Project description:Immortalized colonic epithelial progenitor cells derived from normal human colon biopsies express stem cell markers and differentiate in vitro The sustained growth of normal non-transformed human colonic epithelial cells has historically been exceptionally challenging. We here report the successful long-term propagation of colon biopsy derived cells expressing both epithelial and mesenchymal features, intestinal stem cell markers, and demonstrating multilineage epithelial differentiation capability. Cells isolated from the biopsies of two patients undergoing routine screening colonoscopy have been successfully passaged in vitro, subsequently immortalized with non-oncogenic proteins (cyclin dependent kinase 4 [CDK4] and the catalytic component of human telomerase [hTERT]), and maintained for well over a year in continuous cell culture. Immunofluorescence experiments reveal the immortalized populations of cells significantly express the progenitor epithelial cell marker mucin-1 and the colon epithelial specific marker A33. In addition, staining shows subsets of cells express chromogranin A, mucin-2, and dipeptyl peptidase 4, corresponding to neuroendocrine, mucus secreting, and absorptive colonic cell lineages, respectively. The cells also possess some mesenchymal features, including vimentin and α- smooth muscle actin expression when proliferating actively. Finally, immortalized cells express various stem cell markers including LGR5, BMI1, CD29, and CD44. When cells are seeded at low density in Matrigel® in the absence of a mesenchymal feeder layer individual cells are able to divide and form self-organizing, cyst-like structures with a subset of cells exhibiting either mucin-2 or polarized villin staining. These findings demonstrate that the immortalized human colonic cells are capable of self renewal and multilineage differentiation. These cells should serve as valuable cellular reagents for studying normal colon stem cell biology, differentiation, and disease development.
Project description:There is increasing evidence that breast and other cancers originate from and are maintained by a small fraction of stem/progenitor cells with self-renewal properties. Whether such cancer stem/progenitor cells originate from normal stem cells based on initiation of a de novo stem cell program, by reprogramming of a more differentiated cell type by oncogenic insults or both remains unresolved. A major hurdle in addressing these issues is lack of immortal human stem/progenitor cells that can be deliberately manipulated in vitro. We present evidence that normal and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-immortalized human mammary epithelial cells (hMECs) isolated and maintained in DFCI-1 medium retain a fraction with progenitor cell properties. These cells co-express basal, luminal and stem/progenitor cell markers. Clonal derivatives of progenitors co-expressing these markers fall into two distinct types: K5+/K19- (Type I) and K5+/K19+ (Type II). We show that both types of progenitor cells have self-renewal and differentiation ability. Through microarray analysis, we want to identify genes and pathways linked to human mammary epithelial stem/progenitor cell self-renewal and differentiation. Normal human mammary epithelial cells (hMECs) were isolated from Reduction Mammoplasty and immortalized by hTERT. Type I K5+/K19- and Type II K5+/K19+ cell colonies were isolated from hTERT-immortalized hMECs and cultured in MEGM medium for self-renewal and differentiation. Total RNA isolated from Type I, Type II, and differentiated Myoepithelial (Myo) cells were used on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:There is increasing evidence that breast and other cancers originate from and are maintained by a small fraction of stem/progenitor cells with self-renewal properties. Whether such cancer stem/progenitor cells originate from normal stem cells based on initiation of a de novo stem cell program, by reprogramming of a more differentiated cell type by oncogenic insults or both remains unresolved. A major hurdle in addressing these issues is lack of immortal human stem/progenitor cells that can be deliberately manipulated in vitro. We present evidence that normal and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-immortalized human mammary epithelial cells (hMECs) isolated and maintained in DFCI-1 medium retain a fraction with progenitor cell properties. These cells co-express basal, luminal and stem/progenitor cell markers. Clonal derivatives of progenitors co-expressing these markers fall into two distinct types: K5+/K19- (Type I) and K5+/K19+ (Type II). We show that both types of progenitor cells have self-renewal and differentiation ability. Through microarray analysis, we want to identify genes and pathways linked to human mammary epithelial stem/progenitor cell self-renewal and differentiation.
Project description:During embryonic development bipotential hepatoblasts differentiate into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes- the two main cell types within the liver. Cell fate decision depends on elaborate interactions between distinct signalling pathways, namely Notch, WNT, TGFβ, and Hedgehog. Several in vitro protocols have been established to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells into either hepatocyte or cholangiocyte like cells (HLC/CLC) to enable disease modelling or drug screening. During HLC differentiation we observed the occurrence of epithelial cells with a phenotype divergent from the typical hepatic polygonal shape- we refer to these as endoderm derived epithelial cells (EDECs). These cells do not express the mature hepatocyte marker ALB or the progenitor marker AFP. However they express the cholangiocyte markers SOX9, OPN, CFTR as well as HNF4α, CK18 and CK19. Interestingly, they express both E Cadherin and Vimentin, two markers that are mutually exclusive, except for cancer cells. EDECs grow spontaneously under low density cell culture conditions and their occurrence was unaffected by interfering with the above mentioned signalling pathways.
2018-06-30 | GSE116455 | GEO
Project description:Identification of conjunctival epithelial stem/progenitor cell markers
Project description:To address the need for human alveolar epithelial cell (AEC)-derived lines to more suitably model distal lung diseases, we have generated and characterized novel immortalized cell lines derived from human AECs. We used a combination of the ROCK inhibitor, Y-27632, and lentiviral transduction of SV40 Large T antigen of previously cryopreserved isolated human alveolar epithelial type 2 (AT2) cells to generate immortalized AECs. These AEC lines proliferate well on standard tissue culture dishes forming an epithelial monolayer and express lung progenitor markers SOX9 and SOX2. When grown in 3D culture with lung fibroblasts, the cells form NKX2-1+ organoids expressing more mature alveolar lung markers, AQP5 and GPRC5A. Single cell RNA-sequencing of one AEC line comparing cells in 2D versus 3D revealed increased cellular heterogeneity and an induction of cytokine and lipoprotein signaling in 3D culture, reflecting interactions with the microenvironment during organoid formation. Taken together, these data show our novel progenitor-like AEC lines retain a genetic and structural memory of their alveolar cell lineage despite long-term expansion, providing a valuable new system to model the distal lung in vitro.
Project description:To address the need for human alveolar epithelial cell (AEC)-derived lines to more suitably model distal lung diseases, we have generated and characterized novel immortalized cell lines derived from human AECs. We used a combination of the ROCK inhibitor, Y-27632, and lentiviral transduction of SV40 Large T antigen of previously cryopreserved isolated human alveolar epithelial type 2 (AT2) cells to generate immortalized AECs. These AEC lines proliferate well on standard tissue culture dishes forming an epithelial monolayer and express lung progenitor markers SOX9 and SOX2. When grown in 3D culture with lung fibroblasts, the cells form NKX2-1+ organoids expressing more mature alveolar lung markers, AQP5 and GPRC5A. Single cell RNA-sequencing of one AEC line comparing cells in 2D versus 3D revealed increased cellular heterogeneity and an induction of cytokine and lipoprotein signaling in 3D culture, reflecting interactions with the microenvironment during organoid formation. Taken together, these data show our novel progenitor-like AEC lines retain a genetic and structural memory of their alveolar cell lineage despite long-term expansion, providing a valuable new system to model the distal lung in vitro.
Project description:The objective was to determine the transcriptional effect of IL-17A on primary colonic epithelial cells in various differentiation states in vitro. The three states included 1) stem/progenitor cell spheroids grown in 50% L-WRN media as described in our previous publication (PMID: 24232249), 2) differentiating colonic epithelial spheroids (DM) placed in differentiation media without L-WRN for 24 hours, 3) terminally differentiated colonocyte spheroids placed in differentiation media without L-WRN for 48 hours as described in our previous publication (PMID: 27264604). Each condition was cultured with or without 20ng/ml recombinant mouse IL-17A for the final 24 hours.
Project description:There is increasing evidence that breast and other cancers originate from and are maintained by a small fraction of stem/progenitor cells with self-renewal properties. Whether such cancer stem/progenitor cells originate from normal stem cells based on initiation of a de novo stem cell program, by reprogramming of a more differentiated cell type by oncogenic insults or both remains unresolved. A major hurdle in addressing these issues is lack of immortal human stem/progenitor cells that can be deliberately manipulated in vitro. Here we discribe Myoepithelial Progenitor Cells (MPCs) that show properties of EMT and claudin low subtype of breast cancers. Through microarray analysis, we have found that these K5-/K19- cells show similar gene expression pattens of the claudin-low subtype of breast cancer. Normal human mammary epithelial cells (hMECs) were isolated from Reduction Mammoplasty and immortalized by human telomerase (hTERT). Type III- K5-/K19- cell colonies were isolated from K5+/K19- immortalized hMECs and cultured in MEGM medium for self-renewal and differentiation. Total RNA isolated from Type III cells were used on Affymetrix microarray.
Project description:CD44+/CD24- subpopulation of normal and cancerous breast epithelial cells are suggested to have stem cell properties. The goal of this study was to identify gene expression differences between CD44+/CD24- and CD44-/CD24+ subpopulation of cells from a same cell lines. We selected MCF-10A cells, which are immortalized derived from a fibrocystic breast disease. These cells are immortalized but not transformed and express basal cell markers. Cells were from a single sort but plated into four 100 mm plates. RNA was prepared from each plate separately for the analysis.