不同培养体系可逆改变人类胚胎干细胞的分化倾向

背景:人类胚胎干细胞可以在饲养细胞依赖性培养体系和化学限定性培养体系下维持未分化状态,能够在体内外诱导分化成三胚层来源的细胞类型。目的:比较饲养细胞和化学限定性培养体系对人类胚胎干细胞特性的影响。方法:将在饲养细胞培养体系下培养27代的人类胚胎干细胞转入到化学限定性培养基体系中培养56代,然后再将其转回到饲养细胞培养体系中,将3种培养条件下的人类胚胎干细胞(饲养细胞培养体系培养70代、化学限定性培养体系培养56代、化学限定性培养体系下培养70代后转回饲养细胞培养体系下培养13代和20代)进行多能性分子标记SSEA4流式分析等检测分析,同时对3种培养条件下人类胚胎干细胞经拟胚体诱导分化后分别检测多能性基因和三胚层分化基因的表达。结果与结论:人类胚胎干细胞在饲养细胞和化学限定性培养体系下表现出不同的诱导分化倾向,在化学限定性培养体系下表现出向神经诱导分化抑制,这种不同的诱导分化倾向可发生可逆性转换,当人类胚胎干细胞由化学限定性培养体系转回到饲养细胞培养体系时,诱导分化倾向表现出与其在饲养细胞下诱导分化一致的模式。在拟胚体分化中,多能性基因Nanog高可能对诱导分化倾向起着重要作用。与此同时,人类胚胎干细胞SSEA4细胞亚群发生相应的变化,人类胚胎干细胞在饲养细胞和化学限定下培养体系下表现的分化倾向与人类胚胎干细胞亚群所占的比例存在关联。     

人原始生殖细胞的研究现状

迄今为止干细胞有三种生殖细胞来源:(一)胚胎生殖细胞(EGs):来自原始生殖细胞(PGC);(二)胚胎癌性细胞(EGCs):可由成人睾丸肿瘤得到;(三)多能生殖干细胞(GSCs):已由小鼠精原干细胞的培养得到[1]。PGC在体外分离培养,建系成功后改称为胚胎生殖细胞。类胚体实验表明,EG细胞可分化形成包括所有3个胚层的组织细胞,证明其具有多能性,与胚胎干细胞(embryonic stem cell,ES细胞)具有相似的多向分化潜力,因此ES细胞在发育生物学基础研究、动物胚胎工程和临床医学上具有重要的作用和诱人的前景。人EG细胞的研究对生命科学的发展有重要意义。…     

胚胎干细胞向心肌细胞方向诱导分化的进展

胚胎干细胞是具有在体外无限扩增且可向外、中、内三胚层分化的全能干细胞。在体外可以通过自主分化、加入药物、加入生理活性物质、共培养以及转基因等方法对其进行诱导和调节生成心肌细胞,为心肌梗死等心脏重大疾病患者实施细胞治疗提供理想的种子细胞。     

人胚胎干细胞在无血清mTeSR?1培养基中维持培养和向内皮细胞的诱导分化

背景：传统的人胚胎干细胞培养扩增方法中应用含动物血清培养基,并依赖饲养层细胞培养,这种培养方法显著制约了干细胞的体外培养规模;另外异源动物血清成分介入,使病原污染及免疫排斥的概率显著增加。 目的：明确应用无血清培养基mTeSR?1对人胚胎干细胞进行长期体外培养的可行性,并建立诱导人胚胎干细胞分化为血管内皮细胞的相关技术平台。 方法：采用无血清培养基mTeSR?1以非饲养层细胞依赖的方式体外培养、扩增人胚胎干细胞株H9。经过40余次体外传代后,于倒置显微镜下观察其生长形态,并利用免疫荧光染色方法评估其细胞表型。此外,应用条件培养基诱导H9细胞株向内皮细胞方向分化。利用免疫荧光染色技术,定量RT-PCR以及低密度脂蛋白摄取实验对该胚胎干细胞源内皮细胞的表型及功能进行评价、分析。 结果与结论：mTeSR?1培养基能够支持H9细胞株在体外以非饲养层依赖的方式进行长期扩增,同时维持其未分化的干细胞潜能。添加血管内皮细胞的条件培养基能够定向诱导H9细胞向内皮细胞方向分化。该胚胎干细胞源内皮细胞不但表达内皮细胞的标志基因(kdr,pecam)和标记蛋白CD31,而且还能够摄取低密度脂蛋白,形成类似微血管结构。提示实验中所提供的培养及诱导分化体系能够支持胚胎干细胞的增殖与分化行为。     

人孤雌胚胎干细胞与正常胚胎干细胞分化能力的比较

目的 比较人类孤雌胚胎干细胞(pESCs)系与正常胚胎干细胞(nESCs)系的分化能力,探讨pESCs是否和nESCs一样具有多向分化潜能.方法 将pESCs和nESCs分别注射到重症联合免疫缺陷(SCID)小鼠体内形成畸胎瘤,瘤体组织切片和HE染色后进行组织学分析;将pESCs和nESCs体外悬浮培养形成拟胚体(EB),利用RT-PCR检测3个胚层主要器官以及滋养层细胞发育关键基因的表达;将pESCs和nESCs定向诱导分化为滋养层细胞,通过流式细胞仪测定人绒毛膜促性腺激素-β(hCG-β)阳性细胞比例以及通过酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)进行hCG-β的定量分析.结果 在体内生长和体外培养过程中,pESCs和nESCs均能够向3个胚层的细胞类型分化.在SCID小鼠体内可形成畸胎瘤,有神经上皮、软骨、腺上皮等3个胚层的衍生物产生;pESCs和nESCs来源的EB在体外自发分化5~21d后,均检测到3个胚层主要器官以及滋养层细胞发育关键基因的表达;pESCs定向分化为滋养细胞后,可以检测到hCG-β的表达,但其阳性细胞比例和分泌量均低于nESCs.结论 pESCs具有向3个胚层以及滋养层细胞分化的能力,但是向滋养层细胞分化的能力仍低于nESCs.     

体外分化过程中小鼠拟胚体的细胞学特征及基因表达模式

目的探讨小鼠胚胎干细胞来源的拟胚体(EBs)形成以及分化发育90d过程中的形态学特征及基因表达模式。方法将小鼠胚胎干细胞通过悬浮培养获得EBs,EBs在不添加其他诱导因子的体系中连续悬浮培养,采用形态学观察、免疫组织化学染色和RT-PCR检测EBs培养过程中的细胞发育分化特征和基因表达模式。结果将胚胎干细胞转移到去除白血病抑制因子(LIF)的悬浮培养液中培养24h左右即可形成EBs;培养3d左右,部分EBs出现简单胚体结构;在EBs分化7d左右,逐步向空腔化胚体发育;培养9d左右,EBs可发育为原始的囊性胚体结构;培养11d左右,EBs形成典型的、结构完整的三胚层结构。HE染色结果显示,发育早期的EBs包含大量尚未完全分化的ES细胞,随着培养时间的延长,EBs向空腔化、囊性胚体发育,逐渐形成类似于早期组织的形态。悬浮培养7周左右,EBs的发育分化基本停止。免疫组织化学染色结果表明,中胚层心肌细胞特异性标志蛋白cTnT,外胚层特异性标志蛋白Nestin在15d的EBs中表达呈阳性。RT-PCR检测也显示形成的EBs表达外胚层特征性基因Vimentin、Nestin,中胚层特征性基因Flk-1、Gata-1和内胚层特征性基因Transthyretin、-αfetoprotein。结论小鼠胚胎干细胞来源的EBs具有分化为3个胚层的能力,EBs形成的三维结构能够有效的启动细胞的分化;EBs来源的三胚层细胞的发育分化时序和特征,将为鉴定胚胎干细胞来源的分化细胞提供重要参照。     

体外诱导小鼠胚胎干细胞分化为T淋巴细胞

目的 体外诱导小鼠胚胎干细胞(ESC)分化为T淋巴细胞. 方法 借助小鼠胚胎干细胞体外自然分化形成的类胚体(EB)中含有=三胚层细胞的独特细胞环境,加入多种细胞因子和胸腺肽α1,体外诱导小鼠ESC向T淋巴细胞分化.利用流式细胞仪在不同时间点检测诱导细胞表面T淋巴细胞发育相关的表面标志CD25、CD44、CD3、CD4、CD8以及T细胞受体(TCR)αβ和TCRγδ分子的表达水平. 结果 诱导3 d后,出现CD44+细胞;第6天出现CD44+、CD44+CD25+和CD25+细胞群;第15天开始表达CD3分子;1周后开始出现CD4+CD8+双阳性细胞.随着诱导时间的延长,CD3+细胞和CD4+CD8+细胞的百分比不断升高.培养1个月后,出现少量的CD4+和CD8+的单阳性细胞.诱导细胞早期表达TCRαβ和TCRγδ.随着诱导时间的延长,T细胞进一步成熟,诱导细胞以TCRαβT细胞为主. 结论 细胞因子和胸腺肽α1的共同作用可以在体外诱导小鼠胚胎干细胞分化成具有T淋巴细胞表型的细胞,且细胞的表型变化与T细胞体内正常的胸腺发育过程中的表型变化一致.     

体外诱导人胚胎干细胞向神经细胞分化的研究进展

<正>胚胎干细胞(embryonic stem cell,ES)是从着床前胚胎内细胞团(inner cell mass,ICM)中分离出来的能在体外培养的一种全能干细胞。它具有在体外可以大量增殖并保持未分化状态和在一定条件下能向内、中、外三个胚层组织和细胞分化的生物学特性。胚胎干细胞也易于进行基因改造操作和制造嵌合体动物,从而成为细胞与个体之间的桥梁以及临床移植治疗新的细胞来源。1998年Thomoson等与shanablott等分别建立了来源于人类胚细胞群和原始生殖细胞的人胚胎干细胞系,科学家们看到了在体外培育所需的组织细胞以取代患者体内的病损组织细胞来治疗多种疑难病的曙光。     

诱导性多能干细胞体外定向诱导分化的研究进展

胚胎干细胞体外定向诱导分化的研究已成为发育生物学和细胞移植治疗学的研究热点,但伦理及免疫排斥问题一直阻碍胚胎干细胞（ES）的研究和临床应用。近两年,科学家成功地从多种成体细胞获得了诱导性多能干细胞（iPS细胞）,iPS细胞具有和胚胎干细胞相似的特性,由于其可来自自体成体细胞,因而可避开伦理及免疫排斥问题,是胚胎干细胞良好的替代材料,具有广阔的应用前景。iPS只有诱导分化为成熟的功能细胞才能用于疾病的治疗。主要介绍iPS细胞向成熟细胞分化的研究现状及目前存在的一些问题。     

人胚胎纹状体来源神经干细胞的体外培养

背景：目前神经干细胞多由动物获得,不适合人类临床移植治疗。 目的：探索体外环境下人胚胎纹状体来源神经干细胞的培养方法,同时观察其生物学特性。 方法：取经水囊引产的孕8-16周人胚胎纹状体,体外用无血清DMEM培养基进行培养,待细胞形成神经球后进行传代,并应用含体积分数10%胎牛血清的DMEM/ F12培养液进行诱导分化。 结果与结论：体外培养的人胚胎纹状体来源神经干细胞生长迅速,表达神经干细胞标志物nestin。克隆形成实验显示细胞克隆形成率为6.0%-7.0%;BrdU掺入实验显示细胞增殖率为37.9%。免疫荧光染色显示经诱导分化的细胞表达神经元标志物Ⅲ型β微管蛋白、星形胶质细胞标志物胶质纤维酸性蛋白及神经干细胞标志物nestin,但不表达少突胶质细胞标志物髓鞘碱性蛋白。可见人胚胎纹状体来源神经干细胞在体外无血清条件下可保持其生物学特点,具有自我更新能力,经胎牛血清诱导后可向神经元及星形胶质细胞分化。     

人胚胎干细胞饲养层培养体系的研究进展

人胚胎干细胞(hES细胞)来源于着床前人囊胚内细胞团(ICM),由于具有体外无限增殖和分化成3个胚层来源的各种细胞的潜能,使其成为当今生命科学的研究热点.建立一个理想的hES细胞培养体系是利用它的前提.目前,最常用的hES细胞的体外培养方式是将其培养在饲养层细胞上.迄今为止,已经有多种细胞用于hES细胞的体外培养.饲养...     

Propagation and maintenance of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells, like other stem cells, have the capacity to self-renew without differentiation. Although hES cells can be differentiated to many different tissue types in vitro, clinical uses have not yet been realized from the study of hES cells. Anticipation that these cells would be immediately useful for creating models of human disease has not yet been fulfilled. However, because of their self-renewing and pluripotential nature, hES cells indeed hold unique promise for many areas of research and medicine. A major problem complicating developments in hES cell research is the difficulty of propagating and maintaining these cells in vitro without differentiation. This review addresses this problem and potential solutions in detail. In addition, the current state of research regarding the growth and maintenance of hES cells is summarized, along with basic protocols utilized by our laboratory for the successful propagation, characterization, and investigation of hES cells.     

CD133 expression by neural progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells and its use for their prospective isolation

The ability to generate purified neural progenitors is critical to the development of embryonic stem cell-based therapies to alleviate human neurological disorders. While many cell culture protocols for directed differentiation of human embryonic stem (hES) cells into neural cells have been described, most yield mixed populations, some containing cells of different embryonic germ layer lineages, or even undifferentiated embryonic stem cells. In this study, we describe a method for single-cell dissociation, isolation by flow cytometry, and subsequent culture of neural progenitors from hES cells. As reported earlier, hES cells treated with the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) antagonist noggin gave rise to neurospheres at a relatively high frequency. However, these noggin-treated embryonic stem cell cultures were heterogeneous, with cells expressing embryonic stem markers still detectable even following 14 days of differentiation. In order to isolate pure human neural progenitors, we fractionated noggin-treated ES cells on the basis of their expression of the putative neural stem cell marker, CD133, and the GCTM-2, and SSEA-1 antigens, which mark pluripotent stem cells and differentiated cells respectively from hES cell culture. CD133(+) cells formed larger spheres compared to CD133(-) cells. CD133(+)SSEA1(+) cells and CD133(+)SSEA-1(-) cells expressed similar levels of neural genes and formed neurospheres at similar frequencies. By contrast, CD133(+)GCTM-2(+) cells expressed high levels of OCT4 but not neural lineage genes and failed to form neurospheres. CD133(+)GCTM-2(-) cells formed neurospheres at the relative highest frequency. Thus, negative selection with GCTM-2 may be useful for the purification of specific cell types differentiated from hES cells.     

人胚胎干细胞建系培养及体外诱导分化的研究进展

人胚胎干细胞具有发育全能性,在特定条件下能分化成多种类型的细胞.人胚胎干细胞的研究对人胚胎发育机制、人基因功能研究和治疗性克隆有着重大的意义.本文从人胚胎干细胞建系、培养及体外诱导分化等方面作一综述.     

Folate antagonist,methotrexate induces neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells transplanted into nude mouse retina

Transplanted embryonic stem (ES) cells can be integrated into the retinas of adult mice as well-differentiated neuroretinal cells. However, the transplanted ES cells also have a tumorigenic activity as they have the ability for multipotent differentiation to various types of tissues. In the present study, human ES (hES) cells were transplanted into adult nude mouse retinas by intravitreal injections 20 h after intravitreal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) administration. After the transplantation of hES cells, the folate antagonist, methotrexate (MTX) was administrated in order to control the differentiation of the transplanted hES cells. Neuronal differentiation and teratogenic potential of hES cells were examined immunohistochemically 5 weeks after transplantation. The proliferative activity of transplanted cells was determined by both the mitotic index and the Ki-67 proliferative index. Disappearance of Oct-4-positive hES cells showing undifferentiated morphology was observed after intraperitoneal MTX treatment daily, for 15 days. Decreased mitotic and Ki-67 proliferative indices, and increased neuronal differentiation were detected in the surviving hES cells after the MTX treatment. These results suggest two important effects of intraperitoneal MTX treatment for hES cells transplanted into nude mouse retina: (1) MTX treatment following transplantation induces neuronal differentiation, and (2) MTX decreases proliferative activity and tumorigenic potential.     

Genetic engineering of human embryonic stem cells with lentiviral vectors

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells present a valuable source of cells with a vast therapeutic potential. However, the low efficiency of directed differentiation of hES cells remains a major obstacle in their uses for regenerative medicine. While differentiation may be controlled by the genetic manipulation, effective and efficient gene transfer into hES cells has been an elusive goal. Here, we show stable and efficient genetic manipulations of hES cells using lentiviral vectors. This method resulted in the establishment of stable gene expression without loss of pluripotency in hES cells. In addition, lentiviral vectors were effective in conveying the expression of an U6 promoter-driven small interfering RNA (siRNA), which was effective in silencing its specific target. Taken together, our results suggest that lentiviral gene delivery holds great promise for hES cell research and application.     

Comparison of reporter gene and iron particle labeling for tracking fate of human embryonic stem cells and differentiated endothelial cells in living subjects

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are pluripotent stem cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation into virtually all cell types. Thus, they hold tremendous potential as cell sources for regenerative therapies. The concurrent development of accurate, sensitive, and noninvasive technologies capable of monitoring hES cells engraftment in vivo can greatly expedite basic research prior to future clinical translation. In this study, hES cells were stably transduced with a lentiviral vector carrying a novel double-fusion reporter gene that consists of firefly luciferase and enhanced green fluorescence protein. Reporter gene expression had no adverse effects on cell viability, proliferation, or differentiation to endothelial cells (human embryonic stem cell-derived endothelial cells [hESC-ECs]). To compare the two popular imaging modalities, hES cells and hESC-ECs were then colabeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles before transplantation into murine hind limbs. Longitudinal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed persistent MR signals in both cell populations that lasted up to 4 weeks. By contrast, bioluminescence imaging indicated divergent signal patterns for hES cells and hESC-ECs. In particular, hESC-ECs showed significant bioluminescence signals at day 2, which decreased progressively over the following 4 weeks, whereas bioluminescence signals from undifferentiated hES cells increased dramatically during the same period. Post-mortem histology and immunohistochemistry confirmed teratoma formation after injection of undifferentiated hES cells but not hESC-ECs. From these data taken together, we concluded that reporter gene is a better marker for monitoring cell viability, whereas iron particle labeling is a better marker for high-resolution detection of cell location by MR. Furthermore, transplantation of predifferentiated rather than undifferentiated hES cells would be more suited for avoiding teratoma formation.     

Propagation of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells with nano-liposomal ceramide

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells, located on the periphery of the colonies, express the neuroectodermal markers nestin and Tuj1, suggesting a prematurely differentiated subgroup of cells. Here, we report that ceramide, a bioactive sphingolipid, selectively eliminates hES cells differentially expressing nestin and Tuj1. In contrast, undifferentiated cells are resistant to the apoptotic effects of ceramide. Ceramide-resistant hES cells express higher levels of the messenger RNA for ceramide-metabolizing enzymes that convert ceramide into pro-mitogenic metabolites. Based on these findings, we conducted long-term studies to determine whether liposomal ceramide can be used to maintain undifferentiated hES cells free of feeder cells. We continuously cultured hES cells on matrigel for 4 months with liposomal ceramide in a feeder cell-free system. Human ES cells treated with liposomal ceramide maintained their pluripotent state as determined by in vivo and in vitro differentiation studies and contained no chromosomal abnormalities. In conclusion, our findings suggest that exposure to ceramide provides a viable strategy to prevent premature hES cell differentiation and to maintain pluripotent stem cell populations in the absence of feeder cells.     

The regulation of self-renewal in human embryonic stem cells

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells have the ability to self-renew while maintaining their pluripotency. The ability of stem cells to self-renew expansively is essential in both development and maintenance of adult tissues. ES cell lines were first generated from mouse blastocysts, these lines provided much needed information regarding ES cell propagation, growth factor dependence, and marker expression. However, the application potential of murine models is restricted in value because many differences between mouse and human ES cells have since been identified. The process of hES cells self-renewal appears to be regulated by many different pathways; however, the molecular mechanisms enabling this process are not fully characterized. Further defining these mechanisms will enable growth of hES cells under defined conditions and aid controlled differentiation of cells into specified lineages, in turn providing cells suitable for therapeutic applications. This review provides a summary of the mechanisms known to control self-renewal and pluripotency in hES cells.