Dr Anestis Tsakiridis
School of Biosciences
Lecturer
+44 114 222 2367
Full contact details
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
- Profile
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- 2020-present: Lecturer
- 2016-2019: Vice Chancellor's Fellow
- 2009-2015: Post-doctoral researcher, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh (Advisor: Prof. Val Wilson)
- 2006-2009: Post-doctoral researcher, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh (Advisor: Prof. Josh Brickman)
- 2002-2006: PhD, University of Edinburgh (Advisors: Prof. Lesley Forrester, Prof. Josh Brickman)
- 2001-2002: MSc (Res), University of Edinburgh
- 1998-2001: BSc (Hons), University of Edinburgh
- Research interests
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My group aims to understand how human embryonic cells adopt different fates as they transit from pluripotency to lineage commitment, and exploit this knowledge for regenerative medicine and disease modelling applications. We focus particularly on defining the determinants of anteroposterior (A-P) axial identity (i.e. the position cells occupy along the head-tail axis) and how this influences cell fate decision-making in various multipotent progenitors of the central and peripheral nervous system. To address our questions we employ predominantly human pluripotent stem cell (hPSCs) differentiation as an in vitro model of early human embryonic development and utilise protocols we have recently established for the production of spinal cord progenitors and neural crest cells (the precursors of various specialised cell types including peripheral neurons) that correspond to distinct axial levels.
Current projects in our lab include:- Understanding how various cellular components of the trunk (e.g. motor neurons, paraxial mesoderm, trunk neural crest) are derived from multipotent axial progenitors
- Defining the molecular/signalling basis of A-P axial identity acquisition/maintenance in distinct neural cell types
- Deciphering the molecular/signalling logic of cell fate decisions in vagal neural crest derivatives focusing on the enteric nervous system
- Determining how abnormal trunk neural crest development is linked to the initiation of neuroblastoma, the most common extra-cranial solid tumour of childhood
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- Efficient Generation of Trunk Neural Crest and Sympathetic Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Via a Neuromesodermal Axial Progenitor Intermediate. Current Protocols in Stem Cell Biology. View this article in WRRO
- Assessing the bipotency of in vitro-derived neuromesodermal progenitors. F1000Research, 4. View this article in WRRO
- Distinct Wnt-driven primitive streak-like populations reflect in vivo lineage precursors. Development, 142(4), 809-809.
- In Vitro Generation of Neuromesodermal Progenitors Reveals Distinct Roles for Wnt Signalling in the Specification of Spinal Cord and Paraxial Mesoderm Identity. PLoS Biology, 12(8). View this article in WRRO
- Distinct Wnt-driven primitive streak-like populations reflect in vivo lineage precursors. Development, 141(6), 1209-1221. View this article in WRRO
- In Vivo Differentiation Potential of Epiblast Stem Cells Revealed by Chimeric Embryo Formation. Cell Reports, 2(6), 1571-1578.
- Human axial progenitors generate trunk neural crest cells in vitro. eLife, 7. View this article in WRRO
All publications
Journal articles
- The people behind the papers – Fay Cooper and Anestis Tsakiridis. Development, 151(3).
- Abstract 3542: A stem cell model dissects detrimental effects of neuroblastoma-linked chromosomal aberrations on cell differentiation during neural crest development. Cancer Research, 83(7_Supplement), 3542-3542.
- Towards clinical applications of in vitro-derived axial progenitors. Developmental Biology.
- Shaping axial identity during human pluripotent stem cell differentiation to neural crest cells.. Biochem Soc Trans.
- In vitro generation of posterior motor neurons from human pluripotent stem cells. Current Protocols, 1(9).
- Generating enteric nervous system progenitors from human pluripotent stem cells. Current Protocols, 1(6).
- Understanding axial progenitor biology in vivo and in vitro.. Development, 148(4).
- Defining the signalling determinants of a posterior ventral spinal cord identity in human neuromesodermal progenitor derivatives. Development, 148(6). View this article in WRRO
- Retinoic Acid Accelerates the Specification of Enteric Neural Progenitors from In-Vitro-Derived Neural Crest. Stem Cell Reports.
- Coupled differentiation and division of embryonic stem cells inferred from clonal snapshots. Physical Biology. View this article in WRRO
- Efficient Generation of Trunk Neural Crest and Sympathetic Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Via a Neuromesodermal Axial Progenitor Intermediate. Current Protocols in Stem Cell Biology. View this article in WRRO
- LIF-dependent survival of embryonic stem cells is regulated by a novel palmitoylated Gab1 signalling protein. Journal of Cell Science, 131(18). View this article in WRRO
- A human iPSC line capable of differentiating into functional macrophages expressing ZsGreen: A tool for the study and in vivo tracking of therapeutic cells. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 373(1750). View this article in WRRO
- Intrinsic factors and the embryonic environment influence the formation of extragonadal teratomas during gestation. BMC Developmental Biology, 15(1). View this article in WRRO
- Assessing the bipotency of in vitro-derived neuromesodermal progenitors. F1000Research, 4. View this article in WRRO
- Distinct Wnt-driven primitive streak-like populations reflect in vivo lineage precursors. Development, 142(4), 809-809.
- In Vitro Generation of Neuromesodermal Progenitors Reveals Distinct Roles for Wnt Signalling in the Specification of Spinal Cord and Paraxial Mesoderm Identity. PLoS Biology, 12(8). View this article in WRRO
- Distinct Wnt-driven primitive streak-like populations reflect in vivo lineage precursors. Development, 141(6), 1209-1221. View this article in WRRO
- In Vivo Differentiation Potential of Epiblast Stem Cells Revealed by Chimeric Embryo Formation. Cell Reports, 2(6), 1571-1578.
- REASSESSING THE ORIGINS OF INTRACRANIAL GERM CELL TUMOUR FORMATION. PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, 59(6), 1089-1089.
- The developmental dismantling of pluripotency is reversed by ectopic Oct4 expression. Development, 139(13), 2288-2298.
- The developmental dismantling of pluripotency is reversed by ectopic Oct4 expression. Journal of Cell Science, 125(12), e1.1-e1.
- A Wider Context for Gene Trap Mutagenesis, 271-295.
- Expression-independent gene trap vectors for random and targeted mutagenesis in embryonic stem cells. Nucleic Acids Research, 37(19), e129-e129. View this article in WRRO
- Microsphere-based tracing and molecular delivery in embryonic stem cells. Biomaterials, 30(29), 5853-5861.
- Microsphere-Mediated Protein Delivery into Cells. ChemBioChem, 10(9), 1453-1456.
- A novel triple fusion reporter system for use in gene trap mutagenesis. genesis, 45(6), 353-360.
- Human enteric nervous system progenitor transplantation improves functional responses in Hirschsprung disease patient-derived tissue. Gut, gutjnl-2023.
- A human neural crest model reveals the developmental impact of neuroblastoma-associated chromosomal aberrations. Nature Communications, 15(1).
- Notch signalling influences cell fate decisions and HOX gene induction in axial progenitors. Development.
- Early anteroposterior regionalisation of human neural crest is shaped by a pro-mesodermal factor. eLife, 11.
- Human axial progenitors generate trunk neural crest cells in vitro. eLife, 7. View this article in WRRO
- Assessing the bipotency of in vitro-derived neuromesodermal progenitors. F1000Research, 4, 100-100.
Conference proceedings papers
- Enhancing neuronal cell network organization and activity using NOA81 and PDMS nanogrooves. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
- Transplantation of hPSC derived enteric neural progenitors as a basis to derive a preclinical cell therapy for Hirschsprung's disease. HUMAN GENE THERAPY, Vol. 30(8) (pp A17-A17)
- Primitive Streak and Tail Bud Progenitor Populations drive Patterning of the Anteroposterior and Mediolateral Axes. Mechanisms of Development, Vol. 145 (pp S82-S82)
- 17-P033 Gene trap vectors for unbiased and expression-independent mutagenesis in embryonic stem cells. Mechanisms of Development, Vol. 126 (pp S280-S280)
Preprints
- Human enteric nervous system progenitor transplantation restores functional responses in Hirschsprung Disease patient-derived tissue, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Notch signalling influences cell fate decisions and HOX gene induction in axial progenitors, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Neuroblastoma-associated chromosomal aberrations drive cell identity loss in human neural crest via disruption of developmental regulators, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Early anteroposterior regionalisation of human neural crest is shaped by a pro-mesodermal factor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Coupled differentiation and division of embryonic stem cells inferred from clonal snapshots, arXiv.
- HDAC6 inhibition partially alleviates mitochondrial trafficking defects and restores motor function in human motor neuron and zebrafish models of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 2A, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Defining the signalling determinants of a posterior ventral spinal cord identity in human neuromesodermal progenitor derivatives.
- Retinoic acid accelerates the specification of enteric neural progenitors from in vitro-derived neural crest.
- Research group
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- Katy Boswell, PhD student (jointly with Dan Bose's group, School of Biosciences)
- James Birch, PhD student (jointly with Ivana Barbaric group, School of Biosciences)
- Fay Cooper, PDRA
- Antigoni Gogolou, PhD student
- Ingrid Maricel Saldana Guerrero, PDRA (jointly with Helen Bryant's group, Department of Oncology and Metabolism)
- Rebecca Lea, PDRA
- Sude Uyulgan, PhD student (jointly with Matt Towers' group, School of Biosciences)
We welcome speculative applications. Please email your CV and research interests to: a.tsakiridis@sheffield.ac.uk
- Grants
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- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
- The Royal Society
- Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group/Little Princess Trust
- MRC Discovery Medicine North Doctoral Training Partnership
- EU Horizon2020
- Neuroblastoma UK
- BBSRC White Rose Mechanistic Biology DTP
- Medical Research Council
- Teaching activities
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- Stem cells, ageing and cancer (BMS243/247) (Module joint co-ordinator)
- Stem Cell Biology (BMS382/6056)
- Literature Review and Research Proposal (BIS405/BMS61005)
- Research Project (BMS61006)
- Patients as educators/Research project (BIS303)
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Communications Lead for Development, Regeneration and Neuroscience Research Cluster, School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield.
- Elected member of the British Society for Developmental Biology committee.
- Member of International Society for Stem Cell Research, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy and Mercia Stem Cell Alliance.
- Research Advisory Group, Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group/Little Princess Trust.
- Advisor editor for StemJournal and member of Advisory Board of Cells & Development.