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Updated: Aug 28, 2025

Author Spotlight: Studying hiPSC-Derived Endothelial Cells Cultured Under Fluidic-Mediated Mechanical Stimulation
Published on: July 28, 2023
Mimicry of embryonic circulation enhances the hoxa hemogenic niche and human blood development
Jingjing Li1, Osmond Lao1, Freya F Bruveris2
1Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Abstract:
Precursors of the adult hematopoietic system arise from the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region shortly after the embryonic circulation is established. Here, we develop a microfluidic culture system to mimic the primitive embryonic circulation and address the hypothesis that circulatory flow and shear stress enhance embryonic blood development. Embryonic (HOXA+) hematopoiesis was derived from human pluripotent stem cells and induced from mesoderm by small-molecule manipulation of TGF-β and WNT signaling (SB/CHIR). Microfluidic and orbital culture promoted the formation of proliferative CD34+RUNX1C-GFP+SOX17-mCHERRY+ precursor cells that were released into the artificial circulation from SOX17+ arterial-like structures. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis delineated extra-embryonic (yolk sac) and HOXA+ embryonic blood differentiation pathways. SB/CHIR and circulatory flow enhance hematopoiesis by the formation of proliferative HOXA+RUNX1C+CD34+ precursor cells that differentiate into monocyte/macrophage, granulocyte, erythrocyte, and megakaryocyte progenitors.
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