Turk J Biol
(2016) 40: 1033-1039
© TÜBİTAK
doi:10.3906/biy-1508-15
Turkish Journal of Biology
http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/biology/
Review Article
Pluripotent stem cells and their use in hearing loss
1,2
3
4,
Ahmet Hamdi KEPEKÇİ , Okan Özgür ÖZTURAN , Mustafa Yavuz KÖKER *
1
Department of Otolaryngology, Meltem Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
2
Division of Audiology, Yeniyüzyıl University, İstanbul, Turkey
3
Department of Plastic Surgery, Tekden Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey
4
Department of Immunology, Erciyes Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey
Received: 06.08.2015
Accepted/Published Online: 21.12.2015
Final Version: 08.11.2016
Abstract: Throughout its half a century of development, stem cell research has included two main fields: embryonic stem (ES) cell
research and the reprogramming of body somatic cells. In the present review we focused on stem cell reprogramming and its relation
with otolaryngology. The human body somatic cells are transformed into pluripotent cells by three basic methods: the somatic nuclear
transfer method, the somatic cell fusion method (getting cellular pluripotent capacity in cellular reprogramming), and by transcription
factors influencing the body somatic cells to generate reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. ES cells and iPS cells
have pluripotency and differentiate into cells originating from the three germ layers; they are preferred for cellular treatment, drug
development, and disease modeling research. Because of ethical restrictions in obtaining ES cells, iPS cells are an alternative pluripotent
cell source and patient-specific autologous pluripotent cells are obtained by this method. Cellular treatment and regenerative medicine
with pluripotent cells are currently developing and we aimed to raise awareness about this topic in our paper on using iPS cell technology
in the biological treatment of hearing loss, which is an important area of research in otolaryngology.
Key words: Stem cell, sensory hair cell, iPS cell
1. Introduction
Throughout its half a century of development, stem
cell research has included two main fields: embryonic
stem (ES) cell research and the reprogramming of body
somatic cells (Yamanaka, 2012). In the present review
we focused on stem cell reprogramming and its relation
with otolaryngology. The human body somatic cells are
transformed into pluripotent cells by three basic methods:
1) the somatic nuclear transfer method was developed
by Gurdon et al. (1958), who transferred a frog intestine
epithelial cell to the ovum and succeeded in getting a
frog embryo; Wilmut et al. (1997) cloned a mammalian
epithelial cell by a similar method and reported the birth
of Dolly; 2) somatic cell fusion is another method in
cellular reprogramming for getting cellular pluripotent
capacity (Miyazaki et al., 2012); and 3) the third method
involves transcription factors influencing body somatic
cells to generate reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem
(iPS) cells (Takahashi and Yamanaka, 2006). Currently iPS
cell technology is quite advanced and it is possible to take
a blood or skin sample from a patient and convert the cells
into iPS cells. Scientists are working on the experimental
phase to solve hearing loss and in the near future it might
be possible to forward differentiate the patient iPS cells
into inner ear cell types such as sensory hair cells (Jansson
et al., 2015).
Stem cells have three basic functional properties:
1) they have self-renewal capability (it is highest at the
early embryonic phase and can be transferred to next
generations, but decreases with advanced phases of
differentiation); 2) they cannot perform specialized
functions and do not have specific tissue characteristics;
and 3) they have plasticity and can differentiate into many
special tissues such as heart, nerve, muscle, blood, and
cartilage.
Stem cells are grouped into five categories in terms
of their plasticity capacity (Ilic and Polak, 2011; Kolios
and Moodley, 2013): 1) Totipotent stem cells are
undifferentiated stem cells of the earliest embryonic
phase from zygote formation to the blastocyst phase. 2)
Pluripotent stem cells are the embryoblasts from the inner
cell mass on day 5 or 6 of the embryo. They can transform
into all germ cells (except for placenta) with endo, meso
or ectoderm character and form all tissues and organs;
they have infinite proliferation capacity, are important
for regenerative medicine, and are also known as ES cells
* Correspondence: mykoker@erciyes.edu.tr
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KEPEKÇİ et al. / Turk J Biol
(Kolios and Moodley, 2013). 3) Multipotent stem cells
are adult stem cells that have the capacity of self-renewal
during the developing phases of the embryo; they are
programmed to differentiate within a single germ layer.
They are somatic stem cells and can be found in the bone
marrow, muscles, nerves, liver, and skin. Bone marrow
stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and hematopoietic
stem cells forming all blood cells are multipotent stem
cells; they are undifferentiated cells and they replace dead
or damaged cells; they can divide and have self-renewal
property. Mesenchymal stem cells have the capacity of
transforming into chondrocytes, myocytes, adipocytes,
neurons, and pancreatic beta cells. 4) Oligopotent stem
cells can differentiate into two or more cell lines in a
special tissue or organ. They have self-renewal capacity.
Hematopoietic stem cells and cells that differentiate into
myeloid and lymphoid cells are examples of these cells. 5)
Unipotent stem cells are the least potent cells and can only
differentiate along a single cell line. Muscle stem cells are
one example of this category of cells (Ilic and Polak, 2011;
Kolios and Moodley, 2013).
2. ES cells
ES cells are derived from the inner cell mass, one of the two
layers forming the blastocyst, on day 5 or 6 of fertilization.
The external cellular layer, known as the trophoblast, forms
the placenta and the amniotic membrane. The inner cell
mass forms the ectoderm, endoderm, and mesodermal
tissue cells. ES cells were derived for the first time from
the embryos of mice by two different groups of scientists
(Evans and Kaufman, 1981; Martin, 1981). The first human
stem cells with pluripotent and self-renewal capacity were
found by Thompson et al. (1998).
Today ES cells are obtained from three sources: 1) ES
cells obtained from unused embryos in in vitro fertilization
units; they are called real ES cells or fertile ES cells. 2)
ES cells obtained by somatic nuclear transfer; the ovum
nucleus is removed by a fine needle and replaced with a
body somatic nucleus. The reprogrammed ovum cell is
activated and left to duplicate. These cells are called nuclear
transfer ES cell. 3) ES cells obtained by parthenogenesis of
an unfertilized ovum; they are called parthenogenetic ES
(pgES) cells. Under certain circumstances the embryo is
called a parthenote (Paffoni et al., 2008).
After obtaining the ES cells, they are stored in special
cultures containing growth factors or they are kept frozen.
ES cells should be kept in special cultures to maintain
their undifferentiated state. Mice embryonic fibroblast
cells are used in the feeder layer for this purpose. An
antidifferentiation cytokine (leukemia inhibitor factor) is
also added. ES cells lose pluripotency and get differentiated
in the case of culture change or growth factor addition
(Takahashi and Yamanaka, 2006). Because the blastocyst
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is interrupted for ES cell research, ethical, religious, or
political issues arise.
The pgES cells are obtained through parthenogenesis,
unisexual reproduction that is usually encountered in
plants, bumble bees, amphibians, and reptiles, but is
not found in mammals. The human oocyte occasionally
gets activated and forms a teratoma. The unfertilized
mammalian oocyte may form a nonembryonic blastocyst
with parthenogenetic activation by the way of mechanical
and chemical factors. Pluripotent pgES cells can be
obtained from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst.
These cells show self-renewal and clonogenic capacity in
vitro. This embryo shows no normal or extra embryonic
development (Paffoni et al., 2008). The pgES cell was first
isolated from a mouse and later from a rabbit, a monkey,
and a human by Kaufman et al. (1983). The pgES cells
show similarities with sperm-fertilized embryonic cells,
express outside stem cell markers, form an embryoid
body, and can differentiate into all cells across the three
germ layers (Mai et al., 2007). Ethical issues, teratoma
formation, and immune reactions in experiments with ES
cells limit the clinical trials with those cells. Moreover, the
difficulties in gaining iPS cells, the high cost, and the length
of time involved in such research forced researchers to
seek alternative pluripotent stem cells. The ethical debate
ceases with the pgES cells as there is no intervention to
the blastocyst. Moreover, pgES cells are easy to obtain at
a low cost and they are human leukocyte antigen (HLA)
compatible; these properties make them an alternative
stem cell resource (Horii and Hatada, 2011; Liu et al.,
2013).
3. iPS cells
The functions of iPS cells are similar to those of ES cells.
iPS cells are obtained by the reprogramming of body
somatic cells with some gene transcription factors. They
were first produced from mice dermal fibroblast cells by
the retroviral gene transfer method with Oct3/4, Sox2,
Klf4, and cMyc (OSKM) factors, also known as the
Yamanaka factors (Figure) (Takahashi and Yamanaka,
2006; Bayart and Cohen-Haguenauer, 2013). iPS cells
were obtained from human dermal fibroblasts a year later
by the same authors (Takahashi et al., 2007). It was found
that they carry the same properties as ES cells. Different
authors obtained iPS cells by using gene transcription
factors Sox2, Oct3/4, Nanog, and Lin28 (Yu et al., 2007).
Since then different groups with different transcription
factors by different gene transfer techniques were able to
obtain iPS cells (Gonzalez et al., 2011).
3.1. Sources of iPS cells
iPS cells are obtained by the reprogramming of many cells
with transcription factors: human fibroblasts, peripheral
blood cells, neuronal stem cells, pancreas cells, and cord
KEPEKÇİ et al. / Turk J Biol
Reprogramming
factors
Somatic cell
reprogramming
Figure. The scheme of how iPS cells are produced and can be applied in disease modeling and gene correction for the treatment of
hearing loss.
blood cells are all sources of iPS cells (Gonzalez et al., 2011).
Successful iPS cell harvest depends on: cell culture, the
mature cell type and characteristic (lymphocyte, fibroblast,
etc.), the gene transfer method (viral or nonviral), and the
differentiation level of the cell, which determines the time
and rate of the derived iPS cells (Takahashi and Yamanaka,
2006). iPS cells are obtained with retroviral gene transfer
in 20–25 days from dermal fibroblasts of humans; iPS
cell are also obtained from CD133 + stem cells from
the cord blood using only Oct4 and Sox2 factors for the
reprogramming (Takahashi et al., 2007).
Obtaining patient-specific iPS cells is the most
important step in cellular treatments. Since dermal cells
have a high potential to generate iPS cells, they are the first
choice for a cellular source. The main drawbacks are the
need for skin biopsy, the risk of infection, mutations due
to UV radiation exposure, and the long time (3 to 4 weeks)
needed for the primer cell culture (Zhang, 2013).
3.2. Gene transfer methods in the reprogramming of iPS
cells
Different gene transfer methods are used for the
reprogramming of iPS cells. There are basically two types
of methods, genome integrated methods and nongenome
integrated methods, and each type has a viral and a
nonviral approach. In the genome integrated methods
high iPS cell ratios in vitro are possible with the retroviral
and lentiviral gene transfer method because of their high
integration with the host genome. The lentiviral gene
transfer produces high cellular infection rates. Lentiviruses
can infect either dividing or nondividing cells, and have
higher reprogrammed cell ratios (Bayart and CohenHaguenauer, 2013). In the nongenome integrated methods
adenoviruses (Stadtfeld et al., 2008) and Sendai viruses
are used for this purpose. Episomal RNA, proteins, and
small molecules are some of the nonviral methods of gene
transfer. Synthetic mRNA is used for obtaining iPS cells
from human somatic cells in the RNA transfer method
(Stadtfeld et al., 2008).
3.3. Generation steps of iPS cells
Characterized patient-specific iPS cell lines can be
obtained from skin biopsy material within 2–3 months;
the time depends on the experiment’s starting phase. The
first steps are the generation of dermal fibroblasts and
lentiviruses (Ohnuki et al., 2009). Donor forearm skin
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is used in dermal fibroblast biopsy and the specimen
is divided into 1 mm parts; cells are obtained after 3–4
weeks of dermal fibroblast culture. Lentiviruses are
derived in 4–5 days with transfection by the three-plasmid
system. Newly harvested fibroblasts are used in the
reprogramming experiment. They are cultivated at 37 °C
with 5% CO2 24 h prior to the experiment. The next day
the lentivirus-infected solution with transcription factors
is added to the fibroblast culture plaques and fibroblasts
are transduced. Incubation goes on until iPS cell colonies
begin to collect on the plaques. Starting from week 4, the
iPS cell colonies start to appear and the colonies are cut
and harvested using an invert microscope. Quality control
and pluripotency proofing characterization tests should
be carried out. Morphologic examination, karyotyping,
alkaline phosphatase and fluorescent staining tests,
immunochemical pluripotency marker examination, and
differentiation and microbiological tests should be carried
out (Marti et al., 2013).
3.4. Primary utilization sites for iPS cells
iPS cells are utilized in human disease modeling,
regenerative medicine, and drug research experiments
(Sevim and Gürpınar, 2012). In recent years, significant
advances have been made by iPS cell technology in
the research of inherited monogenic diseases, opening
an avenue to generate patient-specific pluripotent
stem cells. iPS cell technology has a broad application
in blood disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and
retinal degenerative diseases, but little is known about
its application in hereditary hearing loss (Wang et al.,
2012; Peng et al., 2014; Ross and Akimov, 2014; Wiley
et al., 2015).
3.4.1. Patient-specific disease modeling
Many countries have strict ethical rules for obtaining
human experimental material to be used in genetic disease
research. Enough amount of material at the desired time
is one of the hardest issues for researchers. Human iPS
cells are the way to overcome all these problems. They are
very useful in the understanding of disease mechanisms.
Patient- and disease-specific iPS cells were produced,
cellular lines for experiments were obtained, and thus
iPS cell models for many diseases were established.
For example, these models have helped to research the
pathogenesis and drug development for the treatment of
spinal muscular dystrophy, Parkinson disease, thalassemia,
Gaucher disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hearing
loss, and type 1 diabetes (Park et al., 2008; Wang et al.,
2012; Ross and Akimov, 2014).
3.4.2. Drug development research
A new molecule should be tested for activity and side
effects during drug development; rats, dogs, or pigs are
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usually used for this purpose. Such tests are expensive and
hard to standardize because of biological and physiological
differences with humans. iPS cell experiments prior
to animal tests help to have better focus and prevent
unnecessary duplication of animal tests. The developed
disease- and patient-specific iPS cells make the drug
screening tests easier and accelerate pharmacological and
toxicological research.
3.4.3. Regenerative medicine
iPS cells and their cousins, ES cells, are very suitable for
the generation of “replacement parts” for damaged or sick
organs. Immune rejection is one of the main problems
in organ transplantation and cellular treatment. Since
patient-specific iPS cells are autologous and have the same
HLA tissue antigen, tissue rejection is not encountered
due to HLA compatibility. The main goal in regenerative
medicine is to provide self-identical cells and tissues to
be transplanted by using iPS cells. There are still many
limitations. First of all, safe and dependable iPS cellobtaining methods are not fully developed. Merling et al.
(2015) obtained iPS cell lines for chronic granulomatous
disease (CGD) by peripheral blood CD34+ cell
reprogramming and the molecular mutation was repaired
by using the zinc finger nuclease technique in cellular
lines. Therefore, gene therapy is an available therapeutic
option for the correction of genetic mutations in iPS cells
of patients with CGD and other immunodeficiencies
(Flynn et al., 2015; Merling et al., 2015).
4. The use of iPS cell technology in otolaryngology and
the treatment of hearing loss
4.1. Cartilage tissue production with iPS cells for tissue
repair
One of the stem cell research areas in otolaryngology is
cartilage tissue research, and particularly research on
tissue repair in the ear and nose. A typical example of
cartilage regenerative medicine is autologous chondrocyte
implantation, in which chondrocytes isolated from the
patient’s cartilage or derived from mesenchymal stem cells
are cultured and injected into the cartilage defects in liquid
or gel form. The mesenchymal stem cells inhibit the release
of proinflammatory cytokines and are helpful in cartilage
repair and osteoarthritis (Diekman et al., 2012). The ear
and nose cartilage tissue has high regeneration capacity
and future therapy with iPS may not be needed for these
problems. However, the capacity of articular cartilage for
repair and regeneration is extremely poor. iPS cells have
the potential to provide an abundant cell source for tissue
engineering and the generation of patient-matched in
vitro models to study genetic and environmental factors in
cartilage repair (Diekman et al., 2012).
KEPEKÇİ et al. / Turk J Biol
4.2. Olfactory sensory neuron production from iPS cells
The human olfactory stem cells are multipotent cells,
generating oligodendrocytes and neurons, and breeding for
many generations. The olfactory epithelium has olfactory
sensory neurons and within the epithelium there are basal
stem cells that can restore this tissue following damage;
moreover, within the lamina propria there are other stem
cells with both neural and mesenchymal characteristics.
The cells obtained from human olfactory mucosa generate
neurospheres that are multipotent in in vitro conditions
and cloned neurosphere cells show this multipotency and
self-replication (Roisen et al., 2001; Murrell et al., 2005).
Recently, neurospheres from olfactory mucosal biopsy
have been generated from patients with schizophrenia,
Parkinson disease, and familial dysautonomia; these
results demonstrate the existence of multipotent cells in
the olfactory mucosa useful for cellular studies of brain
diseases (Roisen et al., 2001; Murrell et al., 2005). In
disease modeling studies multipotent stem cells like ES
cells or iPS cells give results that include targeted cells,
without the contamination of other cells (Mackay-Sim,
2013). Therefore, iPS cells are useful in the modeling of
numerous brain diseases because of their ability to be
differentiated into specific cells of interest, e.g., sensory
neurons (Grskovic et al., 2011; Mackay-Sim, 2012).
4.3. Sensory epithelial hair cell production from iPS cells
The inner ear contains sensory epithelia that have a role
in detecting impulses from head movements, gravity,
and sound. Currently investigations are underway on
how to develop these sensory epithelia from pluripotent
stem cells, a process that will be critical for modeling
inner ear disorders or developing cell-based therapies for
underlining hearing loss and balance disorders (Brigande
and Heller, 2009; Bermingham-McDonogh and Reh,
2011). The restoration of auditory function is an important
subject of iPS cell studies and hearing loss is one of the
most common disabilities, affecting approximately 10% of
the population at different levels. Humans are born with
30,000 cochlear and vestibular hair cells per ear. Hair
cells and spiral ganglion neurons are usually damaged in
most cases of hearing loss. The inability of the mammalian
inner ear to regenerate lost hair cells is the major reason
for the permanence of hearing loss and certain balance
disorders. Recent developments in stem cell technology
provide new insights for the treatment of deafness and iPS
cells are virtually bringing a biological approach to replace
damaged hearing cells (Hu and Ulfendahl, 2013; Peng et al.,
2014). Two major strategies have been investigated: one is
the differentiation of endogenous stem cells into new hair
cells; and the other is the introduction of exogenous cells
into the inner ear to substitute injured hearing neurons.
Although there are still animal experiments in stem cellbased replacement in deafness, there is a probability of
utilizing personalized stem cells in a novel intervention for
patients in future clinical research trials (Figure) (Hu and
Ulfendahl, 2013; Peng et al., 2014).
4.4. The role of iPS cells as potential cures of hearing loss
in the future
It will be possible to generate inner ear cell types such
as sensory hair cells from iPS cells; iPS cell technology
is at an early stage and it will be possible to recreate the
causes of hearing loss in a test tube (Koehler et al., 2013).
iPS cells from patients can be used to conduct research
on the causes of age-related hearing loss and its relation
with environmental threats. If such research is combined
with genomic studies, it could lead to a very patientspecific prediction of whether a hearing loss is expected
in a particular patient. Recently mouse studies have
shown that the generation of inner ear sensory epithelia
from pluripotent stem cells in 3D culture is possible and a
protocol for obtaining hair cell-like cells with stereociliary
bundles from iPS cells was announced (Oshima et al.,
2010; Koehler et al., 2013).
Additionally, if a patient has a genetic disease-caused
hearing loss, an iPS cell-based transplantation therapy
would require another crucial step in the repair of the
mutation with gene therapy before the iPS cells go back
into the patient (Merling et al., 2015).
5. Conclusion
ES cells and iPS cells have pluripotency and differentiate
into cells originating from the three germ layers; they are
preferred in cellular treatment, drug development, and
disease modeling research. Because of ethical restrictions
in obtaining ES cell, iPS cells are an alternative pluripotent
cell source and the embryo is not damaged by this method.
Thus, ethical and political disadvantages are solved with
iPS cells and patient-specific autologous pluripotent cells
can be obtained by this method. Cellular treatment and
regenerative medicine progress with pluripotent cells
is currently underway and we tried to raise awareness
about this topic in our paper on the biological treatment
alternative of hearing loss, which is an important area of
research in otolaryngology.
Acknowledgment
This study was supported by the Scientific and
Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK),
project 110S252.
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