title: Generation of ESC-derived Mouse Airway Epithelial Cells Using Decellularized Lung Scaffolds.
abstract: Lung lineage differentiation requires integration of complex environmental cues that include growth factor signaling, cell-cell interactions and cell-matrix interactions. Due to this complexity, recapitulation of lung development in vitro to promote differentiation of stem cells to lung epithelial cells has been challenging. In this protocol, decellularized lung scaffolds are used to mimic the 3-dimensional environment of the lung and generate stem cell-derived airway epithelial cells. Mouse embryonic stem cell are first differentiated to the endoderm lineage using an embryoid body (EB) culture method with activin A. Endoderm cells are then seeded onto decellularized scaffolds and cultured at air-liquid interface for up to 21 days. This technique promotes differentiation of seeded cells to functional airway epithelial cells (ciliated cells, club cells, and basal cells) without additional growth factor supplementation. This culture setup is defined, serum-free, inexpensive, and reproducible. Although there is limited contamination from non-lung endoderm lineages in culture, this protocol only generates airway epithelial populations and does not give rise to alveolar epithelial cells. Airway epithelia generated with this protocol can be used to study cell-matrix interactions during lung organogenesis and for disease modeling or drug-discovery platforms of airway-related pathologies such as cystic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Experimental Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Sharareh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shojaie
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Experimental Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Experimental Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Jinxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Experimental Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ackerley
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Experimental Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children; martin.post@sickkids.ca.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Post
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D058732:Embryoid Bodies; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008168:Lung; D051379:Mice; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*