TGF-beta superfamily
Members of the TGF-beta superfamily, such as TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 2, TGF-beta 3, GDF-5, and GDF-15, play crucial roles in governing various developmental and physiological processes. These proteins contribute to the regulation of fundamental cellular properties and vital cellular processes, such as cell growth, differentiation, proliferation, survival, apoptosis, morphogenesis, and tissue remodeling.
GDF-15
Cimino, I. et al. Activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis by exogenous and endogenous GDF15
PNAS, 118, 27 (2021).
From the lab of Stephen O’Rahilly, University of Cambridge
Used:
GDF-15 (Qk017)
In this paper, Cinimo et al. explore the role of the TGFβ-family protein GDF15 in activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. During infection, cytokines such as TNFα/β, IL-1 and IL-6, activate the HPA axis. This increases circulating glucocorticoids, which have anti-inflammatory, metabolic, and vasomotor effects. However, O’Rahilly lab have determined that in response to stimuli such as toxins, which don’t provoke an inflammatory response, the primary activator of the HPA axis is GDF15. GDF15 is an intriguing protein also being explored as an anti-obesity therapeutic target, these findings may have a pivotal impact on future clinical study design and open new avenues of investigation. Certainly cool science!
From the lab of Stephen O’Rahilly, University of Cambridge
Used:
GDF-15 (Qk017)
The recent publication from Fejzo et al. discusses the role of GDF-15, an intriguing protein acting on the brainstem, in nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, particularly in hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). This study finds that both fetal production of GDF-15 and maternal sensitivity to GDF-15 significantly contribute to the risk of HG with higher levels of GDF15 in maternal blood associated with vomiting during pregnancy and HG. Genetic variants affecting GDF-15 levels influence the risk of HG, with low levels increasing the risk and high levels decreasing it. This was an excellent read which suggests a putative causal role for fetally derived GDF-15 in pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, with maternal sensitivity influenced by pre-pregnancy exposure and shows great promise for potential avenues of treatment and prevention of HG by blocking GDF-15 action in the pregnant mother.
From the lab of Stephen O’Rahilly, University of Cambridge, UK and Nicholas Mancuso, University of Southern California, USA.
Used:
GDF-15 (Qk017)
From the lab of Stephen O’Rahilly, University of Cambridge
Used:
GDF-15 (Qk017)
TGF-β1
From the lab of Robert Thomas, Loughborough University
Robert Thomas’s lab at Loughborough University has analysed growth dynamics between commonly occurring genetically variant hPSCs and their counterpart wild-type cells in culture cells using proprietary computational modelling, allowing the identification of critical process parameters that drive critical quality attributes when genetically variant cells are present within the system This fascinating paper highlights how the system parameters controlling independent growth behaviour of wild-type and genetic variant populations are altered when both populations exist within a co-culture environment by introducing an ordinary differential equation (ODE) framework. Findings reveal that variant cells exhibit selective growth and competitive advantage, influencing the behaviour of wild-type cells, particularly at higher culture densities. This computational model offers opportunities for defining operational protocols and timely detection of emerging variants, crucial for product release and risk management. It is clear to see the importance as it demonstrates the utility of computational models in understanding complex biological systems and informing manufacturing practices in hPSC-based therapies.
From the lab of Alessandro Bertero, University of Turin in collaboration with Qkine
Cell therapy is becoming a possibility for many previously untreatable conditions, and it should be accessible to everyone. Creating a cost-effective, reliable and reproducible way of culturing human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in a range of research labs, and allowing large scale culture for gene-editing purposes takes us one step closer to this.
Using high potency thermostable Qkine 145 amino acid FGF-G3 reduce FGF-2 use 8-fold and for weekend-free culture reduced media use by 57%. This makes hiPSCs a more accessible model for many labs doing basic and translational research.
From the lab of Alexi Savchenko, University of Toronto
Used:
TGF-β1 (Qk010)
TGF-β3
From the lab of Paul W. Burridge, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Used:
TGF-β3 (Qk054)
From the lab of Tomasz Nowakowski, University of California, San Francisco
Used:
TGF-β3 (Qk054)
This recent study from David Shin in the lab of Tomasz J. Nowakowski University of California, explores thalamic dysfunction in psychiatric disorders, focusing on the 22q11.2 microdeletion associated with increased risk. They used human pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids to investigate early thalamus development, revealing widespread transcriptional dysregulation and elevated FOXP2 expression in thalamic neurons and glia. From a co-culture model, they found that the microdeletion leads to thalamic axon overgrowth, mediated by FOXP2. These findings suggest dysregulated thalamic development contributes to schizophrenia-related neural phenotypes in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, offering fascinating insights into the neuropsychiatric disorder’s genetic mechanisms. It will be very interesting to see how human pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids continue to play a fundamental role in psychiatric disorders in the future!
From the lab of Alessandro Bertero, University of Turin in collaboration with Qkine
Cell therapy is becoming a possibility for many previously untreatable conditions, and it should be accessible to everyone. Creating a cost-effective, reliable and reproducible way of culturing human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in a range of research labs, and allowing large scale culture for gene-editing purposes takes us one step closer to this.
Using high potency thermostable Qkine 145 amino acid FGF-G3 reduce FGF-2 use 8-fold and for weekend-free culture reduced media use by 57%. This makes hiPSCs a more accessible model for many labs doing basic and translational research.
