Transdifferentiation has been recently described as a novel method for converting human fibroblasts into induced cardiomyocyte-like cells. Such an approach can produce differentiated cells to study physiology or pathophysiology, examine drug interactions or toxicities, and engineer tissues. Here we describe the transdifferentiation of human dermal fibroblasts towards the cardiac cell lineage via the induced expression of transcription factors (TFs) GATA4, TBX5, MEF2C, MYOCD, NKX2-5, and delivery of microRNAs miR-1 and miR-133a. Cells undergoing transdifferentiation expressed ACTN2 and TNNT2 and partially organized their cytoskeleton in a cross-striated manner. The conversion process was associated with significant upregulation of a cohort of cardiac-specific genes, activation of pathways associated with muscle contraction and physiology, and downregulation of fibroblastic markers. We used a genetically encoded calcium indicator and readily detected active calcium transients although no spontaneous contractions were observed in transdifferentiated cells. Finally, we determined that inhibition of Janus kinase 1, inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3, or addition of NRG1 significantly enhanced the efficiency of transdifferentiation. Overall, we describe a method for achieving transdifferentiation of human dermal fibroblasts into induced cardiomyocyte-like cells via transcription factor overexpression, microRNA delivery, and molecular pathway manipulation.
Core Transcription Factors, MicroRNAs, and Small Molecules Drive Transdifferentiation of Human Fibroblasts Towards The Cardiac Cell Lineage.
Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesTransient over-expression of defined combinations of master regulator genes can effectively induce cellular reprogramming: the acquisition of an alternative predicted phenotype from a differentiated cell lineage. This can be of particular importance in cardiac regenerative medicine wherein the heart lacks the capacity to heal itself, but simultaneously contains a large pool of fibroblasts. In this study we determined the cardio-inducing capacity of ten transcription factors to actuate cellular reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts into cardiomyocyte-like cells. Over-expression of transcription factors MYOCD and SRF alone or in conjunction with Mesp1 and SMARCD3 significantly enhanced the basal but necessary cardio-inducing effect of the previously reported GATA4, TBX5, and MEF2C. In particular, combinations of five or seven transcription factors significantly enhanced the activation of cardiac reporter vectors, and induced an upregulation of cardiac-specific genes. Global gene expression analysis also demonstrated a significantly greater cardio-inducing effect when the transcription factors MYOCD and SRF were used. Detection of cross-striated cells was highly dependent on the cell culture conditions and was enhanced by the addition of valproic acid and JAK inhibitor. Although we detected Ca2+ transient oscillations in the reprogrammed cells, we did not detect significant changes in resting membrane potential or spontaneously contracting cells. This study further elucidates the cardio-inducing effect of the transcriptional networks involved in cardiac cellular reprogramming, contributing to the ongoing rational design of a robust protocol required for cardiac regenerative therapies.
Transcription factors MYOCD, SRF, Mesp1 and SMARCD3 enhance the cardio-inducing effect of GATA4, TBX5, and MEF2C during direct cellular reprogramming.
Specimen part
View SamplesNC1153 was shown to inhibit JAK3 tyrosine kinase. Lymphocytes survival depends on the integrity of STAT5, the primary downstream target of JAK3.
Uncoupling JAK3 activation induces apoptosis in human lymphoid cancer cells via regulating critical survival pathways.
Cell line
View SamplesPurpose: Resistance to endocrine therapy in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer remains a major clinical problem. Recently, the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib combined with letrozole was approved for treatment of ER+ advanced breast cancer, and other CDK4/6 inhibitors are being investigated in combination with different endocrine treatments. However, the role of CDK4/6 in endocrine resistance and their potential as predictive biomarkers of endocrine treatment response remains undefined.
High CDK6 Protects Cells from Fulvestrant-Mediated Apoptosis and is a Predictor of Resistance to Fulvestrant in Estrogen Receptor-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Genome wide mapping reveals PDE4B as an IL-2 induced STAT5 target gene in activated human PBMCs and lymphoid cancer cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesIdentify IL-2 mediated genes in Kit225 cells.
Genome wide mapping reveals PDE4B as an IL-2 induced STAT5 target gene in activated human PBMCs and lymphoid cancer cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesPurpose: A 128-gene signature has been proposed to predict poor outcomes in patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer. In the present study we aimed to validate this previously published 128-gene signature on external and independent data from patients with stage II and III colon cancer.
Gene expression profiles in stages II and III colon cancers: application of a 128-gene signature.
Sex, Age, Disease stage, Race
View SamplesUremic media calcification is not only driven by systemic factors such as hyperphosphatemia, but also crticially dependent on vascular smooth muscle cells per se. We hypothesized that the different developmental origins of vscular smooth muscle cells might lead to a heterogeneous susceptibility to develop media calcification.
Heterogeneous susceptibility for uraemic media calcification and concomitant inflammation within the arterial tree.
Specimen part
View SamplesAlthough a large set of data is available concerning organogenesis in animal models, information remains scarce on human organogenesis. In this work, we performed temporal mapping of human fetal pancreatic organogenesis using cell surface markers. We demonstrate that in the human fetal pancreas at 7 weeks of development, the glycoprotein 2 (GP2) marks a multipotent cell population that will differentiate either into the acinar, ductal and endocrine lineages. Development towards the acinar lineage is paralleled by a substantial increase in GP2 expression. Conversely, a subset of the multipotent GP2+ population undergoes endocrine differentiation by down-regulating GP2 and CD142 and turning on NEUROG3, an early marker of endocrine differentiation. Endocrine maturation will progress by up-regulating SUSD2 and lowering ECAD levels. Finally, we show that in vitro differentiation of pancreatic endocrine cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells mimics key in vivo events. Our work constitutes a powerful approach to more precisely define intermediate cell population during conversion of multipotent progenitors into the 3 main human pancreatic cell types (acinar, ductal and endocrine) in vivo. As such, the data pave the way to extend our understanding of the origin of mature human pancreatic cell types and how such lineage decisions are regulated.
Reconstructing human pancreatic differentiation by mapping specific cell populations during development.
Specimen part
View SamplesMicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in regulating multiple processes during brain development in various species. However, the function of miRNAs in human brain development remains largely unexplored. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of miRNA expression of regionalized neural progenitor cells derived from human embryonic stem cells and human fetal brain. We found mir-92b-3p and mir-130b-5p to be specifically associated with neural progenitors and several miRNAs that display both age-specific and region-specific expression patterns. Among these miRNAs, we identified miR-10 to be specifically expressed in the human hindbrain and spinal cord, while absent from rostral regions. We found that miR-10 regulates a large number of genes enriched for functions including transcription, actin cytoskeleton and ephrin receptor signaling. When overexpressed, miR-10 influences caudalization of human neural progenitors cells. Together, these data confirms a role for miRNAs in establishing different human neural progenitor populations. This data set also provides a comprehensive resource for future studies investigating the functional role of different miRNAs in human brain development. Overall design: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were transduced with lentiviral vectors expressing either miR10a-GFP or miR10b-GFP. The expression of the vectors is Tet-regulated and they will only be expressed in the presence of Doxycycline. In order to detect direct targets of the miR10a and miR10b, we differentiated the trasduced hESCs for 14 days, and added doxycycline to only half of the groups - resulting in groups that are overexpressing miR10a or miR10b and some groups that are not overexpressing these miRNAs.
Comprehensive analysis of microRNA expression in regionalized human neural progenitor cells reveals microRNA-10 as a caudalizing factor.
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