The cIPSC line B was obtained from Ulrich Martin (Medical School Hannover) and has been characterized in another study11. Human IPSCs were derived from neonatal foreskin fibroblasts (Lonza), as described above. These data demonstrate the power of IPSC differentiation technology to generate defined cell types for use as translational models to Polygalacic acid compare cell type-specific responses across species. In biomedical research, non-human primates (NHPs) offer great promise as models for many aspects of human health and disease. They play a unique role in translational science by bridging the gap between basic and clinical investigations due to their high genetic similarities, comparable anatomies, and comparable physiologies to humans1,2,3,4. Therefore, NHPs are often deemed to be the only relevant species, not only for performing basic research but also for drug development, especially for studying biopharmaceuticals, such as therapeutic antibodies. Thus, the differences in the immune systems between primates and other animals renders NHPs better translational models for studying the mechanism of action, bio-distribution, efficacy and safety of novel Polygalacic acid biopharmaceuticals5. Often, animal studies should be supported by investigations using human and animal cells to determine the relative potency of antibodies in humans and the chosen animal model and to examine specific aspects of antibody safety6. The long term goal of both pharmaceutical and basic research is usually to reduce animal experimentation to a minimum. Many efforts are dedicated to the development Polygalacic acid of alternative toxicological assessments and models, not only for the increasing ethical and public concerns regarding animal testing7 but also to reduce costs, time and logistic constraints that are associated with animal studies in general and, in particular, with NHP assays. Moreover, translatability from NHP studies to humans is not usually as accurate as necessary. Although NHPs represent the most suitable species regarding several physiological aspects for predicting human relevant toxicities, as illustrated in the TGN1412 case, there are important inter-species differences that might lead to failures in preclinical safety assessment8. For these reasons, the availability of predictive NHP systems would be highly beneficial to fill current gaps in research. Such models would not only allow for a reduction of animal experiments but also provide a platform for the preselection of drug candidates for target engagement and cross-species activity. Induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) from Rabbit Polyclonal to SCNN1D NHPs9,10,11 offer a promising approach for the establishment of such models because of their broad differentiation potential and their unlimited proliferation capacity. Furthermore, as IPSCs can be derived from any donor, they offer the possibility to generate models from various individuals to represent the genetic variability in a populace. The most important advantage of implementing NHP IPSCs as a source for studies may be Polygalacic acid the fact that corresponding human cells can be derived by similar approaches, thereby allowing for direct inter-species comparison. Here, we established an endothelial system using IPSCs from Cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis). Forming the inner layer of blood vessels, endothelial cells are involved in numerous important functions, such as angiogenesis or inflammation and associated disorders, e.g., atherosclerosis. Importantly, they also constitute the barrier between the blood system and other tissue and therefore play a crucial role in drug uptake; they are also often involved in adverse drug reactions, such as drug-induced inflammatory responses12. Endothelial cells arise from the mesoderm, which is usually specified from the posterior primitive streak during embryogenesis13. It has been shown that mimicking of these lineage specification cues allows for the efficient generation of endothelial cells from pluripotent stem cells. While several protocols have been established for human and mouse PSCs13,14, comparable approaches for NHPs are still lacking. In the current study, we establish an efficient approach to differentiate endothelial cells.