The pace of discovery involving adipose-derived cells continues to accelerate at both the preclinical and clinical translational levels. Adipose tissue is a source of freshly isolated, heterogeneous stromal vascular fraction cells and culture-expanded, adherent and relatively homogeneous adipose stromal/stem cells. Both populations display regenerative capacity in soft and hard tissue repair, ischemic insults and autoimmune diseases. While their major mechanism of action has been attributed to both direct lineage differentiation and/or paracrine factor release, current evidence favors a paracrine mechanism. Over 40 clinical trials using adipose-derived cells conducted in 15 countries have been registered with the NIH, the majority of which are Phase I or Phase I/II safety studies. This review focuses on the literature of the past 2 years in order to assess the status of clinical and preclinical studies on adipose-derived cell therapies for regenerative medicine.
doi:10.2217/rme.11.119
PMCID: PMC3321837
PMID: 22397611
adipose; adipose stromal/stem cell; autoimmune; bone repair; clinical translation; cosmetic surgery; ischemic injury; myocardial infarction; stromal vascular fraction
Wicks, Shawna E. | Londot, Heaven E. | Zhang, Bo | Dowden, Jennifer | Klopf-Eiermann, Jessica | Fisher-Perkins, Jeanne M. | Trygg, Cynthia B. | Scruggs, Brittni A. | Zhang, Xiujuan | Gimble, Jeffrey M. | Bunnell, Bruce A. | Pistell, Paul J.
One of a family of devastating lysosomal storage disorders, Krabbe disease is characterized by demyelination, psychosine accumulation, and inflammation. Affected infants rarely survive longer than two years. Using the twitcher mouse model of the disease, this study evaluated the potential of intrastriatal injection of adipose or bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as a treatment option. Neonatal pups were injected with MSCs at 3–4 days of age and subjected to a battery of behavioral tests beginning at 15 days. While MSC injection failed to increase lifespan of twitchers, improvements in rotarod performance and twitching severity were observed at 27–38 days of age using MSCs derived from bone marrow. This study tested several different tasks developed in adult mice for evaluation of disease progression in immature twitchers. Rotarod was both reliable and extremely sensitive. Automated gait analysis using the Treadscan program was also useful for early evaluation of differences prior to overt gait dysfunction. Finally, this study represents the first use of the Stone T-maze in immature mice. Validation of rotarod and automated gait analysis for detection of subtle differences in disease progression is important for early stage efforts to develop treatments for juvenile disorders.
doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2011.07.051
PMCID: PMC3179783
PMID: 21840342
Krabbe disease; twitcher mice; mesenchymal stem/stromal cells; adipose-derived stem/stromal cells; gait analysis; motor function
To facilitate the study of the chemical pathology of galactosylsphingosine (psychosine, GalSph) in Krabbe disease and glucosylsphingosine (GlcSph) in Gaucher disease, we have devised a facile method for the effective separation of these two glycosylsphingosines from other glycosphingolipids (GSLs) in Krabbe brain and Gaucher spleen samples. The procedure involves the use of acetone to selectively extract GalSph and GlcSph, respectively, from Krabbe brain and Gaucher spleen samples. Since acetone does not extract other GSLs except modest amounts of galactosylceramide, sulfatide, and glucosylceramide, the positively charged GalSph or GlcSph in the acetone extract can be readily separated from other GSLs by batchwise cation-exchange chromatography using a Waters Accell Plus CM Cartridge. GalSph or GlcSph enriched by this simple procedure can be readily analyzed by thin-layer chromatography or high-performance liquid chromatography.
doi:10.1007/s11064-010-0348-3
PMCID: PMC3340580
PMID: 21136152
Galactosylsphingosine; Psychosine; Glucosylsphingosine; Krabbe disease; Gaucher disease
Ripoll, Cynthia B. | Flaat, Mette | Klopf-Eiermann, Jessica | Fisher-Perkins, Jeanne M. | Trygg, Cynthia B. | Scruggs, Brittni A. | McCants, Marjorie L. | Leonard, Helen Paige | Lin, Amy F. | Zhang, Shijia | Eagle, Michelle E. | Alvarez, Xavier | Li, Yu Teh | Li, Su Chen | Gimble, Jeffrey M. | Bunnell, Bruce A.
doi:10.1002/stem.555
PMCID: PMC3412284
PMID: 21280158
stem cells; bone marrow; adipose tissue; Krabbe’s Disease; globoid cell leukodystrophy; twitcher mouse; therapy
Background
Adipose stem cells have a strong potential for use in cell-based therapy, but the current nucleofection technique, which relies on unknown buffers, prevents their use.
Results
We developed an optimal nucleofection formulation for human adipose stem cells by using a three-step method that we had developed previously. This method was designed to determine the optimal formulation for nucleofection that was capable of meeting or surpassing the established commercial buffer (Amaxa), in particular for murine adipose stem cells. By using this same buffer, we determined that the same formulation yields optimal transfection efficiency in human mesenchymal stem cells.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that transfection efficiency in human stem cells can be boosted with proper formulation.
doi:10.1186/1480-9222-14-7
PMCID: PMC3388581
PMID: 22512891
Electroporation; Formulation; Stem cells; Transfection; Cell therapy
Vaccines are the most efficient and cost-effective means of preventing infectious disease. However, traditional vaccine approaches have thus far failed to provide protection against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, malaria, and many other diseases. New approaches to vaccine development are needed to address some of these intractable problems. In this report, we review the literature identifying stimulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) on immune responses and explore the potential for MSC as a novel, universal vaccination platform. MSC are unique bone marrow-derived multipotent progenitor cells that are presently being exploited as gene therapy vectors for a variety of conditions, including cancer and autoimmune diseases. Although MSC are predominantly known for anti-inflammatory properties during allogeneic MSC transplant, there is evidence that MSC can actually promote adaptive immunity under certain settings. MSC have also demonstrated some success in anti-cancer therapeutic vaccines and anti-microbial prophylactic vaccines, as we report, for the first time, the ability of modified MSC to express and secrete a viral antigen that stimulates antigen-specific antibody production in vivo. We hypothesize that the unique properties of modified MSC may enable MSC to serve as an unconventional but innovative, vaccine platform. Such a platform would be capable of expressing hundreds of proteins, thereby generating a broad array of epitopes with correct post-translational processing, mimicking natural infection. By stimulating immunity to a combination of epitopes, it may be possible to develop prophylactic and even therapeutic vaccines to tackle major health problems including those of non-microbial and microbial origin, including cancer, or an infectious disease like HIV, where traditional vaccination approaches have failed.
doi:10.3389/fcimb.2012.00140
PMCID: PMC3499769
PMID: 23162801
MSC; vaccination; adaptive immunity; antibodies; antigen delivery
Introduction
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a central role in mediating endogenous repair of cell and tissue damage. Biologic aging is a universal process that results in changes at the cellular and molecular levels. In the present study, the role of microRNA (miRNA) in age-induced molecular changes in MSCs derived from adipose tissue (ASCs) and bone marrow (BMSCs) from young and old human donors were investigated by using an unbiased genome-wide approach.
Methods
Human ASCs and BMSCs from young and old donors were cultured, and total RNA was isolated. The miRNA fraction was enriched and used to determine the expression profile of miRNA in young and old donor MSCs. Based on miRNA expression, differences in donor MSCs were further investigated by using differentiation assays, Western blot, immunocytochemistry, and bioinformatics.
Results
Biologic aging demonstrated reduced osteogenic and adipogenic potential in ASCs isolated from older donors, whereas cell size, complexity, and cell-surface markers remained intact with aging. Analysis of miRNA profiles revealed that small subsets of active miRNAs changed secondary to aging. Evaluation of miRNA showed significantly decreased levels of gene expression of inhibitory kappa B kinase (IκB), interleukin-1α, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), mitogen-activated protein kinase/p38, ERK1/2, c-fos, and c-jun in MSCs from older donors by both bioinformatics and Western blot analysis. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), myc, and interleukin-4 receptor mRNA levels were significantly elevated in aged cells from both the adipose and bone marrow depots. Immunocytochemistry showed nuclear localization in young donors, but a cytosolic predominance of phosphorylated NF-κB in ASCs from older donors. Western blot demonstrated significantly elevated levels of NF-κB subunits, p65 and p50, and AKT.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that differential expression of miRNA is an integral component of biologic aging in MSCs.
doi:10.1186/scrt90
PMCID: PMC3340558
PMID: 22169120
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the nonhematopoietic multipotent progenitor cells found in various adult tissues. They are characterized by their ease of isolation and their rapid growth in vitro while maintaining their differentiation potential, allowing for extensive expansion in culture that yields large quantities suitable for therapeutic use. This article reviews the immunomodulatory activities associated with MSCs. Numerous studies have demonstrated that MSCs are potently immunosuppressive in vitro and in vivo. However, this article presents a new paradigm in MSC biology, in which MSCs, at least in vitro, can undergo polarization into either a pro-inflammatory or an immunosuppressive phenotype.
doi:10.1186/scrt34
PMCID: PMC3025436
PMID: 21092149
Adipose tissue is now recognized as an accessible, abundant, and reliable site for the isolation of adult stem cells suitable for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. The past decade has witnessed an explosion of preclinical data relating to the isolation, characterization, cryopreservation, differentiation, and transplantation of freshly isolated stromal vascular fraction cells and adherent, culture-expanded, adipose-derived stromal/stem cells in vitro and in animal models. This body of work has provided evidence supporting clinical translational applications of adipose-derived cells in safety and efficacy trials. The present article reviews the case reports and phase I-III clinical evidence using autologous adipose-derived cells that have been published, to date, in the fields of gastroenterology, neurology, orthopedics, reconstructive surgery, and related clinical disciplines. Future directions and challenges facing the field are discussed and evaluated.
doi:10.1186/scrt19
PMCID: PMC2905095
PMID: 20587076
Danchuk, Svitlana | Ylostalo, Joni H | Hossain, Fokhrul | Sorge, Randy | Ramsey, Austin | Bonvillain, Ryan W | Lasky, Joseph A | Bunnell, Bruce A | Welsh, David A | Prockop, Darwin J | Sullivan, Deborah E
Introduction
Multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) are currently in clinical trials for a number of inflammatory diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated the ability of MSCs to attenuate inflammation in rodent models of acute lung injury (ALI) suggesting that MSCs may also be beneficial in treating ALI.
Methods
To better understand how human MSCs (hMSCs) may act in ALI, the lungs of immunocompetent mice were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and four hours later bone marrow derived hMSCs were delivered by oropharyngeal aspiration (OA). The effect of hMSCs on lung injury was assessed by measuring the lung wet/dry weight ratio and total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid 24 or 48 h after LPS. BAL fluid was also analyzed for the presence of inflammatory cells and cytokine expression by multiplex immunoassay. Microarray analysis of total RNA isolated from treated and untreated lungs was performed to elucidate the mechanism(s) involved in hMSC modulation of lung inflammation.
Results
Administration of hMSCs significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, neutrophil counts and total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage. There was a concomitant reduction in pulmonary edema. The anti-inflammatory effects of hMSCs were not dependent on localization to the lung, as intraperitoneal administration of hMSCs also attenuated LPS-induced inflammation in the lung. Microarray analysis revealed significant induction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced protein 6 (TNFAIP6/TSG-6) expression by hMSCs 12 h after OA delivery to LPS-exposed lungs. Knockdown of TSG-6 expression in hMSCs by RNA interference abrogated most of their anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, intra-pulmonary delivery of recombinant human TSG-6 reduced LPS-induced inflammation in the lung.
Conclusions
These results show that hMSCs recapitulate the observed beneficial effects of rodent MSCs in animal models of ALI and suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of hMSCs in the lung are explained, at least in part, by activation of hMSCs to secrete TSG-6.
doi:10.1186/scrt68
PMCID: PMC3218818
PMID: 21569482
Wilen, Craig B. | Wang, Jianbin | Tilton, John C. | Miller, Jeffrey C. | Kim, Kenneth A. | Rebar, Edward J. | Sherrill-Mix, Scott A. | Patro, Sean C. | Secreto, Anthony J. | Jordan, Andrea P. O. | Lee, Gary | Kahn, Joshua | Aye, Pyone P. | Bunnell, Bruce A. | Lackner, Andrew A. | Hoxie, James A. | Danet-Desnoyers, Gwenn A. | Bushman, Frederic D. | Riley, James L. | Gregory, Philip D. | June, Carl H. | Holmes, Michael C. | Doms, Robert W. | Trkola, Alexandra
HIV-1 entry requires the cell surface expression of CD4 and either the CCR5 or CXCR4 coreceptors on host cells. Individuals homozygous for the ccr5Δ32 polymorphism do not express CCR5 and are protected from infection by CCR5-tropic (R5) virus strains. As an approach to inactivating CCR5, we introduced CCR5-specific zinc-finger nucleases into human CD4+ T cells prior to adoptive transfer, but the need to protect cells from virus strains that use CXCR4 (X4) in place of or in addition to CCR5 (R5X4) remains. Here we describe engineering a pair of zinc finger nucleases that, when introduced into human T cells, efficiently disrupt cxcr4 by cleavage and error-prone non-homologous DNA end-joining. The resulting cells proliferated normally and were resistant to infection by X4-tropic HIV-1 strains. CXCR4 could also be inactivated in ccr5Δ32 CD4+ T cells, and we show that such cells were resistant to all strains of HIV-1 tested. Loss of CXCR4 also provided protection from X4 HIV-1 in a humanized mouse model, though this protection was lost over time due to the emergence of R5-tropic viral mutants. These data suggest that CXCR4-specific ZFNs may prove useful in establishing resistance to CXCR4-tropic HIV for autologous transplant in HIV-infected individuals.
Author Summary
For HIV to enter T cells, the virus first binds to a primary surface receptor CD4 and then to a coreceptor, either CCR5 or CXCR4. Previously we engineered zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) to specifically disrupt the CCR5 gene in primary human T cells, the predominant cell type infected and killed by HIV. This makes the cell permanently resistant to CCR5-tropic HIV; however, viruses that can utilize CXCR4 can still infect cells. ZFNs function as molecular scissors that cut a specific region of DNA. Then, the cell's own machinery repairs this cut, often introducing mutations that result in a non-functional protein. Currently, a clinical trial is underway in which HIV-infected individuals' own cells are removed from their blood, treated with the CCR5-ZFNs, and then infused back. Here, we report the use of novel zinc-finger nucleases that specifically and permanently disrupt the CXCR4 gene in T cells. This treatment results in resistance to CXCR4-tropic HIV. In addition, we combine CXCR4 and CCR5 genetic disruption to make cells resistant to all strains of HIV. Our long-term goal is to engineer HIV-resistant CD4+ T cells in infected individuals that can be reinfused and hopefully enable them to control infection in the absence of anti-viral drugs.
doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002020
PMCID: PMC3077364
PMID: 21533216
doi:10.4061/2010/604713
PMCID: PMC3065661
PMID: 21461337
Ear mesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) represent a readily accessible population of stem-like cells that are adherent, clonogenic, and have the ability to self-renew. Previously, we have demonstrated that they can be induced to differentiate into adipocyte, osteocyte, chondrocyte, and myocyte lineages. The purpose of the current study was to characterize the growth kinetics of the cells and to determine their ability to form colonies of fibroblasts, adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes. In addition, the immunophenotypes of freshly isolated and culture-expanded cells were evaluated. From 1 g of tissue, we were able to isolate an average of 7.8 × 106 cells exhibiting a cell cycle length of ∼2–3 days. Colony-forming unit (CFU) assays indicated high proliferation potential, and confirmed previously observed multipotentiality of the cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) showed that EMSCs were negative for hematopoietic markers (CD4, CD45), proving that they did not derive from circulating hematopoietic cells. The FACS analyses also showed high expression of stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1) with only a minor population of cells expressing CD117, thus identifying Sca-1 as the more robust stem cell biomarker. Additionally, flow cytometry data revealed that the expression patterns of hematopoietic, stromal, and stem cell markers were maintained in the passaged EMSCs, consistent with the persistence of an undifferentiated state. This study indicates that EMSCs provide an alternative model for in vitro analyses of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Further studies will be necessary to determine their utility for tissue engineering and regenerative medical applications.
doi:10.1089/scd.2009.0051
PMCID: PMC3136722
PMID: 19400629
The rotation of the earth on its axis influences the physiology of all organisms. A highly conserved set of genes encoding the “core circadian regulatory proteins” (CCRP) has evolved across species. The CCRP acts through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms to direct the oscillatory expression of genes essential for key metabolic events. In addition to the light:dark cycle, the CCRP expression can be entrained by changes in feeding and physical activity patterns. While mammalian CCRP were originally associated with the central clock located within the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain, there is a growing body of evidence documenting the presence of the CCRP in peripheral tissues. It is now evident that the CCRP play a role in regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and function of adult stem cells in multiple organs. This concise review highlights findings concerning the role of the CCRP in modulating the adult stem cell activities. Although the manuscript focuses on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and cancer stem cells, it is likely that the contribution of the CCRP merits consideration and evaluation in all stem cell pathways.
doi:10.1002/jcb.22153
PMCID: PMC2761717
PMID: 19384905
Adipose-derived Stem Cell; Bone Marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell; Cancer Stem Cell; Circadian; Hematopoietic Stem Cell
The differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into neurons and glial cells represents a promising cell-based therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. Because the rhesus macaque is physiologically and phylogenetically similar to humans, it is a clinically relevant animal model for ESC research. In this study, the pluripotency and neural differentiation potential of a rhesus monkey ESC line (ORMES6) was investigated. ORMES6 was derived from an in vitro produced blastocyst, which is the same way human ESCs have been derived. ORMES6 stably expressed the embryonic transcription factors POU5F1 (Oct4), Sox2 and NANOG. Stage-specific embryonic antigen 4 (SSEA 4) and the glycoproteins TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81 were also expressed. The embryoid bodies (EBs) formed from ORMES6 ESCs spontaneously gave rise to cells of three germ layers. After exposure to basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) for 14–16 days, columnar rosette cells formed in the EB outgrowths. Sox2, microtubule-associated protein (MAP2), β-tublinIII and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) genes and Nestin, FoxD3, Pax6 and β-tublinIII antigens were expressed in the rosette cells. Oct4 and NANOG expression were remarkably down-regulated in these cells. After removal of bFGF from the medium, the rosette cells differentiated along neural lineages. The differentiated cells expressed MAP2, β-tublinIII, Neuro D and GFAP genes. Most differentiated cells expressed early neuron-specific antigen β-tublinIII (73±4.7%) and some expressed intermediate neuron antigen MAP2 (18±7.2%). However, some differentiated cells expressed the glial cell antigens A2B5 (7.17%±1.2%), GFAP (4.93±1.9%), S100 (7±3.5%) and O4 (0.2±70.2%). The rosette cells were transplanted into the striatum of immune-deficient NIHIII mice. The cells persisted for approximately 2 weeks and expressed Ki67, NeuN, MAP2 and GFAP. These results demonstrate that the rhesus monkey ESC line ORMES6 retains the pluripotent characteristics of ESCs and can be efficiently induced to differentiate along neural lineages.
doi:10.1016/j.diff.2008.10.014
PMCID: PMC2749555
PMID: 19272521
Embryonic stem cell; Rhesus monkey; Neurogenesis; Neural lineage differentiation
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) and adipose tissue stem cells (ASC) of humans and rhesus macaques were evaluated for their cell cycle properties during protracted culture in vitro. Human ASCs (hASC) and rhesus BMSCs (rBMSC) underwent significantly more total population doublings than human BMSCs (hBMSC) and rhesus ASCs (rASC). The cell cycle profile of all MSCs was altered as cultures aged. hMSCs underwent an increase in the frequency of cells in the S phase at P20 and P30. However, rhesus MSCs from both sources developed a distinct polyploid population of cells at P20, which progressed to aneuploidy by P30. Karyotype analysis of MSCs revealed the development of tetraploid or aneuploid karyotypes in the rhesus cells at P20 or P30. Analysis of the transcriptome of the MSCs from early and late passages revealed significant alterations in the patterns of gene expression (8.8% of the genes were differentially expressed in hBMSCs versus hASCs, and 5.5% in rBMSCs versus rASCs). Gene expression changes were much less evident within the same cell type as aging occurred (0.7% in hMSCs and 0.9% in rMSC). Gene ontology analysis showed that functions involved in protein catabolism and regulation of pol II transcription were overrepresented in rASCs, whereas the regulation of IκB/nuclear factor-κB cascade were overrepresented in hBMSCs. Functional analysis of genes that were differentially expressed in rASCs and hBMSCs revealed that pathways involved in cell cycle, cell cycle checkpoints, protein-ubiquitination, and apoptosis were altered.
doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-5272
PMCID: PMC2713721
PMID: 18519682
The development of therapeutic interventions for genetic disorders and diseases that affect the central nervous system (CNS) has proven challenging. There has been significant progress in the development of gene therapy strategies in murine models of human disease, but gene therapy outcomes in these models do not always translate to the human setting. Therefore, large animal models are crucial to the development of diagnostics, treatments, and eventual cures for debilitating neurological disorders. This review focuses on the description of large animal models of neurological diseases such as lysosomal storage diseases, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and neuroAIDS. The review also describes the contributions of these models to progress in gene therapy research.
PMCID: PMC2712138
PMID: 19293458
gene therapy; Huntington’s disease; large animal model; lysosomal storage disease; neuroAIDS; neurologic disease; Parkinson’s disease
Wu, Xiying | Yu, Gang | Parks, Helen | Hebert, Teddi | Goh, Brian C. | Dietrich, Marilyn A. | Pelled, Gadi | Izadpanah, Reza | Gazit, Dan | Bunnell, Bruce A. | Gimble, Jeffrey M.
A core group of transcriptional regulatory factors regulate circadian rhythms in mammalian cells. While the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain serves as the central core circadian oscillator, circadian clocks also exist within peripheral tissues and cells. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that >20% of expressed mRNAs in bone and adipose tissues oscillate in a circadian manner. The current manuscript reports evidence of the core circadian transcriptional apparatus within primary cultures of murine and human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Exposure of confluent, quiescent BMSCs to dexamethasone synchronized the oscillating expression of the mRNAs encoding the albumin D binding protein (dbp), brain-muscle arnt-like 1 (bmal1), period 3 (per3), rev-erb α, and rev-erb β. The genes displayed a mean oscillatory period of 22.2 to 24.3 hours. The acrophase or peak expression of mRNAs encoding “positive” (bmal1) and “negative” (per3) transcriptional regulatory factors were out of phase with each other by ∼8-12 hours, consistent with in vivo observations. In vivo, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) mediated phosphorylation regulates the turnover of per3 and core circadian transcriptional apparatus. In vitro addition of lithium chloride, a GSK3β inhibitor, significantly shifted the acrophase of all genes by 4.2-4.7 hours oscillation in BMSCs; however, only the male murine BMSCs displayed a significant increase in the length of the period of oscillation. We conclude that human and murine BMSCs represent a valid in vitro model for the analysis of circadian mechanisms in bone metabolism and stem cell biology.
doi:10.1016/j.bone.2007.12.226
PMCID: PMC2423188
PMID: 18302991
Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Circadian; Dexamethasone; Lithium Chloride; Rev-erb α
Background
Adipose derived- and bone marrow-derived murine mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) may be used to study stem cell properties in an in vivo setting for the purposes of evaluating therapeutic strategies that may have clinical applications in the future. If these cells are to be used for transplantation, the question arises of how to track the administered cells. One solution to this problem is to transplant cells with an easily identifiable genetic marker such as enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). This protein is fluorescent and therefore does not require a chemical substrate for identification and can be visualized in living cells. This study seeks to characterize and compare adipose derived- and bone marrow-derived stem cells from C57Bl/6 mice and eGFP transgenic C57Bl/6 mice.
Results
The expression of eGFP does not appear to affect the ability to differentiate along adipogenic or osteogenic lineages; however it appears that the tissue of origin can influence differentiation capabilities. The presence of eGFP had no effect on cell surface marker expression, and mMSCs derived from both bone marrow and adipose tissue had similar surface marker profiles. There were no significant differences between transgenic and non-transgenic mMSCs.
Conclusion
Murine adipose derived and bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells from non-transgenic and eGFP transgenic C57Bl/6 mice have very similar characterization profiles. The availability of mesenchymal stem cells stably expressing a genetic reporter has important applications for the advancement of stem cell research.
doi:10.1186/1471-2121-10-3
PMCID: PMC2631466
PMID: 19144129
doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2007.02.019
PMCID: PMC2043377
PMID: 17412425
globoid cell leukodystrophy; twitcher; genotype; molecular beacon; hair root; alternatives; rhesus macaque
Summary
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a class of multipotent progenitor cells that have been isolated from multiple tissue sites. Of these, adipose tissue and bone marrow offer advantages in terms of access, abundance, and the extent of their documentation in the literature. This review focuses on the in vitro differentiation capability of cells derived from adult human tissue. Multiple, independent studies have demonstrated that MSCs can commit to mesodermal (adipocyte, chondrocyte, hematopoietic support, myocyte, osteoblast, tenocyte), ectodermal (epithelial, glial, neural), and endodermal (hepatocyte, islet cell) lineages. The limitations and promises of these studies in the context of tissue engineering are discussed.
doi:10.1159/000124281
PMCID: PMC3083290
PMID: 21547120
Adipose-derived stem cells; Differentiation; Mesenchymal stem cells
Liu, Xiaoming | Luo, Meihui | Trygg, Cyndi | Yan, Ziying | Lei-Butters, Diana CM | Smith, Carolina I | Fischer, Anne C | Munson, Keith | Guggino, William B | Bunnell, Bruce A | Engelhardt, John F
Non-human primates (NHPs) are considered to be among the most relevant animal models for pre-clinical testing of human therapies, on the basis of their close evolutionary relatedness to humans in terms of organ cell biology and physiology. In this study, we sought to investigate whether NHP models accurately reflect the effectiveness of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated gene delivery to the airway in humans. In order to do this, we utilized an identical model system of differentiated airway epithelia from Indian Rhesus monkeys and from humans, cultured at an air–liquid interface (ALI). In addition to assessing the biology of rAAV-mediated transduction for three serotypes, we characterized the bioelectric properties as a reference for biological similarities and differences between the cell cultures from the two species. Our results demonstrate that airway epithelia from NHPs and humans have very similar Na+ and Cl− transport properties. In contrast, rAAV transduction of airway epithelia of NHPs demonstrated significant differences to those in humans with regard to the efficiency of apical and/or basal transduction with three rAAV serotypes (AAV1, AAV2, AAV5). These findings suggest that the Indian Rhesus monkey may not be the best model for preclinical testing of rAAV-mediated gene therapy to the airway in humans.
doi:10.1038/sj.mt.6300277
PMCID: PMC2121582
PMID: 17667945
A series of adenosine deaminase (ADA) retroviral vectors were designed and constructed with the goal of improved performance over the PA317/LASN vector currently used in clinical trials. First, the bacterial selectable-marker neomycin phosphotransferase (neo) gene was removed to create a “simplified” vector. Second, the Moloney murine leukemia virus long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter used for ADA expression was replaced with either the myeloproliferative sarcoma virus (MPSV) or SL3-3 LTR. Supernatant from each ADA vector was used to transduce ADA-deficient (ADA−) B- and T-cell lines as well as primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from an ADA− severe combined immunodeficiency patient. Total ADA enzyme activity and ADA activity per integrant in the transduced cells demonstrated that the MPSV LTR splicing vector design provided the highest level of ADA expression per cell. This ADA(MPSV) vector was then tested in packaging cell lines containing either the gibbon ape leukemia virus envelope (PG13 cells), the murine amphotropic envelope (FLYA13 cells), or the feline endogenous virus RD114 envelope (FLYRD18 cells). The results indicate that FLYRD18/ADA(MPSV), a simplified ADA retroviral vector with the MPSV LTR, provides a 17-fold-higher level of ADA expression in human lymphohematopoietic cells than the PA317/LASN vector currently in use.
PMCID: PMC109465
PMID: 9499026
Gene therapy is being investigated as an alternative treatment for a wide range of infectious diseases that are not amenable to standard clinical management. Approaches to gene therapy for infectious diseases can be divided into three broad categories: (i) gene therapies based on nucleic acid moieties, including antisense DNA or RNA, RNA decoys, and catalytic RNA moieties (ribozymes); (ii) protein approaches such as transdominant negative proteins and single-chain antibodies; and (iii) immunotherapeutic approaches involving genetic vaccines or pathogen-specific lymphocytes. It is further possible that combinations of the aforementioned approaches will be used simultaneously to inhibit multiple stages of the life cycle of the infectious agent.
PMCID: PMC121375
PMID: 9457428