Open AccessGoing Back and Forth: Episomal Vector Reprogramming of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Subsequent Differentiation into Cardiomyocytes and Neuron-Astrocyte Co-cultures
Author(s) -
Victoria C. de Leeuw,
Conny Th.M. van Oostrom,
Sandra Imholz,
Aldert H. Piersma,
Ellen V.S. Hessel,
Martijn E.T. Dollé
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
cellular reprogramming
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.517
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 2152-4998
pISSN - 2152-4971
DOI - 10.1089/cell.2020.0040
Subject(s) - induced pluripotent stem cell , biology , reprogramming , astrocyte , microbiology and biotechnology , cellular differentiation , stem cell , neuron , ectoderm , population , mesoderm , cell , embryonic stem cell , neuroscience , genetics , embryo , gene , central nervous system , embryogenesis , demography , sociology
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can capture the diversity in the general human population as well as provide deeper insight in cellular mechanisms. This makes them suitable to study both fundamental and applied research subjects, such as disease modeling, gene-environment interactions, personalized medicine, and chemical toxicity. In an independent laboratory, we were able to generate iPSCs originating from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells according to a modified version of a temporal episomal vector (EV)-based induction method. The iPSCs could subsequently be differentiated into two different lineages: mesoderm-derived cardiomyocytes and ectoderm-derived neuron-astrocyte co-cultures. It was shown that the neuron-astrocyte culture developed a mature phenotype within the course of five weeks and depending on the medium composition, network formation and neuron-astrocyte cell ratios could be modified. Although previously it has been described that iPSCs generated with this EV-based induction protocol could differentiate to mesenchymal stem cells, hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes, and basic neuronal cultures, we now demonstrate differentiation into a culture containing both neurons and astrocytes.