Developmental Morphogens Direct Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Towards an Annulus Fibrosus-like Cell Phenotype

Abstract

Therapeutic interventions for intervertebral disc herniation remain scarce due to the inability of endogenous annulus fibrosus (AF) cells to respond to injury and drive tissue regeneration. Unlike other orthopaedic tissues, such as cartilage, delivery of exogenous cells to the site of annular injury remains underdeveloped, largely due to a lack of an ideal cell source and the invasive nature of cell isolation. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be differentiated to specific cell fates using biochemical factors and are, therefore, an invaluable tool for cell therapy approaches. While differentiation protocols have been developed for cartilage and fibrous connective tissues (e.g., tendon), the signals that regulate the induction and differentiation of human iPSCs towards the annulus fibrosus fate remain unknown. Here, we screened a number of candidate factors (and their combinations) and assessed the transcriptomic signatures of key signaling factors involved in embryonic AF development and differentiated function. The transcriptional signatures of treated cells were compared to those of mature human AF cells, and conditions that promoted expression of annulus fibrosus extracellular matrix genes and key transcription factors involved in embryonic AF development were identified. These findings represent an initial approach to guide human induced pluripotent stem cells towards an annulus fibrosus-like fate for cellular delivery strategies.