• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.179-186
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• 2003

Human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines have been derived from human blastocysts and are expected to have far-reaching applications in regenerative medicine. The objective of this study is to improve freezing method with less cryo-injuries and best survival rates in hES cells by comparing various vitrification conditions. For the vitrifications, ES cells are exposed to the 4 different cryoprotectants, ethylene glycol (EG), 1,2-propanediol (PROH), EG with dime-thylsulfoxide (DMSO) and EG with PROH. We compared to types of vehicles, such as open pulled straw (OPS) or electron microscopic cooper grids (EM grids). Thawed hES cells were dipped into sequentially holding media with 0.2 M sucrose for 1 min, 0.1 M sucrose for 5 min and holding media for 5 min twice and plated onto a fresh feeder layer. Survival rates of vitrified hES cells were assessed by counting of undifferentiated colonies. It shows high survival rates of hES cells frozen with EG and DMSO (60.8％), or EG and PROH(65.8％) on EM grids better than those of OPS, compared to those frozen with EG alone (2.4％) or PROH alone (0％) alone. The hES cells vitrified with EM grid showed relatively constant colony forming efficiency and survival rates, compared to those of unverified hES cells. The vitrified hES cells retained the normal morphology, alkaline phosphates activity, and the expression of SSEA-3 and 4. Through RT-PCR analysis showed Oct-4 gene expression was down-regulated and embryonic germ layer markers were up-regulated in the vitrified hES cells during spontaneous differentiation. These results show that vitrification method by using EM grid supplemented with EG and PROH in hES cells may be most efficient at present to minimize cyto-toxicity and cellular damage derived by ice crystal formation and furthermore may be employed for clinical application.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.141-149
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• 2008

This study was conducted to develop an efficient cryopreservation method of human embryonic stem (ES) cells using vitrification. In an initial experiment, sub-clumps of human ES cells (CHA-hES3 and CHA-hES4) were vitrified using grids after incubation with STO feeder cells for 1 or 16 h (Groups 1-1 and 1-2, respectively). After storage for $2{\sim}4$ months, thawed clumps were re-plated on a fresh feeder layer. The survival rates of warmed CHA-hES3 and CHA-hES4 cells of Group 1-2 were significantly higher than those of the corresponding Group 1-1 cells. In the second experiment, human ES cells were vitrified after incubation with feeder or feeder-conditioned medium (Groups 2-1 to -7). Relative mRNA expression of BM proteins and survival rates were increased following incubation of ES cells with fresh feeder cells for 16 h. In conclusion, increasing of tight adhesion between ES cells by extended incubation with feeder could reduce cryoinjury after vitrifying/warming.

• 한국동물번식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국동물번식학회 2002년도 춘계학술발표대회 발표논문초록집
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• pp.18-18
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• 2002

This study was to investigate the effect of neurotrophic factors on neural cell differentiation in vitro derived from human embryonic stem (hES, MB03) cells. For neural progenitor cell formation derived from hES cells, we produced embryoid bodies (EB: for 5 days, without mitogen) from hES cells and then neurospheres (for 7 - 10 days, 20 ng/㎖ of bFGF added N2 medium) from EB. And then finally for the differentiation into mature neuron cells, neural progenitor cells were cultured in ⅰ) N2 medium (without bFGF), ⅱ) N2 supplemented with brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, 5ng/㎖) or ⅲ) N2 supplemented with platelet derived growth factor-bb (PDGF-bb, 20ng/㎖) for 2 weeks. (omitted)

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.133-137
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• 2009

Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells isolated from inner cell mass (ICM) of blastocyst-stage embryos are capable of differentiating into various cell lineages and demonstrate germ-line transmission in experimentally produced chimeras. These cells have a great potential as tools for transgenic animal production, screening of newly-developed drugs, and cell therapy. Miniature pigs, selectively bred pigs for small size, offer several advantages over large breed pigs in biomedical research including human disease model and xenotransplantation. In the present study, factors affecting primary culture of somatic cell nuclear transfer blastocysts from miniature pigs for isolation of ES cells were investigated. Formation of primary colonies occurred only on STO cells in human ES medium. In contrast, no ICM outgrowth was observed on mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) in porcine ES medium. Plating intact blastocysts and isolated ICM resulted in comparable attachment on feeder layer and primary colony formation. After subculture of ES-like colonies, two putative ES cell lines were isolated. Colonies of putative ES cells morphologically resembled murine ES cells. These cells were maintained in culture up to three passages, but lost by spontaneous differentiation. The present study demonstrates factors involved in the early stage of nuclear transfer ES cell isolation in miniature pigs. However, long-term maintenance and characterization of nuclear transfer ES cells in miniature pigs are remained to be done in further studies.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.209-215
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• 2004

Objective: Embryonic stem (ES) cells could be differentiated into the specific cell types by alternation of culture condition and modification of gene expression. This study was performed to evaluate the differentiation protocol for mouse and human ES cells to insulin secreting cells. Methods: Undifferentiated mouse (JH-I) and human (Miz-hESI) ES cells were cultured on STO feeder layer, and embryoid bodies (EBs) were formed by suspension culture. For the differentiation, EBs were cultured by sequential system with three stage protocol. The differentiating ES cells were collected and marker gene expressions were analyzed by seIni-quantitative RT-PCR in each stage. Amount of secreted insulin levels in culture media of human ES cells were measured by human insulin specific RIA kit. Results: During the differentiation process of human ES cells, GATA-4, a-fetoprotein, glucose transporter-2 and Ngn-3 expression were increased whereas OctA was decreased progressively. Insulin and albuInin mRNAs were expressed from stage IT in mouse ES cells and from stage III in human ES cells. We detected 3.0~7.9 IlU/rnl secretion of insulin from differentiated human ES cells by in vitro culture for 36 days. Conclusion: The sequential culture system could induce the differentiation of mouse and human ES cells into insulin secreting cells. This is the fIrst report of differentiation of human ES cells into insulin secreting cells by in vitro culture with serum and insulin free medium.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.221-226
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• 2007

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are known to have an infinite proliferation and pluripotency that are associated with complex processes. The objective of this study was to examine expression of genes differentially regulated during differentiation of human ES cells by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). Human ES cells were induced to differentiate into neural precursor cells via embryoid body. Neural precursor cells were isolated physically based on morphological criteria. Immunocytochemical analysis showed expression of pax6 in neural precursor cells, confirming that the isolated cells were neural precursor cells. Undifferentiated human ES cells and neural precursor cells were subject to the SSH. TPX2 (Targeting Protein for Xklp2 (Xenopus centrosomal kinesin-like protein 2)) was identified, cloned and analyzed during differentiation of human ES cells into neural lineages. Expression of TPX2 was gradually down-regulated in embryoid bodies and neural precursor cells relative to undifferentiated ES cells. Targeting Protein for Xklp2 has been shown to be involved in cell division by interaction with microtubule development in cancer cells. Taken together, result of this study suggests that TPX2 may be involved in proliferation and differentiation of human ES cells.

• 한국동물번식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국동물번식학회 2002년도 춘계학술발표대회 발표논문초록집
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• pp.19-19
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• 2002

This study was to examine whether the in vitro differentiated neural cells derived from human embryonic stem (hES, MB03) cells can be survived and expressed tyrosin hydroxylase(TH) in grafted normal or PD rat brain. To differentiate in vitro into neural cells, embryoid bodies (EB: for 5 days, without mitogen) were formed from hES cells, neural progenitor cells(neurosphere, for 7-10 days, 20 ng/㎖ of bFGF added N2 medium) were produced from EB, and then finally neurospheres were differentiated into mature neuron cells in N2 medium(without bFGF) for 2 weeks. In normal rat brain, neural progenitor cells or mature neuron cells (1×10/sup 7/ cells/㎖) were grafted to the striatum of normal rats. After 2 weeks, when the survival of grafted hES cells was examined by immunohistochemical analysis, the neural progenitor cell group indicated higher BrdU, NeuN＋, MAP2＋ and GFAP＋ than mature neuron cell group in grafted sites of normal rats. This result demonstrated that the in vivo differentiation of grafted hES cells be increased simultaneously in both of neuronal and glial cell type. Also, neural progenitor cell grafted normal rats expressed more TH pattern than mature neuron cells. Based on this data, as a preliminary test, when the neural progenitor cells were grafted into the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned PD rats, we confirmed the cell survival (by double staining of Nissl and NeuN) and TH expression. This result suggested that in vitro differentiated neural progenitor cells derived from hES cells are more usable than mature neuron cells for the neural cell grafting in animal model and those grafted cells were survived and expressed TH in normal or PD rat brain.

• 한국수정란이식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국수정란이식학회 2002년도 춘계학술세미나 및 워크숍
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• pp.19-25
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• 2002

Researches on manipulation pluripotent stem cells derived from blastocysts or promordial germ cells (PGCs) have a great advantages for developing innovative technologies in various fields of life science including medicine, pharmaceutics, and biotechnology. Since the first isolation in the mouse embryos, stem cells or stem cell-like colonies have been continuously established in the mouse of different strains, cattle, pig, rabbit, and human. In the animal species, stem cell biology is important for developing transgenic technology including disease model animal and bioreactor production. ES cell can be isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts by either mechanical operation or immunosurgery. So, mass production of blastocyst is a prerequisite factor for successful undertaking ES cell manipulation. In the case of animal ES cell research, various protocol of gamete biotechnology can be applied for improving the efficiency of stem cell research. Somatic cell nuclear transfer technique can be applied to researches on animal ES cells, since it is powerful tool for producing clone embryos containing genes of interest. In this presentation, a brief review was made for explaining how somatic cell nuclear transfer technology could contribute to improving stem cell manipulation technology.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.49-56
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• 2007

One of the goals of stem cell technology is to control the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), thereby generating large numbers of specific cell types for many applications including cell replacement therapy. Although individual hESC lines resemble each other in expressing pluripotency markers and telomerase activity, it is not clear whether they are equivalent in their developmental potential in vitro. We compared the developmental competence of three hESC lines (HSF6, Miz-hES4, and Miz-hES6). All three generated the three embryonic germ layers, extraembryonic tissues, and primordial germ cells during embryoid body (EB) formation. However, HSF6 and Miz-hES6 readily formed neuroectoderm, whereas Miz-hES4 differentiated preferentially into mesoderm and endoderm. Upon terminal differentiation, HSF6 and Miz-hES6 produced mainly neuronal cells whereas Miz-hES4 mainly formed mesendodermal derivatives, including endothelial cells, leukocyte progenitors, hepatocytes, and pancreatic cells. Our observations suggest that independently-derived hESCs may differ in their developmental potential.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.267-272
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• 2007

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived from the inner cell mass of the preimplantation embryo and have the capacity to differentiate into various types of cells in the body. Hence, these cells may potentially be an indefinite source of cells for cell therapy in various degenerative diseases including neuronal disorders. For clinical applications of human ES cells, directed differentiation of these cells would be necessary. The objective of this study is to develop the culture condition for the expansion of neural precursor cells derived from human ES cells. Human ES cells were able to differentiate into neural precursor cells upon a stepwise culture condition. Neural precursor cells were propagated up to 5000-fold in cell numbers over 12-week period of culture and evaluated for their characteristics. Expressions of sox1 and pax6 transcripts were dramatically up-regulated along the differentiation stages by RT-PCR analysis. In contrast, expressions of oct4 and nanog transcripts were completely disappeared in neural precursor cells. Expressions of nestin, pax6 and sox1 were also confirmed in neural precursor cells by immunocytochemical analysis. Upon differentiation, the expanded neural precursor cells differentiated into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. In immunocytochemical analysis, expressions of type III ${\beta}$-tubulin and MAP2ab were observed Presence of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes were also confirmed by expressions of GFAP and O4, respectively. Results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of long-term expansion of human ES cell-derived neural precursor cells in vitro, which can be a potential source of the cells for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.