Mentors: YingYu Lin, Dr. Sharon Gerecht (Department of Biomedical Engineering)
A new protocol for cell differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (h-iPSCs) into endothelial cells (h-iECs) has been created to increase efficiency and reduce procedure duration for EC generations. The original protocol acquired twice the amount of time and relied on endogenous ETV2 rather than electroporation, reducing its efficiency. From h-iPSCs to mesodermal cells to h-iECs, this two-stage procedure is the basis of the original and new protocol. The difference lies within the second stage’s differentiation method: mRNA temporal modulation of ETV2 via electroporation. Induction of mRNA strand that encodes for transcription factor ETV2 is introduced through electroporation of mesodermal cells. This new approach should result in about 96% of h-iECs 48 hours after electroporation. Replication of the new protocol will confirm the accuracy of the procedure and provide further research on h-iECs development. With this new protocol, additional research on vascular systems, cell regeneration, and diseases including diabetic retinopathy can be achieved faster and more effectively.
