Human heart tissues grown as three-dimensional spheroids and consisting of different cardiac cell types derived from pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) recapitulate aspects of human physiology better... Show moreHuman heart tissues grown as three-dimensional spheroids and consisting of different cardiac cell types derived from pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) recapitulate aspects of human physiology better than standard two- dimensional models in vitro. They typically consist of less than 5000 cells and are used to measure contraction kinetics although not contraction force. By contrast, engineered heart tissues (EHTs) formed around two flexible pillars, can measure contraction force but conventional EHTs often require between 0.5 and 2 million cells. This makes large-scale screening of many EHTs costly. Our goals here were (i) to create a physiologically relevant model that required fewer cells than standard EHTs making them less expensive, and (ii) to ensure that this miniaturized model retained correct functionality. We demonstrated that fully functional EHTs could be generated from physiologically relevant combinations of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (70%), cardiac fibro-blasts (15%) and cardiac endothelial cells (15%), using as few as 1.6 ×104 cells. Our results showed that these EHTs were viable and functional up to 14 days after formation. The EHTs could be electrically paced in the frequency range between 0.6 and 3 Hz, with the optimum between 0.6 and 2 Hz. This was consistent across three downscaled EHT sizes tested. These findings suggest that miniaturized EHTs could represent a cost-effective microphysiological system for disease modelling and examining drug responses particularly in secondary screens for drug discovery. Show less
The aim of this thesis was to combine transcriptomics, genetics and human disease modelling to obtain further insight into molecular processes underlying osteoarthritis. More specifically, we aimed... Show moreThe aim of this thesis was to combine transcriptomics, genetics and human disease modelling to obtain further insight into molecular processes underlying osteoarthritis. More specifically, we aimed to elucidate the role of long noncoding RNAs expression changes as aberrant epigenetic mechanism in regulating gene expression in chondrocytes. We identified previously unknown long noncoding RNAs associated with the osteoarthritic process and showed enrichment for cis¬-regulation of these long noncoding RNAs with target messenger RNAs.To provide insight in the etiology of osteoarthritis, causal pathways can be identified by unravelling the substantial genetic component. To this end, we investigated the biological functionality of the high-impact, pathogenic mutation identified in the gene fibronectin1 in an early-onset osteoarthritis family. We demonstrated that the identified causal missense mutation in the gelatin-binding domain of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin resulted in significant decreased binding capacity to collagen type II.Finally, the common function of fibronectin1 was investigated in cartilage and what changes occur at the transcript level of fibronectin1 with osteoarthritis. Down-regulation of full-length fibronectin was unbeneficial for in vitro chondrogenesis, we hypothesize that this was caused by decreased availability of the classical integrin binding site of fibronectin. Show less
Although mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from primary tissues have been successfully applied in the clinic, their expansion capabilities are limited and results are variable. MSCs derived from... Show moreAlthough mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from primary tissues have been successfully applied in the clinic, their expansion capabilities are limited and results are variable. MSCs derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiMSCs) are expected to overcome these limitations and serve as a reproducible and sustainable cell source. We have explored characteristics and therapeutic potential of hiMSCs in comparison to hBMSCs. RNA sequencing confirmed high resemblance, with average Pearson correlation of 0.88 and Jaccard similarity index of 0.99, and similar to hBMSCs the hiMSCs released extracellular vesicles with in vitro immunomodulatory properties. Potency assay with TNF alpha and IFN gamma demonstrated an increase in well-known immunomodulatory genes such as IDO1, CXCL8/IL8, and HLA-DRA which was also highlighted by enhanced secretion in the media. Notably, expression of 125 genes increased more than 1000-fold. These genes were predicted to be regulated by NFKB signaling, known to play a central role in immune response. Altogether, our data qualify hiMSCs as a promising source for cell therapy and/or cell-based therapeutic products. Additionally, the herewith generated database will add to our understanding of the mode of action of regenerative cell-based therapies and could be used to identify relevant potency markers. Show less
Gabbin, B.; Meraviglia, V.; Mummery, C.L.; Rabelink, T.J.; Meer, B.J. van; Berg, C.W. van den; Bellin, M. 2022
Heart and kidney diseases cause high morbidity and mortality. Heart and kidneys have vital functions in the human body and, interestingly, reciprocally influence each other's behavior: pathological... Show moreHeart and kidney diseases cause high morbidity and mortality. Heart and kidneys have vital functions in the human body and, interestingly, reciprocally influence each other's behavior: pathological changes in one organ can damage the other. Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a group of disorders in which there is combined dysfunction of both heart and kidney, but its underlying biological mechanisms are not fully understood. This is because complex, multifactorial, and dynamic mechanisms are likely involved. Effective treatments are currently unavailable, but this may be resolved if more was known about how the disease develops and progresses. To date, CRS has actually only been modeled in mice and rats in vivo. Even though these models can capture cardiorenal interaction, they are difficult to manipulate and control. Moreover, interspecies differences may limit extrapolation to patients. The questions we address here are what would it take to model CRS in vitro and how far are we? There are already multiple independent in vitro (human) models of heart and kidney, but none have so far captured their dynamic organ-organ crosstalk. Advanced in vitro human models can provide an insight in disease mechanisms and offer a platform for therapy development. CRS represents an exemplary disease illustrating the need to develop more complex models to study organ-organ interaction in-a-dish. Human induced pluripotent stem cells in combination with microfluidic chips are one powerful tool with potential to recapitulate the characteristics of CRS in vitro. In this review, we provide an overview of the existing in vivo and in vitro models to study CRS, their limitations and new perspectives on how heart-kidney physiological and pathological interaction could be investigated in vitro for future applications. Show less
Ruiz, A.R.; Hoolwerff, M. van; Sprangers, S.; Suchiman, E.; Schoenmaker, T.; Dibbets-Schneider, P.; ... ; Meulenbelt, I. 2022
Objectives: To study the mechanism by which the readthrough mutation in TNFRSF11B, encoding osteoprotegerin (OPG) with additional 19 amino acids at its C-terminus (OPG-XL), causes the... Show moreObjectives: To study the mechanism by which the readthrough mutation in TNFRSF11B, encoding osteoprotegerin (OPG) with additional 19 amino acids at its C-terminus (OPG-XL), causes the characteristic bidirectional phenotype of subchondral bone turnover accompanied by cartilage mineralization in chondrocalcinosis patients. Methods: OPG-XL was studied by human induced pluripotent stem cells expressing OPG-XL and two isogenic CRISPR/Cas9-corrected controls in cartilage and bone organoids. Osteoclastogenesis was studied with monocytes from OPG-XL carriers and matched healthy controls followed by gene expression characterization. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scans and MRI analyses were used to characterize the phenotype of carriers and non-carriers of the mutation. Results: Human OPG-XL carriers relative to sex- and age-matched controls showed, after an initial delay, large active osteoclasts with high number of nuclei. By employing hiPSCs expressing OPG-XL and isogenic CRISPR/Cas9-corrected controls to established cartilage and bone organoids, we demonstrated that expression of OPG-XL resulted in excessive fibrosis in cartilage and high mineralization in bone accompanied by marked downregulation of MGP, encoding matrix Gla protein, and upregulation of DIO2, encoding type 2 deiodinase, gene expression, respectively. Conclusions: The readthrough mutation at CCAL1 locus in TNFRSF11B identifies an unknown role for OPG-XL in subchondral bone turnover and cartilage mineralization in humans via DIO2 and MGP functions. Previously, OPG-XL was shown to affect binding between RANKL and heparan sulphate (HS) resulting in loss of immobilized OPG-XL. Therefore, effects may be triggered by deficiency in the immobilization of OPG-XL Since the characteristic bidirectional pathophysiology of articular cartilage calcification accompanied by low subchondral bone mineralization is also a hallmark of OA pathophysiology, our results are likely extrapolated to common arthropathies. Show less
Kholosy, W.M.; Visscher, M.; Ogink, K.; Buttstedt, H.; Griffin, K.; Beier, A.; ... ; Chatsisvili, A. 2021
The advent of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has transformed the field of human genome engineering and has created new perspectives in the development of innovative cell therapies. However, the absence of... Show moreThe advent of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has transformed the field of human genome engineering and has created new perspectives in the development of innovative cell therapies. However, the absence of a simple, fast and efficient delivery method of CRISPR/Cas9 into primary human cells has been limiting the progress of CRISPR/ Cas9-based therapies. Here, we describe an optimized protocol for iTOP-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 in various human cells, including primary T cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), Jurkat, ARPE-19 and HEK293 cells. We compare iTOP to other CRISPR/Cas9 delivery methods, such as electroporation and lipofection, and evaluate the corresponding gene-editing efficiencies and post-treatment cell viabilities. We demonstrate that the gene editing achieved by iTOP-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 is 40-95 % depending on the cell type, while post-iTOP cell viability remains high in the range of 70-95 %. Collectively, we present an optimized workflow for a simple, high-throughput and effective iTOP-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer difficult-to-transduce human cells. We believe that the iTOP technology (R) could contribute to the development of novel CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapies. Show less
Ruiz, A.R.; Dicks, A.; Tuerlings, M.; Schepers, K.; Pel, M. van; Nelissen, R.G.H.H.; ... ; Ramos, Y.F.M. 2021
Cartilage has little intrinsic capacity for repair, so transplantation of exogenous cartilage cells is considered a realistic option for cartilage regeneration. We explored whether human-induced... Show moreCartilage has little intrinsic capacity for repair, so transplantation of exogenous cartilage cells is considered a realistic option for cartilage regeneration. We explored whether human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) could represent such unlimited cell sources for neo-cartilage comparable to human primary articular chondrocytes (hPACs) or human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hBMSCs). For this, chondroprogenitor cells (hiCPCs) and hiPSC-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hiMSCs) were generated from two independent hiPSC lines and characterized by morphology, flow cytometry, and differentiation potential. Chondrogenesis was compared to hBMSCs and hPACs by histology, immunohistochemistry, and RT-qPCR, while similarities were estimated based on Pearson correlations using a panel of 20 relevant genes. Our data show successful differentiations of hiPSC into hiMSCs and hiCPCs. Characteristic hBMSC markers were shared between hBMSCs and hiMSCs, with the exception of CD146 and CD45. However, neo-cartilage generated from hiMSCs showed low resemblances when compared to hBMSCs (53%) and hPACs (39%) characterized by lower collagen type 2 and higher collagen type 1 expression. Contrarily, hiCPC neo-cartilage generated neo-cartilage more similar to hPACs (65%), with stronger expression of matrix deposition markers. Our study shows that taking a stepwise approach to generate neo-cartilage from hiPSCs via chondroprogenitor cells results in strong similarities to neo-cartilage of hPACs within 3 weeks following chondrogenesis, making them a potential candidate for regenerative therapies. Contrarily, neo-cartilage deposited by hiMSCs seems more prone to hypertrophic characteristics compared to hPACs. We therefore compared chondrocytes derived from hiMSCs and hiCPCs with hPACs and hBMSCs to outline similarities and differences between their neo-cartilage and establish their potential suitability for regenerative medicine and disease modelling. Show less
Iuliano, A.; Wal, E. van der; Ruijmbeek, C.W.B.; in't Groen, S.L.M.; Pijnappel, W.W.M.P.; Greef, J.C. de; Saggiomo, V. 2020
The transition from 2D to 3D engineered tissue cultures is changing the way biologists can perform in vitro functional studies. However, there has been a paucity in the establishment of methods... Show moreThe transition from 2D to 3D engineered tissue cultures is changing the way biologists can perform in vitro functional studies. However, there has been a paucity in the establishment of methods required for the generation of microdevices and cost-effective scaling up. To date, approaches including multistep photolithography, milling and 3D printing have been used that involve specialized and expensive equipment or time-consuming steps with variable success. Here, a fabrication pipeline is presented based on affordable off-the-shelf 3D printers and novel replica molding strategies for rapid and easy in-house production of hundreds of 3D culture devices per day, with customizable size and geometry. This pipeline is applied to generate tissue engineered skeletal muscles in vitro using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived myogenic progenitors. These production methods can be employed in any standard biomedical laboratory. Show less
