Space microgravity improves proliferation of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes

• Authors: Antonio Rampoldi, Emory University; Parvin Forghani, Emory University; Dong Li, Emory University; Hyun Hwang, Emory University; Lawrence Christian Armand, Emory University; Jordan Fite, Techshot Inc; Gene Boland, Techshot Inc; Joshua Maxwell, Emory University; Kevin Maher, Emory University; Chunhui Xu, Emory University
• Journal Title: STEM CELL REPORTS
• Volume: Volume 17, Number 10
• Publisher: CELL PRESS | 2022-10-11, Pages 2272-2285
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.08.007
• Subjects: Engineering, Biomedical; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Cell & Tissue Engineering; Cell Biology; PLURIPOTENT STEM-CELLS; GROWING TISSUES; PROTEIN; DIFFERENTIATION; ANGIOPOIETIN-2; BIOREACTOR; MATURATION

Abstract

In microgravity, cells undergo profound changes in their properties. However, how human cardiac progenitors respond to space microgravity is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the effect of space microgravity on differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiac progenitors compared with 1G cultures on the International Space Station (ISS). Cryopreserved 3D cardiac progenitors were cultured for 3 weeks on the ISS. Compared with 1G cultures, the microgravity cultures had 3-fold larger sphere sizes, 20-fold higher counts of nuclei, and increased expression of proliferation markers. Highly enriched cardiomyocytes generated in space microgravity showed improved Ca2+ handling and increased expression of contraction-associated genes. Short-term exposure (3 days) of cardiac progenitors to space microgravity upregulated genes involved in cell proliferation, survival, cardiac differentiation, and contraction, consistent with improved microgravity cultures at the late stage. These results indicate that space microgravity increased proliferation of hiPSC-cardiomyocytes, which had appropriate structure and function.