• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.197-203
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• 2020

Mesenchymal stem cells in the dental pulp exhibit a tendency for differentiation into various dental lineages and hold great potential as a major conduit for regenerative treatment in dentistry. Although they can be readily isolated from teeth, the exact characteristics of these stem cells have not been fully understood so far. When compared to two-dimensional (2D) cultures, three-dimensional (3D) cultures have the advantage of enriching the stem cell population. Hence, 3D-organoid culture and 3D-sphere culture were applied to dental pulp cells in the current study. Although the establishment of the organoid culture proved unsuccessful, the 3D-sphere culture readily initiated the stable generation of cell aggregates, which continued to grow and could be passaged to the second round. Interestingly, a significant increase in SOX2 expression was detected in the 3D-spheroid culture compared to the 2D culture. These results indicate the enrichment of the stemness-high population in the 3D-sphere culture. Thus, 3D-sphere culture may act as a link between the conventional and 3D-organoid cultures and aid in understanding the characteristics of dental pulp stem cells.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 1995

Mammary orgamoids(ductal and endbud fragments) were cultured in a complete hormone medium(CHM) with 10%FBS, estradiol, progesterone, hydrocortisone, insulin, and prolactin, Several types of colonies were observed: stellate(14$$\pm$5.5%), duct(41$\pm$5.6%), web(35$\pm$3.6%), squamous(6$\pm$2.1%), and lobuloduct(4$\pm$1.2%), Squamous colony was typical squamous metaplasia(SM) with several layers of squamous epithlia and keratin pearls. At the immunocytochemical study, casein proteins were predominantly localized near the apical surfaces of the cells or in the lumina of ductal or lobuloductal colonies. To inhibit the formation of SM, we treated organoids with all-trans retinoic acid(RA) from 10$^{-6}$ to 10$^{-17}$ M in CHM. Formation of SN was completely inhibited at 10$^{-9}$M RA in CHM. The frequency of lobuloductal colony formation was increased with the augmentation of RA concentration.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.297-305
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• 1997

A new serum-free defined medium was developed that supports the growth of normal rat mammary epithelial cells. Mammary organoids from the glands of female F344 rats were cultured in a serum-free medium. Monolayer culture colonies developed within a week and remained viable for months in culture. Upon subculture of one-week-old primary colonies, almost the same morphology of colonies was developed. The scrape loading/dye transfer technique showed that most of colonies that developed in a serum-free medium containing EGF, human transferrin, insulin, and hydrocortisone (basal serum-free medium, BSFM) failed to show cell-cell communication. However, colonies cultured in BSFM supplemented with prolactin, $E_2$, and progesterone (complete hormone serum-free medium, CHSFM) showed cell-cell communication at 14 days of primary culture or of subculture. By flow cytometry with FITCPNA and PE-anti-Thy-1.1 monoclonal antibody, we distinguished four RMEC subpopulations in cultures in both media: Thy-1.1+ cells, PNA+ cells, cells negative to both reagents and cells positive to both reagents. It is likely that combined prolactin, cortisol, and insulin in CHSFM stimulate terminal differentiation of clonogenic cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.398-405
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• 1998

We investigated the effects of triterpene acids (TAs), ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA), on the induction of proliferation and differentiation of normal rat mammary epithelial cells (RMEC) or organoids cultured in Matrigel or primary culture system. To elucidate the effects, we tested their differentiation inducing activities with intercellular communication ability, cell cycle patterns, induction of apoptosis, and morphological differentiation in the three dimensional extracellular culture system. To study the changes of RMEC subpopulation in culture, the cultured cells were isolated, immunostained with peanut lectin (PNA) and anti-Thy-1.1 antibody and then analyzed with flow cytometry. Four different subpopulations, such as PNA and Thy-1.1 negative cells (B-), PNA positive cells (PNA+), Thy-1.1 positive cells (Thy-1.1+), PNA and Thy-1.1 positive cells (B+), were obtained and the size of each subpopulation was changed in culture with time in the presence of TAs. Intercellular communication was observed in culture for 7 days in TAs-treated cells, but not in culture for 4 days with scrape-loading dye transfer technique. $G_2$/M phase cells and the number of apoptotic population were increased in TAs-treated groups in cell cycle analyses. S phase fractions were reduced and the change of $G_1$ phase cells was not observed. The colonies with distinct multicelfular structures, such as stellate, ductal, webbed, squamous, lobulo-ductal colonies, were observed in Matrigel culture and the frequencies of each colony were changed in the presence of TAs. These results suggest that UA and OA have differentiation inducing effects on rat mammary epithelial cells in primary or in Matrigel culture.

• Experimental and Molecular Medicine
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• 제50권11호
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• pp.12.1-12.12
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• 2018

Drugs targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), such as cetuximab and panitumumab, have been prescribed for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), but patients harboring KRAS mutations are insensitive to them and do not have an alternative drug to overcome the problem. The levels of ${\beta}$-catenin, EGFR, and RAS, especially mutant KRAS, are increased in CRC patient tissues due to mutations of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), which occur in 90% of human CRCs. The increases in these proteins by APC loss synergistically promote tumorigenesis. Therefore, we tested KYA1797K, a recently identified small molecule that degrades both ${\beta}$-catenin and Ras via $GSK3{\beta}$ activation, and its capability to suppress the cetuximab resistance of KRAS-mutated CRC cells. KYA1797K suppressed the growth of tumor xenografts induced by CRC cells as well as tumor organoids derived from CRC patients having both APC and KRAS mutations. Lowering the levels of both ${\beta}$-catenin and RAS as well as EGFR via targeting the $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin pathway is a therapeutic strategy for controlling CRC and other types of cancer with aberrantly activated the $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin and EGFR-RAS pathways, including those with resistance to EGFR-targeting drugs attributed to KRAS mutations.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.298-304
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• 1998

Retinoids are applied to not only cancer prevention but also cancer chemotherapy by stimulating differentiation of cells. We studied differentiation inducing effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) by studying proportion of high dense fractions of stem-like cells and the size of S phase fraction in cell cycle. From mammary organoids obtained from 7- to 8-week old F344 female rat mammary gland, we cultured rat mammary epithelial cells (RMEC) and treated physiological doses of $10^{-6}$, $10^{-7}$, and $10^{-8}$ M ATRA from the first day and then cultured for 4, 7, and 14 days. After that, immunostaining was performed using peanut agglutinin (PNA) and anti-Thy-1.1 monoclonal antibody (Thy-1.1) that can be used as markers of differentiation. We separated four different cell subpopulations by flow cytometry: cells negative to both reagents (B-), PNA-positive cells (PNA+), Thy-1.1-positive cells (Thy-1.1+), and cells positive to both reagents (B+). We observed continuous decreases of high dense fractions of stem-like cells (PNA+ subpopulations) for 14 days and as much decreases as high doses of ATRA, which were thought to be proportional to doses of ATRA. We labeled RMEC with bromodeoxyuridine and investigated cell cycle fractions that went through S phase. We observed a tendency of decrease of S phase fraction with time in culture, which, is thought to be related to continuous decreases of PNA+ subpopulations and inhibitory role of ATRA on cell cycle. These results suggest that physiological doses of ATRA could stimulate differentiation of RMEC and convert stem-like RMEC to differentiated cells in SFM for a relatively long period of 14 days.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제34권5호
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• pp.339-355
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• 2024

폐는 생리학적 기능과 해부 조직학적 구조 측면을 통합적으로 고려하여 분석해야만 하는 매우 복잡한 조직이기 때문에 폐질환의 병리학적 연구와 흡입독성 평가에 현재까지 주로 동물모델을 사용하고 있다. 그러나 실험동물 윤리와 동물복지를 이유로 점차적으로 실험동물 수를 줄이자는 전세계적인 움직임에 맞춰 생체 외 동물실험 대체법들이 집중적으로 개발되고 있다. 특히 경제협력개발기구(OECD)와 미국 환경보호청(USEPA)은 2030년대 이후, 동물실험을 금지하기로 잠정적으로 합의함에 따라 의생명공학과 제약 분야에서 생체 외 흡입 독성 및 폐질환 모델들을 확립하고 개발된 모델을 이용한 평가 법들의 표준화 연구가 활발하다. 그 모델 중에 예를 들어, 생체칩(organ-on-a-chip, OoC) 및 오가노이드(organoid) 모델은 3차원 바이오 프린터, 미세 유체 시스템, 인공지능(artificial intelligent) 기술들과 접목되어 연구되고 있다. 이러한 생체 장기를 모방한 복합 장기 생체 외 모델링 시스템은 개체 차이를 가지는 생체 내 동물 실험에 비해 복잡한 생물학적 환경을 보다 정확하게 모방할 수 있을 것으로 기대되고 있으나 생체 모방성, 재현성, 민감성, 기반 데이터베이스의 부족 등 아직은 여러 한계점도 가지고 있다. 따라서 본 리뷰 논문에서는 만능성 줄기 세포 또는 암세포를 이용한 폐포, 폐 공기액 인터페이스(air-liquid interface, ALI) 시스템, 트랜스웰 멤브레인(transwell membrane)을 포함하여 폐 OoC 및 오가노이드의 최근 생체 외 폐 시스템 연구결과들과 AI와 접목된 인실리코(in silico) 폐 모델링에 대한 결과들의 현황을 살펴보고자 한다.