Tissue-Engineered Vascular Rings from Human iPSC-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells

• Published in: Stem cell reports Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 19 - 28
• Main Authors: Dash, Biraja C., Levi, Karen, Schwan, Jonas, Luo, Jiesi, Bartulos, Oscar, Wu, Hongwei, Qiu, Caihong, Yi, Ting, Ren, Yongming, Campbell, Stuart, Rolle, Marsha W., Qyang, Yibing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 12.07.2016; Elsevier
• Subjects: Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cells, Cultured; Humans; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - cytology; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - metabolism; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - growth & development; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - metabolism; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle - metabolism; Phenotype; Tissue Engineering
• ISSN: 2213-6711; 2213-6711
• DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2016.05.004

There is an urgent need for an efficient approach to obtain a large-scale and renewable source of functional human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to establish robust, patient-specific tissue model systems for studying the pathogenesis of vascular disease, and for developing novel therapeutic interventions. Here, we have derived a large quantity of highly enriched functional VSMCs from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-VSMCs). Furthermore, we have engineered 3D tissue rings from hiPSC-VSMCs using a facile one-step cellular self-assembly approach. The tissue rings are mechanically robust and can be used for vascular tissue engineering and disease modeling of supravalvular aortic stenosis syndrome. Our method may serve as a model system, extendable to study other vascular proliferative diseases for drug screening. Thus, this report describes an exciting platform technology with broad utility for manufacturing cell-based tissues and materials for various biomedical applications. [Display omitted] •Derivation of large-scale functional vascular smooth muscle cells from hiPSCs•Fabrication of scaffold-free, mechanically robust, and functional 3D vascular rings•Recapitulation of key supravalvular aortic stenosis defects in 3D vascular rings Qyang and colleagues generated functional vascular smooth muscle cells from multiple human induced pluripotent stem cell lines on a large scale. They further developed 3D tissue rings from these hiPSC-derived VSMCs using a facile one-step self-assembly technique. The tissue rings are functional and mechanically robust and can be used for vascular tissue engineering and disease modeling.