| 1. |
- Ameri, Jacqueline, et al.
(författare)
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FGF2 Specifies hESC-Derived Definitive Endoderm into Foregut/Midgut Cell Lineages in a Concentration-Dependent Manner.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 28, s. 45-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling controls axis formation during endoderm development. Studies in lower vertebrates have demonstrated that FGF2 primarily patterns the ventral foregut endoderm into liver and lung, whereas FGF4 exhibits broad anterior-posterior and left-right patterning activities. Furthermore, an inductive role of FGF2 during dorsal pancreas formation has been shown. However, whether FGF2 plays a similar role during human endoderm development remains unknown. Here, we show that FGF2 specifies hESC-derived definitive endoderm (DE) into different foregut lineages in a dosage-dependent manner. Specifically, increasing concentrations of FGF2 inhibits hepatocyte differentiation, whereas intermediate concentration of FGF2 promotes differentiation towards a pancreatic cell fate. At high FGF2 levels specification of midgut endoderm into small intestinal progenitors is increased at the expense of PDX1+ pancreatic progenitors. High FGF2 concentrations also promote differentiation towards an anterior foregut pulmonary cell fate. Finally, by dissecting the FGF receptor intracellular pathway that regulates pancreas specification, we demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge that induction of PDX1+ pancreatic progenitors relies on FGF2-mediated activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Altogether, these observations suggest a broader gut endodermal patterning activity of FGF2 that corresponds to what has previously been advocated for FGF4, implying a functional switch from FGF4 to FGF2 during evolution. Thus, our results provide new knowledge of how cell fate specification of human DE is controlled - facts that will be of great value for future regenerative cell therapies.
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| 2. |
- Avaliani, Natalia, et al.
(författare)
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Optogenetics reveal delayed afferent synaptogenesis on grafted human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 32:12, s. 3088-3098
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reprogramming of somatic cells into pluripotency stem cell state have opened new opportunities in cell replacement therapy and disease modeling in a number of neurological disorders. It still remains unknown, however, to what degree the grafted human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) differentiate into a functional neuronal phenotype and if they integrate into the host circuitry. Here we present a detailed characterization of the functional properties and synaptic integration of hiPSC-derived neurons grafted in an in vitro model of hyperexcitable epileptic tissue, namely organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC), and in adult rats in vivo. The hiPSCs were first differentiated into long-term self-renewing neuroepithelial stem (lt-NES) cells, which are known to form primarily GABAergic neurons. When differentiated in OHSCs for six weeks, lt-NES cell-derived neurons displayed neuronal properties such as TTX-sensitive sodium currents and action potentials (APs), as well as both spontaneous and evoked postsynaptic currents, indicating functional afferent synaptic inputs. The grafted cells had a distinct electrophysiological profile compared to host cells in the OHSCs with higher input resistance, lower resting membrane potential and APs with lower amplitude and longer duration. To investigate the origin of synaptic afferents to the grafted lt-NES cell-derived neurons, the host neurons were transduced with Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and optogenetically activated by blue light. Simultaneous recordings of synaptic currents in grafted lt-NES cell-derived neurons using whole-cell patch-clamp technique at 6 weeks after grafting revealed limited synaptic connections from host neurons. Longer differentiation times, up to 24 weeks after grafting in vivo, revealed more mature intrinsic properties and extensive synaptic afferents from host neurons to the It-NES cell-derived neurons, suggesting that these cells require extended time for differentiation/maturation and synaptogenesis. However, even at this later time-point, the grafted cells maintained a higher input resistance. These data indicate that grafted lt-NES cell-derived neurons receive ample afferent input from the host brain. Since the lt-NES cells used in this study show a strong propensity for GABAergic differentiation, the host-to-graft synaptic afferents may facilitate inhibitory neurotransmitter release, and normalize hyperexcitable neuronal networks in brain diseases, e.g. such as epilepsy. Stem Cells 2014.
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| 3. |
- Azim, Kasum, et al.
(författare)
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Persistent Wnt/β‐Catenin Signaling Determines Dorsalization of the Postnatal Subventricular Zone and Neural Stem Cell Specification into Oligodendrocytes and Glutamatergic Neurons
- 2014
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - Durham, United States : AlphaMed Press, Inc.. - 1066-5099 .- 1549-4918. ; 32:5, s. 1301-1312
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the postnatal and adult central nervous system (CNS), the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the forebrain is the main source of neural stem cells (NSCs) that generate olfactory neurons and oligodendrocytes (OLs), the myelinating cells of the CNS. Here, we provide evidence of a primary role for canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling in regulating NSC fate along neuronal and oligodendroglial lineages in the postnatal SVZ. Our findings demonstrate that glutamatergic neuronal precursors (NPs) and oligodendrocyte precursors (OPs) are derived strictly from the dorsal SVZ (dSVZ) microdomain under the control of Wnt/β-catenin, whereas GABAergic NPs are derived mainly from the lateral SVZ (lSVZ) microdomain independent of Wnt/β-catenin. Transcript analysis of microdissected SVZ microdomains revealed that canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling was more pronounced in the dSVZ microdomain. This was confirmed using the β-catenin-activated Wnt-reporter mouse and by pharmacological stimulation of Wnt/β-catenin by infusion of the specific glycogen synthase kinase 3β inhibitor, AR-A014418, which profoundly increased the generation of cycling cells. In vivo genetic/pharmacological stimulation or inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin, respectively, increased and decreased the differentiation of dSVZ-NSCs into glutamatergic NPs, and had a converse effect on GABAergic NPs. Activation of Wnt/β-catenin dramatically stimulated the generation of OPs, but its inhibition had no effect, indicating other factors act in concert with Wnt/β-catenin to fine tune oligodendrogliogenesis in the postnatal dSVZ. These results demonstrate a role for Wnt/β-catenin signaling within the dorsal microdomain of the postnatal SVZ, in regulating the genesis of glutamatergic neurons and OLs.
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| 4. |
- Baris, OR, et al.
(författare)
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The mitochondrial electron transport chain is dispensable for proliferation and differentiation of epidermal progenitor cells
- 2011
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Ingår i: Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 29:9, s. 1459-1468
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tissue stem cells and germ line or embryonic stem cells were shown to have reduced oxidative metabolism, which was proposed to be an adaptive mechanism to reduce damage accumulation caused by reactive oxygen species. However, an alternate explanation is that stem cells are less dependent on specialized cytoplasmic functions compared with differentiated cells, therefore, having a high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic volume ratio and consequently a low mitochondrial content. To determine whether stem cells rely or not on mitochondrial respiration, we selectively ablated the electron transport chain in the basal layer of the epidermis, which includes the epidermal progenitor/stem cells (EPSCs). This was achieved using a loxP-flanked mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) allele in conjunction with a keratin 14 Cre transgene. The epidermis of these animals (TfamEKO) showed a profound depletion of mitochondrial DNA and complete absence of respiratory chain complexes. However, despite a short lifespan due to malnutrition, epidermal development and skin barrier function were not impaired. Differentiation of epidermal layers was normal and no proliferation defect or major increase of apoptosis could be observed. In contrast, mice with an epidermal ablation of prohibitin-2, a scaffold protein in the inner mitochondrial membrane, displayed a dramatic phenotype observable already in utero, with severely impaired skin architecture and barrier function, ultimately causing death from dehydration shortly after birth. In conclusion, we here provide unequivocal evidence that EPSCs, and probably tissue stem cells in general, are independent of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, but still require a functional dynamic mitochondrial compartment.
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| 5. |
- Behnan, Jinan, et al.
(författare)
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Recruited brain tumor-derived mesenchymal stem cells contribute to brain tumor progression.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 32:5, s. 1110-1123
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The identity of the cells that contribute to brain tumor structure and progression remains unclear. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have recently been isolated from normal mouse brain. Here, we report the infiltration of MSC-like cells into the GL261 murine glioma model. These Brain Tumor derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BT-MSCs) are defined with the phenotype (Lin-Sca-1+CD9+CD44+CD166+/-) and have multipotent differentiation capacity. We show that the infiltration of BT-MSCs correlates to tumor progression; furthermore, BT-MSCs increased the proliferation rate of GL261 cells in vitro. For the first time, we report that the majority of GL261 cells expressed mesenchymal phenotype under both adherent and sphere culture conditions in vitro, and that the non-MSC population is non-tumorigenic in vivo. Although the GL261 cell line expressed mesenchymal phenotype markers in vitro, most BT-MSCs are recruited cells from host origin in both wild type GL261 inoculated into GFP-transgenic mice and GL261-GFP cells inoculated into wild type mice. We show the expression of chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CXCR6 on different recruited cell populations. In vivo, the GL261 cells change marker profile, and acquire a phenotype that is more similar to cells growing in sphere culture conditions. Finally, we identify a BT-MSC population in human glioblastoma that is CD44+CD9+CD166+ both in freshly isolated and culture-expanded cells. Our data indicate that cells with MSC-like phenotype infiltrate into the tumor stroma and play an important role in tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Thus we suggest that targeting BT-MSCs could be a possible strategy for treating glioblastoma patients. Stem Cells 2013.
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| 6. |
- Bergsland, M, et al.
(författare)
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Nitric oxide-induced neuronal to glial lineage fate-change depends on NRSF/REST function in neural progenitor cells
- 2014
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Ingår i: Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 32:9, s. 2539-2549
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Degeneration of central nervous system tissue commonly occurs during neuroinflammatory conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and neurotrauma. During such conditions, neural stem/progenitor cell (NPC) populations have been suggested to provide new cells to degenerated areas. In the normal brain, NPCs from the subventricular zone generate neurons that settle in the olfactory bulb or striatum. However, during neuroinflammatory conditions NPCs migrate toward the site of injury to form oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, whereas newly formed neurons are less abundant. Thus, the specific NPC lineage fate decisions appear to respond to signals from the local environment. The instructive signals from inflammation have been suggested to rely on excessive levels of the free radical nitric oxide (NO), which is an essential component of the innate immune response, as NO promotes neuronal to glial cell fate conversion of differentiating rat NPCs in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that the NO-induced neuronal to glial fate conversion is dependent on the transcription factor neuron-restrictive silencing factor-1 (NRSF)/repressor element-1 silencing transcription (REST). Chromatin modification status of a number of neuronal and glial lineage restricted genes was altered upon NO-exposure. These changes coincided with gene expression alterations, demonstrating a global shift toward glial potential. Interestingly, by blocking the function of NRSF/REST, alterations in chromatin modifications were lost and the NO-induced neuronal to glial switch was suppressed. This implicates NRSF/REST as a key factor in the NPC-specific response to innate immunity and suggests a novel mechanism by which signaling from inflamed tissue promotes the formation of glial cells. Stem Cells 2014;32:2539–2549
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| 7. |
- Carreira, Bruno Pereira, et al.
(författare)
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Nitric Oxide Stimulates the Proliferation of Neural Stem Cells Bypassing the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor
- 2010
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 28:7, s. 1219-1230
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nitric oxide (NO) was described to inhibit the proliferation of neural stem cells. Some evidence suggests that NO, under certain conditions, can also promote cell proliferation, although the mechanisms responsible for a potential proliferative effect of NO in neural stem cells have remained unaddressed. In this work, we investigated and characterized the proliferative effect of NO in cell cultures obtained from the mouse subventricular zone. We found that the NO donor NOC-18 (10 mu M) increased cell proliferation, whereas higher concentrations (100 mu M) inhibited cell proliferation. Increased cell proliferation was detected rapidly following exposure to NO and was prevented by blocking the mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) pathway, independently of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Downstream of the EGF receptor, NO activated p21Ras and the MAPK pathway, resulting in a decrease in the nuclear presence of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor I, p27(KIP1), allowing for cell cycle progression. Furthermore, in a mouse model that shows increased proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampus following seizure injury, we observed that the absence of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS(-/-) mice) prevented the increase in cell proliferation observed following seizures in wild-type mice, showing that NO from iNOS origin is important for increased cell proliferation following a brain insult. Overall, we show that NO is able to stimulate the proliferation of neural stem cells bypassing the EGF receptor and promoting cell division. Moreover, under pathophysiological conditions in vivo, NO from iNOS origin also promotes proliferation in the hippocampus. STEM CELLS 2010:28:1219-1230
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| 8. |
- Charbord, J, et al.
(författare)
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High throughput screening for inhibitors of REST in neural derivatives of human embryonic stem cells reveals a chemical compound that promotes expression of neuronal genes
- 2013
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Ingår i: Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 31:9, s. 1816-1828
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Decreased expression of neuronal genes such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated with several neurological disorders. One molecular mechanism associated with Huntington disease (HD) is a discrete increase in the nuclear activity of the transcriptional repressor REST/NRSF binding to repressor element-1 (RE1) sequences. High-throughput screening of a library of 6,984 compounds with luciferase-assay measuring REST activity in neural derivatives of human embryonic stem cells led to identify two benzoimidazole-5-carboxamide derivatives that inhibited REST silencing in a RE1-dependent manner. The most potent compound, X5050, targeted REST degradation, but neither REST expression, RNA splicing nor binding to RE1 sequence. Differential transcriptomic analysis revealed the upregulation of neuronal genes targeted by REST in wild-type neural cells treated with X5050. This activity was confirmed in neural cells produced from human induced pluripotent stem cells derived from a HD patient. Acute intraventricular delivery of X5050 increased the expressions of BDNF and several other REST-regulated genes in the prefrontal cortex of mice with quinolinate-induced striatal lesions. This study demonstrates that the use of pluripotent stem cell derivatives can represent a crucial step toward the identification of pharmacological compounds with therapeutic potential in neurological affections involving decreased expression of neuronal genes associated to increased REST activity, such as Huntington disease.
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| 9. |
- Cusulin, Carlo, et al.
(författare)
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Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Stem Cells Fuse with Microglia and Mature Neurons.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) is a novel strategy to restore function in the diseased brain, acting through multiple mechanisms, e.g., neuronal replacement, neuroprotection and modulation of inflammation. Whether transplanted NSCs can operate by fusing with microglial cells or mature neurons is largely unknown. Here we have studied the interaction of a mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neural stem (NS) cell line with rat and mouse microglia and neurons in vitro and in vivo. We show that NS cells spontaneously fuse with co-cultured cortical neurons, and that this process requires the presence of microglia. Our in vitro data indicate that the NS cells can first fuse with microglia, and then with neurons. The fused NS/microglial cells express markers and retain genetic and functional characteristics of both parental cell types, being able to respond to microglia-specific stimuli (LPS and IL-4/IL-13) and to differentiate to neurons and astrocytes. The NS cells fuse with microglia, at least partly, through interaction between phosphatidylserine (PS) exposed on the surface of NS cells and CD36 receptor on microglia. Transplantation of NS cells into rodent cortex results in fusion with mature pyramidal neurons, which often carry two nuclei, a process probably mediated by microglia. The fusogenic role of microglia could be even more important after NSC transplantation into brains affected by neurodegenerative diseases associated with microglia activation. It remains to be elucidated how the occurrence of the fused cells will influence the functional outcome after NSC transplantation in the diseased brain.
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| 10. |
- Denham, Mark, et al.
(författare)
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Gli1 Is an Inducing Factor in Generating Floor Plate Progenitor Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
- 2010
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 28:10, s. 1805-1815
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Generation of mesencephalic dopamine (mesDA) neurons from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) requires several stages of signaling from various extrinsic and intrinsic factors. To date, most methods incorporate exogenous treatment of Sonic hedgehog (SHH) to derive mesDA neurons. However, we and others have shown that this approach is inefficient for generating FOXA2+ cells, the precursors of mesDA neurons. As mesDA neurons are derived from the ventral floor plate (FP) regions of the embryonic neural tube, we sought to develop a system to derive FP cells from hESC. We show that forced expression of the transcription factor GLI1 in hESC at the earliest stage of neural induction, resulted in their commitment to FP lineage. The GLI1+ cells coexpressed FP markers, FOXA2 and Corin, and displayed exocrine SHH activity by ventrally patterning the surrounding neural progenitors. This system results in 63% FOXA2+ cells at the neural progenitor stage of hESC differentiation. The GLI1-transduced cells were also able to differentiate to neurons expressing tyrosine hydroxylase. This study demonstrates that GLI1 is a determinant of FP specification in hESC and describes a highly robust and efficient in vitro model system that mimics the ventral neural tube organizer. STEM CELLS 2010; 28: 1805-1815
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