MicroRNA-22 enhances the differentiation of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells into alveolar epithelial type II cells

Abstract

Considerable evidence has verified that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in various cellular processes including differentiation. However, the regulatory roles of miRNAs involved in the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) into lung epithelial cells are still unknown. In this study, we first evaluated the current protocols to differentiate iPSC into alveolar epithelial type II (AEC II) cells, but the efficiency is low. We next identified that miR-22 can efficiently enhance the differentiation of iPSC into AEC II cells under the stimulation of proper growth factors and growing on appropriate matrix. Moreover, the AEC II cells generated from iPSC with miR-22 overexpression can proliferate and secrete lung surfactant. Here, we discovered a previously unknown interaction between miR-22 and iPSC differentiation but also provide a potential target for the effective derivation of AEC II from iPSCs for cell-based therapy.

Histochemistry for nucleic acid research: 60 years in the European Journal of Histochemistry

“…The importance of miRNAs and lncRNAs has been widely reported in the literature due to their link with many biological conditions. In 2020, Tao and colleagues 77 reported the involvement of a miRNA, named miR-22, in the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into alveolar epithelial cells type II (AECII). Overexpression of miR-22 induced pluripotent cells in vitro to enhance their differentiation into AECII.…”