包圍一個(gè)紅細(xì)胞(E)的內(nèi)皮細(xì)胞外表面典型地排列著周細(xì)胞,，圖片來(lái)自維基共享資源。
來(lái)自以色列理工學(xué)院拉巴波特醫(yī)學(xué)院和瑞本醫(yī)學(xué)中心(Technion-Israel Institute of Technology's Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Rambam Medical Center)的研究人員利用胚胎干細(xì)胞和經(jīng)過(guò)重編程的成體干細(xì)胞第一次產(chǎn)生稱作周細(xì)胞(pericyte)的細(xì)胞,，而且產(chǎn)生的周細(xì)胞能夠發(fā)生增殖,，并且在健康血管形成中發(fā)揮著關(guān)鍵性作用。這項(xiàng)研究突破可能最終有益于從心血管疾病或者因?yàn)橹T如糖尿病之類的疾病導(dǎo)致的嚴(yán)重性循環(huán)系統(tǒng)損傷中竭力康復(fù)過(guò)來(lái)的病人,。
以色列理工學(xué)院柏林家庭干細(xì)胞研究實(shí)驗(yàn)室(Berlin Family Laboratory for Stem Cell Research)主任Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor教授與Ayelet Dar-Oaknin博士領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的一個(gè)研究小組然后將這些周細(xì)胞注射進(jìn)小鼠受損的并且血液流動(dòng)幾乎完全被阻斷的腿部肌肉,。
只需3周時(shí)間，這些周細(xì)胞重建功能性的血管系統(tǒng)而且甚至能夠再生因?yàn)槿狈ρ鯕夤┙o而受損的肌肉,。這些結(jié)果為治療遭受心臟或血管疾病和一系列其他疾病折磨的病人身上發(fā)生的組織損傷提供極大的希望,。
瑞本醫(yī)學(xué)中心主任和拉巴波特醫(yī)學(xué)院前主管Rafael Beyar說(shuō)，這些研究發(fā)現(xiàn)存在著“巨大的醫(yī)療潛力”,，“但是應(yīng)用于病人身上的道路仍然漫長(zhǎng)”,，不過(guò)人們可能也“不用等待太長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間”,。
作為研究焦點(diǎn)的周細(xì)胞是利用胚胎干細(xì)胞(來(lái)自捐獻(xiàn)的受精卵)生產(chǎn)的，而且也可利用經(jīng)過(guò)基因重編程變得“多能性”的成體干細(xì)胞來(lái)進(jìn)行生產(chǎn),。因?yàn)橹芗?xì)胞是利用病人自己的干細(xì)胞構(gòu)建出來(lái)的,，所以它們能夠被移植并且治愈受損組織，同時(shí)不會(huì)產(chǎn)生排斥風(fēng)險(xiǎn),。
Itskovitz-Eldor 教授是瑞本醫(yī)學(xué)中心婦產(chǎn)科主任和以色列理工學(xué)院干細(xì)胞實(shí)驗(yàn)室與福爾曼家庭卓越中心主任(Forman Families Center for Excellence),，研究領(lǐng)域是干細(xì)胞和組織再生。
相關(guān)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)近期發(fā)表在美國(guó)心臟協(xié)會(huì)期刊Circulation上,。(生物谷：towersimper編譯)
doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.048264
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Multipotent Vasculogenic Pericytes From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Promote Recovery of Murine Ischemic Limb
Ayelet Dar, PhD; Hagit Domev, MSc; Oren Ben-Yosef, BSc; Maty Tzukerman, PhD; Naama Zeevi-Levin, PhD; Atara Novak, MSc; Igal Germanguz, MSc; Michal Amit, PhD; Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor, MD, DSc
Background—Pericytes represent a unique subtype of microvessel-residing perivascular cells with diverse angiogenic functions and multilineage developmental features of mesenchymal stem cells. Although various protocols for derivation of endothelial and/or smooth muscle cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC, either embryonic or induced) have been described, the emergence of pericytes in the course of hPSC maturation has not yet been elucidated.
Methods and Results—We found that during hPSC development, spontaneously differentiating embryoid bodies give rise to CD105+CD90+CD73+CD31− multipotent clonogenic mesodermal precursors, which can be isolated and efficiently expanded. Isolated and propagated cells expressed characteristic pericytic markers, including CD146, NG2, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, but not the smooth muscle cell marker α-smooth muscle actin. Coimplantation of hPSC-derived endothelial cells with pericytes resulted in functional and rapid anastomosis to the murine vasculature. Administration of pericytes into immunodeficient mice with limb ischemia promoted significant vascular and muscle regeneration. At day 21 after transplantation, recruited hPSC pericytes were found incorporated into recovered muscle and vasculature.
Conclusions—Derivation of vasculogenic and multipotent pericytes from hPSC can be used for the development of vasculogenic models using multiple vasculogenic cell types for basic research and drug screening and can contribute to angiogenic regenerative medicine.
