太极阴阳：北京大学王凯团队血管类器官研究登上Cell Stem Cell封面

Core Viewpoint - The research presents a novel method for rapidly generating functional vascular organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) through the orthogonal activation of transcription factors ETV2 and NKX3.1, demonstrating significant potential for applications in ischemia treatment and transplantation [3][11]. Group 1: Research Methodology - The study developed a simplified method to generate vascular organoids (VO) by using doxycycline-inducible or modRNA regulatory systems to activate transcription factors ETV2 and NKX3.1 [8]. - This method allows for the efficient co-differentiation of induced endothelial cells (iEC) and induced mural cells (iMC), producing functional 3D vascular organoids within 5 days without the need for extracellular matrix (ECM) embedding [8]. - Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed vascular heterogeneity, indicating that the timing of transcription factor activation influences the identity and heterogeneity of vascular cells [8]. Group 2: Research Findings - The vascular organoids formed perfusable blood vessels when implanted in immunodeficient mice, promoting vascular regeneration in models of hindlimb ischemia and islet transplantation [10][11]. - The research established a rapid and versatile vascular organoid platform with broad potential for vascular modeling, disease research, and regenerative cell therapy [13]. Group 3: Visual Representation - The cover image of the study illustrates the dual differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into two vascular lineages—endothelial cells and mural cells—symbolizing a balanced and dynamic system inspired by the concept of yin and yang [7].