Publications

2023

Stavish, D. et al.Cytogenetic resource enables mechanistic resolution of changing trends in human pluripotent stem cell aberrations linked to feeder-free culture.Preprint (2023).

From the lab of Ivana Barbaric, University of Sheffield

Used:
FGF2-G3 (Qk053)

Arboit, M. et al.KLF7 is a general inducer of human pluripotency.Preprint (2023).

From the lab of Elena Carbognin and Graziano Martello, University of Padua

Used:
FGF-2 (Qk002)
LIF (Qk036)

Agarwal, D. et al.Human retinal ganglion cell neurons generated by synchronous BMP inhibition and transcription factor mediated reprogramming.Npj Regen. Med. 8, 1–18 (2023).

From the lab of Karl Wahlin, University of California San Diego

Used:
BDNF (Qk050)
GDNF (Qk051)

Militi, S., Nibhani, R., Jalali, M. & Pauklin. S.RBL2-E2F-GCN5 guide cell fate decisions during tissue specification by regulating cell-cycle-dependent fluctuations of non-cell-autonomous signaling.Cell Rep. 42, 113146 (2023).

From the lab of Siim Pauklin, University of Oxford

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Andrés-San Román, J. A. et al.CartoCell, a high-content pipeline for 3D image analysis, unveils cell morphology patterns in epithelia.Cell Rep. Methods 100597 (2023).

From the lab of Luis M. Escudero, University of Sevilla

Used:
LIF (Qk018)

Boikova, A. et al.A transient modified mRNA encoding Myc and Cyclin T1 induces cardiac regeneration and improves cardiac function after myocardial injury.Preprint (2023).

From the labs of Catherine H. Wilson, University of Cambridge and James E. Hudson, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Used:
FGF-2 (Qk002)
Activin A (Qk001)

Farhan, F. et al.Extracellular matrices modulate differentiation of human embryonic stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells with spatial hepatic features.Research Square (2023).

From the lab of Wei Cui, Imperial College London

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Mulas, C. et al.ERK signalling orchestrates metachronous transition from naïve to formative pluripotency.Preprint (2023).

From the labs of Austin Smith, University of Cambridge and Kevin J. Chalut, University of Exeter

Used:
hLIF (Qk036)

Chen, H.-J. C. et al.Profiling human hypothalamic neurons reveals a candidate combination drug therapy for weight loss.Preprint (2023).

From the labs of John C. Marioni, European Bioinformatics Institute and Florian T. Merkle, University of Cambridge

Used:
BDNF (Qk050)

Krammer, T. et al.Neural tube organoids self-organise floorplate through BMP-mediated cluster competition.Preprint (2023).

From the labs of James Briscoe and Elly M. Tanaka, Francis Crick Institute and the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) of Vienna

Used:
Murine LIF (Qk018)

Dinarello, A. et al.STAT3 and HIF1α cooperatively mediate the transcriptional and physiological responses to hypoxia.Cell Death Discov. 9, 1–12 (2023).

From the lab of Graziano Martello and Francesco Argenton, University of Padova

Used:
hLIF (Qk036)

Ferlazzo, G. M. et al.Genome-wide screening in pluripotent cells identifies Mtf1 as a suppressor of mutant huntingtin toxicity.Nat Commun 14, 3962 (2023).

From the lab of Graziano Martello, University of Padova

Used:
hLIF (Qk036)
FGF-2 (Qk002)

Weatherbee, B. A. T. et al.Pluripotent stem cell-derived model of the post-implantation human embryo.’ Nature 1–10 (2023).

From the lab of Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, University of Cambridge

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Weatherbee, B. A. et al.Transgene directed induction of a stem cell-derived human embryo model.’ Nature (2023).

From the lab of Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, University of Cambridge

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Lyra-Leite, D. M. et al.Nutritional requirements of human induced pluripotent stem cells.Stem Cell Reports 18, 1371–1387 (2023).

From the lab of Paul W. Burridge, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Used:
TGFβ3 (Qk054)

Choi, W et al.Establishment of Patient-Derived Organoids Using Ascitic or Pleural Fluid from Cancer Patients. Cancer Res Treat (2023).

From the lab of Sun-Young Kong, National Cancer Center, Korea

Used:
R-spondin-1 (Qk006)

Agarwal, D. & Wahlin, K. ‘Differentiation of RGC Induced Neurons (RGC-iNs).’ (2023).

From the lab of Karl Wahlin, University of California San Diego

Used:
BDNF (Qk050)
GDNF (Qk051)

Hennessy, M. J., Fulton, T., Turner, D. A. & Steventon, B. ‘Negative feedback on Retinoic Acid by Brachyury guides gastruloid symmetry-breaking.’ (2023).

From the labs of David A. Turner, University of Liverpool and Ben Steventon, University of Cambridge

Used:
Murine LIF (Qk018)

Agarwal, R. et al. ‘Human epidermis organotypic cultures, a reproducible system recapitulating the epidermis in vitro.’ Experimental Dermatology 32, 1143–1155 (2023).

From the labs of Emmanuel Contassot and Alexander A. Navarini, University of Basel

Used:
Noggin (Qk034)
R-spondin 1 (Qk006)
FGF10 (Qk003)

Blackford, S. J. I. et al. ‘RGD density along with substrate stiffness regulate hPSC hepatocyte functionality through YAP signalling.’ Biomaterials 293, 121982 (2023).

From the labs of Tamir Rashid, Imperial College London and Eileen Gentleman, King’s College London.

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Fejzo, M. et al. ‘Fetally-encoded GDF15 and maternal GDF15 sensitivity are major determinants of nausea and vomiting in human pregnancy.’ Preprint (2023).

From the lab of Stephen O’Rahilly, University of Cambridge, UK and Nicholas Mancuso, University of Southern California, USA.

Used:
Human GDF-15 protein (Qk017)

Carbognin, E. et al. ‘Esrrb guides naive pluripotent cells through the formative transcriptional programme.’ Nat Cell Biol 25, 643–657 (2023).

From the labs of Jamie A. Hackett, European Molecular Biology Laboratory EMBL-Rome, Davide Cacchiarelli, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine and Graziano Martello, University of Padua.

Used:
Zebrafish FGF-2 protein (Qk002)
Activin A protein (Qk001)
Human LIF protein (Qk036)

Williams, T. L. et al. ‘Expanding the apelin receptor pharmacological toolbox using novel fluorescent ligands.’ Frontiers in Endocrinology 14, (2023).

From the lab of Anthony Davenport, University of Cambridge

Used:
Zebrafish FGF-2 protein (Qk002)

Heidari Khoei, H., Javali, A., Kagawa, H. et al. ‘Generating human blastoids modeling blastocyst-stage embryos and implantation.’ Nat Protoc, (2023)

From the lab of Nicolas Rivron, IMBA, Austrian Academy of Sciences

Used:
Human LIF protein (Qk036)

2022

Karusheva, Y. et al. ‘The Common H202D Variant in GDF-15 Does Not Affect Its Bioactivity but Can Significantly Interfere with Measurement of Its Circulating Levels’. The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, (2022)

From the lab of Stephen O’Rahilly, University of Cambridge

Used:
TGF-β growth factors, including GDF-15 (Qk017)

Barsby, T. et al. ‘Differentiating functional human islet-like aggregates from pluripotent stem cells’. STAR Protocols, 03:04 (2022)

From the lab of Timo Otonkoski, University of Helsinki

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Beucher, A. et al. ‘The HASTER lncRNA promoter is a cis-acting transcriptional stabilizer of HNF1A’. Nat Cell Biol, 24, 1528–1540 (2022)

From the lab of Jorge Ferrer, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Bao, M. et al. ‘Stem cell-derived synthetic embryos self-assemble by exploiting cadherin codes and cortical tension’. Nat Cell Biol, 24, 1341–1349 (2022)

From the lab of Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, University of Cambridge

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Jobbins, A. et al. ‘Dysregulated RNA polyadenylation contributes to metabolic impairment in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease’. Nucleic Acids Research, 50:06 (2022)

From the lab of Santiago Vernia, LMS London Institute of Medical Sciences

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Vankatesan, M. et al. ‘Recombinant production of growth factors for application in cell culture’. iScience, 25:10 (2022)

From the lab of Alexi Savchenko, University of Toronto

Used:
TGF-β1 (Qk010)

Tan, J. et al. ‘Oxygen is a critical regulator of cellular metabolism and function in cell culture’. bioRxiv, (2022)

From the lab of Daniel J. Fazakerley, University of Cambridge

Used:
FGF-2 (Qk002)

Ragusa, D. et al. ‘Dissecting infant leukaemia developmental origins with a hemogenic gastruloid model’. bioRxiv, (2022)

From the lab of Cristina Pina, Brunel University

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Miguel-Escalada, I. et al. ‘Pancreas agenesis mutations disrupt a lead enhancer controlling a developmental enhancer cluster’. Developmental Cell, 57:16, (2022)

From the lab of Jorge Ferrer, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

Bergmann, S. et al. ‘Spatial profiling of early primate gastrulation in utero’. Nature, 609, 136–143, (2022)

From the lab of Thorsten E. Boroviak, University of Cambridge

Used:
Noggin (Qk034)

Meek, S. et al. ‘Stem Cell-Derived Porcine Macrophages as a New Platform for Studying Host-Pathogen Interactions’. BMC Biology, 20:14 (2022)

From the lab of Tom Burdon, University of Edinburgh

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)
FGF-2 / bFGF 154 aa (Qk027)

Drozd, A. et al. ‘Progesterone Receptor Modulates Extraembryonic Mesoderm and Cardiac Progenitor Specification during Mouse Gastrulation’. Int. J. Mol. Sci, (2022)

From the lab of Elisabetta Ferretti, University of Copenhagen

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)
BMP-4 (Qk038)
bFGF (Qk027)

Barber, L. et al. ‘Selectivity and stability of N-terminal targeting protein modification chemistries’. Royal Society of Chemistry, (2022)

From the lab of Dr Christopher D. Spicer, University of York

Dinarello, A. et al. ‘STAT3 and HIF1α cooperatively mediate the transcriptional and physiological responses to hypoxia’. bioRxiv (2022)

From the lab of Francesco Argenton, University of Padova, Italy.

Used:
Human LIF protein (Qk036)

Tomaz, R. et al. ‘Generation of functional hepatocytes by forward programming with nuclear receptors’. eLife, 11:e71591 (2022)

From the lab of Ludovic Vallier, University of Cambridge

Used:
FGF-2 / bFGF 154 aa (Qk027)

2021

Luo, L, et al. ‘Hydrostatic Pressure Promotes Chondrogenic Differentiation and Microvesicle Release from Human Embryonic and Bone Marrow Stem Cells’. Biotechnology Journal (2021)

From the lab of Alicia El Haj, University of Birmingham

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)
FGF-2 / bFGF 145 aa (Qk025)
BMP-2 (Qk007)

Huang, T et al. ‘Sex-Specific Chromatin Remodelling Safeguards Transcription in Germ Cells’. Nature, 600, 737–742 (2021)

From the lab of Petra Hajkova, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences

Used:
BMP-2 (Qk007)

Cimino, I. et al. ‘Activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis by exogenous and endogenous GDF15’. PNAS, 11827 (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!

Williams, T. L. et al. ‘Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocyte Platform Screens Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Infection’. Communications Biology 4926 (2021).

From the lab of Anthony Davenport, University of Cambridge

Used:
zFGF-2 / bFGF (Qk002)

Kinoshita, M. et al. Capture of Mouse and Human Stem Cells with Features of Formative Pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell (2020)

From the lab of Austin Smith, University of Cambridge & University of Exeter

Used:
Activin A PLUS (Qk005)
zFGF-2 / bFGF (Qk002)

In the study of embryonic stem cells, stem cells representative of naïve and primed pluripotency have been well established in the forms of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and epiblast-derived stem cells (EpiSCs). In this study Kinoshita et al. fill the gap between early and late pluripotency in describing an intermediate state; formative stem (FS) cells. FS cells differ from both ESCs and EpiSCs, a difference beautifully exemplified by their relative contribution to chimeras. Compared with ESCs, which readily contribute to chimeras, FS chimera contribution is less frequent, and their contribution is less evenly distributed. EpiSCs on the other hand do not generally contribute to chimeras at all. FS cells were established by culturing E5.5 epiblasts, or ES cells, in N2B27 media supplemented with a low dose of Qkine Activin A alongside a Wnt inhibitor and pan-retinoic acid receptor inverse agonist. We are proud our growth factors could be part of such an exciting finding!

Masaki Kinoshita, first author, MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, says:
“Formative” pluripotency exists transiently in early development and naive mouse ES cell differentiation, which cells directly respond to differentiation signals. This paper showed that formative pluripotency is now captured in culture and expands its knowledge including chimaera competency of early embryonic cells.

Andreasson, L., Evenbratt, H., Mobini, R. & Simonsson, S. Differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into definitive endoderm on Activin A-functionalized gradient surfaces. J Biotechnol 325, 173–178 (2021).

From the lab of Stina SimonssonUniversity of Gothenburg

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

In embryonic development, growth factors are delivered in a highly controlled and targeted manner, however when differentiating iPSCs the real challenge is to effectively mimic these conditions. Consequently, iPSC differentiation is plagued by issues such as low efficiency and a lack of homogeneity. In their recent paper Andreasson et al. take a step towards improving the differentiation of iPSCs to definitive endoderm. The group employs gold nanoparticles to generate a gradient of immobilised Activin A – a member of the TGF-β superfamily that plays a key role in definitive endoderm development. Using this gradient, the group was able to deliver Activin A in a controlled and localised manor, resulting in more efficient differentiation. By deploying their innovative approach, the group observed a dose dependent response of the cells to Activin A, as defined by expression of differentiation markers SOX17 and GATA4. Their results indicate that it may be possible to define an optimal density of Activin A for definitive endoderm differentiation – a finding that could improve the homogeneity and speed of differentiation. This innovative study is a wonderful example of how reconsidering the way in which growth factors are delivered can lead to advances in our understanding of the precise control of stem cell differentiation and how these cells undertake their fate decisions.

2020

Borkowska, M. & Leitch, H. G. Mouse Primordial Germ Cells: In Vitro Culture and Conversion to Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines. Methods Mol Biol 2214, 59–73 (2021).

From the lab of Harry Leitch, Imperial College London

Used:
mouse LIF (Qk018)

Zorzan, I. et al. The transcriptional regulator ZNF398 mediates pluripotency and epithelial character downstream of TGF-beta in human PSCs. Nat Commun 11, 2364 (2020).

From the lab of Graziano Martello, University of Padua

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)
zFGF-2 / bFGF  (Qk002)

Wamaitha, S. E. et al. IGF1-mediated human embryonic stem cell self-renewal recapitulates the embryonic niche. Nat Commun 11, 764 (2020).

From the lab of Harry Leitch, Imperial College London

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)

2019

Stuart, H. T. et al. Distinct Molecular Trajectories Converge to Induce Naive Pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell 25, 388-406.e8 (2019).

Reviewers comments available to view: Stadtfeld, M. Evaluation of Stuart et al.: Distinct Molecular Trajectories Converge to Induce Naive Pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell 25, 297–298 (2019). doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.08.009

From the lab of José Silva, University of Cambridge

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)
zFGF2 / bFGF (Qk002)
mouse LIF (Qk018)

2018

Blackford, S. J. I. et al. Validation of Current Good Manufacturing Practice Compliant Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocytes for Cell-Based Therapy. Stem Cells Transl Med 8, 124–137 (2019).

From the lab of Tamir Rashid, Kings College London

Used:
Activin A (Qk001)