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Studies of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) reveal that these cell lines can be derived from differing stages of embryonic development. We analyzed common changes in the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs in 9 different human ESC (hESC) lines during early commitment and further examined the expression of key ESC-enriched miRNAs in earlier developmental states in several species. We show that several previously defined hESC-enriched miRNA groups (the miR-302, −17, and −515 families, and the miR-371–373 cluster) and several other hESC-enriched miRNAs are down-regulated rapidly in response to differentiation. We further found that mRNAs up-regulated upon differentiation are enriched in potential target sites for these hESC-enriched miRNAs. Interestingly, we also observed that the expression of ESC-enriched miRNAs bearing identical seed sequences changed dynamically while the cells transitioned through early embryonic states. In human and monkey ESCs, as well as human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the miR-371–373 cluster was consistently up-regulated, while the miR-302 family was mildly down-regulated when the cells were chemically treated to regress to an earlier developmental state. Similarly, miR-302b, but not mmu-miR-295, was expressed at higher levels in murine epiblast stem cells (mEpiSC) as compared with an earlier developmental state, mouse ESCs. These results raise the possibility that the relative expression of related miRNAs might serve as diagnostic indicators in defining the developmental state of embryonic cells and other stem cell lines, such as iPSCs. These data also raise the possibility that miRNAs bearing identical seed sequences could have specific functions during separable stages of early embryonic development.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of coculturing meniscus cells (MCs) and synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs) on small intestine submucosa (SIS) to establish an innovative method to engineer in vitro meniscus constructs. About 0.9 million cells (MCs, prelabeled SDSCs [with Vybrant DiI], and a coculture of MCs and prelabeled SDSCs [50:50]) were mixed with fibrin gel and seeded onto freeze-dried SIS discs (5 mm diameter x 1-2 mm thickness) individually. The tissue constructs were incubated in a serum-free defined medium supplemented with 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor beta-1 and 500 ng/mL insulin-like growth factor I for 1 month. One day after cell seeding, samples for scanning electron microscopy were prepared to evaluate cell attachment on the SIS surface. During incubation, fluorescent microscopy was used to trace cell migration (with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole as a counterstain) on SIS scaffold. The tissue constructs were assessed using histology, immunostaining, biochemical analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and compressive modulus. All three groups of cells attached well on SIS. The coculture with SDSCs yielded MC-based tissue constructs with greater cell survival and differentiation into chondrogenic phenotypes, which exhibited higher glycosaminoglycan, collagen II, and Sox 9 but relatively low collagen I, resulting in the concomitant increase in equilibrium modulus. This pilot study demonstrates the advantages of coculturing MCs with SDSCs on SIS for meniscus tissue engineering and regeneration.