An engineered multicellular stem cell niche for the 3D derivation of human myogenic progenitors from iPSCs.

Fate decisions in the embryo are controlled by a plethora of microenvironmental interactions in a three-dimensional niche. To investigate whether aspects of this microenvironmental complexity can be engineered to direct myogenic human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) differentiation, we here screened murine cell types present in the developmental or adult stem cell niche in heterotypic suspension embryoids. We identified embryonic endothelial cells and fibroblasts as highly permissive for myogenic specification of hiPSCs. After two weeks of sequential Wnt and FGF pathway induction, these three-component embryoids are enriched in Pax7-positive embryonic-like myogenic progenitors that can be isolated by flow cytometry. Myogenic differentiation of hiPSCs in heterotypic embryoids relies on a specialized structural microenvironment and depends on MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and Notch signaling. After transplantation in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, embryonic-like myogenic progenitors repopulate the stem cell niche, reactivate after repeated injury, and, compared to adult human myoblasts, display enhanced fusion and lead to increased muscle function. Altogether, we provide a two-week protocol for efficient and scalable suspension-based 3D derivation of Pax7-positive myogenic progenitors from hiPSCs.

A dual-color PAX7 and MYF5 in vivo reporter to investigate muscle stem cell heterogeneity in regeneration and aging.

Increasing evidence suggests that the muscle stem cell (MuSC) pool is heterogeneous. In particular, a rare subset of PAX7-positive MuSCs that has never expressed the myogenic regulatory factor MYF5 displays unique self-renewal and engraftment characteristics. However, the scarcity and limited availability of protein markers make the characterization of these cells challenging. Here, we describe the generation of StemRep reporter mice enabling the monitoring of PAX7 and MYF5 proteins based on equimolar levels of dual nuclear fluorescence. High levels of PAX7 protein and low levels of MYF5 delineate a deeply quiescent MuSC subpopulation with an increased capacity for asymmetric division and distinct dynamics of activation, proliferation, and commitment. Aging primarily reduces the MYF5Low MuSCs and skews the stem cell pool toward MYF5High cells with lower quiescence and self-renewal potential. Altogether, we establish the StemRep model as a versatile tool to study MuSC heterogeneity and broaden our understanding of mechanisms regulating MuSC quiescence and self-renewal in homeostatic, regenerating, and aged muscles.

Apelin stimulation of the vascular skeletal muscle stem cell niche enhances endogenous repair in dystrophic mice.

Impaired skeletal muscle stem cell (MuSC) function has long been suspected to contribute to the pathogenesis of muscular dystrophy (MD). Here, we showed that defects in the endothelial cell (EC) compartment of the vascular stem cell niche in mouse models of Duchenne MD, laminin α2-related MD, and collagen VI-related myopathy were associated with inefficient mobilization of MuSCs after tissue damage. Using chemoinformatic analysis, we identified the 13-amino acid form of the peptide hormone apelin (AP-13) as a candidate for systemic stimulation of skeletal muscle ECs. Systemic administration of AP-13 using osmotic pumps generated a pro-proliferative EC-rich niche that supported MuSC function through angiocrine factors and markedly improved tissue regeneration and muscle strength in all three dystrophic mouse models. Moreover, EC-specific knockout of the apelin receptor led to regenerative defects that phenocopied key pathological features of MD, including vascular defects, fibrosis, muscle fiber necrosis, impaired MuSC function, and reduced force generation. Together, these studies provide in vivo proof of concept that enhancing endogenous skeletal muscle repair by targeting the vascular niche is a viable therapeutic avenue for MD and characterized AP-13 as a candidate for further study for the systemic treatment of MuSC dysfunction.

In vivo transcriptomic profiling using cell encapsulation identifies effector pathways of systemic aging.

Sustained exposure to a young systemic environment rejuvenates aged organisms and promotes cellular function. However, due to the intrinsic complexity of tissues it remains challenging to pinpoint niche-independent effects of circulating factors on specific cell populations. Here, we describe a method for the encapsulation of human and mouse skeletal muscle progenitors in diffusible polyethersulfone hollow fiber capsules that can be used to profile systemic aging in vivo independent of heterogeneous short-range tissue interactions. We observed that circulating long-range signaling factors in the old systemic environment lead to an activation of Myc and E2F transcription factors, induce senescence, and suppress myogenic differentiation. Importantly, in vitro profiling using young and old serum in 2D culture does not capture all pathways deregulated in encapsulated cells in aged mice. Thus, in vivo transcriptomic profiling using cell encapsulation allows for the characterization of effector pathways of systemic aging with unparalleled accuracy.

Aging Disrupts Muscle Stem Cell Function by Impairing Matricellular WISP1 Secretion from Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitors.

Research on age-related regenerative failure of skeletal muscle has extensively focused on the phenotypes of muscle stem cells (MuSCs). In contrast, the impact of aging on regulatory cells in the MuSC niche remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that aging impairs the function of mouse fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) and thereby indirectly affects the myogenic potential of MuSCs. Using transcriptomic profiling, we identify WNT1 Inducible Signaling Pathway Protein 1 (WISP1) as a FAP-derived matricellular signal that is lost during aging. WISP1 is required for efficient muscle regeneration and controls the expansion and asymmetric commitment of MuSCs through Akt signaling. Transplantation of young FAPs or systemic treatment with WISP1 restores the myogenic capacity of MuSCs in aged mice and rescues skeletal muscle regeneration. Our work establishes that loss of WISP1 from FAPs contributes to MuSC dysfunction in aged skeletal muscles and demonstrates that this mechanism can be targeted to rejuvenate myogenesis.

MyoScreen, a High-Throughput Phenotypic Screening Platform Enabling Muscle Drug Discovery.

Despite the need for more effective drug treatments to address muscle atrophy and disease, physiologically accurate in vitro screening models and higher information content preclinical assays that aid in the discovery and development of novel therapies are lacking. To this end, MyoScreen was developed: a robust and versatile high-throughput high-content screening (HT/HCS) platform that integrates a physiologically and pharmacologically relevant micropatterned human primary skeletal muscle model with a panel of pertinent phenotypic and functional assays. MyoScreen myotubes form aligned, striated myofibers, and they show nerve-independent accumulation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs), excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) properties characteristic of adult skeletal muscle and contraction in response to chemical stimulation. Reproducibility and sensitivity of the fully automated MyoScreen platform are highlighted in assays that quantitatively measure myogenesis, hypertrophy and atrophy, AChR clusterization, and intracellular calcium release dynamics, as well as integrating contractility data. A primary screen of 2560 compounds to identify stimulators of myofiber regeneration and repair, followed by further biological characterization of two hits, validates MyoScreen for the discovery and testing of novel therapeutics. MyoScreen is an improvement of current in vitro muscle models, enabling a more predictive screening strategy for preclinical selection of the most efficacious new chemical entities earlier in the discovery pipeline process.

Vitamin B12 deficiency and impaired expression of amnionless during aging.

BACKGROUND: Physical frailty and loss of mobility in elderly individuals lead to reduced independence, quality of life, and increased mortality. Vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to several age-related chronic diseases, including in the musculo-skeletal system, where vitamin B12 deficiency is generally believed to be linked to poor nutritional intake. In the present study, we asked whether aging and frailty associate with altered vitamin B12 homeostasis in humans and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms using preclinical models. METHODS: We analysed a subset of the Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study and stratified 238 participants based on age and Fried frailty criteria. Levels of methyl-malonic acid (MMA), a marker for vitamin B12 deficiency, and amnionless, the vitamin B12 co-receptor that anchors the vitamin B12 transport complex to the membrane of epithelial cells, were measured in plasma. In addition, vitamin B12 levels and the molecular mechanisms of vitamin B12 uptake and excretion were analysed in ileum, kidney, liver, and blood using a rat model of natural aging where nutritional intake is fully controlled. RESULTS: We demonstrate that aging and frailty are associated with a higher prevalence of functional vitamin B12 deficiency that can be detected by increased levels of MMA in blood (ρ = 0.25; P = 0.00013). The decline in circulating vitamin B12 levels is recapitulated in a rat model of natural aging where food composition and intake are stable. At the molecular level, these perturbations involve altered expression of amnionless in the ileum and kidney. Interestingly, we demonstrate that amnionless can be detected in serum where its levels increase during aging in both rodents and human (P = 3.3e-07 and 9.2e-07, respectively). Blood amnionless levels negatively correlate with vitamin B12 in rats (r2  = 0.305; P = 0.0042) and positively correlate with the vitamin B12 deficiency marker MMA in humans (ρ = 0.22; P = 0.00068). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that aging and frailty cause intrinsic vitamin B12 deficiencies, which can occur independently of nutritional intake. Mechanistically, vitamin B12 deficiency involves the physio-pathological decline of both the intestinal uptake and the renal reabsorption system for vitamin B12. Finally, amnionless is a novel biomarker which can detect perturbed vitamin B12 bioavailability during aging and physical frailty.