Molecular characterization of hematopoietic stem cells after in vitro amplification on biomimetic 3D PDMS cell culture scaffoldsMolecular characterization of hematopoietic stem cells after in vitro amplification on biomimetic 3D PDMS cell culture scaffolds

ABSTRACT: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is successfully applied since the late 1950s, however, its efficacy still needs to be improved. A promising strategy is to transplant high numbers of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Therefore, an advanced ex vivo culture system is needed that supports the proliferation and maintains the pluripotency of HSC to override possible limitations in cell numbers gained from donors. To model the natural HSC niche in vitro and thus, to amplify high numbers of undifferentiated HSCs, we used an optimized HSC cell culture medium in combination with artificial 3D bone marrow-like scaffolds made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). After 14 days in vitro (DIV) cell culture, we performed transcriptome and proteome analysis of the whole cell populations. Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) indicated that our 3D PDMS cell culture scaffolds activated interleukin, SREBP, mTOR and FOXO signaling pathways as well as the HSC metabolism, which we confirmed by ELISA, Western blot and metabolic flux analysis. These molecular signaling pathways and HSC metabolism are well known to promote the expansion HSCs and are involved in their pluripotency maintenance. After selection and enrichment of immature CD34-positive/CD38-negative HSCs using FACS sorting, we could confirm our findings by another proteome analysis followed by IPA. Thus, we could show that our 3D bone marrow-like PDMS scaffolds activate key molecular signaling pathways to amplify the numbers of undifferentiated HSC efficiently ex vivo.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive HF-X, Orbitrap Exploris 480

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (human)

TISSUE(S): Cell Culture, Hematopoietic Stem Cell

SUBMITTER: Emilio Cirri  

LAB HEAD: Zhao-Qi Wang

PROVIDER: PXD025849 | Pride | 2021-11-10

REPOSITORIES: Pride