Search

Background Human keratinocytes and derived products are crucial for skin repair and regeneration. Despite substantial advances in engineered skin equivalents, their poor availability and immunorejection remain major challenges in skin grafting. Methods Induced keratinocyte-like cells (iKCs) were directly reprogrammed from human urine cells by retroviral transduction of two lineage-specific transcription factors BMI1 and △NP63α (BN). Expression of keratinocyte stem cell or their differentiation markers were assessed by PCR, immunofluorescence and RNA-Sequencing. Regeneration capacity of iKCs were assessed by reconstitution of a human skin equivalent under air-interface condition. Results BN-driven iKCs were similar to primary keratinocytes (pKCs) in terms of their morphology, protein expression, differentiation potential, and global gene expression. Moreover, BN-iKCs self-assembled to form stratified skin equivalents in vitro. Conclusions This study demonstrated an approach to generate human iKCs that could be directly reprogrammed from human somatic cells and extensively expanded in serum- and feeder cell-free systems, which will facilitate their broad applicability in an efficient and patient-specific manner.

Background: Regenerative medicine strategies employing nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) are a viable approach that is worthy of substantial consideration as a promising cell source for kidney diseases. However, the generation of induced nephron progenitor-like cells (iNPCs) from human somatic cells remains a major challenge. Here, we describe a novel method for generating NPCs from human urine-derived cells (UCs) that can undergo long-term expansion in a serum-free condition. Results: Here, we generated iNPCs from human urine-derived cells by forced expression of the transcription factors OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, c-MYC, and SLUG, followed by exposure to a cocktail of defined small molecules. These iNPCs resembled human embryonic stem cell-derived NPCs in terms of their morphology, biological characteristics, differentiation potential, and global gene expression and underwent a long-term expansion in serum-free conditions. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that human iNPCs can be readily generated and expanded, which will facilitate their broad applicability in a rapid, efficient, and patient-specific manner, particularly holding the potential as a transplantable cell source for patients with kidney disease.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is an inherited disorder caused by a mutation in the ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily D member 1 (ABCD1) gene. We generated two induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from X-ALD patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) by Sendai virus containing OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC. Established iPSC lines expressed various pluripotency markers, had differentiation potential of three germ layers in vitro, had normal karyotype and retained ABCD1 mutation.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX) is inherited neurological disorder caused by gap junction beta 1 gene (GJB1) mutation. We generated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from 36-year-old CMTX disease patient by electroporation of skin fibroblasts with episomal vectors encoding OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, L-MYC, LIN28 and shRNA-p53. Established iPSCs expressed various pluripotency markers, had differentiation potential of three germ layers in vitro, had normal karyotype and retained GJB1 mutation. This CMT patient-derived iPSC line could be useful in vitro tool for CMTX research as disease modeling and drug development.

X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a neuro-metabolic disorder that is caused by malfunction of a peroxisomal transporter protein, adenosine ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily D member 1 (ABCD1). We established an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a 42-year-old male X-ALD patient-derived dermal fibroblasts with Sendai virus-mediated reprogramming. Established iPSCs stably expanded, expressed genes of pluripotency, and maintained normal karyotype. In vitro differentiation assay revealed the characteristics of all three germ layers.

X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a genetic disease that caused by mutations in adenosine triphosphate [ATP]-binding-cassette transporter superfamily D member 1 (ABCD1) gene. We generated an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a 21-year-old male X-ALD patient-derived fibroblasts by Sendai virus mediated reprogramming. Established iPSCs stably expanded while maintaining immunoreactivity for various pluripotency markers and alkaline phosphatase, as well as normal 44 + XY karyotype. Under the differentiation condition, the cells gave rise to cells of three germ layers.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT1B) is an inherited neurological disorder caused by mutation of the myelin protein zero (MPZ) gene. We generated an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from an 81-year-old patient with CMT1B by electroporating of lymphoblastoid cell lines with episomal plasmids encoding OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, L-MYC, LIN28, and p53-targeting shRNA. The established iPSCs expressed various pluripotency markers, demonstrated the potential to differentiate into cells of the three germ layers in vitro, had a normal karyotype and retained the MPZ mutation. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license

Human neural stem cells (NSCs) hold enormous promise for neurological disorders, typically requiring their expandable and differentiable properties for regeneration of damaged neural tissues. Despite the therapeutic potential of induced NSCs (iNSCs), a major challenge for clinical feasibility is the presence of integrated transgenes in the host genome, contributing to the risk for undesired genotoxicity and tumorigenesis. Here, we describe the advanced transgene-free generation of iNSCs from human urine-derived cells (HUCs) by combining a cocktail of defined small molecules with self-replicable mRNA delivery. The established iNSCs were completely transgene-free in their cytosol and genome and further resembled human embryonic stem cell-derived NSCs in the morphology, biological characteristics, global gene expression, and potential to differentiate into functional neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Moreover, iNSC colonies were observed within eight days under optimized conditions, and no teratomas formed in vivo, implying the absence of pluripotent cells. This study proposes an approach to generate transplantable iNSCs that can be broadly applied for neurological disorders in a safe, efficient, and patient-specific manner.

In a previous study, we isolated human amniotic fluid (AF)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSCs) and utilized normoxic conditioned medium (AF-MSC-norCM) which has been shown to accelerate cutaneous wound healing. Because hypoxia enhances the wound healing function of mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (MSC-CM), it is interesting to explore the mechanism responsible for the enhancement of wound healing function. In this work, hypoxia not only increased the proliferation of AF-MSCs but also maintained their constitutive characteristics (surface marker expression and differentiation potentials). Notably, more paracrine factors, VEGF and TGF-beta 1, were secreted into hypoxic conditioned medium from AF-MSCs (AF-MSC-hypoCM) compared to AF-MSC-norCM. Moreover, AF-MSC-hypoCM enhanced the proliferation and migration of human dermal fibroblasts in vitro, and wound closure in a skin injury model, as compared to AF-MSC-norCM. However, the enhancement of migration of fibroblasts accelerated by AF-MSC-hypoCM was inhibited by SB505124 and LY294002, inhibitors of TGF-beta/SMAD2 and PI3K/AKT, suggesting that AF-MSC-hypoCM-enhanced wound healing is mediated by the activation of TGF-beta/SMAD2 and PI3K/AKT. Therefore, AF-MSC-hypoCM enhances wound healing through the increase of hypoxia-induced paracrine factors via activation of TGF-beta/SMAD2 and PI3K/AKT pathways.

Laboratory of Cell Function Regulation, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Cell Therapy Center, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea