Mis-expression of GATA6 re-programs cell fate during early hematopoiesis.

The traditional view of hematopoiesis is that myeloid cells derive from a common myeloid progenitor (CMP), whereas all lymphoid cell populations, including B, T, and natural killer (NK) cells and possibly plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), arise from a common lymphoid progenitor (CLP). In Max41 transgenic mice, nearly all B cells seem to be diverted into the granulocyte lineage. Here, we show that these mice have an excess of myeloid progenitors, but their CLP compartment is ablated, and they have few pDCs. Nevertheless, T cell and NK cell development proceeds relatively normally. These hematopoietic abnormalities result from aberrant expression of Gata6 due to serendipitous insertion of the transgene enhancer (Eµ) in its proximity. Gata6 mis-expression in Max41 transgenic progenitors promoted the gene-regulatory networks that drive myelopoiesis through increasing expression of key transcription factors, including PU.1 and C/EBPa. Thus, mis-expression of a single key regulator like GATA6 can dramatically re-program multiple aspects of hematopoiesis.

Comparability of automated human induced pluripotent stem cell culture: a pilot study.

Consistent and robust manufacturing is essential for the translation of cell therapies, and the utilisation automation throughout the manufacturing process may allow for improvements in quality control, scalability, reproducibility and economics of the process. The aim of this study was to measure and establish the comparability between alternative process steps for the culture of hiPSCs. Consequently, the effects of manual centrifugation and automated non-centrifugation process steps, performed using TAP Biosystems' CompacT SelecT automated cell culture platform, upon the culture of a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line (VAX001024c07) were compared. This study, has demonstrated that comparable morphologies and cell diameters were observed in hiPSCs cultured using either manual or automated process steps. However, non-centrifugation hiPSC populations exhibited greater cell yields, greater aggregate rates, increased pluripotency marker expression, and decreased differentiation marker expression compared to centrifugation hiPSCs. A trend for decreased variability in cell yield was also observed after the utilisation of the automated process step. This study also highlights the detrimental effect of the cryopreservation and thawing processes upon the growth and characteristics of hiPSC cultures, and demonstrates that automated hiPSC manufacturing protocols can be successfully transferred between independent laboratories.

Induced pluripotent stem cells reveal functional differences between drugs currently investigated in patients with hutchinson-gilford progeria syndrome.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is a rare congenital disease characterized by premature aging in children. Identification of the mutation and related molecular mechanisms has rapidly led to independent clinical trials testing different marketed drugs with a preclinically documented impact on those mechanisms. However, the extensive functional effects of those drugs remain essentially unexplored. We have undertaken a systematic comparative study of the three main treatments currently administered or proposed to progeria-affected children, namely, a farnesyltransferase inhibitor, the combination of an aminobisphosphonate and a statin (zoledronate and pravastatin), and the macrolide antibiotic rapamycin. This work was based on the assumption that mesodermal stem cells, which are derived from Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome-induced pluripotent stem cells expressing major defects associated with the disease, may be instrumental to revealing such effects. Whereas all three treatments significantly improved misshapen cell nuclei typically associated with progeria, differences were observed in terms of functional improvement in prelamin A farnesylation, progerin expression, defective cell proliferation, premature osteogenic differentiation, and ATP production. Finally, we have evaluated the effect of the different drug combinations on this cellular model. This study revealed no additional benefit compared with single-drug treatments, whereas a cytostatic effect equivalent to that of a farnesyltransferase inhibitor alone was systematically observed. Altogether, these results reveal the complexity of the modes of action of different drugs, even when they have been selected on the basis of a similar mechanistic hypothesis, and underscore the use of induced pluripotent stem cell derivatives as a critical and powerful tool for standardized, comparative pharmacological studies.

The implementation of novel collaborative structures for the identification and resolution of barriers to pluripotent stem cell translation.

Increased global connectivity has catalyzed technological development in almost all industries, in part through the facilitation of novel collaborative structures. Notably, open innovation and crowd-sourcing-of expertise and/or funding-has tremendous potential to increase the efficiency with which biomedical ecosystems interact to deliver safe, efficacious and affordable therapies to patients. Consequently, such practices offer tremendous potential in advancing development of cellular therapies. In this vein, the CASMI Translational Stem Cell Consortium (CTSCC) was formed to unite global thought-leaders, producing academically rigorous and commercially practicable solutions to a range of challenges in pluripotent stem cell translation. Critically, the CTSCC research agenda is defined through continuous consultation with its international funding and research partners. Herein, initial findings for all research focus areas are presented to inform global product development strategies, and to stimulate continued industry interaction around biomanufacturing, strategic partnerships, standards, regulation and intellectual property and clinical adoption.

High-efficiency derivation of human embryonic stem cell lines following pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis allows the characterisation of embryos that carry a gene responsible for a severe monogenic disease and to transfer to the mother's uterus only the unaffected one(s). The genetically affected embryos can be used to establish human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines. We are currently establishing a cell bank of ESC lines carrying specific disease-causing mutant genes. These cell lines are available to the scientific community. For this purpose, we have designed a technique that requires only minimal manipulation of the embryos. At the blastocyst stage, we just removed the zona pellucida before seeding the embryo as a whole on a layer of feeder cells. This approach gave a good success rate (>20%), whatever the quality of the embryos, and allowed us to derive 11 new hESC lines, representing seven different pathologies. Full phenotypic validation of the cell lines according to ISCI guidelines confirmed their pluripotent nature, as they were positive for hESC markers and able to differentiate in vitro in all three germ layers derivatives. Nine out of 11 stem cell lines had normal karyotypes. Our results indicate that inner cell mass isolation is not mandatory for hESC derivation and that minimal manipulation of embryos can lead to high success rate.

Human embryonic stem cells and genomic instability.

Owing to their original properties, pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their progenies are highly valuable not only for regenerative medicine, but also as tools to study development and pathologies or as cellular substrates to screen and test new drugs. However, ensuring their genomic integrity is one important prerequisite for both research and therapeutic applications. Until recently, several studies about the genomic stability of cultured hESCs had described chromosomal or else large genomic alterations detectable with conventional karyotypic methods. In the past year, several laboratories have reported many small genomic alterations, in the megabase-sized range, using more sensitive karyotyping methods, showing that hESCs are prone to acquire focal genomic abnormalities in culture. As these alterations were found to be nonrandom, these findings strongly advocate for high-resolution monitoring of human pluripotent stem cell lines, especially when intended to be used for clinical applications.

In vivo and in absence of a thymus, the enforced expression of the Notch ligands delta-1 or delta-4 promotes T cell development with specific unique effects.

The role of Notch signaling in T cell commitment during lymphoid development is well established. However, the identity of the ligand that triggers this critical signal in vivo is still unclear. By overexpressing Delta-1 and Delta-4 ligands in the hemopoietic cells of athymic nu/nu host mice, we demonstrate that, in vivo and in the absence of a thymus, Delta-1 or Delta-4 expression is sufficient to promote T cell development from the most immature progenitor stages to complete maturation of both CD8(+) and CD4(+) alphabeta T cells. The mature T cells developing in a Delta-1- or Delta-4-enriched environment express a diverse TCR repertoire, are able to proliferate upon in vitro TCR stimulation, but show different profiles of cytokine production after in vitro anti-CD3 stimulation.

The notch ligand Delta1 recruits Dlg1 at cell-cell contacts and regulates cell migration.

Delta1 acts as a membrane-bound ligand that interacts with the Notch receptor and plays a critical role in cell fate specification. By using peptide affinity chromatography followed by mass spectrometry, we have identified Dlg1 as a partner of the Delta1 C-terminal region. Dlg1 is a human homolog of the Drosophila Discs large tumor suppressor, a member of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase family of molecular scaffolds. We confirmed this interaction by co-immunoprecipitation experiments between endogenous Dlg1 and transduced Delta1 in a 3T3 cell line stably expressing Delta1. Moreover, we showed that deletion of a canonical C-terminal PDZ-binding motif (ATEV) in Delta1 abrogated this interaction. Delta4 also interacted with Dlg1, whereas Jagged1, another Notch ligand, did not. In HeLa cells, transfected Delta1 triggered the accumulation of endogenous Dlg1 at sites of cell-cell contact. Expression of Delta1 also reduced the motility of 3T3 cells. Finally, deletion of the ATEV motif totally abolished these effects but did not interfere with the ability of Delta1 to induce Notch signaling and T cell differentiation in co-culture experiments. These results point to a new, probably cell-autonomous function of Delta1, which is independent of its activity as a Notch ligand.

TNF deficiency fails to protect BAFF transgenic mice against autoimmunity and reveals a predisposition to B cell lymphoma.

TNF is well characterized as a mediator of inflammatory responses. TNF also facilitates organization of secondary lymphoid organs, particularly B cell follicles and germinal centers, a hallmark of T-dependent Ab responses. TNF also mediates defense against tumors. We examined the role of TNF in the development of inflammatory autoimmune disorders resembling systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome induced by excess B cell-activating factor belonging to the TNF family (BAFF), by generating BAFF-transgenic (Tg) mice lacking TNF. TNF(-/-) BAFF-Tg mice resembled TNF(-/-) mice, in that they lacked B cell follicles, follicular dendritic cells, and germinal centers, and have impaired responses to T-dependent Ags. Nevertheless, TNF(-/-) BAFF-Tg mice developed autoimmune disorders similar to that of BAFF-Tg mice. Disease in TNF(-/-) BAFF-Tg mice correlates with the expansion of transitional type 2 and marginal zone B cell populations and enhanced T-independent immune responses. TNF deficiency in BAFF-Tg mice also led to a surprisingly high incidence of B cell lymphomas (>35%), which most likely resulted from the combined effects of BAFF promotion of neoplastic B cell survival, coupled with lack of protective antitumor defense by TNF. Thus, TNF appears to be dispensable for BAFF-mediated autoimmune disorders and may, in fact, counter any proneoplastic effects of high levels of BAFF in diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The Notch ligand Delta1 is sequentially cleaved by an ADAM protease and gamma-secretase.

Notch signaling is involved in numerous cell fate decisions in invertebrates and vertebrates. The Notch receptor is a type I transmembrane (TM) protein that undergoes two proteolytic steps after ligand binding, first by an ADAM (a distintegrin and metalloprotease) in the extracellular region, followed by gamma-secretase-mediated cleavage inside the TM domain. We demonstrate here that the murine ligand Delta1 (Dll1) undergoes the same sequence of cleavages, in an apparently signal-independent manner. Identification of the ADAM-mediated shedding site localized 10 aa N-terminal to the TM domain has enabled us to generate a noncleavable mutant. Kuzbanian/ADAM10 is involved in this processing event, but other proteases can probably substitute for it. We then show that Dll1 is part of a high-molecular-weight complex containing presenilin1 and undergoes further cleavage by a gamma-secretase-like activity, therefore releasing the intracellular domain that localizes in part to the nucleus. Using the shedding-resistant mutant, we demonstrate that this gamma-secretase cleavage depends on prior ectodomain shedding. Therefore Dll1 is a substrate for regulated intramembrane proteolysis, and its intracellular region possibly fulfills a specific function in the nucleus.