Engineering neural tissue using pluripotent stem cells

使用多能干细胞改造神经组织

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-04044
• 负责人: Willerth, Stephanie
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=638053
• 关键词: Engineering; neural; tissue; using; pluripotent

Different kind of cells make up the brain and spinal cord. Replicating these complex structures provides us with a significant opportunity to discover how such tissues form in the body. Such engineered neural tissues can be used for applications in pharmacological screening instead of donated human tissues. One popular strategy for tissue engineering uses biomaterial scaffolds to deliver signals that promote stem cells to differentiate into neural tissue. My group works with human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), adult cells reprogrammed into a state where they can become any type of cell found in an organism. This property makes them an excellent cell source for tissue engineering. My group identified a number of chemical and physical cues that drive the differentiation of hiPSCs into neural tissue, which serves as a starting point for this research program. However, current methods for engineering neural tissue using hiPSCs require lengthy, labor intensive protocols.

不同种类的细胞组成大脑和脊髓。复制这些复杂的结构为我们提供了一个重要的机会来发现这些组织是如何在体内形成的。这种工程神经组织可代替捐赠的人体组织用于药理学筛选。组织工程的一种流行策略使用生物材料支架来传递促进干细胞分化为神经组织的信号。我的团队研究人类诱导多能干细胞（hiPSC），这些成体细胞被重新编程为可以成为生物体中发现的任何类型细胞的状态。这一特性使它们成为组织工程的极佳细胞来源。我的小组确定了许多推动 hiPSC 分化为神经组织的化学和物理线索，这是该研究计划的起点。然而，目前使用 hiPSC 改造神经组织的方法需要冗长、劳动密集型的方案。