivo evidence that the HFV vector is an efficient vehicle for introducing a functional hFANCC transgene into quiescent Fancc−/− HSC in the absence of prestimulation and for complementing the cellular FA defect in vitro and in vivo.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1395-1395
Author(s):  
Morayma Reyes ◽  
Jeffrey S. Chamberlain

Abstract Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells (MAPC) are bone marrow derived stem cells that can be extensively expanded in vitro and can differentiate in vivo and in vitro into cells of all three germinal layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm. The origin of MAPC within bone marrow (BM) is unknown. MAPC are believed to be derived from the BM stroma compartment as they are isolated within the adherent cell component. Numerous studies of bone marrow chimeras in human and mouse point to a host origin of bone marrow stromal cells, including mesenchymal stem cells. We report here that following syngeneic bone marrow transplants into lethally irradiated C57Bl/6 mice, MAPC are of donor origin. When MAPC were isolated from BM chimeras (n=12, 4–12 weeks post-syngeneic BM transplant from a transgenic mouse ubiquitously expressing GFP), a mixture of large and small GFP-positive and GFP-negative cells were seen early in culture. While the large cells stained positive for stroma cell markers (smooth muscle actin), mesenchymal stem cell makers (CD73, CD105, CD44) or macrophages (CD45, CD14), the small cells were negative for all these markers and after 30 cell doublings, these cells displayed the classical phenotype of MAPC (CD45−,CD105−, CD44−, CD73−, FLK-1+(vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, VEGFR2), Sca-1+,CD13+). In a second experiment, BM obtained one month post BM transplant (n=3) was harvested and mononuclear cells were sorted as GFP-positive and GFP-negative cells and were cultured in MAPC expansion medium. MAPC grew from the GFP-positive fraction. These GFP positive cells displayed the typical MAPC-like immunophenotypes, displayed a normal diploid karyotype and were expanded for more than 50 cell doublings and differentiated into endothelial cells, hepatocytes and neurons. To rule out the possibility that MAPC are the product of cell fusion between a host and a donor cell either in vivo or in our in vitro culture conditions, we performed sex mismatched transplants of female GFP donor BM cells into a male host. BM from 5 chimeras were harvested 4 weeks after transplant and MAPC cultures were established. MAPC colonies were then sorted as GFP-positive and GFP- negative and analyzed for the presence of Y-chromosome by FISH analysis. As expected all GFP-negative (host cells) contained the Y-chromosome whereas all GFP-positive cells (donor cells) were negative for the Y-chromosome by FISH. This proves that MAPC are not derived from an in vitro or in vivo fusion event. In a third study, BM mononuclear cells from mice that had been previously BM-transplanted with syngeneic GFP-positive donors (n=3) were transplanted into a second set of syngeneic recipients (n=9). Two months after the second transplant, BM was harvested and mononuclear cells were cultured in MAPC medium. The secondary recipients also contained GFP-positive MAPC. This is the first demonstration that BM transplantation leads to the transfer of cells that upon isolation in vitro generate MAPCs and, whatever the identity of this cell may be, is eliminated by irradiation. We believe this is an important observation as MAPC hold great clinical potential for stem cell and/or gene therapy and, thus, BM transplant may serve as a way to deliver and reconstitute the MAPC population. In addition, this study provides insight into the nature of MAPC. The capacity to be transplantable within unfractionated BM transplant renders a functional and physiological distinction between MAPC and BM stromal cells. This study validates the use of unfractionated BM transplants to study the nature and possible in vivo role of MAPC in the BM.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 2476-2476
Author(s):  
Kasia Mierzejewska ◽  
Ewa Suszynska ◽  
Sylwia Borkowska ◽  
Malwina Suszynska ◽  
Maja Maj ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) are exposed in vivo to several growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and bioactive lipids in bone marrow (BM) in addition to various sex hormones circulating in peripheral blood (PB). It is known that androgen hormones (e.g., danazol) is employed in the clinic to treat aplastic anemia patients. However, the exact mechanism of action of sex hormones secreted by the pituitary gland or gonads is not well understood. Therefore, we performed a complex series of experiments to address the influence of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), androgen (danazol) and prolactin (PRL) on murine hematopoiesis. In particular, from a mechanistic view we were interested in whether this effect depends on stimulation of BM-residing stem cells or is mediated through the BM microenvironment. Materials and Methods To address this issue, normal 2-month-old C57Bl6 mice were exposed or not to daily injections of PMSG (10 IU/mice/10 days), LH (5 IU/mice/10 days), FSH (5 IU/mice/10 days), danazol (4 mg/kg/10 days) and PRL (1 mg/day/5days). Subsequently, we evaluated changes in the BM number of Sca-1+Lin–CD45– that are precursors of long term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) (Leukemia 2011;25:1278–1285) and bone forming mesenchymal stem cells (Stem Cell & Dev. 2013;22:622-30) and Sca-1+Lin–CD45+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) cells by FACS, the number of clonogenic progenitors from all hematopoietic lineages, and changes in peripheral blood (PB) counts. In some of the experiments, mice were exposed to bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to evaluate whether sex hormones affect stem cell cycling. By employing RT-PCR, we also evaluated the expression of cell-surface and intracellular receptors for hormones in purified populations of murine BM stem cells. In parallel, we studied whether stimulation by sex hormones activates major signaling pathways (MAPKp42/44 and AKT) in HSPCs and evaluated the effect of sex hormones on the clonogenic potential of murine CFU-Mix, BFU-E, CFU-GM, and CFU-Meg in vitro. We also sublethally irradiated mice and studied whether administration of sex hormones accelerates recovery of peripheral blood parameters. Finally, we determined the influence of sex hormones on the motility of stem cells in direct chemotaxis assays as well as in direct in vivo stem cell mobilization studies. Results We found that 10-day administration of each of the sex hormones evaluated in this study directly stimulated expansion of HSPCs in BM, as measured by an increase in the number of these cells in BM (∼2–3x), and enhanced BrdU incorporation (the percentage of quiescent BrdU+Sca-1+Lin–CD45– cells increased from ∼2% to ∼15–35% and the percentage of BrdU+Sca-1+Lin–CD45+ cells increased from 24% to 43–58%, Figure 1). These increases paralleled an increase in the number of clonogenic progenitors in BM (∼2–3x). We also observed that murine Sca-1+Lin–CD45– and Sca-1+Lin–CD45+ cells express sex hormone receptors and respond by phosphorylation of MAPKp42/44 and AKT in response to exposure to PSMG, LH, FSH, danazol and PRL. We also observed that administration of sex hormones accelerated the recovery of PB cell counts in sublethally irradiated mice and slightly mobilized HSPCs into PB. Finally, in direct in vitro clonogenic experiments on purified murine SKL cells, we observed a stimulatory effect of sex hormones on clonogenic potential in the order: CFU-Mix > BFU-E > CFU-Meg > CFU-GM. Conclusions Our data indicate for the first time that not only danazol but also several pituitary-secreted sex hormones directly stimulate the expansion of stem cells in BM. This effect seems to be direct, as precursors of LT-HSCs and HSPCs express all the receptors for these hormones and respond to stimulation by phosphorylation of intracellular pathways involved in cell proliferation. These hormones also directly stimulated in vitro proliferation of purified HSPCs. In conclusion, our studies support the possibility that not only danazol but also several other upstream pituitary sex hormones could be employed to treat aplastic disorders and irradiation syndromes. Further dose- and time-optimizing mouse studies and studies with human cells are in progress in our laboratories. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa J. Miller ◽  
David R. Hill ◽  
Melinda S. Nagy ◽  
Yoshiro Aoki ◽  
Briana R. Dye ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshikatsu Matsui ◽  
Tadahiro Shinozawa

Organoids are three-dimensional structures fabricated in vitro from pluripotent stem cells or adult tissue stem cells via a process of self-organization that results in the formation of organ-specific cell types. Human organoids are expected to mimic complex microenvironments and many of the in vivo physiological functions of relevant tissues, thus filling the translational gap between animals and humans and increasing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease and developmental processes. In the last decade, organoid research has attracted increasing attention in areas such as disease modeling, drug development, regenerative medicine, toxicology research, and personalized medicine. In particular, in the field of toxicology, where there are various traditional models, human organoids are expected to blaze a new path in future research by overcoming the current limitations, such as those related to differences in drug responses among species. Here, we discuss the potential usefulness, limitations, and future prospects of human liver, heart, kidney, gut, and brain organoids from the viewpoints of predictive toxicology research and drug development, providing cutting edge information on their fabrication methods and functional characteristics.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Nie ◽  
Chen-kai Huang ◽  
Cong Liu ◽  
Xuan Zhu

Abstract Background: Previous studies have indicated that Kupffer cells (KCs) are the main regulatory cells for the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and caspase-11/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling plays crucial roles in the activation of monocyte-macrophages. Ursolic acid (UA) is a traditional Chinese medicine with antifibrotic effects, but the molecular mechanism underlying these effects is still unclear.Methods: A mouse primary Kupffer cell line in vitro and liver fibrosis mice (including specific gene knockout mice) in vivo were selected as experimental objects. RT-qPCR and Western blotting techniques were utilized to assess the mRNA and protein expression in each group. ELISA and histological analysis were utilized to assess liver injury and collagen deposition.Results: In vitro, caspase-11/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling promoted the activation of Kupffer cells, and UA inhibited the activation of Kupffer cells by caspase-11/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling. In vivo, UA reversed liver damage and fibrosis in fibrotic mice and was related to Kupffer cells; the expression of Caspase-11/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling in Kupffer cells of the UA group was inhibited. Even in the CCl4 group, the liver damage and fibrosis of NLRP3 knockout mice were alleviated, and related experiments also proved that the inhibitory effect of UA on Kupffer cells was related to the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.Conclusion: Caspase-11/NLRP3 inflammasome signal transduction is closely related to the activation of Kupffer cells and the occurrence of liver fibrosis. Additionally, caspase-11/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling serves as a new target for UA antifibrosis treatment.


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