Background: Large skin defects severely disrupt the overall skin structure and can irreversibly damage sweat glands (SGs), thus impairing the skin's physiological function. This study aims to develop a stepwise reprogramming strategy to convert fibroblasts into SG lineages, which may provide a promising method to obtain desirable cell types for the functional repair and regeneration of damaged skin. Methods: The expression of the SG markers cytokeratin 5 (CK5), cytokeratin 10 (CK10), cytokeratin 18 (CK18), carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), aquaporin 5 (AQP5) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was assessed with quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Calcium activity analysis was conducted to test the function of induced SG-like cells (iSGCs). Mouse xenograft models were also used to evaluate the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs. BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into normal group, SGM treatment group and iSGC transplantation group. Immunocytochemical analyses and starch-iodine sweat tests were used to confirm the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs. Results: Ectodermal dysplasia antigen (EDA) overexpression drove human dermal fibroblast (HDF) conversion into iSGCs in SG culture medium (SGM). qPCR indicated significantly increased mRNA levels of the SG markers CK5, CK18 and CEA in iSGCs, and flow cytometry data demonstrated (4.18±0.04)％ of iSGCs were CK5 positive and (4.36±0.25)％ of iSGCs were CK18 positive. The addition of chemical cocktails greatly accelerated the SG fate program. qPCR results revealed significantly increased mRNA expression of CK5, CK18 and CEA in iSGCs, as well as activation of the duct marker CK10 and luminal functional marker AQP5. Flow cytometry indicated, after the treatment of chemical cocktails, (23.05±2.49)％ of iSGCs expressed CK5+ and (55.79±3.18)％ of iSGCs expressed CK18+, respectively. Calcium activity analysis indicated that the reactivity of iSGCs to acetylcholine was close to that of primary SG cells [(60.79±7.71)％ vs. (70.59±0.34)％, ns]. In vivo transplantation experiments showed approximately (5.2±1.1)％ of the mice were sweat test positive, and the histological analysis results indicated that regenerated SG structures were present in iSGCs-treated mice. Conclusions: We developed a SG reprogramming strategy to generate functional iSGCs from HDFs by using the single factor EDA in combination with SGM and small molecules. The generation of iSGCs has important implications for future in situ skin regeneration with SG restoration.

Shuai-Fei Ji;Lai-Xian Zhou;Zhi-Feng Sun;Jiang-Bing Xiang;Shao-Yuan Cui;Yan Li;Hua-Ting Chen;Yi-Qiong Liu;Huan-Huan Gao;Xiao-Bing Fu;Xiao-Yan Sun

Research Center for Tissue Repair and Regeneration Affiliated To Medical Innovation Research Department and 4th Medical Center,PLA General Hospital and PLA Medical College;PLA Key Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regenerative Medicine and Beijing Key Research Laboratory of Skin Injury,Repair and Regeneration,28 Fu Xing Road,Beijing 100853,China;Research Unit of Trauma Care,Tissue Repair and Regeneration,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,2019RU051,Beijing 100048,China;Department of Respiratory,the Second Medical Center,Chinese PLA General Hospital,Beijing 100036,China;Bioengineering College of Chongqing University,Chongqing 400044,China

军事医学研究（英文）

[1]Shuai-Fei Ji;Lai-Xian Zhou;Zhi-Feng Sun;Jiang-Bing Xiang;Shao-Yuan Cui;Yan Li;Hua-Ting Chen;Yi-Qiong Liu;Huan-Huan Gao;Xiao-Bing Fu;Xiao-Yan Sun-.Small molecules facilitate single factor-mediated sweat gland cell reprogramming)[J].军事医学研究（英文）,2022(06):655-667

iSGCs,iSGC,Immunocytochemical,Ectodermal,cocktails,CK5+,CK18+

Small,molecules,facilitate,single,mediated,sweat,reprogramming,Background,Large,skin,defects,severely,disrupt,overall,irreversibly,glands,SGs,thus,impairing,physiological,This,study,aims,stepwise,strategy,convert,fibroblasts,into,lineages,which,may,provide,promising,method,obtain,desirable,types,functional,repair,regeneration,damaged,Methods,markers,cytokeratin,CK10,carcino,embryonic,antigen,CEA,aquaporin,AQP5,smooth,muscle,actin,SMA,was,assessed,quantitative,qPCR,immunofluorescence,flow,cytometry,Calcium,analysis,conducted,induced,like,cells,Mouse,xenograft,models,were,also,used,evaluate,vivo,BALB,nude,mice,randomly,divided,normal,group,SGM,treatment,transplantation,analyses,starch,iodine,tests,confirm,Results,dysplasia,EDA,overexpression,drove,human,conversion,culture,medium,indicated,significantly,increased,levels,data,demonstrated,positive,addition,greatly,accelerated,fate,results,revealed,well,activation,luminal,Flow,after,expressed,respectively,that,reactivity,acetylcholine,close,primary,In,experiments,showed,approximately,histological,regenerated,structures,present,treated,Conclusions,We,developed,from,HDFs,by,using,combination,small,has,important,implications,future,situ,restoration

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