Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from domestic animals by the non-integrative mechanism

• Grant number: 22/09370-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2022
• End date: February 28, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Fabiana Fernandes Bressan
• Grantee: Addy Solange Ayala Mejia
• Supervisor: Lawrence Charles Smith
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Université de Montréal, Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/15897-0 - Characterization of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) healthy or diagnosed with Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, BP.IC

Abstract

Cell therapies are used for various purposes, mostly for clinical use and the development of improvements according to each species of interest, ranging from increased reproductive productivity in beef cattle to the precision of clinical trials for diseases in human and veterinary medicine. One of the focus techniques of study in the scientific environment is the methodology of cell reprogramming via induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Such cells originate from tissues of individuals and are capable, through lentiviral or episomal methods, of producing cells from the three germinal tissues, endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. The main advantages of iPSCs cells are differentiation into different lineages of interest, the ability to proliferate, long-term cell culture studies, and numerous applications, such as early diagnosis and treatment testing. Although the generation of iPSCs cells is already well reported with the integration of exogenous factors, there is a problem with random insertion and continuous expression of transgenes, and therefore, further studies in the non-integrative field, such as using episomal vectors, are necessary. To enable the use of this technology on a large scale for various purposes. The bovine species enters as an alternative to the experimental model, because in addition to the expressive participation in the supply of meat to the world population, its tissues present physiological and morphological characteristics similar to the human model, facilitating the integration of tests between both species in the clinical and therapeutic aspect. Therefore, its application is relevant in the scientific environment, and together with the iPSCs methodology, it is possible to verify studies of commercial value and agricultural importance, with the manufacture of animal products and production of functional gametes in vitro, evidencing branches of science to be even more explored. (AU)