From iPSC-Macrophage Biology Towards Regenerative Therapies Targeting Respiratory Infections

Title	From iPSC-Macrophage Biology Towards Regenerative Therapies Targeting Respiratory Infections
Acronym	iPSC2Therapy
Start date	2020-01-01
End date	2025-12-31
Sponsor	European Research Council - Starting Grant (ERC-StG)
Institution	Hannover Medical School
Principal investigator	Nico Lachmann E-Mail: Lachmann.Nico@mh-hannover.de

Associated cell lines

• MHHi015-A (hCD34iPSC16)
• MHHi015-B (hCD34iPSC11)
• UCSFi001-A (GM25256, WTC, WTC11, wtc11, Wtc11)

Project Description

Tissue resident macrophages (TRMs) can be found in various organs and fulfil important functions in host defence and tissue homeostasis. Recent studies in the murine system suggest profound tissue plasticity and self-renewal capacity of TRMs, rendering this cell population highly suitable for new cell-based therapies. Mycobacterial infections represent a serious health problem, for which new therapies are highly needed. Given the important role of alveolar macrophages (MΦs) in pulmonary host defence, iPSC2Therapy proposes a cutting-edge MΦ based therapy using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. The unique features of iPSC will allow to investigate important regulators for the development and regenerative potential of human MΦs with the overall aim to apply these cells as an innovative treatment for pulmonary (non)tuberculous mycobacterial infections. The iPSC2Therapy project will unravel important regulators for the regenerative potential of iPSC-MΦs following intra-pulmonary transfer. State-of the-art genome editing will be combined with innovative single cell RNAseq tools to understand and enhance the regenerative properties of human iPSC-MΦs. The iPSC2Therapy proposal will provide an innovative anti-mycobacterial treatment with broad implications to infectious diseases and beyond.