Induced pluripotent stem cells: past, present, and future

The development of iPSCs reflected the merging of three major scientific streams and has in turn led to additional new branches of investigation. However, there is still debate about whether iPSCs are functionally equivalent to ESCs. This question should be answered only by science, not by politics or business.     

Normal human pluripotent stem cell lines exhibit pervasive mosaic aneuploidy

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines have been considered to be homogeneously euploid. Here we report that normal hPSC--including induced pluripotent--lines are karyotypic mosaics of euploid cells intermixed with many cells showing non-clonal aneuploidies as identified by chromosome counting, spectral karyotyping (SKY) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of interphase/non-mitotic cells. This mosaic aneuploidy resembles that observed in progenitor cells of the developing brain and preimplantation embryos, suggesting that it is a normal, rather than pathological, feature of stem cell lines. The karyotypic heterogeneity generated by mosaic aneuploidy may contribute to the reported functional and phenotypic heterogeneity of hPSCs lines, as well as their therapeutic efficacy and safety following transplantation.     

Induced pluripotent stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) result from a reprogramming of somatic cells via transduction with viral vectors expressing the Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, Klf4, Nanog, and Lin28 genes, which are essential for the establishment and maintenance of the pluripotent state. In properties, iPS are almost fully similar to embryonic stem cells (ESC). To date, iPS have been obtained from various differentiated cells of mice and humans. Along with ESC, iPSs are highly promising for research and medicine.     

Avian pluripotent stem cells

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells are undifferentiated cells capable of proliferation and self-renewal and have the capacity to differentiate into all somatic cell types and the germ line. They provide an in vitro model of early embryonic differentiation and are a useful means for targeted manipulation of the genome. Pluripotent stem cells in the chick have been derived from stage X blastoderms and 5.5 day gonadal primordial germ cells (PGCs). Blastoderm-derived embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have the capacity for in vitro differentiation into embryoid bodies and derivatives of the three primary germ layers. When grafted onto the chorioallantoic membrane, the ESCs formed a variety of differentiated cell types and attempted to organize into complex structures. In addition, when injected into the unincubated stage X blastoderm, the ESCs can be found in numerous somatic tissues and the germ line. The potential give rise to somatic and germ line chimeras is highly dependent upon the culture conditions and decreases with passage. Likewise, PGC-derived embryonic germ cells (EGCs) can give rise to simple embryoid bodies and can undergo some differentiation in vitro. Interestingly, chicken EG cells contribute to somatic lineages when injected into the stage X blastoderm, but only germ line chimeras have resulted from EGCs injected into the vasculature of the stage 16 embryo. To date, no lines of transgenic chickens have been generated using ESCs or EGCs. Nevertheless, progress towards the culture of avian pluripotent stem cells has been significant. In the future, the answers to fundamental questions regarding segregation of the avian germ line and the molecular basis of pluripotency should foster the full use of avian pluripotent stem cells.     

Retinoic acid and/or progesterone differentiate mouse induced pluripotent stem cells into male germ cells in vitro

Numerous reagents were employed for differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into male germ cells; however, the induction procedure was ineffective. The aim of this study was to improve the in vitro differentiation of mice iPSCs (miPSCs) into male germ cells with retinoic acid (RA) and progesterone (P). miPSCs were differentiated to embryoid bodies (EBs) in suspension with RA with or without progesterone for 0, 4, and 7 days. Then, the expression of certain genes at different stages of male germ cell development including Ddx4 (pre meiosis), Stra8 (meiosis), AKAP3 (post meiosis), and Mvh protein was examined in RNA and/or protein levels by real-time polymerase chain reaction or flow cytometry, respectively. The Stra8 gene expression increased in the RA groups on all days. But, expression of this gene declined in RA + P groups. In addition, an increased expression of Ddx4 gene was observed on day 0 in the P group. Also, a significant upregulation was observed in the expression of AKAP3 gene in the RA + P group on days 0 and 4. However, gene expression decreased in P and RA groups on day 7. The expression of Mvh protein significantly increased in the RA group on day 7. The Mvh expression was also enhanced in the P group on day 4, but it decreased on day 7, while this protein upregulated on day 0 and 7 in the RA + P group. The miPSCs have the capacity for in vitro differentiation into male germ cells by RA and/or progesterone. However, the effects of these inducers depend on the type of combination and an effective time.     

Methods to produce induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Mesenchymal stem cells from induced pluripotent stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have received significant attention in recent years due to their large potential for cell therapy. Indeed, they secrete a wide variety of immunomodulatory factors of interest for the treatment of immune-related disorders and inflammatory diseases. MSCs can be extracted from multiple tissues of the human body. However, several factors may restrict their use for clinical applications: the requirement of invasive procedures for their isolation, their limited numbers, and their heterogeneity according to the tissue of origin or donor. In addition, MSCs often present early signs of replicative senescence limiting their expansion in vitro, and their therapeutic capacity in vivo. Due to the clinical potential of MSCs, a considerable number of methods to differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into MSCs have emerged. iPSCs represent a new reliable, unlimited source to generate MSCs (MSCs derived from iPSC, iMSCs) from homogeneous and well-characterized cell lines, which would relieve many of the above mentioned technical and biological limitations. Additionally, the use of iPSCs prevents some of the ethical concerns surrounding the use of human embryonic stem cells. In this review, we analyze the main current protocols used to differentiate human iPSCs into MSCs, which we classify into five different categories: MSC Switch, Embryoid Body Formation, Specific Differentiation, Pathway Inhibitor, and Platelet Lysate. We also evaluate common and method-specific culture components and provide a list of positive and negative markers for MSC characterization. Further guidance on material requirements to produce iMSCs with these methods and on the phenotypic features of the iMSCs obtained is added. The information may help researchers identify protocol options to design and/or refine standardized procedures for large-scale production of iMSCs fitting clinical demands.     

线粒体与多潜能干细胞功能

线粒体是细胞内重要的细胞器,主要功能是通过氧化磷酸化为细胞生命活动提供能量。近年来,研究表明,在多潜能干细胞（Pluripotent stem cells, PSCs）中线粒体表现出独有的特征,即在多能性状态下,PSCs主要依靠糖酵解提供能量,其分化期间线粒体氧化磷酸化代谢能力逐渐增强。相反,体细胞重编程为多潜能干细胞期间,线粒体氧化磷酸化向糖酵解途径的转变是其成功重编程必需的代谢过程。另外,线粒体通过生物合成和形态结构的动态重塑维持了PSCs多能性、诱导分化及诱导多能干细胞（Induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSCs）的重编程。因此,本文综述了PSCs线粒体形态结构及其在调控PSCs多能性、合成代谢、氧化还原状态的平衡、分化及重新编程中的作用,为深入了解线粒体调控PSCs功能的作用提供理论基础。     

Mouse induced pluripotent stem cells

The recent discovery that it is possible to directly reprogramme somatic cells to an embryonic stem (ES) cell-like pluripotent state, by retroviral transduction of just four genes (Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4), represents a major breakthrough in stem cell research. The reprogrammed cells, known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, possess many of the properties of ES cells, and represent one of the most promising sources of patient-specific cells for use in regenerative medicine. While the ultimate goal is the use of iPS cells in the treatment of human disease, much of the research to date has been carried out with murine cells, and improved mouse iPS cells have been shown to contribute to live chimeric mice that are germ-line competent. Very recently, it has been reported that iPS cells can be generated by three factors without c-Myc, and these cells give rise to chimeric mice with a reduced risk of tumour development.     

Disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cells

Tissue culture of immortal cell strains from diseased patients is an invaluable resource for medical research but is largely limited to tumor cell lines or transformed derivatives of native tissues. Here we describe the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from patients with a variety of genetic diseases with either Mendelian or complex inheritance; these diseases include adenosine deaminase deficiency-related severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID), Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS), Gaucher disease (GD) type III, Duchenne (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), Parkinson disease (PD), Huntington disease (HD), juvenile-onset, type 1 diabetes mellitus (JDM), Down syndrome (DS)/trisomy 21, and the carrier state of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. Such disease-specific stem cells offer an unprecedented opportunity to recapitulate both normal and pathologic human tissue formation in vitro, thereby enabling disease investigation and drug development.     

Metabolism of pluripotent stem cells

Background

Recently, growing attention has been directed toward stem cell metabolism, with the key observation that metabolism not only fuels the proper functioning of stem cells but also regulates the fate of these cells. There seems to be a clear link between the self-renewal of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), in which cells proliferate indefinitely without differentiation, and the activity of specific metabolic pathways. The unique metabolism in PSCs plays an important role in maintaining pluripotency by regulating signaling pathways and resetting the epigenome.

Objective

To review the most recent publications concerning the metabolism of pluripotent stem cells and the role of metabolism in PSC self-renewal and differentiation.

Methods

A systematic literature search related to the metabolism of PSCs was conducted in databases including Medline, Embase, and Web of Science. The search was performed without language restrictions on all papers published before May 2016. The following keywords were used: “metabolism” combined with either “embryonic stem cell” or “epiblast stem cell.”

Results

Hundreds of papers focusing specifically on the metabolism of pluripotent stem cells were uncovered and summarized.

Conclusion

Identifying the specific metabolic pathways involved in pluripotency maintenance is crucial for progress in the field of developmental biology and regenerative medicine. Additionally, better understanding of the metabolism in PSCs will facilitate the derivation and maintenance of authentic PSCs from species other than mouse, rat, and human.

     

Induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived melanocyte precursor cells undergoing differentiation into melanocytes

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offers a novel approach for conversion of human primary fibroblasts into melanocytes. During attempts to explore various protocols for differentiation of iPSCs into melanocytes, we found a distinct and self‐renewing cell lineage that could differentiate into melanocytes, named as melanocyte precursor cells (MPCs). The MPCs exhibited a morphology distinctive from that of melanocytes, in lacking either the melanosomal structure or the melanocyte‐specific marker genes MITF, TYR, and SOX10. In addition, gene expression studies in the MPCs showed high‐level expression of WNT5A, ROR2, which are non‐canonical WNT pathway markers, and its related receptor TGFβR2. In contrast, MPC differentiation into melanocytes was achieved by activating the canonical WNT pathway using the GSK3β inhibitor. Our data demonstrated the distinct characteristic of MPCs' ability to differentiate into melanocytes, and the underlying mechanism of interfacing between canonical WNT signaling pathway and non‐canonical WNT signaling pathway.     

转录因子与诱导型多能干细胞

小鼠的成纤维细胞通过转染四种转录因子（Oct3／4、Sox2、c-Myc和K1F4）可以被诱导转变成类似胚胎干细胞的多能性干细胞,称之为诱导型多能干细胞（induced pluripotent stem cell,iPS）,这种多能干细胞在细胞形态、增殖速率、致瘤性、基因表达以及形成嵌合小鼠的能力上与胚胎干细胞有许多相似之处,将来可能成为胚胎干细胞在临床应用中的替代。本文综述了iPS相关的几种转录因子,及其在重编程过程中的作用以及iPS的发展前景。     

Embryoid body formation from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells: Benefits of bioreactors

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have the ability to differentiate into all germ layers, holding great promise not only for a model of early embryonic development but also for a robust cell source for cell-replacement therapies and for drug screening. Embryoid body (EB) formation from ES cells is a common method for producing different cell lineages for further applications. However, conventional techniques such as hanging drop or static suspension culture are either inherently incapable of large scale production or exhibit limited control over cell aggregation during EB formation and subsequent EB aggregation. For standardized mass EB production, a well defined scale-up platform is necessary. Recently, novel scenario methods of EB formation in hydrodynamic conditions created by bioreactor culture systems using stirred suspension systems (spinner flasks), rotating cell culture system and rotary orbital culture have allowed large-scale EB formation. Their use allows for continuous monitoring and control of the physical and chemical environment which is difficult to achieve by traditional methods. This review summarizes the current state of production of EBs derived from pluripotent cells in various culture systems. Furthermore, an overview of high quality EB formation strategies coupled with systems for in vitro differentiation into various cell types to be applied in cell replacement therapy is provided in this review. Recently, new insights in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology showed that differentiation and lineage commitment are not irreversible processes and this has opened new avenues in stem cell research. These cells are equivalent to ES cells in terms of both self-renewal and differentiation capacity. Hence, culture systems for expansion and differentiation of iPS cells can also apply methodologies developed with ES cells, although direct evidence of their use for iPS cells is still limited.     

Breathing chromatin in pluripotent stem cells

Only a few factors controlling stem cell pluripotency have been identified to date, and we do not yet fully understand how they act to maintain pluripotency and control differentiation. A report in this issue of Developmental Cell (Meshorer et al., 2006) describes a new trait of pluripotent cells: hyperdynamic or "breathing" chromatin. According to this report, hyperdynamic chromatin is both specific and functionally relevant for pluripotent cells.     

Coloring skin with pluripotent stem cells

Comment on: Nissan X, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011; 108:14861-6.