Approach for Differentiating Trophoblast Cell Lineage from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells with Retinoic Acid

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26460242
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Medical pharmacy
• Research Institution: Osaka Ohtani University
• Principal Investigator: Ikeda Kenji 大阪大谷大学, 薬学部, 准教授 (10434812)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): URASHIMA Yoko 大阪大谷大学, 薬学部, 助教 (90636309)
• Research Collaborator: OGAWA Masafumi 大阪大谷大学, 薬学部, 非常勤講師
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 妊娠時薬物療法 / 胎児移行性 / iPS / 分化 / シンシチオトロホブラスト / 胎盤 / レチノイン酸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Evaluation of placental drug transport is the first step in chemotherapeutic safety evaluations during pregnancy, but a well-established in vitro model is not available. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the similarities between the syncytiotrophoblast, the main layer of the placental barrier, and the in vitro evaluation model. We focused on the in vivo similarities of differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In this study, the conditions required to differentiate iPSCs into syncytiotrophoblasts, such as retinoic acid (RA), a factor required for the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells from iPSCs, were investigated using hCG secretion as a marker of syncytiotrophoblasts. We demonstrated that iPSCs differentiate into syncytiotrophoblasts, characterized by marked hCG secretion after RA treatment. Our future studies will involve optimization of the differentiation conditions for iPSC-derived syncytiotrophoblast cell layers by RA.

Free Research Field

臨床薬剤学