title: Simulated Microgravity and 3D Culture Enhance Induction, Viability, Proliferation and Differentiation of Cardiac Progenitors from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.
abstract: Efficient generation of cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem cells is critical for their regenerative applications. Microgravity and 3D culture can profoundly modulate cell proliferation and survival. Here, we engineered microscale progenitor cardiac spheres from human pluripotent stem cells and exposed the spheres to simulated microgravity using a random positioning machine for 3 days during their differentiation to cardiomyocytes. This process resulted in the production of highly enriched cardiomyocytes (99% purity) with high viability (90%) and expected functional properties, with a 1.5 to 4-fold higher yield of cardiomyocytes from each undifferentiated stem cell as compared with 3D-standard gravity culture. Increased induction, proliferation and viability of cardiac progenitors as well as up-regulation of genes associated with proliferation and survival at the early stage of differentiation were observed in the 3D culture under simulated microgravity. Therefore, a combination of 3D culture and simulated microgravity can be used to efficiently generate highly enriched cardiomyocytes.
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Rajneesh
authors: R
authors: Jha
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Qingling
authors: Q
authors: Wu
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Monalisa
authors: M
authors: Singh
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Marcela K
authors: MK
authors: Preininger
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Pengcheng
authors: P
authors: Han
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Gouliang
authors: G
authors: Ding
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Hee Cheol
authors: HC
authors: Cho
authors: Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Hanjoong
authors: H
authors: Jo
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Kevin O
authors: KO
authors: Maher
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Mary B
authors: MB
authors: Wagner
authors: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Chunhui
authors: C
authors: Xu
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D032386:Myoblasts, Cardiac / Q000502:physiology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000502:physiology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation