The next generation of endothelial differentiation: Tissue-specific ECs

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Biology
• Stem Cell Biology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Endothelial cells (ECs) are crucial for regulating immune cell trafficking and respond to hemodynamic forces.
• ECs display significant tissue-specific heterogeneity despite a common mesodermal origin.
• Existing disease models and therapeutic strategies require enhanced accuracy and breadth, necessitating novel approaches to study ECs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current methodologies for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into various types of blood vascular ECs.
• To discuss the maturation of hPSC-derived ECs into continuous, fenestrated, and sinusoidal endothelial tissues.
• To explore the application of hPSC-derived ECs in advancing organoid development and organ-on-chip technologies.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on hPSC differentiation protocols for EC generation.
• Analysis of strategies for EC maturation into distinct vascular phenotypes.
• Examination of studies utilizing hPSC-derived ECs in organoid and organ-on-chip models.

Main Results:

• hPSCs can be differentiated into a range of blood vascular ECs, capturing endothelial heterogeneity.
• Maturation protocols enable the generation of continuous, fenestrated, and sinusoidal ECs from hPSCs.
• hPSC-derived ECs are increasingly used in sophisticated organoid and organ-on-chip platforms.

Conclusions:

• hPSC-derived ECs represent a promising avenue for creating accurate and versatile models of human vascular biology.
• These cells hold significant potential for advancing the development of novel therapeutics and understanding vascular diseases.
• The integration of hPSC-derived ECs into organoid and organ-on-chip systems is revolutionizing preclinical research.