•What are induced pluripotent stem cells?5 answersInduced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are reprogrammed adult somatic cells that possess the ability to self-renew and differentiate into various cell types. iPSCs offer personalized cell-based therapy options, disease modeling, and drug discovery platforms. These cells have immense potential in regenerative medicine, as they can be used to generate model systems for understanding human diseases, such as cardiac myocytes and sympathetic neurons. However, genetic stability and epigenetic memory of iPSCs need to be carefully monitored to ensure their safety and efficacy for clinical applications. iPSCs have also shown promise in studying diseases like COVID-19 and in drug screening outside the human body. Overall, iPSCs are valuable resources for research needs, therapeutic purposes, and advancing the fields of regenerative medicine and drug development.
What is the current state of research on the use of induced pluripotent stem cells in cardiac tissue engineering?4 answersThe current state of research on the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in cardiac tissue engineering is promising. iPSCs, derived from human pluripotent embryonic stem cells, have shown potential in regenerative cardiology. Studies have demonstrated that iPSC-derived committed cardiac progenitors (CCPs) can improve left ventricular ejection fraction and ventricular wall thickness, and reduce infarction size in infarcted pig hearts. Additionally, combining iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) with biomaterials and growth factors in cardiac patches has shown beneficial results, including improved heart function, reduced infarct size, and increased left ventricular systolic function. iPSCs have also been used to study anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, providing insights into the mechanisms of drug-induced heart damage. Overall, iPSCs hold promise as a potential source for tissue engineering in cardiac regeneration, offering opportunities for therapeutic interventions in heart diseases.
Why do mutations often occur when using induced pluripotent stem cells?4 answersMutations often occur when using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) due to various factors. One factor is the presence of ultraviolet (UV)-related damage, which can lead to substantial mutagenesis in iPSCs derived from skin fibroblasts (F-hiPSCs). Another factor is the accumulation of transposable element insertions, particularly LINE-1 retrotransposons, which are hypomethylated in mouse iPSCs (miPSCs). Additionally, oxidative stress caused by in vitro culture can induce genetic changes, resulting in a high mutational load in both adult and pluripotent stem cells. These mutations can include gains or losses of chromosomal regions and mutations in cancer-associated genes. The underlying mutation rate in pluripotent stem cells is low, but they are susceptible to genomic damage and have mechanisms for selective growth advantage. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly characterize the nucleotide-resolution of iPSCs before their use in cell-based therapies.
How does the transcriptome of regulatory T cells differ in patients with GVHD and healthy controls?3 answersThe transcriptome of regulatory T cells (Tregs) differs between patients with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and healthy controls. Tregs from immune tolerant patients with GVHD show a significantly higher expression of granzyme A, CXCR3, and CCR5, which are important for Treg cell function. These findings suggest a reduced suppressive function of Tregs in patients with GVHD, along with diminished migration capacity to the target organs. However, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the differences in Treg transcriptome between patients with GVHD and healthy controls are not fully understood. Further research is needed to elucidate the molecular pathways and gene transcripts that contribute to the altered Treg function in GVHD.
What are the limitations of using Human induced pluripotent stem cells?5 answersThe limitations of using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) include ethical constraints related to totipotent embryonic stem cells and functional constraints of unipotent somatic stem cells. Additionally, donor site morbidity, limited iPSC generating capability from terminally differentiated cells, and epigenetic memory are considered major limitations for their successful use in regenerative therapy. However, iPSC models offer new ways for studying patient-specific cardiomyopathies and can be used as a model to study novel therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases. The use of iPSCs has revolutionized the opportunity for personalized medicine and the study of birth defects, allowing the creation of various disease models to better understand disease mechanisms. Furthermore, the limited access to human blood-brain barrier (BBB) tissue has hindered the understanding of BBB dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases, but the development of an in vitro induced human BBB (iBBB) derived from pluripotent stem cells has provided a model for studying disease mechanisms and drug screening.
What factor can predict the GVHD?5 answersNatural killer (NK) T cells are the dominant predictor of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in transplant patients. Late acute (LA) GVHD has been linked to circulating angiogenic factors.