Generating human artery and vein cells from pluripotent stem cells highlights the arterial tropism of Nipah and Hendra viruses.

ABSTRACT: Stem cell research endeavors to generate specific subtypes of classically defined "cell types." Here, we generate >90% pure human artery or vein endothelial cells from pluripotent stem cells within 3-4 days. We specified artery cells by inhibiting vein-specifying signals and vice versa. These cells modeled viral infection of human vasculature by Nipah and Hendra viruses, which are extraordinarily deadly (∼57%-59% fatality rate) and require biosafety-level-4 containment. Generating pure populations of artery and vein cells highlighted that Nipah and Hendra viruses preferentially infected arteries; arteries expressed higher levels of their viral-entry receptor. Virally infected artery cells fused into syncytia containing up to 23 nuclei, which rapidly died. Despite infecting arteries and occ

SUBMITTER: Ang LT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9617591 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature