Recognising the importance and impact of Imaging Scientists: Global guidelines for establishing career paths within core facilities.

In the dynamic landscape of scientific research, imaging core facilities are vital hubs propelling collaboration and innovation at the technology development and dissemination frontier. Here, we present a collaborative effort led by Global BioImaging (GBI), introducing international recommendations geared towards elevating the careers of Imaging Scientists in core facilities. Despite the critical role of Imaging Scientists in modern research ecosystems, challenges persist in recognising their value, aligning performance metrics and providing avenues for career progression and job security. The challenges encompass a mismatch between classic academic career paths and service-oriented roles, resulting in a lack of understanding regarding the value and impact of Imaging Scientists and core facilities and how to evaluate them properly. They further include challenges around sustainability, dedicated training opportunities and the recruitment and retention of talent. Structured across these interrelated sections, the recommendations within this publication aim to propose globally applicable solutions to navigate these challenges. These recommendations apply equally to colleagues working in other core facilities and research institutions through which access to technologies is facilitated and supported. This publication emphasises the pivotal role of Imaging Scientists in advancing research programs and presents a blueprint for fostering their career progression within institutions all around the world.

Neonatal epidermolysis bullosa: a clinical practice guideline.

DEBRA International is undertaking a long-term initiative to develop clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for epidermolysis bullosa (EB), to -improve the clinical care of people living with EB. Current neonatal care is based on evidence, clinical expertise and trial and error, with collaboration between the EB specialist team, parent or carer and patient, and is dependent on the neonate's individual presentation and type of EB. Early intervention based on research and clinical practice is needed to establish a foundation of knowledge to guide international practitioners to create and improve standards of care and to be able to work effectively with those newly diagnosed with EB. This CPG was created by an international panel with expertise working with persons with EB. The CPG focuses on neonatal care using a systematic review methodology covering four key areas: (i) diagnosis and parental psychosocial support; (ii) hospital management: medical monitoring, wound care and pain; (iii) feeding and nutrition; and (iv) discharge planning and EB education. These four areas highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach, to provide a patient-specific holistic care model that incorporates the needs and wishes of the parents and carers. The Hospital Implementation Tool included promotes transfer of theory to clinical practice.

Centrosome amplification promotes cell invasion via cell-cell contact disruption and Rap-1 activation.

Centrosome amplification (CA) is a prominent feature of human cancers linked to tumorigenesis in vivo. Here, we report mechanistic contributions of CA induction alone to tumour architecture and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling. CA induction in non-tumorigenic breast cells MCF10A causes cell migration and invasion, with underlying disruption of epithelial cell-cell junction integrity and dysregulation of expression and subcellular localisation of cell junction proteins. CA also elevates expression of integrin ß-3, its binding partner fibronectin-1 and matrix metalloproteinase enzymes, promoting cell-ECM attachment, ECM degradation, and a migratory and invasive cell phenotype. Using a chicken embryo xenograft model for in vivo validation, we show that CA-induced (+CA) MCF10A cells invade into the chick mesodermal layer, with inflammatory cell infiltration and marked focal reactions between chorioallantoic membrane and cell graft. We also demonstrate a key role of small GTPase Rap-1 signalling through inhibition using GGTI-298, which blocked various CA-induced effects. These insights reveal that in normal cells, CA induction alone (without additional oncogenic alterations) is sufficient to confer early pro-tumorigenic changes within days, acting through Rap-1-dependent signalling to alter cell-cell contacts and ECM disruption.

Interictal aggression in rats with chronic seizures after an early life episode of status epilepticus.

OBJECTIVE: In spite of anecdotal reports describing an association between chronic epilepsy and interictal aggressiveness, and of a few studies suggesting that such an association is common in temporal lobe epilepsy, this concept has not been generally accepted by epileptologists. In the course of studies of the long-term consequences of limbic status epilepticus (SE) in juvenile rats, we noticed that experimental animals, unlike littermate controls, could not be housed together because of severe fighting. We now report a study of interictal aggression in those rats. METHODS: Long-term behavioral consequences of lithium/pilocarpine SE were studied 3 months after SE had been induced with lithium and pilocarpine in male Wistar rats at age 28 days. Chronic spontaneous seizures developed in 100% of animals. We tested rats for territorial aggression under the resident-intruder paradigm. We measured the number of episodes of dominance (mounting and pinning), and agonistic behavior (attacks, boxing, and biting). RESULTS: Untreated lithium/pilocarpine SE induced a large increase in aggressive behavior, which involved all aspects of aggression in the resident-intruder paradigm when tested 3 months after SE. The experimental rats were dominant toward the controls, as residents or as intruders, and showed episodes of biting and boxing rarely displayed by controls. They also displayed increased aggressiveness compared with controls when tested against each other. SIGNIFICANCE: This robust model offers an opportunity to better understand the complex relationship between seizures, epilepsy, and aggression, and the role of age, SE vs. recurrent spontaneous seizures, and focal neuronal injury in the long-term behavioral effects of SE.

Status epilepticus and early development: Neuronal injury, neurodegeneration, and their consequences.

Evidence showing that the immature brain is vulnerable to seizure-induced damage has been accumulating for decades. Clinical data have always suggested that some early-life seizures are associated with negative sequelae, but clinical observations are frequently obscured by multiple uncontrolled contributing factors and can rarely establish causality. Determining with certainty that seizures, per se, can cause neuronal death and can irreversibly disrupt critical developmental processes, required the development of suitable model systems. Several experimental seizure models clearly show that the immature brain can sustain neuronal injury as a result of uncontrolled seizure activity and that even in the absence of observable neuronal death, the developing brain is selectively vulnerable to interruptions of required growth programs. Severe early-life seizures inhibit DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis, and they can reduce the accumulation of myelin and synaptic markers in the developing nervous system, leading to functional delays in development. Depending on the seizure pathway involved, and the developmental period under study, classic neurodegeneration, excitotoxicity, and apoptosis can result in permanent damage to critical neural networks in the temporal lobe and in many other brain regions. This conclusion is further supported by recent clinical studies showing that prolonged febrile status epilepticus can lead to hippocampal injury, which evolves into hippocampal atrophy and hippocampal sclerosis. A growing body of experimental data demonstrates that the metabolic compromise and cellular loss produced by seizures during critical phases of brain development negatively affect later hippocampal physiology including learning and memory functions in maturity.

Indigenous fire management and cross-scale fire-climate relationships in the Southwest United States from 1500 to 1900 CE.

Prior research suggests that Indigenous fire management buffers climate influences on wildfires, but it is unclear whether these benefits accrue across geographic scales. We use a network of 4824 fire-scarred trees in Southwest United States dry forests to analyze up to 400 years of fire-climate relationships at local, landscape, and regional scales for traditional territories of three different Indigenous cultures. Comparison of fire-year and prior climate conditions for periods of intensive cultural use and less-intensive use indicates that Indigenous fire management weakened fire-climate relationships at local and landscape scales. This effect did not scale up across the entire region because land use was spatially and temporally heterogeneous at that scale. Restoring or emulating Indigenous fire practices could buffer climate impacts at local scales but would need to be repeatedly implemented at broad scales for broader regional benefits.

A cellular and molecular analysis of SoxB-driven neurogenesis in a cnidarian.

Neurogenesis is the generation of neurons from stem cells, a process that is regulated by SoxB transcription factors (TFs) in many animals. Although the roles of these TFs are well understood in bilaterians, how their neural function evolved is unclear. Here, we use Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, a member of the early-branching phylum Cnidaria, to provide insight into this question. Using a combination of mRNA in situ hybridization, transgenesis, gene knockdown, transcriptomics, and in vivo imaging, we provide a comprehensive molecular and cellular analysis of neurogenesis during embryogenesis, homeostasis, and regeneration in this animal. We show that SoxB genes act sequentially at least in some cases. Stem cells expressing Piwi1 and Soxb1, which have broad developmental potential, become neural progenitors that express Soxb2 before differentiating into mature neural cells. Knockdown of SoxB genes resulted in complex defects in embryonic neurogenesis. Hydractinia neural cells differentiate while migrating from the aboral to the oral end of the animal, but it is unclear whether migration per se or exposure to different microenvironments is the main driver of their fate determination. Our data constitute a rich resource for studies aiming at addressing this question, which is at the heart of understanding the origin and development of animal nervous systems.

A program to improve the assessment of a child for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PROBLEM: Due to the number of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), increased risk of these children having comorbidities and/or an adverse childhood experience and insufficient documentation of the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) criteria for an ADHD diagnosis, an ADHD evaluation program was developed for a child presenting for an initial ADHD evaluation. METHODS: A quantitative design method evaluated provider's documentation by the percentage of DSM-5 criteria met before and after the implementation of the ADHD program. Descriptive statistics evaluated the system change by the percentage of providers who utilized the ADHD template and the use of the unspecified ADHD International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition (ICD-10) code, F90.9 by the percentage of code use before and after implementation of the ADHD program. FINDINGS: The two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test was significantly based on p < 0.001. Providers met 100% of the DSM-5 criteria after implementation of the ADHD program in the electronic health record, compared to 50% before implementation. CONCLUSIONS: The ADHD program increased the provider's documentation and consistency to the DSM-5 criteria, decreasing the use of the unspecified ADHD ICD-10 code, allowing the provider to develop a more successful plan of care for children between the ages of 5 and 18.

Stromal Cells Promote Matrix Deposition, Remodelling and an Immunosuppressive Tumour Microenvironment in a 3D Model of Colon Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. CRC develops in a complex tumour microenvironment (TME) with both mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and immune infiltrate, shown to alter disease progression and treatment response. We hypothesised that an accessible, affordable model of CRC that combines multiple cell types will improve research translation to the clinic and enable the identification of novel therapeutic targets. A viable gelatine-methacrloyl-based hydrogel culture system that incorporates CRC cells with MSCs and a monocyte cell line was developed. Gels were analysed on day 10 by PCR, cytokine array, microscopy and flow cytometry. The addition of stromal cells increased transcription of matrix remodelling proteins FN1 and MMP9, induced release of tumour-promoting immune molecules MIF, Serpin E1, CXCL1, IL-8 and CXCL12 and altered cancer cell expression of immunotherapeutic targets EGFR, CD47 and PD-L1. Treatment with PD153035, an EGFR inhibitor, revealed altered CRC expression of PD-L1 but only in gels lacking MSCs. We established a viable 3D model of CRC that combined cancer cells, MSCs and monocytic cells that can be used to research the role the stroma plays in the TME, identify novel therapeutic targets and improve the transitional efficacy of therapies.

Supporting sexuality for people living with epidermolysis bullosa: clinical practice guidelines.

This article presents evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for the provision of healthcare services to address sexuality for people living with epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Currently, a lack of EB-specific research limits these services to sexual health assessment and intervention strategies designed for the general population. Due to the unique challenges of EB, a rare skin-fragility condition causing blistering responses to minor skin trauma and other systemic and secondary complications, condition-specific strategies are needed to support people with EB in achieving valued sexual lifestyles. This CPG represents the work of an international panel comprised of thirteen members including a medical doctor, nurses, psychologists, a social worker, an occupational therapist, and patient population involvement members living with EB. It describes the development of EB-specific recommendations for two primary domains of assessment and intervention related to sexuality: psychosocial and mechanical. Following a rigorous evidence-based guideline development process, this CPG establishes the first internationally actionable clinical practice recommendations for sexuality-related assessment and intervention for this population. Future research priorities are identified. Supplemental materials included provide additional support to clinicians in developing the necessary understanding and skills to promote equity and efficacy in this care domain.

The Association Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging Disc Pathology and Provocative Discography at the Lumbar Level.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to show that degenerative lumbar magnetic resonance imaging findings variably increase discography pain by level. METHODS: Lumbar discography and magnetic resonance imaging of 736 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate/multivariate logistic regressions calculated the odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval, P < 0.05). RESULTS: L3-4 multivariate regression OR for a degenerative disc is 9.9; for bulge, 10.9; for annular tear, 38.9; for herniation, 51.5; and for degenerative facet, 2.158. Endplate changes were not significant. L4-5 OR for a degenerative disc is 4.52; for bulge, 13.74, for tear, 19.13; for herniation, 28.65; for endplate edema, 3.47; and fatty change, 3.84. Degenerative facet ORs were not significant. L5-S1 OR for a degenerative disc is 6.86; for bulge, 5.65; for tear, 40.56; and for herniation, 77.98. Endplate changes and degenerative facet OR's were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Advancing degeneration increases pain at L5-S1 followed by L3-4. Endplate signal is significant only at L4-5.

Novel Pt(IV) Prodrugs Displaying Antimitochondrial Effects.

The design, synthesis, characterization, and biological activity of a series of platinum(IV) prodrugs containing the axial ligand 3-(4-phenylquinazoline-2-carboxamido)propanoate (L3) are reported. L3 is a derivative of the quinazolinecarboxamide class of ligands that binds to the translocator protein (TSPO) at the outer mitochondrial membrane. The cytotoxicities of cis,cis,trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(L3)(OH)] (C-Pt1), cis,cis,trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(L3)(BZ)] (C-Pt2), trans-[Pt(DACH)(OX)(L3)(OH)] (C-Pt3), and trans-[Pt(DACH)(OX)(L3)(BZ)] (C-Pt4) (DACH: R,R-diaminocyclohexane, BZ: benzoate, OX: oxalate) in MCF-7 breast cancer and noncancerous MCF-10A epithelial cells were assessed and compared with those of cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and the free ligand L3. Moreover, the cellular uptake, ROS generation, DNA damage, and the effect on the mitochondrial function, mitochondrial membrane potential, and morphology were investigated. Molecular interactions of L3 in the TSPO binding site were studied using molecular docking. The results showed that complex C-Pt1 is the most effective Pt(IV) complex and exerts a multimodal mechanism involving DNA damage, potent ROS production, loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial damage.

Treatment of early life status epilepticus: What can we learn from animal models?

Treatment of status epilepticus (SE) in infants and children is challenging. There is a recognition that a broad set of developmental processes need to be considered to fully appreciate the physiologic complexity of severe seizures, and seizure outcomes, in infants and children. The development and use of basic models to elucidate important mechanisms will help further our understanding of these processes. Here we review some of the key experimental models and consider several areas relevant to treatment that could lead to productive translational research. Terminating seizures quickly is essential. Understanding pharmacoresistance of SE as it relates to receptor trafficking will be critical to seizure termination. Once a severe seizure is terminated, how will the developing brain respond? Basic studies suggest that there are important acute and long-term histopathologic, and pathophysiologic, consequences that, if left unaddressed, will produce long-lasting deficits on the form and function of the central nervous system. To fully utilize the evidence that basic models produce, age- and development- and model-specific frameworks have to be considered carefully. Studies have demonstrated that severe seizures can cause perturbations to developmental processes during critical periods of development that lead to life-long deficits. Unfortunately, some of the drugs that are commonly used to treat seizures may also produce negative outcomes by enhancing Cl--mediated depolarization, or by accelerating programmed cell death. More research is needed to understand these phenomena and their relevance to the human condition, and to develop rational drugs that protect the developing brain from severe seizures to the fullest extent possible.

Differences in Self-Reported Physical Activity, Exercise Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancies, and Health Status by Body Mass Index Groups in People with Chronic Pain.

The study purpose was to determine how self-reported lifestyle physical activity levels, exercise self-efficacy and outcome expectancies, and health status differ by body mass index for persons with chronic pain. From U.S. clinics and community networks, 209 adults reporting chronic musculoskeletal pain were recruited for the cross-sectional survey. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance. Participants with self-described obesity reported the lowest physical activity, reduced exercise self-efficacy and positive outcome expectancies, and poorer health status. Promoting graded activity while addressing motivational factors from health behavior theory for people with chronic pain and obesity should be encouraged in rehabilitation programs.

Validation of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 for adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) has demonstrated reliability and validity in the general population; yet the psychometric properties have not been tested among rehabilitation populations, such as persons experiencing chronic musculoskeletal pain. The objective of the current study was to examine the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the BREQ-2 in a sample of adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: Adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain (n=211) were recruited from clinical and community networks in the United States. Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, multiple indicators multiple causes analysis, and correlational techniques. Participants completed the BREQ-2 and other measures relevant to self-determination theory, including outcome expectancies, self-efficacy and family and friend support for physical activity and exercise. FINDINGS: Results indicated the intercorrelated model fit the data well. The five factors of amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation and intrinsic regulation toward physical activity and exercise demonstrated good reliability and construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of factorial and construct validity for the BREQ-2 among people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Implications for rehabilitation practitioners and researchers are discussed.

An investigation of cell growth and detachment from thermoresponsive physically crosslinked networks.

The primary aim of this investigation was to determine the biocompatibility and cell culture potential of a newly designed class of thermoresponsive polymers. The attractiveness of these polymers lies in the fact that they swell rather than dissolve when the temperature is reduced below their respective lower critical solution temperature, due to the incorporation of octadecyl methacrylate (ODMA). The ODMA monomer acts as a physical crosslinker, preventing polymer dissolution upon temperature reduction. Two polymers were studied in this investigation poly(N isorpoylacrylamide (NIPAm)(99.25%)-co-ODMA(0.75%)) and poly(NIPAm(65%)-co-N-tert-butylacrylamide (NtBAm)(34.25%)-co-ODMA(0.75%)). Thin thermoresponsive films of the polymers were prepared via spin coating. 3T3 cells were then seeded on the prepared films and cell viability was assessed quantitatively through cell viability and activity assays and qualitatively by light microscopy. Cells were successfully seeded and grown on the poly(NIPAm-co-ODMA) and poly(NIPAm-co-NtBAm-co-ODMA) copolymer films after film modification with cell adhesion promoters (CAPs). Cell sheets successfully detached from the CAP coated poly(NIPAm-co-ODMA) platforms upon temperature reduction.

Functional studies on the role of Notch signaling in Hydractinia development.

The function of Notch signaling was previously studied in two cnidarians, Hydra and Nematostella, representing the lineages Hydrozoa and Anthozoa, respectively. Using pharmacological inhibition in Hydra and a combination of pharmacological and genetic approaches in Nematostella, it was shown in both animals that Notch is required for tentacle morphogenesis and for late stages of stinging cell maturation. Surprisingly, a role for Notch in neural development, which is well documented in bilaterians, was evident in embryonic Nematostella but not in adult Hydra. Adult neurogenesis in the latter seemed to be unaffected by DAPT, a drug that inhibits Notch signaling. To address this apparent discrepancy, we studied the role of Notch in Hydractinia echinata, an additional hydrozoan, in all life stages. Using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated mutagenesis, transgenesis, and pharmacological interference we show that Notch is dispensable for Hydractinia normal neurogenesis in all life stages but is required for the maturation of stinging cells and for tentacle morphogenesis. Our results are consistent with a conserved role for Notch in morphogenesis and nematogenesis across Cnidaria, and a lineage-specific loss of Notch dependence in neurogenesis in hydrozoans.

Acute and long-term effects of brivaracetam and brivaracetam-diazepam combinations in an experimental model of status epilepticus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate acute and long-term effects of intravenous brivaracetam (BRV) and BRV + diazepam (DZP) combination treatment in a rat model of self-sustaining status epilepticus (SSSE). METHODS: Rats were treated with BRV (10 mg/kg) 10 min after initiation of perforant path stimulation (PPS) as early treatment; or BRV (10-300 mg/kg), DZP (1 mg/kg), or BRV (0.3-10 mg/kg) + DZP (1 mg/kg) 10 min after the end of PPS (established SSSE). Seizure activity was recorded electrographically for 24 h posttreatment (acute effects), and for 1 week at 6-8 weeks or 12 months' posttreatment (long-term effects). All treatments were compared with control rats using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni's test, or Kruskal--Wallis and Dunn's multiple comparison tests, when appropriate. RESULTS: Treatment of established SSSE with BRV (10-300 mg/kg) resulted in dose-dependent reduction in SSSE duration and cumulative seizure time, achieving statistical significance at doses ≥100 mg/kg. Lower doses of BRV (0.3-10 mg/kg) + low-dose DZP (1 mg/kg) significantly reduced SSSE duration and number of seizures. All control rats developed spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) 6-8 weeks after SSSE, whereas seizure freedom was noted in 2/10, 5/10, and 6/10 rats treated with BRV 200 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg, and BRV 10 mg/kg + DZP, respectively. BRV (10-300 mg/kg) showed a dose-dependent trend toward reduction of SRS frequency, cumulative seizure time, and spike frequency, achieving statistical significance at 300 mg/kg. Combination of BRV (10 mg/kg) + DZP significantly reduced SRS frequency, cumulative seizure time, and spike frequency. In the 12-month follow-up study, BRV (0.3-10 mg/kg) + low-dose DZP markedly reduced SRS frequency, cumulative seizure time, and spike frequency, achieving statistical significance at some doses. Early treatment of SSSE with BRV 10 mg/kg significantly reduced long-term SRS frequency. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings support clinical evaluation of BRV for treatment of status epilepticus or acute repetitive seizures.

Fabrication and Application of Photocrosslinked, Nanometer-Scale, Physically Adsorbed Films for Tissue Culture Regeneration.

This study describes the development and cell culture application of nanometer thick photocrosslinkable thermoresponsive polymer films prepared by physical adsorption. Two thermoresponsive polymers, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm)-co-acrylamidebenzophenone (AcBzPh)) and poly(NIPAm-co-AcBzPh-co-N-tertbutylacrylamide) are investigated. Films are prepared both above and below the polymers' lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) and cross-linked, to determine the effect, adsorption preparation temperature has on the resultant film. The films prepared at temperatures below the LCST are smoother, thinner, and more hydrophilic than those prepared above. Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (HPMEC) adhesion and proliferation are superior on the films produced below the polymers LCST compared to those produced above. Cells sheets are detached by simply lowering the ambient temperature to below the LCST. Transmission electron, scanning electron, and light microscopies indicate that the detached HPMEC sheets maintain their integrity.

Rapamycin regulates autophagy and cell adhesion in induced pluripotent stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Cellular reprogramming is a stressful process, which requires cells to engulf somatic features and produce and maintain stemness machineries. Autophagy is a process to degrade unwanted proteins and is required for the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, the role of autophagy during iPSC maintenance remains undefined. METHODS: Human iPSCs were investigated by microscopy, immunofluorescence, and immunoblotting to detect autophagy machinery. Cells were treated with rapamycin to activate autophagy and with bafilomycin to block autophagy during iPSC maintenance. High concentrations of rapamycin treatment unexpectedly resulted in spontaneous formation of round floating spheres of uniform size, which were analyzed for differentiation into three germ layers. Mass spectrometry was deployed to reveal altered protein expression and pathways associated with rapamycin treatment. RESULTS: We demonstrate that human iPSCs express high basal levels of autophagy, including key components of APMKα, ULK1/2, BECLIN-1, ATG13, ATG101, ATG12, ATG3, ATG5, and LC3B. Block of autophagy by bafilomycin induces iPSC death and rapamycin attenuates the bafilomycin effect. Rapamycin treatment upregulates autophagy in iPSCs in a dose/time-dependent manner. High concentration of rapamycin reduces NANOG expression and induces spontaneous formation of round and uniformly sized embryoid bodies (EBs) with accelerated differentiation into three germ layers. Mass spectrometry analysis identifies actin cytoskeleton and adherens junctions as the major targets of rapamycin in mediating iPSC detachment and differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of basal autophagy activity are present during iPSC derivation and maintenance. Rapamycin alters expression of actin cytoskeleton and adherens junctions, induces uniform EB formation, and accelerates differentiation. IPSCs are sensitive to enzyme dissociation and require a lengthy differentiation time. The shape and size of EBs also play a role in the heterogeneity of end cell products. This research therefore highlights the potential of rapamycin in producing uniform EBs and in shortening iPSC differentiation duration.