Induced pluripotent stem cells for neural tissue engineering

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise for cell therapies and tissue engineering. Neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) are multipotent and represent a valuable system to investigate iPSC differentiation and therapeutic potential. Here we derived NCSCs from human iPSCs and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and investigated the potential of NCSCs for neural tissue engineering. The differentiation of iPSCs and the expansion of derived NCSCs varied in different cell lines, but all NCSC lines were capable of differentiating into mesodermal and ectodermal lineages, including neural cells. Tissue-engineered nerve conduits were fabricated by seeding NCSCs into nanofibrous tubular scaffolds, and used as a bridge for transected sciatic nerves in a rat model. Electrophysiological analysis showed that only NCSC-engrafted nerve conduits resulted in an accelerated regeneration of sciatic nerves at 1 month. Histological analysis demonstrated that NCSC transplantation promoted axonal myelination. Furthermore, NCSCs differentiated into Schwann cells and were integrated into the myelin sheath around axons. No teratoma formation was observed for up to 1 year after NCSC transplantation in vivo. This study demonstrates that iPSC-derived multipotent NCSCs can be directly used for tissue engineering and that the approach that combines stem cells and scaffolds has tremendous potential for regenerative medicine applications.     

The potential of mouse skin-derived precursors to differentiate into mesenchymal and neural lineages and their application to osteogenic induction in vivo

Although previous studies indicate that skin-derived precursors (SKPs) are multipotent dermal precursors that share similarities with neural crest stem cells (NCSCs), a shared ability for multilineage differentiation toward neural crest lineages between SKPs and NCSCs has not been fully demonstrated. Here, we report the derivation of SKPs from adult mouse skin and their directed multilineage differentiation toward neural crest lineages. Under controlled in vitro conditions, mouse SKPs were propagated and directed toward peripheral nervous system lineages such as peripheral neurons and Schwann cells, and mesenchymal lineages, such as osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic, and smooth muscle cells. To ask if SKPs could generate these same lineages in vivo, a mixture of SKP-derived mesenchymal stem cells and hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate was transplanted into the rat calvarial defects. Over the ensuing 4 weeks, we observed formation of osteogenic structure in the calvarial defect without any evidence of teratomas. These findings demonstrate the multipotency of adult mouse SKPs to differentiate into neural crest lineages. In addition, SKP-derived mesenchymal stem cells represent an accessible, potentially autologous source of precursor cells for tissue-engineered bone repair.     

Engraftable neural crest stem cells derived from cynomolgus monkey embryonic stem cells

Neural crest stem cells (NCSCs), a population of multipotent cells that migrate extensively and give rise to diverse derivatives, including peripheral and enteric neurons and glia, craniofacial cartilage and bone, melanocytes and smooth muscle, have great potential for regenerative medicine. Non-human primates provide optimal models for the development of stem cell therapies. Here, we describe the first derivation of NCSCs from cynomolgus monkey embryonic stem cells (CmESCs) at the neural rosette stage. CmESC-derived neurospheres replated on polyornithine/laminin-coated dishes migrated onto the substrate and showed characteristic expression of NCSC markers, including Sox10, AP2α, Slug, Nestin, p75, and HNK1. CmNCSCs were capable of propagating in an undifferentiated state in vitro as adherent or suspension cultures, and could be subsequently induced to differentiate towards peripheral nervous system lineages (peripheral sympathetic neurons, sensory neurons, and Schwann cells) and mesenchymal lineages (osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and smooth muscle cells). CmNCSCs transplanted into developing chick embryos or fetal brains of cynomolgus macaques survived, migrated, and differentiated into progeny consistent with a neural crest identity. Our studies demonstrate that CmNCSCs offer a new tool for investigating neural crest development and neural crest-associated human disease and suggest that this non-human primate model may facilitate tissue engineering and regenerative medicine efforts.     

晚期骨关节炎患者膝关节滑膜间充质干细胞的体外成骨分化

背景：间充质干细胞是组织工程中常用的种子细胞,而来源于人膝关节滑膜组织的间充质干细胞能否作为骨组织修复与再生中合适的种子细胞还需要进一步验证。 目的：观察晚期骨关节炎患者膝关节滑膜组织来源的间充质干细胞体外向成骨细胞定向分化的潜能,对所诱导细胞的成骨特性进行鉴定。 方法：无菌条件下从行全膝关节置换的晚期骨关节炎患者膝关节腔内获取滑膜组织,Ⅰ型胶原酶消化分离获得有核细胞。以最适密度接种(200个有核细胞/cm2),挑选单细胞克隆,筛选出滑膜间充质干细胞。基础培养基培养,传至第3代时改换为含地塞米松、β-甘油磷酸钠和抗坏血酸的成骨诱导培养基诱导培养。 结果与结论：体外分离培养的滑膜间充质干细胞早期可形成葵花样细胞集落,克隆样生长。传代至第3代,细胞呈成纤维细胞样生长,形态均一。滑膜间充质干细胞成骨诱导后呈典型的“铺路石样”成骨细胞形态,诱导至第7天碱性磷酸酶染色呈强阳性,碱性磷酸酶活性表达也在诱导7 d时达最高峰;诱导21 d茜素红染色可见大量钙结节形成;同时反转录PCR检测到Ⅰ型胶原、Runx2、骨结合蛋白和骨桥蛋白的表达在诱导后增加,21 d时表达最高。从晚期骨关节炎患者膝关节滑膜组织分离获得的滑膜间充质干细胞,在体外可成功诱导分化为成骨细胞,所诱导生成的细胞具有典型的成骨细胞特性。提示滑膜间充质干细胞有望成为骨组织工程理想的种子细胞来源,在骨组织的再生修复中发挥重要作用。     

三维环境下软骨细胞诱导滑膜间充质干细胞向软骨样细胞的分化

BACKGROUND: The co-culture of chondrocytes and synovial mesenchymal stem cells can induce the cartilage differentiation of synovial mesenchymal stem cells in vitro, but the cell differentiation induced by co-culture in vivo is rarely reported. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chondrogenic differentiation of synovial mesenchymal stem cells co-cultured with chondrocytes on the chitosan/type I collagen composite scaffolds after being transplanted into the subcutaneous layer of Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: The synovial mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes harvested from the synovial membrane and articular cartilage of Sprague-Dawley rats were obtained by enzyme digestion method and cultured respectively. Passage 3 synovial mesenchymal stem cells and passage 2 chondrocytes, which were divided into four groups: group A (chondrocytes alone), group B (synovial mesenchymal stem cells alone), group C (ratio of synovial mesenchymal stem cells:chondrocytes=1:2) and group D (scaffold material without cells), were cultured on chitosan/type I collagen composite scaffolds and transplanted into the subcutaneous layer of rats followed by morphological observation and immunohistochemical staining at 4 and 8 weeks.   . RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After 4 and 8 weeks, the discoid-like scaffold was visible. The immunohistochemical staining of type II collagen and the toluidine blue staining of aggrecan were significantly positive in groups A and C. These results show that the co-culture of synovial mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes on the scaffold in vivo can form cartilage-like tissues.      

Derivation of smooth muscle cells with neural crest origin from human induced pluripotent stem cells

The heterogeneity of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is related to their different developmental origins such as the neural crest and mesoderm. Derivation of SMCs from different origins will provide valuable in vitro models for the investigation of vascular development and diseases. From the perspective of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, an expandable cell source of SMCs is required for the construction of tissue-engineered blood vessels. In this study, we developed a robust protocol to derive neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). NCSCs derived from ESCs and iPSCs were expandable with similar cell doubling times. NCSCs were capable of differentiating into neural and mesenchymal lineages. TGF-β1 induced the expression of SMC markers calponin-1, SM22α, and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain and resulted in the assembly of smooth muscle α-actin, calponin-1, and SM22α into stress fibers. This work provides a basis for using iPSCs to study SMC biology and deriving vascular cells for tissue engineering.     

Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cells Derived from Articular Cartilage,Synovial Membrane and Synovial Fluid for Cartilage Regeneration: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Large articular cartilage defects remain an immense challenge in the field of regenerative medicine because of their poor intrinsic repair capacity. Currently, the available medical interventions can relieve clinical symptoms to some extent, but fail to repair the cartilaginous injuries with authentic hyaline cartilage. There has been a surge of interest in developing cell-based therapies, focused particularly on the use of mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells with or without scaffolds. Mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells are promising graft cells for tissue regeneration, but the most suitable source of cells for cartilage repair remains controversial. The tissue origin of mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells notably influences the biological properties and therapeutic potential. It is well known that mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells derived from synovial joint tissues exhibit superior chondrogenic ability compared with those derived from non-joint tissues; thus, these cell populations are considered ideal sources for cartilage regeneration. In addition to the progress in research and promising preclinical results, many important research questions must be answered before widespread success in cartilage regeneration is achieved. This review outlines the biology of stem/progenitor cells derived from the articular cartilage, the synovial membrane, and the synovial fluid, including their tissue distribution, function and biological characteristics. Furthermore, preclinical and clinical trials focusing on their applications for cartilage regeneration are summarized, and future research perspectives are discussed.     

Neural crest-derived multipotent cells in the adult mouse iris stroma

The purpose of this study was to characterize neural crest-derived cells within the adult murine iris. The iris was isolated from P0-Cre/Floxed-EGFP transgenic (TG) mice. The isolated iris cells formed EGFP-positive spheres on non-adhesive culture plates. Immunostaining showed that these EGFP-positive spheres expressed neural crest markers including Sox10 and p75NTR, and these cells showing in vitro sphere-forming ability were originally resided in the iris stroma (IS), in vivo. Real-time RT-PCR showed that the EGFP-positive spheres expressed significantly higher levels of the neural crest markers than EGFP-negative spheres and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, the iris stromal sphere had capability to differentiate into various cell lineages including smooth muscle and cartilage. These data indicate that neural crest-derived multipotent cells can be isolated from the murine IS and expanded in sphere culture.     

CD45-positive cells of haematopoietic origin enhance chondrogenic marker gene expression in rat marrow stromal cells

Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be readily isolated from bone marrow, expanded in culture and subsequently subjected to differentiation into various connective tissue lineages. In general, for animal studies separation of MSCs from other bone marrow-derived cells is achieved by sole adherence to plastic surface of tissue culture flasks; however, this procedure produces a heterogeneous cell population containing CD45-positive haematopoietic cells (HCs) and haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). It is known, that mixed cell cultures consisting of cocultures of differentiated somatic cells with adult stem cells promote differentiation towards specific cell lineages. For determining the effect of the CD45-positive cell population on the differentiation potential of MSCs, we sorted out the bone marrow-derived adherent cells by immunomagnetic technique (MACS) to attain a subpopulation of CD45-depleted cells. Herein, we show that the presence of adherent CD45-positive HCs not only promote expression of the chondrogenic marker genes Col2a1, COMP and Sox9, but also of Col1a1, Col10a1 and to a certain degree Cbfa1 in MSCs when cultured in an appropriate three-dimensional environment. These observations constitute a step towards unravelling the influence of haematopoietic cells on chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs.     

Concise review: Stem cells in the corneal stroma

The cornea is a tough transparent tissue admitting and focusing light in the eye. More than 90% of the cornea is stroma, a highly organized, transparent connective tissue maintained by keratocytes, quiescent mesenchymal cells of neural crest origin. A small population of cells in the mammalian stroma displays properties of mesenchymal stem cells, including clonal growth, multipotent differentiation, and expression of an array of stem cell-specific markers. Unlike keratocytes, the corneal stromal stem cells (CSSCs) undergo extensive expansion in vitro without loss of the ability to adopt a keratocyte phenotype. Several lines of evidence suggest CSSCs to be of neural crest lineage and not from bone marrow. CSSCs are localized in the anterior peripheral (limbal) stroma near to stem cells of the corneal epithelium. CSSCs may function to support potency of the epithelial stem cells in their unique limbal niche. On the other hand, little information is available documenting a role for CSSCs in vivo in stromal wound healing or regeneration. In vitro CSSCs reproduce the highly organized connective tissue of the stroma, demonstrating a potential use of these cells in tissue bioengineering. Direct introduction of CSSCs into the corneal stroma generated transparent tissue in a mouse model of corneal opacity. Human CSSCs injected into mice corneas did not elicit immune rejection over an extended period of time. The CSSCs therefore appear offer an opportunity to develop cell- and tissue-based therapies for irreversible corneal blindness, conditions affecting more than 10 million individuals worldwide.     

滑膜间充质干细胞分离纯化后的生物学特性

背景：大量的研究报道证明滑膜间充质干细胞在细胞形态、免疫表型、集落形成能力和分化潜能等方面与骨髓间充质干细胞相似,但在向软骨分化的能力上,滑膜间充质干细胞明显优于骨髓间充质干细胞。 目的：探讨滑膜间充质干细胞作为半月板软骨组织工程种子细胞的可行性。 方法：通过有限稀释单克隆培养法将滑膜间充质干细胞从兔滑膜组织中分离出来并加以纯化,在体外培养条件下对其形态学、超微结构、分子表型、增殖动力学、核型以及致瘤性等进行分析。 结果与结论：从兔滑膜细胞中分离纯化出滑膜间充质干细胞,体外单层培养具有极强的增殖能力,在第6天时达到生长的最高峰,倍增时间为(30.2±2.4) h。流式细胞术检测滑膜间充质干细胞表达间充质干细胞一些分子标记CD44、CD90。DNA含量检测、染色体核型分析、荷瘤实验结果表明,分离纯化的滑膜间充质干细胞是正常的二倍体细胞,无致瘤性,因此可作为半月板组织工程的种子细胞。     

骨髓间充质干细胞修复软骨缺损的应用前景

背景：骨髓间充质干细胞是一种非造血性成体干细胞,主要存在于骨髓,具有很强的增殖能力和多向分化潜能,临床应用前景广阔。 目的：对促进骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞分化的生长因子、生物支架等方面的最新研究进展进行综述。 方法：以“cartilage defects,tissue engineering,biological scaffolds,bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,cytokines”和“软骨缺损,组织工程,生物支架,骨髓间充质干细胞,细胞因子 ”为检索词,由第一作者检索1990至2014年PubMed和中国知网数据库,查阅近年骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞分化的相关文献,最终保留51篇文献进行分析。 结果与结论：骨髓间充质干细胞具有向软骨细胞分化的潜能,目前许多细胞因子可以促进骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞分化,很多生物支架可以作为骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞分化的载体。但是骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞分化的研究还在探索过程中,真正进入临床还有许多亟待解决和深入探究的问题。     

Preparation and characterization of a three-dimensional printed scaffold based on a functionalized polyester for bone tissue engineering applications

At present there is a strong need for suitable scaffolds that meet the requirements for bone tissue engineering applications. The objective of this study was to investigate the suitability of porous scaffolds based on a hydroxyl functionalized polymer, poly(hydroxymethylglycolide-co-ε-caprolactone) (pHMGCL), for tissue engineering. In a recent study this polymer was shown to be a promising material for bone regeneration. The scaffolds consisting of pHMGCL or poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were produced by means of a rapid prototyping technique (three-dimensional plotting) and were shown to have a high porosity and an interconnected pore structure. The thermal and mechanical properties of both scaffolds were investigated and human mesenchymal stem cells were seeded onto the scaffolds to evaluate the cell attachment properties, as well as cell viability and differentiation. It was shown that the cells filled the pores of the pHMGCL scaffold within 7 days and displayed increased metabolic activity when compared with cells cultured in PCL scaffolds. Importantly, pHMGCL scaffolds supported osteogenic differentiation. Therefore, scaffolds based on pHMGCL are promising templates for bone tissue engineering applications.     

Neural transdifferentiation of mesenchymal stem cells--a critical review

The classic concept of stem cell differentiation can be illustrated as driving into a series of one-way streets, where a given stem cell through generations of daughter cells becomes correspondingly restricted and committed towards a definitive lineage with fully differentiated cells as end points. According to this concept, tissue-derived adult stem cells can only give rise to cells and cell lineages found in the natural, specified tissue of residence. During the last few years it has, however, been reported that under certain experimental conditions adult stem cells may lose their tissue or germ layer-specific phenotypes and become reprogrammed to transdifferentiate into cells of other germ layers and tissues. The transdifferentiation process is referred to as "stem cell plasticity". Mesenchymal stem cells, present in various tissues, including bone marrow, have--besides differentiation into bone, cartilage, smooth muscle and skeletal muscle--also been reported to transdifferentiate into skin, liver and brain cells (neurons and glia). Conversely, neural stem cells have been reported to give rise to blood cells. The actual occurrence of transdifferentiation is currently much debated, but would have immense clinical potential in cell replacement therapy and regenerative medicine. Controlled neural differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells might thus become an important source of cells for cell therapy of neurodegenerative diseases, since autologous adult mesenchymal stem cells are more easily harvested and effectively expanded than corresponding neural stem cells. This article provides a critical review of the reports of neural transdifferentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, and proposes a set of criteria to be fulfilled for validation of transdifferentiation.     

Direct derivation of neural rosettes from cloned bovine blastocysts: a model of early neurulation events and neural crest specification in vitro

Embryonic stem cells differentiate into neuroectodermal cells under specific culture conditions. In primates, these cells are organized into rosettes expressing Pax6 and Sox1 and are responsive to inductive signals such as Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and retinoic acid. However, direct derivation of organized neuroectoderm in vitro from preimplantation mammalian embryos has never been reported. Here, we show that bovine inner cell masses from nuclear transfer and fertilized embryos, grown on feeders in serum-free medium, form polarized rosette structures expressing nestin, Pax6, Pax7, Sox1, and Otx2 and exhibiting interkinetic nuclear migration activity and cell junction distribution as in the developing neural tube. After in vitro expansion, neural rosettes give rise to p75-positive neural crest precursor cell lines capable of long-term proliferation and differentiation in autonomic and sensory peripheral neurons, glial cells, melanocytes, smooth muscle cells, and chondrocytes, recapitulating in vitro the unique plasticity of the neural crest lineage. Challenging the rosette dorsal fate by early exposure to Shh induces the expression of ventral markers Isl1, Nkx2.2, and Nkx6.1 and differentiation of mature astrocytes and neurons of central nervous system ventral identity, demonstrating appropriate response to inductive signals. All together, these findings indicate that neural rosettes directly derived from cloned and fertilized bovine embryos represent an in vitro model of early neural specification and differentiation events. Moreover, this study provides a source of highly proliferative neural crest precursor cell lines of wide differentiation potential for cell therapy and tissue engineering applications.     

The influence of piezoelectric scaffolds on neural differentiation of human neural stem/progenitor cells

Human neural stem/progenitor cells (hNSCs/NPCs) are a promising cell source for neural tissue engineering because of their ability to differentiate into various neural lineages. In this study, hNSC/NPC differentiation was evaluated on piezoelectric, fibrous scaffolds. These smart materials have an intrinsic material property where transient electric potential can be generated in the material upon minute mechanical deformation. hNSCs/NPCs cultured on the scaffolds and films differentiated into β-III tubulin-positive cells, a neuronal cell marker, with or without the presence of inductive factors. In contrast, hNSCs/NPCs cultured on laminin-coated plates were predominantly nestin positive, a NSC marker, in the control medium. Gene expression results suggest that the scaffolds may have promoted the formation of mature neural cells exhibiting neuron-like characteristics. hNSCs/NPCs differentiated mostly into β-III tubulin-positive cells and had the greatest average neurite length on micron-sized, annealed (more piezoelectric), aligned scaffolds, demonstrating their potential for neural tissue-engineering applications.     

The differentiation of rat adipose-derived stem cells into OEC-like cells on collagen scaffolds by co-culturing with OECs

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) transplantation is a promising or potential therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI). However, their clinical use is limited because of the availability. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have been identified as an alternative source of adult stem cells in recent years. ADSCs could be differentiated into various mesenchymal tissues cells such as chondrocytes, adipocytes, osteoblasts, and myocytes and also could be differentiated into neural lineages. In this study, we examined the feasibility of using ADSCs as a source of stem cells for the differentiation of OECs by co-culture approach. When co-cultured with OECs, the ADSCs on three-dimensional collagen scaffolds were differentiated into OEC-like cells, with similar morphology and antigenic phenotypes (p75NTR+/Nestin+/GFAP-) of OECs. Co-cultured ADSCs were positive for several important functional markers of mature OECs such as neurotrophic factor GDNF, BDNF and myelin protein PLP and the conditioned medium of OEC-like cells could significantly promote DRG neuron growth and axon sprouting without NGF supporting in contrast to that of the ADSCs. Our results showed that ADSCs had the potential to differentiate into OEC-like cells on the three-dimensional collagen scaffolds in vitro.