Equine iPS cells and their ability to enhance tendon regeneration in vivo

描述(由申请人提供)：此申请寻求支持专业委员会认证(ACVS)的马匹兽医，以完成她作为干细胞生物学和再生医学领域的翻译临床科学家职业生涯的最后准备阶段。这位申请者将在康奈尔大学诱导的多能干细胞(IPS)细胞核心实验室工作，指导她的导师Lisa A.Fortier博士和合作者John C.Schimenti博士。福蒂埃博士是一位科学家和大型动物整形外科医生，在肌腱修复和干细胞治疗领域有很好的地位。Schimenti博士被认为是遗传学和干细胞生物学领域的专家。这两所大学在培养研究生和指导博士后候选人方面都有出色的记录，康奈尔大学的整体研究环境是独特的，非常有资格培养翻译科学家。该提案分为两个阶段，一个是指导阶段，一个是向独立研究调查员过渡的阶段。在第一阶段，申请者将完成她的博士学位，并寻求扩大她的知识基础和技能集，以加深对iPS细胞的基本生物学的理解，包括与间充质干细胞(MSCs)相比，它们的免疫原性和免疫调节特性。申请人和她的导师已经组建了一个免疫学合作者团队，Douglas Antczak博士、Julia Felippe(Flaminio)和Cynthia Leifer，在这个指导阶段为申请人提供建议，并帮助她学习完成这些研究所需的有价值的免疫学概念和方法，并了解它们的生物学意义。在第二阶段，申请者将应用在第一阶段学到的知识和技能来完成体内原则验证研究，检查患病肌腱对iPS细胞和MSC治疗的早期和晚期生物反应，以及iPS细胞和MSCs用于肌腱修复的再生潜力。对于这些研究，我们将使用我们研究小组广泛使用的成熟的肌腱炎马模型。这些实验将检验这样一种假设，即iPS细胞将具有与MSCs相似的免疫原性和免疫调节特性，但具有优越的再生潜力，因为它们是多能干细胞，而MSCs不是。这一信息对于确定哪种干细胞类型应该用于治疗肌腱疾病具有重要的临床意义。这项建议的期望是，申请者将获得必要的实验室研究、科学和管理技能，以在学术环境中作为独立的临床科学家在再生医学领域确立一席之地。 公共卫生相关性：拟议的研究计划将产生并表征马诱导的多能干细胞(IPS)，包括它们刺激或降低免疫反应的能力。然后，使用已建立的肌腱炎马模型，将iPS细胞的免疫特性和再生潜力与间充质干细胞(MSCs)进行比较。通过完成这些研究而获得的知识将为确定哪种干细胞类型应该用于治疗人类肌腱炎提供直接相关的临床适用信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application seeks support for a specialty board certified (ACVS) equine veterinarian to complete the final stages of preparation for her career as a translational clinical scientist in the fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Th applicant will work in the Cornell University induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cell Core Laboratory under the guidance of the her mentor, Dr. Lisa A. Fortier, and collaborator, Dr. John C. Schimenti. Dr. Fortier is a scientist and large animal orthopedic surgeon who is well established in the fields of tendon repair and stem cell therapies. Dr. Schimenti is regarded as an expert in the fields of genetics and stem cell biology. Both have outstanding records for training graduate students and mentoring postdoctoral candidates and the overall research environment at Cornell is unique and eminently qualified to train translational scientists. The proposal is divide into two phases, a mentored phase and a transition phase into an independent research investigator. During Phase I, the applicant will complete her Ph.D. and seek to broaden her knowledge base and skill set to develop a deeper understanding of the basic biology of iPS cells, including their immunogenic and immunomodulatory properties compared to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The applicant and her mentor have assembled a team of immunology collaborators, Drs. Douglas Antczak, Julia Felippe (Flaminio), and Cynthia Leifer, to advise the applicant during this mentored phase and help her learn the valuable immunology concepts and methods needed to complete these studies and understand their biological significance. In Phase II the applicant will apply the knowledge and skills learned in Phase I to complete a proof-of- principle in vivo study examining the early and late biological responses of diseased tendon to iPS cell and MSC treatment and the regenerative potential of iPS cells and MSCs for tendon repair. For these studies, we will use the well established equine model of tendonitis which has been extensively used by our research group. These experiments will test the hypothesis that iPS cells will have similar immunogenic and immunomodulatory properties as MSCs but superior regenerative potential because they are pluripotent stem cells whereas MSCs are not. This information is clinically important for determining which stem cell type should be applied therapeutically in the treatment of tendon diseases. The expectation of this proposal is that the applicant will gain the necessary laboratory research, scientific, and management skills necessary to establish a niche in the field of regenerative medicine as an independent clinician scientist in an academic environment. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed research plan would generate and characterize equine induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells including their ability to stimulate or decrease an immune response. The immune properties and regenerative potential of iPS cells would then be compared to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) using the well established equine model of tendonitis. The knowledge gained though the completion of these studies would provide immediately relevant, clinically applicable information for determining which stem cell type should be applied therapeutically for the treatment of tendonitis in people.