La cellula staminale

La cellula staminale

A life story Cellula capace di dare origine a tutte le popolazioni cellulari di uno o più tessuti.

What is a stem cell? stem cell SELF-RENEWAL (copying) DIFFERENTIATION (specializing) stem cell specialized cell e.g. muscle cell, nerve cell

Cellula staminale Cellula capace di dare origine a tutte le popolazioni cellulari di uno o più tessuti. Normalmente, da cellule staminali nascono sia nuove cellule staminali, sia cellule capaci di dividersi rapidamente, ma probabilmente solo un numero finito di volte, che cominciano anche il processo di differenziamento: queste ultime costituiscono il cosiddetto compartimento di espansione del tessuto.

Stem cell niches Niche Microenvironment around stem cells that provides support and signals regulating selfrenewal and differentiation stem cell niche Direct contact Soluble factors Intermediate cell

Stem cell niches The stem cell niche is a major concept in stem cell biology. Understanding the microenvironment around stem cells is as important as understanding stem cells themselves. The microenvironment regulates the behavior of stem cells and thus can teach us how to control stem cells in culture. The niche can act on a stem cell by various mechanisms: Direct contact between the stem cell and the niche cells Soluble factors released by the niche that travel to the stem cell Intermediate cells that communicate between the niche and the stem cell Scientists are still working to understand exactly how niches work, and more is known about the niches of some kinds of stem cells than others.

This selective gene expression controls the four essential processes by which the embryo is constructed: cell proliferation, producing many cells from one cell specialization, creating cells with different characteristics at different positions cell interactions, coordinating the behavior of one cell with that of its neighbors cell movement, rearranging the cells to form structured tissues and organs

Totipotente Pluripotente Multipotente Unipotente Cellule Staminali Pluripotenti indotte ipsc Cellule Staminali del cancro

Cellula staminale totipotente Cellula capace di dare origine a tutte le popolazioni cellulari dell'organismo Tali sono le cellule all'interno della morula o della blastocisti, cioè di stadi precoci dello sviluppo embrionale (prima settimana di sviluppo dell'uomo).

Le cellule embrionali staminali (in sigla ES da Embryonic Stem cell), hanno come caratteristica principale l'elevata capacità di differenziarsi in qualsiasi altro tipo cellulare. Inoltre è possibile mantenerle in coltura per un lungo periodo di tempo.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells: Challenges grow under conditions B embryonic stem cells skin grow under conditions A neuron s grow under conditions C blood grow under conditions D? live r

In tutti i mammiferi le prime fasi dello sviluppo embrionale a partire dallo zigote avvengono grazie agli RNA messaggeri (mrna) e alle proteine di origine materna presenti nel citoplasma dell'oocita.

Cellula staminale pluripotente Cellula capace di dare origine a più popolazioni cellulari, in generale a tutte quelle di un tessuto ad esempio, tutte quelle del midollo osseo, o tutte quelle dell'epitelio mucoso intestinale

Cellula staminale del funicolo ombelicale: Cellula staminale, presumibilmente pluripotente e capace di dare origine a varie popolazioni delle cellule del sangue, che è presente in circolo durante la vita fetale e quindi anche nel sangue del funicolo ombelicale; quest'ultimo può essere prelevato alla nascita senza alcun trauma per l'organismo.

Tissue stem cells: Neural stem cells (NSCs) Neurons Interneurons Oligodendrocytes NSC Type 2 Astrocytes brain committed progenitors Type 1 Astrocytes specialized cells

Cellule Staminali nell adulto surface of the eye brain skin breast testicles intestines (gut) muscles bone marrow

Nell'individuo adulto si trovano cellule staminali in diversi distretti tissutali differenziati: nel midollo spinale nell'epitelio seminifero della gonade maschile nella retina negli epiteli nel cervello

Le cellule staminali adulte sono purtroppo di difficile reperibilità, poiché numericamente molto scarse; non possono essere coltivate a lungo poiché, dopo alcune divisioni cellulari, tendono a perdere le caratteristiche di pluripotenzialità. Le cellule staminàli embrionali, invece, possono essere mantenute in coltura per moltissimi cicli di divisione, addirittura per più di dieci anni, senza perdere di pluripótenzialità.

Accanto a queste sorgenti fisiologiche di cellule staminali, negli ultimi anni se ne è aggiunta un'altra molto promettente, basata sulla possibilità di modificare il programma genetico delle cellule differenziate.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (ips cells) genetic reprogramming = add certain genes to the cell adult cell induced pluripotent stem (ips) cell behaves like an embryonic stem cell differentiation culture ips cells in the lab Advantage: no need for embryos! all possible types of specialized cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (ips cells) genetic reprogramming adult cell (skin) pluripotent stem cell (ips) differentiation

Geni della pluripotenza Fattori di trascrizione Nanog, Oct4, Sox2

Role of SOX2 in maintaining pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells Genes to Cells (2010) 15, 455 469 Human embryonic stem cell (ESC) pluripotency is thought to be regulated by several key transcription factors including OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2. Although the functions of OCT4 and NANOG in human ESCs are well defined, that of SOX2 has not been fully characterized. To investigate the role of SOX2, we modulated the level of SOX2 expression in human ESCs. Reduction of SOX2 expression in human ESCs induced trophectodermal and partial endodermal differentiation.

Transcriptional properties of human NANOG1 and NANOG2 in acute leukemic cells 5384 5395 Nucleic Acids Research, 2010, Vol. 38, No. 16 Published online 28 April 2010 doi:10.1093/nar/gkq307 Transcripts of NANOG and OCT4 have been recently identified in human t(4;11) leukemia and in a model system expressing both t(4;11) fusion proteins. Moreover, downstream target genes of NANOG/ OCT4/SOX2 were shown to be transcriptionally activated. However, the NANOG1 gene belongs to a gene family, including a gene tandem duplication (named NANOG2 or NANOGP1) and several pseudogenes (NANOGP2-P11). Thus, it was unclear which of the NANOG family members were transcribed in t(4;11) leukemia cells. 50-RACE experiments revealed novel 50-exons of NANOG1 and NANOG2, which could give rise to the expression of two different NANOG1 and three different NANOG2 protein variants. Moreover, a novel PCR-based method was established that allows distinguishing between transcripts deriving from NANOG1, NANOG2 and all other NANOG pseudogenes (P2 P11). By applying this method, we were able to demonstrate that human hematopoietic stem cells and different leukemic cells transcribe NANOG2. Furthermore, we nctionally tested NANOG1 and NANOG2 protein variants by recombinant expression in 293 cells. These studies revealed that NANOG1 and NANOG2 protein variants are functionally equivalent and activate a regulatory circuit that activates specific stem cell genes. Therefore, we pose the hypothesis that the transcriptional activation of NANOG2 represents a gain-of-stem cell function in acute leukemia.

EMBO J. 2010 Oct 6;29(19):3236-48. Epub 2010 Aug 24. Oct-3/4 regulates stem cell identity and cell fate decisions by modulating Wnt/βcatenin signalling. Abu-Remaileh M, Gerson A, Farago M, Nathan G, Alkalay I, Zins Rousso S, Gur M, Fainsod A, Bergman Y. Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. Abstract Although the transcriptional regulatory events triggered by Oct-3/4 are well documented, understanding the proteomic networks that mediate the diverse functions of this POU domain homeobox protein remains a major challenge. Here, we present genetic and biochemical studies that suggest an unexpected novel strategy for Oct-3/4-dependent regulation of embryogenesis and cell lineage determination. Our data suggest that Oct-3/4 specifically interacts with nuclearβ-catenin and facilitates its proteasomal degradation, resulting in the maintenance of an undifferentiated, early embryonic phenotype both in Xenopus embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells. Our data also show that Oct-3/4- mediated control of β-catenin stability has an important function in regulating ES cell motility. Down-regulation of Oct-3/4 increases β-catenin protein levels, enhancing Wnt signalling and initiating invasive cellular activity characteristic of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Our data suggest a novel mode of regulation by which a delicate balance between β-catenin, Tcf3 and Oct-3/4 regulates maintenance of stem cell identity. Altering the balance between these proteins can direct cell fate decisions and differentiation.

Models of cellular reprogramming. Stadtfeld M, Hochedlinger K Genes Dev. 2010;24:2239-2263 2010 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

Putative role of reprogramming factors during ipsc formation. Stadtfeld M, Hochedlinger K Genes Dev. 2010;24:2239-2263 2010 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

Cloning There are two VERY different types of cloning: Reproductive cloning Molecular cloning gene 1 gene 2 Use to make two identical individuals Very difficult to do Use to study what a gene does Routine in the biology labs Illegal to do on humans

Reproductive cloning take the nucleus (containing DNA) adult cell egg remove nucleus and take the rest of the cell Clone identical to the individual that gave the nucleus Dolly the sheep

È chiaro che disporre di un reagente biologico quale le cellule staminali, da differenziare nei diversi tipi cellulari, apre nuovi scenari terapeutici: patologie ora poco trattabili, potrebbero essere affrontate con maggior successo grazie alla sostituzione dei tessuti danneggiati.

Spinal muscular atrophy refers to a group of autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorders characterized by degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, leading to symmetrical muscle weakness and atrophy. SMA is the second most common lethal, autosomal recessive disease in Caucasians after cystic fibrosis(wirth, 2000). Potential applications of ipscs. spinal muscular atrophy type I (SMA I) is caused by mutation or deletion in the copy of the SMN gene, known as SMN1 Stadtfeld M, Hochedlinger K Genes Dev. 2010;24:2239-2263 2010 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

ricostruzione del midollo spinale danneggiato da traumi fisici del tessuto cardiaco dopo infarto, malattie infiammatorie di natura sistemica a quelle muscolo-scheletriche (displasia ossea, malattie progressive delle giunture, osteogenesi imperfetta, miopatie primitive) malattie degenerative della retina, della cornea dell'apparato uditivo, malattie degenerative del sistema nervoso (Alzheimer, Parkinson, malattia di Huntington, sclerosi laterale amiotrofica)

Applicazioni terapeutiche delle cellule staminali Trapianto autologo di cellule staminali emopoietiche Trapianto allogenico di cellule staminali Trapianto allogenico di cellule staminali emopoietiche del cordone ombelicale Trapianto di cellule staminali cutanee: cellule staminali coltivate in vitro utilizzabili solo per pazienti con patologie cutanee gravi ed ustioni

Terapia genica con le tecniche d'ingegneria genetica si può correggere l'effetto prodotto da geni difettosi infatti le cellule staminali tollerano meglio di altre cellule l'inserimento di geni dall'esterno. Questa tecnica potrebbe permettere la correzione di difetti genetici nelle prime fasi di sviluppo embrionale

Rigenerazione di tessuti ed organi a partire da cellule staminali: E' già possibile ricostituire alcune popolazioni cellulari a partire da cellule staminali pluripotenti del tessuto medesimo, come avviene per le cellule del sangue mediante il trapianto di midollo osseo; sono allo studio progetti per far rigenerare interi tessuti o addirittura organi, ma va tenuto presente che in questo caso non è sufficiente far generare una o più popolazioni cellulari, ma va anche fatto in modo che queste producano matrice extracellulare nella appropriata quantità e disposizione, che assumano i rapporti spaziali reciproci tipici del tessuto e dell'organo maturo e, in particolare per la rigenerazione di organi, che questi assumano la forma tridimensionale loro propria e necessaria alla funzione, tutti punti ancora da esplorare.

Cancer Stem Cells

cancer stem cells (csc) Minority of cancer cells with tumorigenic potential NORMAL TUMORAL SELF-RENEWAL DIFFERENTIATION PROLIFERATIVE ABILITY ABERRANT REGULATION Modified from Bjerkvig R et al. Nat Rev Cancer. 2005;5:899-904

Cancer stem cell theory New cancer model: 1) Tumors arise from cells termed cancer stem cells that have properties of normal stem cells, particularly selfrenewal and multipotentiality (a minority) of tumor cells. 2) Unregulated cell growth is due to a disruption in the regulatory mechanism in stem cell renewal. 3) Cancer is a stem cell disorder and not a simple mechanism whereby cell proliferation is disrupted.

Cancer stem cell theory These CSCs cells persist in tumors as a distinct population that likely causes relapses and metastasis. This theory explains why are many cancers so difficult to treat.

Cancer stem cell theory Why stem cells? Only stem cells have the ability to self renew and neoplasia is essentially dysregulated self renewal Stem cells are long-lived cells which can acquire the necessary number of sequential mutations to convert a normal cell into a malignant one.

Are we targeting the right cells? Conventional chemotherapies kill differentiated or differentiating cells, which form the bulk of the tumor but are unable to generate a new one. A population of CSCs, which gave rise to it, remains untouched and may cause a relapse of the disease. Development of specific therapies targeted at CSCs holds hope for improvement of survival and quality of life of cancer patients, especially for sufferers of metastatic disease, where little progress has been made in recent years.

WRONG TARGET. Traditional cancer therapies (top) kill rapidly dividing tumor cells (blue) but may spare stem cells (yellow) that can give rise to a new tumor. In theory, killing cancer stem cells (bottom) should halt a tumor's growth lead to its disappearance.

Abbiamo finalmente un nuovo eccezionale obiettivo per la ricerca: le staminali del cancro, ha dichiarato oggi il Professor Umberto Veronesi, Direttore Scientifico dell Istituto Europeo di Oncologia di Milano, nell ambito dell annuale presentazione dei risultati e dei programmi di ricerca dello IEO. Le cellule staminali tumorali non sono altro che cellule, più indifferenziate delle altre, che sono in grado di alimentare la proliferazione del tumore. Sono in pratica il serbatoio dal quale il cancro si approvvigiona. Essere capaci di intervenire su questo serbatoio potrebbe quindi rappresentare la svolta finale per la soluzione globale del problema cancro.

Cancer stem cells models Acute myelogenous leukemia: [CD34+,CD38-] Breast Cancer: [CD44+, CD24-/low] Brain tumor: [CD133+] Prostate cancer: [CD44+] Colon cancer: [CD133+]

Metastatic Cancer Cells = Migratory Cancer Stem Cells

There are many molecular links between the regulation of normal embryogenesis and oncogenesis. A different, and obvious, parallel between embryogenesis and oncogenesis can be observed in the spontaneous formation of tumors in the gonads of mammals, including humans. These unusual tumors, which include teratomas, embryonal carcinomas, and teratocarcinomas, develop from the germ cells in the testes or ovaries. The tumors have provoked a great deal of interest because they often contain highly differentiated cells and tissues such as teeth, hair, neural cells, and epithelial cells. The structures are disorganized, but often recognizable. Although teratomas are benign, embryonal carcinomas and teratocarcinomas are highly malignant. The latter contain a kind of stem cell, called an embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell, which in mice and humans resembles embryonic stem (ES) cells. Some genes recently identified as important in the development of human cancers are also active during embryonic development. For instance, the human breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, and their counterparts in mice are expressed in the three primary germ layers during embryogenesis, particularly in cell types undergoing the most rapid proliferation. The expression of these genes is dependent on the stage of the cell cycle, with peak expression during the G1/S transition and lowest expression in cells in the G1 or G0 phase. In humans, BRCA1 and BRCA2 probably function during the development of mammary epithelium, although little is known about their role in this process.

For instance, Oct-4 is a transcription factor that has come to be recognized as a prototypical marker of undifferentiated, dividing cells. It is necessary for maintaining the undifferentiated state and proliferation of cells of the inner cell mass and the epiblast. Oct-4 is expressed in the mouse oocyte, it disappears during the first cleavage of the zygote, and it reappears in the four-cell mouse embryo as the genome of the zygote begins to control embryonic development. Oct-4 is a member of the class 5 POU (for Pit, Oct, and Unc) family of transcription factors, which bind promoter or enhancer sites in DNA. The transcription factor Oct-4 can activate or repress gene expression. A target of Oct-4 in mouse embryogenesis is the Fgf4 gene. It encodes fibroblast growth factor-4 (FGF-4), a growth factor protein that is expressed together with Oct-4 in the inner cell mass and epiblast. FGF-4 is a paracrine signal, meaning that it is released from one cell type and it acts on another. A series of recent experiments indicates that the level of Oct-4 expression not simply its presence or absence in a cell determines how mouse embryonic stem cells differentiate and whether they continue to proliferate