Generation of Pulmonary Endothelial Progenitor Cells for Cell-based Therapy Using Interspecies Mouse–Rat Chimeras
Guolun Wang, Bingqiang Wen, Xiaomeng Ren, Enhong Li, Yufang Zhang, Minzhe Guo, Yan Xu, Jeffrey A. Whitsett, Tanya V. Kalin, Vladimir V. Kalinichenko
Abstract
Abstract Rationale Although pulmonary endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) hold promise for cell-based therapies for neonatal pulmonary disorders, whether EPCs can be derived from pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells remains unknown. Objectives To investigate the heterogeneity of pulmonary EPCs and derive functional EPCs from pluripotent ESCs. Methods Single-cell RNA sequencing of neonatal human and mouse lung was used to identify the heterogeneity of pulmonary EPCs. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing was used to genetically label and purify mouse pulmonary EPCs. Functional properties of the EPCs were assessed after cell transplantation into neonatal mice with S52F Foxf1 mutation, a mouse model of alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACDMPV). Interspecies mouse–rat chimeras were produced through blastocyst complementation to generate EPCs from pluripotent ESCs for cell therapy in ACDMPV mice. Measurements and Main Results We identified a unique population of EPCs, FOXF1+cKIT+ EPCs, as a subset of recently described general capillary cells (gCAPs) expressing SMAD7, ZBTB20, NFIA, and DLL4 but lacking mature arterial, venous, and lymphatic markers. FOXF1+cKIT+ gCAPs are reduced in ACDMPV, and their transcriptomic signature is conserved in mouse and human lungs. After cell transplantation into the neonatal circulation of ACDMPV mice, FOXF1+cKIT+ gCAPs engraft into the pulmonary vasculature, stimulate angiogenesis, improve oxygenation, and prevent alveolar simplification. FOXF1+cKIT+ gCAPs, produced from ESCs in interspecies chimeras, are fully competent to stimulate neonatal lung angiogenesis and alveolarization in ACDMPV mice. Conclusions Cell-based therapy using donor or ESC/induced pluripotent stem cell–derived FOXF1+cKIT+ endothelial progenitors may be considered for treatment of human ACDMPV.