The tumorigenicity of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is a major safety concern for their application in regenerative medicine. Here we identify the tight-junction protein Claudin-6 as a specific cell surface marker of hPSCs that can be used to selectively remove Claudin-6-positive cells from mixed cultures. We show that Claudin-6 is absent in adult tissues but highly expressed in undifferentiated cells, where it is dispensable for hPSC survival and self-renewal. We use three different strategies to remove Claudin-6-positive cells from mixed populations: an antibody against Claudin-6; a cytotoxin-conjugated antibody that selectively targets undifferentiated cells; and clostridium perfringens enterotoxin, a toxin that binds several Claudins, including Claudin-6, and efficiently kills undifferentiated cells, thus eliminating the tumorigenic potential of hPSC-containing cultures. This work provides a proof of concept for the use of Claudin-6 to eliminate residual undifferentiated hPSCs from culture, highlighting a strategy that may increase the safety of hPSC-based cell therapies.
Immunologic and chemical targeting of the tight-junction protein Claudin-6 eliminates tumorigenic human pluripotent stem cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesPluripotent-specific inhibitors (PluriSIns) make a powerful tool for studying the mechanisms that control the survival of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Here we characterize PluriSIn#2 as a novel selective indirect inhibitor of topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A). We find that TOP2A is uniquely expressed in undifferentiated hPSCs, and that its inhibition results in their rapid cell death. These findings reveal a dependency of hPSCs on the activity of TOP2A, which can be harnessed for their selective elimination from culture.
Brief reports: Controlling the survival of human pluripotent stem cells by small molecule-based targeting of topoisomerase II alpha.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesHuman pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) tend to acquire chromosomal aberrations in culture, which may increase their tumorigenicity. However, the cellular mechanism(s) underlying these aberrations are largely unknown. Here we show that the DNA replication in aneuploid hPSCs is perturbed, resulting in high prevalence of defects in chromosome condensation and segregation. Global gene expression analyses in aneuploid hPSCs revealed decreased levels of actin cytoskeleton genes and their common transcription factor SRF. Down-regulation of SRF or chemical perturbation of actin cytoskeleton organization in diploid hPSCs resulted in increased replication stress and perturbation of chromosome condensation, recapitulating the findings in aneuploid hPSCs. Altogether, our results revealed that in hPSCs DNA replication stress results in a distinctive defect in chromosome condensation, underlying their ongoing chromosomal instability. Our results shed a new light on the mechanisms leading to ongoing chromosomal instability in hPSCs, and may be relevant to tumor development as well.
Genomic Instability in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Arises from Replicative Stress and Chromosome Condensation Defects.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesWe used the microarrays to obtain the cancerous signatures of T-cell, B-cell, erythroid and megakaryoblastic leukemias in mice.
Gene profiling of the erythro- and megakaryoblastic leukaemias induced by the Graffi murine retrovirus.
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View SamplesDue to their somatic cell origin, human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSCs) are assumed to carry a normal diploid genome, and adaptive chromosomal aberrations have not been fully evaluated. Here, we analyzed the chromosomal integrity of 66 HiPSC and 38 human embryonic stem cell (HESC) samples from 18 different studies by global gene expression meta-analysis. We report identification of a substantial number of cell lines carrying full and partial chromosomal aberrations, half of which were validated at the DNA level. Several aberrations resulted from culture adaptation, and others are suspected to originate from the parent somatic cell. Our classification revealed a third type of aneuploidy already evident in early passage HiPSCs, suggesting considerable selective pressure during the reprogramming process. The analysis indicated high incidence of chromosome 12 duplications, resulting in significant enrichment for cell cycle related genes. Such aneuploidy may limit the differentiation capacity and increase the tumorigenicity of HiPSCs.
Identification and classification of chromosomal aberrations in human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesDue to their somatic cell origin, human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSCs) are assumed to carry a normal diploid genome, and adaptive chromosomal aberrations have not been fully evaluated. Here, we analyzed the chromosomal integrity of 66 HiPSC and 38 human embryonic stem cell (HESC) samples from 18 different studies by global gene expression meta-analysis. We report identification of a substantial number of cell lines carrying full and partial chromosomal aberrations, half of which were validated at the DNA level. Several aberrations resulted from culture adaptation, and others are suspected to originate from the parent somatic cell. Our classification revealed a third type of aneuploidy already evident in early passage HiPSCs, suggesting considerable selective pressure during the reprogramming process. The analysis indicated high incidence of chromosome 12 duplications, resulting in significant enrichment for cell cycle related genes. Such aneuploidy may limit the differentiation capacity and increase the tumorigenicity of HiPSCs.
Identification and classification of chromosomal aberrations in human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesDue to their somatic cell origin, human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSCs) are assumed to carry a normal diploid genome, and adaptive chromosomal aberrations have not been fully evaluated. Here, we analyzed the chromosomal integrity of 66 HiPSC and 38 human embryonic stem cell (HESC) samples from 18 different studies by global gene expression meta-analysis. We report identification of a substantial number of cell lines carrying full and partial chromosomal aberrations, half of which were validated at the DNA level. Several aberrations resulted from culture adaptation, and others are suspected to originate from the parent somatic cell. Our classification revealed a third type of aneuploidy already evident in early passage HiPSCs, suggesting considerable selective pressure during the reprogramming process. The analysis indicated high incidence of chromosome 12 duplications, resulting in significant enrichment for cell cycle related genes. Such aneuploidy may limit the differentiation capacity and increase the tumorigenicity of HiPSCs.
Identification and classification of chromosomal aberrations in human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesHuman pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) tend to acquire genomic aberrations in culture, the most common of which is the trisomy of chromosome 12. Interestingly, trisomy 12 is also prevalent in germ cell tumors (GCTs). Here, we aimed to dissect the cellular and molecular implications of trisomy 12 in hPSCs. A genome-wide gene expression analysis revealed that trisomy 12 profoundly affects the global gene expression profile of hPSCs, inducing a transcriptional program very similar to that of CGTs. Direct comparison of the proliferation, replication, differentiation and apoptosis between diploid and aneuploid hPSCs revealed that trisomy 12 significantly increases the proliferation rate of hPSCs. Increased replication largely accounts for the increased proliferation observed, and may explain the selection advantage that trisomy 12 confers to hPSCs. A comparison of the tumors induced by diploid and aneuploid hPSCs further demonstrated that trisomy 12 increases the tumorigenicity of hPSCs, inducing transcriptionally-distinct teratomas, from which pluripotent cells can be recovered. Lastly, a chemical screen of 89 anticancer drugs against diploid and aneuploid hPSCs discovered that trisomy 12 raises the sensitivity of hPSCs to several replication inhibitors, suggesting that the increased proliferation and tumorigenicity of these aberrant cells also makes them more vulnerable, and might potentially be used for their selective elimination from culture. Together, our findings demonstrate the extensive effect of trisomy 12 on the gene expression signature and on the cellular behavior of hPSCs, and highlight the danger posed by this trisomy for the successful use of hPSCs in basic research and in regenerative medicine.
Aneuploidy induces profound changes in gene expression, proliferation and tumorigenicity of human pluripotent stem cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThe use of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in cell therapy is hindered by the tumorigenic risk from residual undifferentiated cells. Here we performed a high-throughput screen of over 52,000 small molecules, and identified 15 highly selective cytotoxic inhibitors of hPSCs (PluriSIns). Cellular and molecular analyses revealed that the most selective compound, PluriSIn #1, is a pluripotent-specific inhibitor of stearoyl-coA desaturase (SCD1), the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). SCD1 inhibition in hPSCs induced ER stress, protein synthesis attenuation, and apoptosis of these cells, revealing that MUFA biosynthesis is crucial for their survival. PluriSIn #1 was also cytotoxic toward the ICM cells of mouse embryos, indicating that the dependence on SCD1 is inherent to the pluripotent state. Finally, application of PluriSIn #1 prevented teratoma formation from tumorigenic undifferentiated cells. Our novel method to eliminate undifferentiated cells from culture should thus increase the safety of hPSC-based treatments.
Selective elimination of human pluripotent stem cells by an oleate synthesis inhibitor discovered in a high-throughput screen.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View Samplesgene expression profiling of WT fibroblasts, hiPSCs, and NPCs compared to the same cell types isolated from patients with Ataxia Telangiectasia
SMRT compounds abrogate cellular phenotypes of ataxia telangiectasia in neural derivatives of patient-specific hiPSCs.
Specimen part
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