Generating high-fidelity cochlear organoids from human pluripotent stem cells

1. Download : Download high-res image (234KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Mapping Development of the Human Intestinal Niche at Single-Cell Resolution

1. Download : Download high-res image (202KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Wnt-YAP interactions in the neural fate of human pluripotent stem cells and the implications for neural organoid formation

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have shown the ability to self-organize into different types of neural organoids (e.g., whole brain organoids, cortical spheroids, midbrain organoids etc.) recently. The extrinsic and intrinsic signaling elicited by Wnt pathway, Hippo/Yes-associated protein (YAP) pathway, and extracellular microenvironment plays a critical role in brain tissue morphogenesis. This article highlights recent advances in neural tissue patterning from hPSCs, in particular the role of Wnt pathway and YAP activity in this process. Understanding the Wnt-YAP interactions should provide us the guidance to predict and modulate brain-like tissue structure through the regulation of extracellular microenvironment of hPSCs.     

Synthetic Analyses of Single-Cell Transcriptomes from Multiple Brain Organoids and Fetal Brain

1. Download : Download high-res image (222KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Snai1 regulates cell lineage allocation and stem cell maintenance in the mouse intestinal epithelium

Snail family members regulate epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) during invasion of intestinal tumours, but their role in normal intestinal homeostasis is unknown. Studies in breast and skin epithelia indicate that Snail proteins promote an undifferentiated state. Here, we demonstrate that conditional knockout of Snai1 in the intestinal epithelium results in apoptotic loss of crypt base columnar stem cells and bias towards differentiation of secretory lineages. In vitro organoid cultures derived from Snai1 conditional knockout mice also undergo apoptosis when Snai1 is deleted. Conversely, ectopic expression of Snai1 in the intestinal epithelium in vivo results in the expansion of the crypt base columnar cell pool and a decrease in secretory enteroendocrine and Paneth cells. Following conditional deletion of Snai1, the intestinal epithelium fails to produce a proliferative response following radiation‐induced damage indicating a fundamental requirement for Snai1 in epithelial regeneration. These results demonstrate that Snai1 is required for regulation of lineage choice, maintenance of CBC stem cells and regeneration of the intestinal epithelium following damage.     

Defining Epidermal Basal Cell States during Skin Homeostasis and Wound Healing Using Single-Cell Transcriptomics

1. Download : Download high-res image (254KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Stem‐cell‐based therapies for retinal degenerative diseases: Current challenges in the establishment of new treatment strategies

Various advances have been made in the treatment of retinal diseases, including new treatment strategies and innovations in surgical devices. However, the treatment of degenerative retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), continues to pose a significant challenge. In this review, we focus on the use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to treat retinal diseases by harnessing the ability of stem cells to differentiate into different body tissues. The retina is a tissue specialized for light sensing, and its degradation leads to vision loss. As part of the central nervous system, the retina has very low regenerative capability, and therefore, treatment options are limited once it degenerates. Nevertheless, innovations in methods to induce the generation of retinal cells and tissues from ESCs/iPSCs enable the development of novel approaches for these irreversible diseases. Here we review some historical background and current clinical trials involving the use of stem‐cell‐derived retinal pigment epithelial cells for AMD treatment and stem cell‐derived retinal cells/tissues for RP therapy. Finally, we discuss our future vision of regenerative treatment for retinal diseases with a partial focus on our studies and introduce other interesting approaches for restoring vision.     

Commitment and oncogene-induced plasticity of human stem cell-derived pancreatic acinar and ductal organoids

1. Download : Download high-res image (149KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

A Notch positive feedback in the intestinal stem cell niche is essential for stem cell self‐renewal

The intestinal epithelium is the fastest regenerative tissue in the body, fueled by fast‐cycling stem cells. The number and identity of these dividing and migrating stem cells are maintained by a mosaic pattern at the base of the crypt. How the underlying regulatory scheme manages this dynamic stem cell niche is not entirely clear. We stimulated intestinal organoids with Notch ligands and inhibitors and discovered that intestinal stem cells employ a positive feedback mechanism via direct Notch binding to the second intron of the Notch1 gene. Inactivation of the positive feedback by CRISPR/Cas9 mutation of the binding sequence alters the mosaic stem cell niche pattern and hinders regeneration in organoids. Dynamical system analysis and agent‐based multiscale stochastic modeling suggest that the positive feedback enhances the robustness of Notch‐mediated niche patterning. This study highlights the importance of feedback mechanisms in spatiotemporal control of the stem cell niche.     

干细胞在 1 型糖尿病治疗中的应用研究进展

1型糖尿病（T1D）是一种慢性、多因素自身免疫性疾病,在发病过程中,会不断破坏胰岛β细胞,最终导致胰岛素分泌不足, 严重威胁人类健康。目前,根治T1D的主要方法是胰岛移植,即将移植的胰岛替代体内已被疾病破坏的胰岛细胞,以恢复正常血糖。但 是,胰岛移植供体的缺乏和移植免疫排斥反应,给胰岛移植的临床应用带来巨大挑战。近年来,干细胞治疗为T1D提供了一种新疗法, 成为T1D治疗领域新的研究热点,为该病的治疗提供了新思路。综述不同来源干细胞——胚胎干细胞、诱导多能干细胞和成体干细胞用 于治疗T1D的研究进展。     

Defining the hematopoietic stem cell niche: the chicken and the egg conundrum

Understanding the in vivo regulation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) will be critical to identifying key factors involved in the regulation of HSC self‐renewal and differentiation. The niche (microenvironment) in which HSCs reside has recently regained attention accompanied by a dramatic increase in the understanding of the cellular constituents of the bone marrow HSC niche. The use of sophisticated genetic models allowing modulation of specific lineages has demonstrated roles for mesenchymal‐derived elements such as osteoblasts and adipocytes, vasculature, nerves, and a range of hematopoietic progeny of the HSC as being participants in the regulation of the bone marrow microenvironment. Whilst providing significant insight into the cellular composition of the niche, is it possible to manipulate any given cell lineage in vivo without impacting, knowingly or unknowingly, on those that remain? J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 1486–1490, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Stem cells and regenerative medicine

Stem cells have been defined as clonogenic cells that undergo both self-renewal and differentiation to more committed progenitors and functionally specialized mature cells. Of late years, stem cells have been identified in a variety of tissues of an adult body. Depending on the source, they have the potential to form one or more, or even all cell types of an organism. Stem cell research provided some outstanding contributions to our understanding of developmental biology and offered much hope for cell replacement therapies overcoming a variety of diseases. The establishment of human ES cell lines enabled us to generate all tissues we comprise. Recently, excitement has been evoked by the controversial evidence that adult stem cells have a much higher degree of developmental plasticity than previously imagined. More recently, the existence of multipotent somatic stem cells in bone marrow has been reported. Combined with these discoveries and achievements as well as the developing technologies, scientists are now trying to bring stem cell therapies to the clinic.     

细胞的功能冗余性及其意义

引入新概念可能推动学科的发展.近年来冗余性概念已逐步渗入生命科学,细胞因子和转录因子的功能冗余性已引起研究者的关注.但是,对细胞冗余性的研究报道尚少.最近,对成体干细胞可塑性和专职吞噬细胞、兼职吞噬细胞的研究进展引发人们对细胞功能冗余性的思索.综述对细胞冗余性和抗冗余性的有关资料,试从生物医学角度探讨细胞冗余性的作用和意义,建议积极开展对细胞冗余性的研究.     

成体干细胞可塑性的事实、质疑和展望

成体干细胞的可塑性是指存在于成年组织或器官中的不成熟细胞跨胚层分化的一种能力。近年来相关研究很多,有人认为成体干细胞具有可塑性,如造血干细胞可以分化为神经外胚层细胞和内胚层细胞：有人对其持怀疑态度,认为成年造血干细胞发育可塑性证据不足,成体干细胞不能跨胚层分化。由于分离纯化、检测手段等的局限,大多数研究均存在这样或那样的不足和误区,彻底研究清楚还有很长的路要走。     

RGCC balances self‐renewal and neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells in the developing mammalian neocortex

During neocortical development, neural stem cells (NSCs) divide symmetrically to self‐renew at the early stage and then divide asymmetrically to generate post‐mitotic neurons. The molecular mechanisms regulating the balance between NSC self‐renewal and neurogenesis are not fully understood. Using mouse in utero electroporation (IUE) technique and in vitro human NSC differentiation models including cerebral organoids (hCOs), we show here that regulator of cell cycle (RGCC) modulates NSC self‐renewal and neuronal differentiation by affecting cell cycle regulation and spindle orientation. RGCC deficiency hampers normal cell cycle process and dysregulates the mitotic spindle, thus driving more cells to divide asymmetrically. These modulations diminish the NSC population and cause NSC pre‐differentiation that eventually leads to brain developmental malformation in hCOs. We further show that RGCC might regulate NSC spindle orientation by affecting the organization of centrosome and microtubules. Our results demonstrate that RGCC is essential to maintain the NSC pool during cortical development and suggest that RGCC defects could have etiological roles in human brain malformations.     

Cell fusion and plasticity

Cell plasticity is a central issue in stem cell biology. In many recent discussions, observation of cell fusion has been seen as a confounding factor which calls into question published results concerning cell plasticity of, particularly, adult stem cells. An examination of the voluminous literature of "somatic cell fusion" suggests the relatively frequent occurrence of "spontaneous" cell fusion and shows that the complicated cellular phenotypes which it can give rise to have long been recognized. Here, a brief overview of this field is presented, with emphasis on studies of special relevance to current work on cell plasticity. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

成体干细胞及其在再生医学中的应用

成体干细胞研究的最主要目的就是有朝一日将其应用于临床疾病的治疗。随着对成体干细胞可塑性研究的不断深入和临床应用研究的不断扩展,人们对成体干细胞最终走向临床应用抱有越来越大的希望。本文就成体干细胞的可塑性及其在四种疾病中应用的基础研究进行探讨。