Towards Reduction or Substitution of Cytotoxic DMSO in Biobanking of Functional Bioengineered Megakaryocytes

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 21; no. 20; p. 7654
• Main Authors: Pogozhykh, Denys, Eicke, Dorothee, Gryshkov, Oleksandr, Wolkers, Willem F, Schulze, Kai, Guzmán, Carlos A, Blasczyk, Rainer, Figueiredo, Constança
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 16.10.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Availability; biobanking; Biobanks; Bioengineering; Blood Platelets - cytology; Blood Platelets - drug effects; Blood Preservation - methods; Bone marrow; Cell culture; Cells, Cultured; Contamination; Cryopreservation; Cryoprotective Agents - toxicity; Cytotoxicity; Dimethyl Sulfoxide - toxicity; Donor materials; Good Manufacturing Practice; Humans; Immunology; In vivo methods and tests; induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC); Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - cytology; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - drug effects; Logistics; Megakaryocytes; Megakaryocytes - cytology; Megakaryocytes - drug effects; Mice; Mice, SCID; mouse model; platelets; Population; Shelf life; Thrombocytopenia; Transfusion; propane-1,2-diol; dimethyl sulfoxide; megakaryocytes; biobanking; mouse model; ethylene glycol; induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC); transfusion; cytotoxicity; platelets
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207654
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596

Donor platelet transfusion is currently the only efficient treatment of life-threatening thrombocytopenia, but it is highly challenged by immunological, quality, and contamination issues, as well as short shelf life of the donor material. Ex vivo produced megakaryocytes and platelets represent a promising alternative strategy to the conventional platelet transfusion. However, practical implementation of such strategy demands availability of reliable biobanking techniques, which would permit eliminating continuous cell culture maintenance, ensure time for quality testing, enable stock management and logistics, as well as availability in a ready-to-use manner. At the same time, protocols applying DMSO-based cryopreservation media were associated with increased risks of adverse long-term side effects after patient use. Here, we show the possibility to develop cryopreservation techniques for iPSC-derived megakaryocytes under defined xeno-free conditions with significant reduction or complete elimination of DMSO. Comprehensive phenotypic and functional in vitro characterization of megakaryocytes has been performed before and after cryopreservation. Megakaryocytes cryopreserved DMSO-free, or using low DMSO concentrations, showed the capability to produce platelets in vivo after transfusion in a mouse model. These findings propose biobanking approaches essential for development of megakaryocyte-based replacement and regenerative therapies.