The effect of different oxygen tensions on modulating the early differentiation potentials of human induced pluripotent stem cells

10^th International Conference on CANCER STEM CELLS AND ONCOLOGY RESEARCH

June 26-28, 2017 London, UK

Reema Mohammed

University College of London, UK

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Cancer Sci Ther

Abstract :

Early development of mammalian embryos occurs in a relatively low oxygen microenvironment in the reproductive tract (1.5- 5.3% O2). Yet, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are routinely cultured in atmospheric conditions. In this study, our aim was to investigate the effect of different oxygen tensions on the short-term culture of human iPSCs and on stem cell-fate determination during early differentiation. We performed gene-profiling analysis of human iPSCs maintained under normoxic (20% O2) and a range of hypoxic (0%, 2%, 5%, 8% and 12% O2) conditions. The expression of genes associated with pluripotency, embryonic germ layers and hypoxia were studied using qualitative RT- PCR, immunostaining and flow cytometry. Preliminary results revealed that after four days of culturing human iPSCs at different hypoxic levels, morphological changes were observed. Additionally, hypoxia down-regulated the expression of pluripotency markers. Hypoxic conditions also promoted the expression of genes associated with the three germ layers and genes that are involved in the hypoxia-signalling pathway. Interestingly, mild hypoxia (8% O2) increased the number of cells expressing Brachyury (Mesodermal marker), while acute hypoxia (2% O2) caused 95% of human iPSCs to differentiate into ectodermal lineage indicated by Nestin up-regulation. Thus, our results suggest that hypoxia is an important component of in vitro differentiation for the generation of clinically relevant progenitors.

Biography :

Email: reema.mohammed.14@ucl.ac.uk