Transgene-free iPS Cells Research Articles

Establishment of an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell line from dermal fibroblasts of an asymptomatic patient with dominant PRPF31 mutation

A human iPS cell line was generated from fibroblasts of a phenotypically unaffected patient from a family with PRPF31-associated retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The transgene-free iPS cells were generated with the human OSKM transcription factors using the Sendai-virus reprogramming system. iPS cells contained the expected c.709-734dup substitution in exon 8 of PRPF31, expressed the expected pluripotency markers, displayed in vivo differentiation potential to the three germ layers and had normal karyotype. This cellular model will provide a powerful tool to study the unusual pattern of inheritance of PRPF31-associated RP.

More Efficient Generation of β-Globin-Expressing Erythroid Cells Using Stromal Cell-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells represent a potential alternative source for red blood cell transfusion. Using traditional embryoid body methods, iPS cell-derived erythroid cells predominantly produce ε-globin and γ-globin without β-globin expression. We recently demonstrated that ES cell-derived sacs (ES sacs), known to express hemangioblast markers, allow for efficient erythroid cell generation with β-globin production, which is associated with emergence of CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) (2014 ASH). In the current study, we extend this work to evaluate erythroid cell generation using iPS cell lines generated from various sources including patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).To test our two hypotheses; (1) erythroid progenitor (EP)-derived iPS cells more efficiently differentiate to erythroid cells, and (2) stromal cell (ST)-derived iPS cells more efficiently emerge hemangioblast-like immature HSPCs which results in greater erythroid cell generation, we generated several clones of iPS cells which were derived from (1) EPs (6 clones) which were differentiated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and (2) bone marrow STs (5 clones) in SCD patients. Transgene-free iPS cells were generated and characterized according to Merling et al. (Blood. 2013). These iPS cells and controls (2 clones of fibroblast (FB)-derived iPS cells and H1 ES cells) were used to generate ES/iPS sacs for 15 days. After a 2 day culture of ES/iPS sac-derived spherical cells on OP9 feeder cells, the suspension cells were differentiated into erythroid cells using human erythroid massive amplification culture for 13 days (Blood cells Mol Dis. 2002).Following ES/iPS sac generation, 3.5-4.8 fold greater amounts of CD34+CD45+ HSPCs emerged in both EP- and ST-derived iPS sacs, compared to FB-derived iPS sacs (p<0.01). After an additional 2 weeks of erythroid differentiation, we observed 4.5-8.7 fold greater amounts of GPA+ erythroid cells from both EP- and SC-derived iPS sacs, compared to FB-derived iPS sacs (p<0.01). Interestingly, ST-derived iPS sacs resulted in 1.4-2.0 fold greater amounts of CD34+CD45+ HSPCs and GPA+ erythroid cells (p<0.01), compared to EP-derived iPS sacs. Higher β-globin expression (21.5±4.3%) was observed by RT-qPCR in erythroid cells from ST-derived iPS sacs, compared to EP- and FB-derived iPS sacs (4.4±2.5% and 8.3±4.2%, respectively, p<0.01), which was comparable to ES sacs (23.3%). Sickle hemoglobin was detected by hemoglobin electrophoresis. The ES/iPS sac-derived erythroid cell generation was more strongly affected by cell sources (5-6 fold larger SD) than variations among iPS cell clones. These data demonstrate that ST-derived iPS sacs allow more efficient erythroid cell generation with higher β-globin production, compared to EP- and FB-derived iPS sacs.We hypothesized that ST-derived iPS sacs contain greater amounts of immature HSPCs (including hemogenic endothelium) and immature EPs (including megakaryoerythroid progenitors), since more expansion of ST-derived cells was observed during the late phase of erythroid differentiation, compared to EP- and FB-derived cells. We evaluated hemogenic endothelium markers at day 15, and observed 7.7 fold greater amounts of VEGFR+GPA- cells (p<0.01) and 1.3-1.4 fold greater amounts of CD31+CD34+ cells in ST-derived iPS sacs, compared to EP- and FB-derived iPS sacs (not detectable VEGFR+GPA- cells in EP-derived iPS sacs). Before erythroid differentiation, 3.2-16.4 fold greater amounts of GPA+CD41a+ megakaryoerythroid progenitors were observed in ST-derived iPS sacs, compared to EP- and FB-derived iPS sacs (p<0.05). In colony forming unit assays, 1.8-5.0 fold greater amounts of myeloid and erythroid colonies were observed in ST-derived iPS sacs, compared to EP- and FB-derived iPS sacs (p<0.01). These data suggest that ST-derived iPS sacs more efficiently produce immature HSPCs and immature EPs, which may result in more efficient generation of erythroid cells with β-globin production.In summary, we demonstrated that human ST-derived iPS sacs allow for more efficient erythroid cell generation with higher β-globin production, which could be caused by heightened emergence of hemogenic endothelium in ST-derived iPS sacs. Our findings should be important for in in vitro iPS cell-derived erythroid cell generation with high β-globin expression. DisclosuresWinkler:Novartis: Research Funding; GSK: Research Funding.

New type of Sendai virus vector provides transgene-free iPS cells derived from chimpanzee blood.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are potentially valuable cell sources for disease models and future therapeutic applications; however, inefficient generation and the presence of integrated transgenes remain as problems limiting their current use. Here, we developed a new Sendai virus vector, TS12KOS, which has improved efficiency, does not integrate into the cellular DNA, and can be easily eliminated. TS12KOS carries KLF4, OCT3/4, and SOX2 in a single vector and can easily generate iPSCs from human blood cells. Using TS12KOS, we established iPSC lines from chimpanzee blood, and used DNA array analysis to show that the global gene-expression pattern of chimpanzee iPSCs is similar to those of human embryonic stem cell and iPSC lines. These results demonstrated that our new vector is useful for generating iPSCs from the blood cells of both human and chimpanzee. In addition, the chimpanzee iPSCs are expected to facilitate unique studies into human physiology and disease.

IPS cell-derived cardiogenicity is hindered by sustained integration of reprogramming transgenes.

Nuclear reprogramming inculcates pluripotent capacity by which de novo tissue differentiation is enabled. Yet, introduction of ectopic reprogramming factors may desynchronize natural developmental schedules. This study aims to evaluate the effect of imposed transgene load on the cardiogenic competency of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Targeted inclusion and exclusion of reprogramming transgenes (c-MYC, KLF4, OCT4, and SOX2) was achieved using a drug-inducible and removable cassette according to the piggyBac transposon/transposase system. Pulsed transgene overexpression, before iPS cell differentiation, hindered cardiogenic outcomes. Delayed in counterparts with maintained integrated transgenes, transgene removal enabled proficient differentiation of iPS cells into functional cardiac tissue. Transgene-free iPS cells generated reproducible beating activity with robust expression of cardiac α-actinin, connexin 43, myosin light chain 2a, α/β-myosin heavy chain, and troponin I. Although operational excitation-contraction coupling was demonstrable in the presence or absence of transgenes, factor-free derivatives exhibited an expedited maturing phenotype with canonical responsiveness to adrenergic stimulation. A disproportionate stemness load, caused by integrated transgenes, affects the cardiogenic competency of iPS cells. Offload of transgenes in engineered iPS cells ensures integrity of cardiac developmental programs, underscoring the value of nonintegrative nuclear reprogramming for derivation of competent cardiogenic regenerative biologics.

Efficient germ-line transmission obtained with transgene-free induced pluripotent stem cells.

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells hold great promise for regenerative medicine. To overcome potential problems associated with transgene insertions, efforts have been directed over the past several years to generate transgene-free iPS cells by using non-viral-vector approaches. To date, however, cells generated through such procedures have had problems producing reproductively competent animals, suggesting that their quality needed further improvement. Here we report the use of optimized assemblies of reprogramming factors and selection markers incorporated into single plasmids as nonintegrating episomes to generate germ-line-competent iPS cells. In particular, the pMaster12 episome can produce transgene-free iPS cells that, when grown in 2i medium, recapitulate good mouse ES cells, in terms of their competency for generating germ-line chimeras.

Simple Derivation of Transgene-Free iPS Cells by a Dual Recombinase Approach

Mammalian cells can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a valuable tool for in vitro disease modeling and regenerative medicine. These applications demand for iPSCs devoid of reprogramming factor transgenes, but current procedures for the derivation of transgene-free iPSCs are inefficient and cumbersome. Here, we describe a new approach for the simple derivation of transgene-free iPSCs by the sequential use of two DNA recombinases, C31 Integrase and Cre, to control the genomic insertion and excision of a single, non-viral reprogramming vector. We show that such transgene-free iPSCs exhibit gene expression profiles and pluripotent developmental potential comparable to genuine, blastocyst-derived embryonic stem cells. As shown by a reporter iPSC line for the differentiation into midbrain dopaminergic neurons, the dual recombinase approach offers a simple and efficient way to derive transgene-free iPSCs for studying disease mechanisms and cell replacement therapies.

Zinc-finger nuclease-mediated correction of α-thalassemia in iPS cells

AbstractInduced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology holds vast promises for a cure to the hemoglobinopathies. Constructs and methods to safely insert therapeutic genes to correct the genetic defect need to be developed. Site-specific insertion is a very attractive method for gene therapy because the risks of insertional mutagenesis are eliminated provided that a 舠safe harbor舡 is identified, and because a single set of validated constructs can be used to correct a large variety of mutations simplifying eventual clinical use. We report here the correction of α-thalassemia major hydrops fetalis in transgene-free iPS cells using zinc finger–mediated insertion of a globin transgene in the AAVS1 site on human chromosome 19. Homozygous insertion of the best of the 4 constructs tested led to complete correction of globin chain imbalance in erythroid cells differentiated from the corrected iPS cells.

Abstract 9595: Generation of Transgene-Free Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Fibroblasts by Small Molecule Chemicals

Backgrounds: Reprogramming of somatic cells using viral- and non-viral vectors encoding defined transcription factors to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has successfully been achieved over the past few years. However, the current established methods to create iPS cells require viral vectors or plasmids to deliver transgenes into the cells. Methods and Results: To obviate the putative problems of genetic contamination in the cells for future clinical application, it is highly demanded to develop new methods to create “safer” iPS cells without any genetic modifications. Here, we for the first time demonstrate successful generation of iPS cell line from mouse fibroblasts with only combinations of small-molecule chemicals such as GSK-3 beta inhibitor, histone deacetylase inhibitor, and G9a histone methyltransferase inhibitor, which act as epigenetic modulators and self-renewal activators. These chemical induced pluripotent stem (ChemiPS) cells have almost the same properties of embryonic stem cells in the expression patterns of pluripotency-related markers, epigenetic status in promoter regions of Oct4 and Nanog, spontaneous differentiation into three germ layers by in vitro embryoid body formation, and formation of teratoma in vivo after injection into mice. Conclusion: This study provides the first evidence that sole chemical combinations can reprogram somatic cells, resulting in transgene-free iPS cells. This method will advance the use of iPS cells in clinical application and disease investigation.

Simple Generation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Poly-β-amino Esters As the Non-viral Gene Delivery System

Reprogramming of somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be achieved by the delivery of a combination of transcription factors, including Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. Retroviral and lentiviral vectors are commonly used to express these four reprogramming factors separately and obtain reprogrammed iPS cells. Although efficient and reproducible, these approaches involve the time-consuming and labor-intensive production of retroviral or lentiviral particles together with a high risk of working with potentially harmful viruses overexpressing potent oncogenes, such as c-Myc. Here, we describe a simple method to produce bona fide iPS cells from human fibroblasts using poly-β-amino esters as the transfection reagent for the delivery of a single CAG-driven polycistronic plasmid expressing Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc, and a GFP reporter gene (OSKMG). We demonstrate for the first time that poly-β-amino esters can be used to deliver a single polycistronic reprogramming vector into human fibroblasts, achieving significantly higher transfection efficiency than with conventional transfection reagents. After a protocol of serial transfections using poly-β-amino esters, we report a simple methodology to generate human iPS cells from human fibroblasts avoiding the use of viral vectors.

Exploring refined conditions for reprogramming cells by recombinant Oct4 protein

The generation of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells would represent an appealing option for the derivation of pluripotent patient-specific cells, as no embryos or oocytes are required. However, crucial safety issues have to be addressed in order to create human iPS cells that are clinically useful, as the classical iPS technique involves permanent genetic manipulation that may result in tumor formation. Various experimental strategies have been suggested to accomplish transgene-free derivation of iPS cells, including the use of non-integrating viruses, site specific recombinases to excise transgenes after reprogramming, or RNA transfection. Protein transduction, i.e. the direct delivery of biologically active proteins into cells, has been employed to generate iPS cells but has been found to have very low efficiency. In fact, success of protein transduction is limited by poor stability and solubility of recombinant factors, as well as their poor endosomal release. We recently reported the generation of cell-permeant versions of Oct4 and Sox2 and showed that both can be delivered intracellularly as biologically active proteins. Here we explore conditions for enhanced protein stabilization and delivery into somatic cells. Employing optimized conditions, we demonstrate that Oct4 protein delivery can substitute for Oct4 virus, yielding iPS derivation efficacy comparable to a four virus transduction protocol. The number of colonies is strictly dependent on the dose and duration of cell-permeant Oct4 exposure. We expect our transduction system to reach a thus far unattained level of control over reprogramming activity, turning it into a valuable tool for both the analysis of the reprogramming mechanism and the derivation of transgene-free iPS cells.

Excision of Reprogramming Transgenes Improves the Differentiation Potential of iPS Cells Generated with a Single Excisable Vector

The residual presence of integrated transgenes following the derivation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is highly undesirable. Here we demonstrate efficient derivation of iPS cells free of exogenous reprogramming transgenes using an excisable polycistronic lentiviral vector. A novel version of this vector containing a reporter fluorochrome allows direct visualization of vector excision in living iPS cells in real time. We find that removal of the reprogramming vector markedly improves the developmental potential of iPS cells and significantly augments their capacity to undergo directed differentiation in vitro. We further propose that methods to efficiently excise reprogramming transgenes with minimal culture passaging, such as those demonstrated here, are critical since we find that iPS cells may acquire chromosomal abnormalities, such as trisomy of chromosome 8, similar to embryonic stem cells after expansion in culture. Our findings illustrate an efficient method for the generation of transgene-free iPS cells and emphasize the potential beneficial effects that may result from elimination of integrated reprogramming factors. In addition, our results underscore the consequences of long-term culture that will need to be taken into account for the clinical application of iPS cells.