Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a promising source of autologous endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) that can be used for the treatment of vascular diseases. However, this kind of treatment requires a large amount of EPCs. Therefore, a highly efficient, robust, and easily reproducible differentiation protocol is necessary. We present a novel serum-free differentiation protocol that exploits the synergy of multiple powerful differentiation effectors. Our protocol follows the proper physiological pathway by differentiating EPCs from hPSCs in three phases that mimic in vivo embryonic vascular development. Specifically, hPSCs are differentiated into (i) primitive streak, which is subsequently turned into (ii) mesoderm, which finally differentiates into (iii) EPCs. This differentiation process yields up to 15 differentiated cells per seeded hPSC in 5 days. Endothelial progenitor cells constitute up to 97% of these derived cells. The experiments were performed on the human embryonic stem cell line H9 and six human induced pluripotent stem cell lines generated in our laboratory. Therefore, robustness was verified using many hPSC lines. Two previously established protocols were also adapted and compared to our synergistic three-phase protocol. Increased efficiency and decreased variability were observed for our differentiation protocol in comparison to the other tested protocols. Furthermore, EPCs derived from hPSCs by our protocol expressed the high-proliferative-potential EPC marker CD157 on their surface in addition to the standard EPC surface markers CD31, CD144, CD34, KDR, and CXCR4. Our protocol enables efficient fully defined production of autologous endothelial progenitors for research and clinical applications.

• Klíčová slova
• differentiation, endothelial progenitors, hESC, hPSC, hiPSC, mesoderm, protocol,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were indicated in vascular repair, angiogenesis of ischemic organs, and inhibition of formation of initial hyperplasia. Differentiation of endothelial cells (ECs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived endothelial cells (hiPSC-ECs) provides an unlimited supply for clinical application. Furthermore, magnetic cell labelling offers an effective way of targeting and visualization of hiPSC-ECs and is the next step towards in vivo studies. METHODS: ECs were differentiated from hiPSCs and labelled with uncoated superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (uSPIONs). uSPION uptake was compared between hiPSC-ECs and mature ECs isolated from patients by software analysis of microscopy pictures after Prussian blue cell staining. The acute and long-term cytotoxic effects of uSPIONs were evaluated by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay) and Annexin assay. RESULTS: We showed, for the first time, uptake of uncoated SPIONs (uSPIONs) by hiPSC-ECs. In comparison with mature ECs of identical genetic background hiPSC-ECs showed lower uSPION uptake. However, all the studied endothelial cells were effectively labelled and showed magnetic properties even with low labelling concentration of uSPIONs. uSPIONs prepared by microwave plasma synthesis did not show any cytotoxicity nor impair endothelial properties. CONCLUSION: We show that hiPSC-ECs labelling with low concentration of uSPIONs is feasible and does not show any toxic effects in vitro, which is an important step towards animal studies.

• Klíčová slova
• differentiation, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells, mature endothelial cells, reprogramming, superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles,
• MeSH
• biologické markery MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace * MeSH
• endoteliální buňky pupečníkové žíly (lidské) MeSH
• endoteliální buňky cytologie   metabolismus   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• imunohistochemie MeSH
• indukované pluripotentní kmenové buňky cytologie   metabolismus   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetické nanočástice * chemie   MeSH
• viabilita buněk MeSH
• železité sloučeniny * chemie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• biologické markery MeSH
• ferric oxide MeSH Prohlížeč
• magnetické nanočástice * MeSH
• železité sloučeniny * MeSH

Recent data on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) show myocyte progenitor's involvement in the disease pathology often leading to the DMD patient's death. The molecular mechanism underlying stem cell impairment in DMD has not been described. We created dystrophin-deficient human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines by reprogramming cells from two DMD patients, and also by introducing dystrophin mutation into human embryonic stem cells via CRISPR/Cas9. While dystrophin is expressed in healthy hPSC, its deficiency in DMD hPSC lines induces the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through dysregulated activity of all three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (further abrev. as, NOS). NOS-induced ROS release leads to DNA damage and genomic instability in DMD hPSC. We were able to reduce both the ROS release as well as DNA damage to the level of wild-type hPSC by inhibiting NOS activity.

• Klíčová slova
• DMD, NO synthases, ROS, dystrophin, genome stability, pluripotent stem cells,
• MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• Duchennova muskulární dystrofie genetika   MeSH
• dystrofin nedostatek   genetika   MeSH
• indukované pluripotentní kmenové buňky metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nestabilita genomu * MeSH
• oxidační stres MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus   MeSH
• synthasa oxidu dusnatého, typ I metabolismus   MeSH
• synthasa oxidu dusnatého, typ II metabolismus   MeSH
• synthasa oxidu dusnatého, typ III metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• dystrofin MeSH
• NOS1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• NOS2 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• NOS3 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• reaktivní formy kyslíku MeSH
• synthasa oxidu dusnatého, typ I MeSH
• synthasa oxidu dusnatého, typ II MeSH
• synthasa oxidu dusnatého, typ III MeSH

New approaches in regenerative medicine and vasculogenesis have generated a demand for sufficient numbers of human endothelial cells (ECs). ECs and their progenitors reside on the interior surface of blood and lymphatic vessels or circulate in peripheral blood; however, their numbers are limited, and they are difficult to expand after isolation. Recent advances in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) research have opened possible avenues to generate unlimited numbers of ECs from easily accessible cell sources, such as the peripheral blood. In this study, we reprogrammed peripheral blood mononuclear cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and human saphenous vein endothelial cells (HSVECs) into hiPSCs and differentiated them into ECs. The phenotype profiles, functionality, and genome stability of all hiPSC-derived ECs were assessed and compared with HUVECs and HSVECs. hiPSC-derived ECs resembled their natural EC counterparts, as shown by the expression of the endothelial surface markers CD31 and CD144 and the results of the functional analysis. Higher expression of endothelial progenitor markers CD34 and kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) was measured in hiPSC-derived ECs. An analysis of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) foci revealed that an increased number of DNA double-strand breaks upon reprogramming into pluripotent cells. However, differentiation into ECs restored a normal number of γH2AX foci. Our hiPSCs retained a normal karyotype, with the exception of the HSVEC-derived hiPSC line, which displayed mosaicism due to a gain of chromosome 1. Peripheral blood from adult donors is a suitable source for the unlimited production of patient-specific ECs through the hiPSC interstage. hiPSC-derived ECs are fully functional and comparable to natural ECs. The protocol is eligible for clinical applications in regenerative medicine, if the genomic stability of the pluripotent cell stage is closely monitored.

• Klíčová slova
• endothelial differentiation, induced pluripotent stem cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells,
• MeSH
• biologické markery metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace fyziologie   MeSH
• endoteliální buňky pupečníkové žíly (lidské) cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• endoteliální buňky cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• fibroblasty cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• fyziologická neovaskularizace fyziologie   MeSH
• indukované pluripotentní kmenové buňky cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• leukocyty mononukleární cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• regenerativní lékařství metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• biologické markery MeSH

BACKGROUND: Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) play roles in both disease modelling and regenerative medicine. It is critical that the genomic integrity of the cells remains intact and that the DNA repair systems are fully functional. In this article, we focused on the detection of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by phosphorylated histone H2AX (known as γH2AX) and p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) in three distinct lines of hiPSCs, their source cells, and one line of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). METHODS: We measured spontaneously occurring DSBs throughout the process of fibroblast reprogramming and during long-term in vitro culturing. To assess the variations in the functionality of the DNA repair system among the samples, the number of DSBs induced by γ-irradiation and the decrease over time was analysed. The foci number was detected by fluorescence microscopy separately for the G1 and S/G2 cell cycle phases. RESULTS: We demonstrated that fibroblasts contained a low number of non-replication-related DSBs, while this number increased after reprogramming into hiPSCs and then decreased again after long-term in vitro passaging. The artificial induction of DSBs revealed that the repair mechanisms function well in the source cells and hiPSCs at low passages, but fail to recognize a substantial proportion of DSBs at high passages. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations suggest that cellular reprogramming increases the DSB number but that the repair mechanism functions well. However, after prolonged in vitro culturing of hiPSCs, the repair capacity decreases.

• Klíčová slova
• 53BP1, DNA double-strand breaks, DNA repair, Human induced pluripotent stem cells, Long-term in vitro culture, γH2AX,
• MeSH
• 53BP1 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• DNA genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• dvouřetězcové zlomy DNA * účinky záření   MeSH
• exprese genu MeSH
• fibroblasty cytologie   metabolismus   účinky záření   MeSH
• fosforylace účinky záření   MeSH
• histony genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• indukované pluripotentní kmenové buňky cytologie   metabolismus   účinky záření   MeSH
• kontrolní body fáze G1 buněčného cyklu genetika   MeSH
• kontrolní body fáze G2 buněčného cyklu genetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lidské embryonální kmenové buňky cytologie   metabolismus   účinky záření   MeSH
• oprava DNA genetika   MeSH
• přeprogramování buněk MeSH
• stárnutí buněk genetika   účinky záření   MeSH
• záření gama MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 53BP1 MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• H2AX protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• histony MeSH
• TP53BP1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč

The potential clinical applications of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are limited by genetic and epigenetic variations among hiPSC lines and the question of their equivalency with human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We used MethylScreen technology to determine the DNA methylation profile of pluripotency and differentiation markers in hiPSC lines from different source cell types compared to hESCs and hiPSC source cells. After derivation, hiPSC lines compromised a heterogeneous population characterized by variable levels of aberrant DNA methylation. These aberrations were induced during somatic cell reprogramming and their levels were associated with the type of hiPSC source cells. hiPSC population heterogeneity was reduced during prolonged culture and hiPSCs acquired an hESC-like methylation profile. In contrast, the expression of differentiation marker genes in hiPSC lines remained distinguishable from that in hESCs. Taken together, in vitro culture facilitates hiPSC acquisition of hESC epigenetic characteristics. However, differences remain between both pluripotent stem cell types, which must be considered before their use in downstream applications.

• MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace genetika   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• fibroblasty cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• indukované pluripotentní kmenové buňky cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lidské embryonální kmenové buňky cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• metylace DNA * MeSH
• přeprogramování buněk genetika   MeSH
• shluková analýza MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH