Manufacturing of human corneal endothelial grafts.

PURPOSE: Human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) play a significant role in maintaining visual function. However, these cells are notorious for their limited proliferative capacity in vivo. Current treatment of corneal endothelial dysfunction resorts to corneal transplantation. Herein we describe an ex vivo engineering method to manufacture HCEC grafts suitable for transplantation through reprogramming into neural crest progenitors. METHODS: HCECs were isolated by collagenase A from stripped Descemet membrane of cadaveric corneoscleral rims, and induced reprogramming via knockdown with p120 and Kaiso siRNAs on collagen IV-coated atelocollagen. Engineered HCEC grafts were released after assessing their identity, potency, viability, purity and sterility. Phase contrast was used for monitoring cell shape, graft size, and cell density. Immunostaining was used to determine the normal HCEC phenotype with expression of N-cadherin, ZO-1, ATPase, acetyl-α-tubulin, γ-tubulin, p75NTR, α-catenin, ß-catenin, and F-actin. Stability of manufactured HCEC graft was evaluated after transit and storage for up to 3 weeks. The pump function of HCEC grafts was measured by lactate efflux. RESULTS: One HCEC graft suitable for corneal transplantation was generated from 1/8th of the donor corneoscleral rim with normal hexagonal cell shape, density, and phenotype. The manufactured grafts were stable for up to 3 weeks at 37 °C or up to 1 week at 22 °C in MESCM medium and after transcontinental shipping at room temperature by retaining normal morphology (hexagonal, >2000 cells/mm2, >8 mm diameter), phenotype, and pump function. CONCLUSIONS: This regenerative strategy through knockdown with p120 and Kaiso siRNAs can be used to manufacture HCEC grafts with normal phenotype, morphology and pump function following prolonged storage and shipping.

Engineering of Human Corneal Endothelial Grafts.

Human corneal endothelial cells (HCEC) play a pivotal role in maintaining corneal transparency. Unlike in other species, HCEC are notorious for their limited proliferative capacity in vivo after diseases, injury, aging, and surgery. Persistent HCEC dysfunction leads to sight-threatening bullous keratopathy with either an insufficient cell density or retrocorneal membrane due to endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Presently, the only solution to restore vision in eyes inflicted with bullous keratopathy or retrocorneal membrane relies upon transplantation of a cadaver human donor cornea containing a healthy corneal endothelium. Due to a severe global shortage of donor corneas, in conjunction with an increasing trend toward endothelial keratoplasty, it is opportune to develop a tissue engineering strategy to produce HCEC grafts. Prior attempts of producing these grafts by unlocking the contact inhibition-mediated mitotic block using trypsin-EDTA and culturing of single HCEC in a bFGF-containing medium run the risk of losing the normal phenotype to EMT by activating canonical Wnt signaling and TGF-ß signaling. Herein, we summarize our novel approach in engineering HCEC grafts based on selective activation of p120-Kaiso signaling that is coordinated with activation of Rho-ROCK-canonical BMP signaling to reprogram HCEC into neural crest progenitors. Successful commercialization of this engineering technology will not only fulfill the global unmet need but also encourage the scientific community to re-think how cell-cell junctions can be safely perturbed to uncover novel therapeutic potentials in other model systems.

[Inhibition of malignant activities of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell by ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene].

OBJECTIVE: To study effects of ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene on the malignant activi-BCSC-1 cDNA was isolated by RT-PCR ties of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-2L2. METHODS: and inserted into pMAL-c2X and pcDNA4/myc-His A. BCSC-1 protein was expressed in prokaryocytes. Rabbit antiserum to BCSC-1 was developed by means of immunization of rabbit with the BCSC-1 protein. Expression of BCSC-1 gene in wild type CNE-2L2 cell (W cell) was examined by real-time RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining with the antiserum as a probe. pcDNA4/myc-His A-BCSC-1 was transfected into W cell at the presence of LipofectAmine. The cells were selected by G418 and cloned. Ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene in W cell was examined by Western blot. Cell growth was detected by drawing of growth curves and colony formation tests. Cells were inoculated into nude mice. Size of tumors was assayed once a week. Lungs of the mice were sectioned continuously and metastatic loci in lungs were examined upon a microscope. RESULTS: Rabbit BCSC-1 antiserum was prepared. Expression of BCSC-1 gene in W cell was found to be very low. CNE-2L2 cell with ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene was developed. Growth in vitro, colony formation, tumorigenesis in nude mice, and lung metastasis of the tumor were profoundly inhibited of the cell with ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene in comparison with controls, wild type cell and the cell transfected with mock. Conclusion Ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene exerts profound inhibitive effect on the malignant activities of CNE-2L2 cell.

[Ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene results in enhancement of adhesion and cell cycling blockade of nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2L2 cell].

OBJECTIVE: To study mechanisms of reduction of the malignant activities of human naso-pharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-2L2 induced by ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene. METHODS: DNA was stained with propidium iodide and assayed upon a flow cytometer. Chromosomes were stained with Hoechest 33258. Adhesion of CNE-2L2 cells was detected by cell aggregation test. Protein expression on CNE-2L2 cells was examined by Western blot. RESULTS: Cell cycle analysis showed that the percentage of CNE-2L2 cells was 55.1%, 43.4%, and 39.4% in G0/G1 phase, 25.2%, 28.7%, and 30.9% in S phase, and 19.7%, 27.9%, and 29.7% in G2/M phase for the cell with ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene, wild type cell (W cells), and the cell transduced with the mock (M cell). Many mitotic cells were found in W cells and M cells. In contrast, almost no mitotic cell was observed in the cells with ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene. Ectopic BCSC-1 expression resulted in cell aggregation, enhanced expression of E-cadherin, cx-catenin, and p53. CONCLUSIONS: Ectopic BCSC-1 expression causes enhancement of adhesion of CNE-2L2 cells associated with enhanced expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin, arrest of cell in G1 phase, which may be associated with enhanced expression of p53. These alteration may play a role in the reduction of malignant activities of the cells with ectopic expression of BCSC-1 gene.

Inhibition of the alpha-mannosidase Man2c1 gene expression enhances adhesion of Jurkat cells.

Protein N-glycosylation plays very important roles in immunity and alpha-mannosidase is one of the key enzymes in N-glycosylation. This paper reports that inhibition of alpha-mannosidase Man2c1 gene expression enhances adhesion of Jurkat T cells. In comparison to the controls with normal expression of the enzyme, Jurkat cells with the inhibition of Man2c1 gene expression (AS cell) formed larger aggregates in culture, indicating an enhancement of adhesion between the cells. mRNA differential display analysis discovered up-regulation of several adhesion molecule genes in the AS cell. Because of the pivotal role played by CD54-LFA-1 interaction in immune cell interaction, this study focused on the contribution of enhanced expression of CD54 and LFA-1 to the enhanced adhesion of AS Jurkat cells. These facts, including increased binding of AS cells to ICAM-1-Fc, Mg(2+) activation of the binding of AS cells to ICAM-1-Fc and enhanced aggregation of AS cells, together with the inhibiting effect of a blocking CD11a mAb on the binding to ICAM-1-Fc and aggregation of the cells demonstrate an important contribution of enhanced CD54-LFA-1 interaction to increased adhesion between AS cells. The enhanced CD54-LFA-1 interaction also resulted in increased adhesion between AS Jurkat T cells and Raji B cells. In addition, AS cells showed cytoskeletal rearrangement. The data imply a biological significance of MAN2C1 in T-cell functioning.

[Differential gene expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell with reduced and normal expression of 6A8 alpha-mannosidase].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the differential display of mRNA expression between human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-2L2 with reduced malignancy caused by transduction of a DNA antisense to 6A8 alpha-mannosidase cDNA (AS cell) and the wild type cell (W cell). METHODS: Differential display of mRNA expression was analyzed using DNA microarray analysis. The datasets were confirmed by Northern blotting and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Out of the 1069 genes analyzed, 34 genes were up-regulated in AS cells relative to W cells. Conversely, 42 genes were down-regulated. The genes, up-regulation of which might have suppressive effect on tumor malignant behaviors, were P130 mRNA for 130K protein, TGF-betaIIR alpha, GABBR1, TGFBR1, TNFAIP1, STANIN, E-CADHERIN, CTNNA1 and 2, RFX2, TMPO, etc. The genes, down-regulation of which might have suppressive effect on tumor malignant behaviors, were CD44, NDRG1, TGFB1, RPS5, LEGUMAIIN, CBS, CD59, SNRPA1, etc. The microarray datasets were confirmed by Northern blot and RT-PCR analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to the W cell, AS cell has up-regulation of 34 genes and down-regulation of 42 genes. Changes of the gene expression may play a role in the malignancy reduction of AS cell.