Stem Cells Flashcards
Overall Question
Given the fact that newly fertilized eggs which come from somatic cells generate a zygote and the zygote is able to differentiate into any cell type – why can the zygote differenate into a human AND can we make a somatic cell into a zygote.
Stem cells + faith (stem cell ethics)
Question – Is OK to use hESCs fro stem cell thearapy
- A cathlic person would say no because they beleive that life begins at conception
Story (about wife)
12 years ago → his wife and him were sitting outside their house → RVB was going to give a presentation to university
During this time RVB was beginning to be interested in Stem Cells → thought Stem cells would be approved by the FDA in the near future – thought that stem cells derived from blastocyte would be approved
His wife said that this was controversial AND not ethical → his response was would you use it to save one of our daughters
Wife said it wasn’t ethical
Controversy with Embryonic stem cells
Controversy = Is a blastoctye a life?
***Answer to question depends on your religion + depends on what country you live in
Dr. Alfred Cioffi
Cathloic priest with 2 PhDs
–> He took a class with RVB – he said that the pope thinks that hESCs will soon be used for stem cell therapy –> the pope needed priests with a terminal degree –> Cioffi went to get his PhD so that he could make decisions on how the church should preach about hESCs
- He needed to learn about hESCs so that the church would be able to tell people what to think if them
- He got his PhD in molecular biology at the age of 54 from Purdue
Uses of Stem cells
There are multiple uses for stem cells:
1. Increased understanding of how diseases develop
2. Use Stem cells to find a cure for diseases
3. Test new drugs for saftey
4. Generate new stem cells to replaice or aid diseased or damaged cells
5. Research How certain cells develope into cancer
6. Regernative medicine – Includes Tissue engirneered constructs + developing organoids
7. Fix genetic diseases
8. Clean Meat industry
9. Tissue engineering
Uses Stem cells as a cure (Ex.)
- Use stem cells to grow an ear
- Use stem cells to help with joint pain –> stop inflammation at the joint
What is included in Regenerative medicine?
- Tissue engirneed constructs
- Developing organoids
Stem cells + Clean meat industry
Using Stem cells and turning them into muscle rather than killing animals
- There are a lot of people investing in this
- Need to be able to make them profitable
Overall – Take Tissue from cow –> Get stem cells from tissue –> Differenate stem cells into muscle fibers –> make meat
Stem cells in Space
Nasa = 3D printing Biology research make the journey back to earth abord SpaceX’s dragon (NASA funded) – BioFabrication Facility
Issue – tissue engineering on earth has limitations because of gravity
Solution: Do 3-D printing in space
Example – Capillaries = hard to make on earth because of gravity –> they are printing capillaries using 3-D printing in space
***Moving towards printing human organs in space – The BioFabrication Facility (BFF) attempts to take the first steps toward printing human organs and tissues in microgravity using ultra-fine layers of bioink that may be several times smaller than the width of a human hair. This research is part of a long-term plan to manufacture entire human organs in space using refined biological 3D printing techniques.
Issue will Stem cells on earth
There are many things that we can’t do with stem cells on earth because of gravity – The biological printing of the tiny comeplex structure found inside human organs has been proven difficult under earth’s gravity
- Under earth’s gravity an initial scaffolding or support structure is needed to form the desired shape of the tissue
Example – Making capillaries –> this is an issue because need to feed tissue engineered constructs with blood
Helping the heart + stem cells
The Engineered Heart Tissues study looks at how human heart tissue functions in space – It uses unique 3D tissues made from heart cells derived from human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs), essentially adult stem cells.
- Uses hiPSC – Looks at adult stem cells
- The engineered heart tissues = complex 3-D structures the size of a few grains of rice
- Tissues = more similar to issues in the i=body than flat cells in culture in a dish or in a flask
Overall – looking to see if making the engineered heart can be made better in space – is Tissue engineering better to be done in space because there is no gravity
***Heart made = VERY small
Stem cells + COVID
Usses stem cels to traet COVID – used Adult Meschymal Stem cells (AUTOLOGOUS)
- The MSCs = help the immune system by dampening the cytokin storm
- Using autologous adult adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells
- Providing immune support againt COVID
- They hope to limit disease progression and severity of covid – want to keep pateints out of the hospital and off ventilation
Bioformat FDA approved Phase II trail of Hope biosciences meschymal stem cells against covid
- Bioscineces = a clincal stage biotech company focused on developing cell based theraputucs for acute and chronic illness
Effect of adult meschymal Stem cells
They are immunomodulatory –> supress autoimmune disease
- They help hampen the cytokin storm
- Immunomodulatory + regenrative potential
Ex. Supress Rhumatoid Arthritus – in a recent clincal trial inflammation was reduced
What drives COVID disease progression
In COVID patients – inflammation is the driving force behind disease progression – it is critical to regulate the immune system as early as possible
- They are using stem cells in COVID pateints for their immunomodulatory effect –> It is hoped that the treatment will limit the progression and severity of COVID = keep them out of hospotal + off ventilation
Stem Cell
A cell that can either revew (divide) or differentate
***Which they do will depend on their niche
What controls the path a stem cell takes
The path the stem cell takes is controlled by the stem cell niche
***It is hard to know what controls stem cells in vivo
Stem cell niche
Includes Growth factors + ECM + enmvirnment
What affects the doublings in a stem cell
Influnced by:
1. The source (might depend on the age of the donor)
2. The type of stem cell
Example:
1. Adult stem cell (MSCs) – 50-100-200 doublings –> depends on the age of the donor (depends on the source)
- More like somatic cells
2. HESCs + iPSCs –> Immortal
Affect of patters of Stem Cell division
Different patterns of stem cell division creates a different proportion of cells and differentiated cells
Stem cell division
Stem cells can undergo asymetric divisions – one stem cell can me made into a new stem cell and one daughter cell becomes a differentiated cell
- Asymetric = means that the cell divides into two types of daughter cells
***This helps maintain the number of stem cells in the population
Some Stem cells can divide symetrically – done to increase the number of stem cells –> often done during development or during recovery from an injury
Some stem cells = can divide symetrically OR asymetrically –> one stem cell in the pool is diving symetricall and the other is not
Categories of stem cells
- Adult stem cells
- Fetal Stem cells
- Embryonic stem cells
- induced Pluripotent Stem cells
Adult stem cells
- Most popular are adipose (fat) derived mesenchymal stem cells (adMSCs)
- Now in more than 700 stem cell therapy trials globally
- Includes Adult Mesenchymal stem cells – most commonly used for stem cells in Stem cell therapy
- Can be Autologous
***In clinical trials
What are the most common cells used in Stem cell thearpy
Adult Mesenchymal Step cells – often derived from adipose tissue
***Cuurentley in clincal trials
Fetal Stem Cells
Includes:
1. Amniotic
2. Umbilical Cord
3. Placental
***They are not used often for stem cell therapy BUT umbilical cord is sometimes used
Embryonic Stem cells
Includes:
1. hESCs
2. hPSCs
***hESCs = in clinical trials as of 2010
Induced Pluripotent Stem cells clinical trials
Not in clinical trials in the US but patients are being treated in Japan + Australia
***Not in clinical trials in US but are in other parts of the world
Differentiation
Cells becomes more specialized such as a fibroblast or hepatocyte
- Occurs when a cell becomes more specialized
Fibroblast
Secretes Collegen
Hepatocyte
Used for Cytp450
Types of differentiation
Differentiation can be partial or full –> MEANS that accepted molecular metrics need to be used in order to compare the different stages of differentiation/level of differentiation
Example – need metrics to be able to compare one iPSC generated hepatocyte to another iPSC generated hepatocyte – because they might be different levels of differentiation
Progentitor cells
Stem cells that have “restricted lineage” – they are limited to only one or two types of cells that they can become
***Other cells = totipotent
Restricted Lineage Vs. Totipotent
restricted Lineage = can only become one or two cels types
Totipotent = can become all cell types
***Some stem cells = more restricted like progenitor cells and some are totipotent
Issue in stem cell differentiation
Issue = differentiation in stem cells is NOT all or nothing –> need metrics to know if stem cells are really differentiated (need metrics to know if a cell is fully differentiated)
Stemness of Stem cells
Not all stem cells are equal – some stem cells can make all types of cells BUT some have more restricted lineage –> some have less stemness
- Some might only be able to be one type of cell
Pathway from Stem cells –> restricted Lineage –> differentiated cells (Textbook)
Usually during each cell dividion of a multipotent somatic stem cell – at least one of the daughter cells becomes a stem cell like the paernt cell = stem cells undergo self renewal divisons so that you can maintain the number of stem cells in a person over time
VS.
Other daughter cells (Transit amplifying cells) – divide radpidly and only do a few number of self renewal divsions where they are similar to the parent stem cell –> INSTEAD they produce the lineage reistricted progentor cells –> THEN the lineage progentor cells divide and produce differenated cells
***The lineage progentor cells = can’t undergo self renewal –> they can only divide and differenate into cell types
Transit amplifying cells
Daughter cells of stem cells that divide rapidly and undergo limited number of self renewal divisions where they are similar to the parent cells –> THESE cells = ultimately produce the lineage restricted progenitor cells
***Overall – they produce the progenitor cells –> then the progenitor cells divide and make differentated cells
Transdifferentiation
aka “Direct Reprogramming” – differenated cells become another type of differenated cells without going thr the embryonic cell stage
- Abilitye of differenated cell to become another type of differenated cell without going through an embryonic step
- NOT LIKE iPSCs
Differentiated Cell type –> Differentiated Cell type
History of Transdififerenattion
First done experimentally in 1987 but several cells have been generated since then
Transdifferentiation in vivo vs. In vitro
In vivo – We do not think that it happens in vivo BUT we know that we can induce it in a lab
- It is really hard to figure out if it occurs in vivo
In Vitro – We know it can be done in a lab in vitro using Transcription factors + miRNA of different types
- Done using Transcription factors + miRNA of different types
Dedifferentiation and Redifferentiation
Ability of a cell to become more embryonic-like and differentiate into another cell type
Differentiated cell –> embryonic cell –> Differentiated cell
Reversine
Chemical that can induce dedifferentiation
***Chemical’s like reversine can induce dedifferentiation
Dedifferention/Redifferentation in vivo
We know it can be done ina lab BUT it is unlikley it occurs in humans
- Hard to know if it can occur in humans
- We know it can occur in animals BUT it does not occur in humans
Where is Dedifferenation found
Found in Red Spotted Newts
Red spotted Newts
They can go through dedifferentiation (can make new lens of eye + limbs)
- They can make new lens of eye using retinal pigment epithelial cells
- If you cut off one of their legs –> they can regernate a limb by dedifferentiated the cells that are left to be embyoic state and making the cells differentiate into leg cells
Department of defense + Red Spotted Newt
The department of defense was very interested in the newt differentiating –> they did a lot of research on the newt to tray and apply it to humans BUT they could not figure it out
Stem cell niche
aka “Stem cell microenvironment” – very complex
Includes:
1. Neighboring cells
2. ECM
3. Local Growth factors (FGF + others)
4. Physical environment (pH + Oxygen tension + pressure)
***part of the puzzle to solve what drives stem cell differentiation
***Includes everything – includes the immediate environment around the stem cells + includes Integrin receptors (affects stem cells)
Importance of Stem cell niche
Critical in controlling cell division vs. differentiation – control if cell will divide into stem cells or will differentiate into a more specific cell type
Potency
How many types of cells can the stem cells differentiate into
***We are able to classify stem cells based on potency
Types of Potency:
1. Totipotent
2. Pluripotent
3. Multipotent
4. Unipotent
Totipotent
Stem cell can differentiate into all cell types –> stem cell can generate all cell types
***Highest Level of Stemness
Pluripotent
Stem cell can divide into many cell types BUT not all
- Has more restricted stemness compared to totipotent
Multipotent
Stem cell that can generate several cell types
- Stemness is even more restricted than Pluripotent and Totipotent
Unipotent
Stem cell can only different into one cell type
- Differentiate into one cell type only
Example – Metaplicodese –> Blood cell generate
Blastocyst
Late pre-implanation stage embryo
Where do hESCs Orginate from
hESCs originate form inner mass of blastocyst
- hESCs = made from a blastocyst
Question when generating hESCs
Question = are the stems cells derived from the blastocyst Totipotent
TO ANSWER –> USE Chimera Test
***NOTE – hESCs = made from the inner mass of blastocyst
Use of Chiemra Test
Chimera test = used to test/prove the totipotencey of stem cells
- Chimera test = the only true test of totipotencey of a candidate stem cell
- Asking if the stem cell is totipotent –> Need to see if it is able to make ALL cell types
Where can the chimera test be used
Chimera test = legal to be done in mice BUT not with humans
THIS MEANS –> we can beer prove that human stem cell derived or isolated on the lab is truly totipotent
Issue with proving human stem cells are Totipotent
You can’t do a chimera test in humans –> THUS we can never prove that human stem cell derived or islated in the lab is truly totipotent
Chimera test process
Implant the test stem cell in a blastocyst –> THEN implant the chimeric embryo into a surrogate mother –> Track the cell in all tissues and organs of newborn (can track because the stem cell was GFP labeled)
***Label the cells with GFP to be able to track the stem cells in the offspring mouse
RESULT: mESCs (mouse stem cells) = totipotent but we can’t say the same for hESCs (because can’t do the test in humans)
Chimera test process (Mine)
Take the cell stems –> ADD GFP to the cell –> Add the green stem cell to a blastocyste –> Put the now chimeric blastocyst into a surrogate mouse –> Get offspring mouse
Offspring = can have green spots OR it can be all green
--> IF ALL GREEN = that means that the stem cells are totipotent --> they differentiated into all cell types
***You can cus the spotted green mouse open and look at the green cells to see all of the cell types that the stem cells were able to differenate into
**GFP added = constitutive marker –> makes the cell always green
**Chimera test = makes chimeric organisms
Results of mESCs: Mouse was fully green –> Shows that the mouse embryonic stem cells are totipotent
NOTE – we don’t know if hEScs are totipotent because we can’t do chimera test in humans – we could only know if hESCs are totipotent if we did chimera test in humans – we can’t say that hESCs will act the same as mESCs
Importance of Biodistribution + homing
Important in stem cells + Stem cell therapy
Issue: We don’t know how to track it
Question = DO the stem cells find a home where they should go once they are introduced? – We do not know the answer
Biodistribution/Homing
The ability for stem cells to find a “home” – ability of stem cells to find its target tissue
- When we introduce a stem cell into a person –> we don’t know where the stem cell goes
Question = DO the stem cells find a home where they should go? – We do not know the answer
GFP + Homing
We can’t use GFP label to track stem cell in human = can do not know where stem cells go in humans once they are introduced into a person
MSCs going to damaged site
We know that damaged or compromised tissues release factors that cause endogenous MSCs to home in damaged site – we know how endogenous stem cells find a home
- Bone marrow MSCs = go to site of injury and differentiate there