Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Timothy Joseph Kamp

Sean Paul Palecek

Xiaojun Lance Lian

Jianhua Zhang

Pratik Arvind Lalit

James A Thomson

Jeffrey C Mohr

Juan J Depablo

Yue Ma

Samira M Azarin

Jia-Qiang He

Mitch James Biermann

Animal cells, notably adult fibroblasts, are advantageously reprogrammed in direct lineage reprogramming methods using defined factors to produce proliferative and multipotent induced cardiac progenitor cells (iCPC). The iCPC thus produced can be differentiated under suitable differentiation conditions to cardiac lineage cells including cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells, as evidenced by expression of lineage specific markers. Sets of factors effective in combination to reprogram the fibroblasts can include a set that includes some or all of 5 factors (Mesp1, Baf60c, Nkx2.5, Gata4, Tbx5), a set that includes some or all of 11 factors (Mesp1, Mesp2, Gata4, Gata6, Baf60c, SRF, Isl1, Nkx2.5, Irx4, Tbx5, Tbx20), a set that includes some or all of 18 factors (T, Mesp1, Mesp2, Tbx5, Tbx20, Isl1, Gata4, Gata6, Irx4, Nkx2.5, Hand1, Hand2, Tbx20, Tbx18, Tip60, Baf60c, SRF, Hey2), and a set that includes some or all of 22 factors (T, Mesp1, Mesp2, Tbx5, Tbx20, Isl1, Gata4, Gata6, Irx4, Nkx2.5, Hand1, Hand2, Tbx20, Tbx18, Tip60, Baf60c, SRF, Hey2, Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, L-myc).

Lineage reprogramming to induced cardiac progenitor cells (iCPC) by defined factors

An improvement to the GiWi protocol for differentiating human pluripotent cells to developmentally mature cardiomyocytes includes a step of activating innate immunity in mesoderm stage cells in the in vitro differentiation culture. When the mesoderm cells, which are precursors to cardiac progenitor cells, are primed by exposure to an activator of innate immunity, a population of cardiomyocytes is generated that is more developmentally mature than is generated in the GiWi protocol without the primed step. Also provided herein are in vitro ventricular conductive microtissues and isolated, in vitro populations of ventricular conduction system-like cells and methods for making the same.

Method of making cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent cells

Methods for generating high-yield, high-purity cardiac fibroblasts are described. Differentiation methods comprising chemically defined culture conditions and methods for in vitro maintenance of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac fibroblasts are also provided.

Method of differentiating human pluripotent cells into cardiac fibroblasts

Methods for generating high-yield, high-purity cardiomyocyte progenitors or cardiomyocytes from pluripotent cells are described. Wnt/&#x3b2;-catenin signaling is first activated in pluripotent cells, e.g., by inhibition of Gsk-3 to obtain a first population of cells. Wnt/&#x3b2;-catenin signaling is then inhibited in the first cell population to induce cardiogenesis under fully defined, growth factor free culture conditions.

Generation of cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem cells

Methods for culturing the pluripotent stem cells to undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and for generating high-yield, high-purity cardiomyocyte cultures from pluripotent stem cells are described. Pluripotent stem cells are cultured on a support with an overlaid matrix and, optionally, exposed to one or more factors to induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and cardiogenesis.

Cardiac differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells under defined conditions using matrix overlay methods

A three-dimensional microwell system that supports long term pluripotent cell culture and formation of homogeneous embryoid bodies (EBs) is described. Microwell-cultured pluripotent cells remain viable and undifferentiated for several weeks in culture and maintain undifferentiated replication when passaged to Matrigel&#xae;-coated, tissue culture-treated polystyrene dishes. Microwell-cultured pluripotent cells maintain pluripotency, differentiating to each of the three embryonic germ layers. Pluripotent cell aggregates released from microwells can be passaged for undifferentiated replication or differentiated to monodisperse EBs. The ability to constrain pluripotent cell growth in three dimensions advantageously provides for more efficient, reproducible culture of undifferentiated cells, high-throughput screening, and the ability to direct pluripotent cell differentiation by generating monodisperse EBs of a desired size and shape. Cardiomyocyte-rich EBs are obtained from pluripotent cells cultured in microwells of defined size and shape.

Method for culturing stem cells

Human embryonic stem cells form embryoid bodies in culture which contain differentiated human cells. Some of the human cells in embryoid bodies differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Here the biological and electrical characteristics of those cardiomyocytes are described with reference to the use of cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells in drug screening protocols for mechanisms of cardiac toxicity.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Timothy Joseph Kamp