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Mourtzi T, Antoniou N, Dimitriou C, Gkaravelas P, Athanasopoulou G, Kostantzo PN, Stathi O, Theodorou E, Anesti M, Matsas R, Angelatou F, Kouroupi G, Kazanis I. Enhancement of endogenous midbrain neurogenesis by microneurotrophin BNN-20 after neural progenitor grafting in a mouse model of nigral degeneration. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1318-1324. [PMID: 37905881 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.385314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202406000-00036/inline-graphic1/v/2023-10-30T152229Z/r/image-tiff
We have previously shown the neuroprotective and pro-neurogenic activity of microneurotrophin BNN-20 in the substantia nigra of the “weaver” mouse, a model of progressive nigrostriatal degeneration. Here, we extended our investigation in two clinically-relevant ways. First, we assessed the effects of BNN-20 on human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells and neurons derived from healthy and parkinsonian donors. Second, we assessed if BNN-20 can boost the outcome of mouse neural progenitor cell intranigral transplantations in weaver mice, at late stages of degeneration. We found that BNN-20 has limited direct effects on cultured human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells, marginally enhancing their differentiation towards neurons and partially reversing the pathological phenotype of dopaminergic neurons generated from parkinsonian donors. In agreement, we found no effects of BNN-20 on the mouse neural progenitor cells grafted in the substantia nigra of weaver mice. However, the graft strongly induced an endogenous neurogenic response throughout the midbrain, which was significantly enhanced by the administration of microneurotrophin BNN-20. Our results provide straightforward evidence of the existence of an endogenous midbrain neurogenic system that can be specifically strengthened by BNN-20. Interestingly, the lack of major similar activity on cultured human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors and their progeny reveals the in vivo specificity of the aforementioned pro-neurogenic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Mourtzi
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Nasia Antoniou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Christina Dimitriou
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Gkaravelas
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgia Athanasopoulou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Nti Kostantzo
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Olga Stathi
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Efthymia Theodorou
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Maria Anesti
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Rebecca Matsas
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Fevronia Angelatou
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Georgia Kouroupi
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Ilias Kazanis
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
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Vassal M, Martins F, Monteiro B, Tambaro S, Martinez-Murillo R, Rebelo S. Emerging Pro-neurogenic Therapeutic Strategies for Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Review of Pre-clinical and Clinical Research. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04246-w. [PMID: 38816676 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04246-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The neuroscience community has largely accepted the notion that functional neurons can be generated from neural stem cells in the adult brain, especially in two brain regions: the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. However, impaired neurogenesis has been observed in some neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, and also in Lewy Body dementia. Therefore, restoration of neurogenic function in neurodegenerative diseases emerges as a potential therapeutic strategy to counteract, or at least delay, disease progression. Considering this, the present study summarizes the different neuronal niches, provides a collection of the therapeutic potential of different pro-neurogenic strategies in pre-clinical and clinical research, providing details about their possible modes of action, to guide future research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Vassal
- Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Filipa Martins
- Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Bruno Monteiro
- Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Simone Tambaro
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Ricardo Martinez-Murillo
- Neurovascular Research Group, Department of Translational Neurobiology, Cajal Institute (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Rebelo
- Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
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Kakogiannis D, Kourla M, Dimitrakopoulos D, Kazanis I. Reversal of Postnatal Brain Astrocytes and Ependymal Cells towards a Progenitor Phenotype in Culture. Cells 2024; 13:668. [PMID: 38667283 PMCID: PMC11049274 DOI: 10.3390/cells13080668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes and ependymal cells have been reported to be able to switch from a mature cell identity towards that of a neural stem/progenitor cell. Astrocytes are widely scattered in the brain where they exert multiple functions and are routinely targeted for in vitro and in vivo reprogramming. Ependymal cells serve more specialized functions, lining the ventricles and the central canal, and are multiciliated, epithelial-like cells that, in the spinal cord, act as bi-potent progenitors in response to injury. Here, we isolate or generate ependymal cells and post-mitotic astrocytes, respectively, from the lateral ventricles of the mouse brain and we investigate their capacity to reverse towards a progenitor-like identity in culture. Inhibition of the GSK3 and TGFβ pathways facilitates the switch of mature astrocytes to Sox2-expressing, mitotic cells that generate oligodendrocytes. Although this medium allows for the expansion of quiescent NSCs, isolated from live rats by "milking of the brain", it does not fully reverse astrocytes towards the bona fide NSC identity; this is a failure correlated with a concomitant lack of neurogenic activity. Ependymal cells could be induced to enter mitosis either via exposure to neuraminidase-dependent stress or by culturing them in the presence of FGF2 and EGF. Overall, our data confirm that astrocytes and ependymal cells retain a high capacity to reverse to a progenitor identity and set up a simple and highly controlled platform for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that regulate this reversal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Kakogiannis
- Lab of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (D.K.); (M.K.); (D.D.)
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Michaela Kourla
- Lab of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (D.K.); (M.K.); (D.D.)
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, Faculty of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Dimitrakopoulos
- Lab of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (D.K.); (M.K.); (D.D.)
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ilias Kazanis
- Lab of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (D.K.); (M.K.); (D.D.)
- School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK
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Badrah A, Al-Tuwairqi S. Modeling the dynamics of innate immune response to Parkinson disease with therapeutic approach. Phys Biol 2022; 19. [PMID: 35901788 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac8516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
This paper aims to mathematically model the dynamics of Parkinson's disease with therapeutic strategies. The constructed model consists of five state variables: healthy neurons, infected neurons, extracellular $\alpha$-syn, active microglia, and resting microglia. The qualitative analysis of the model produced an unstable free equilibrium point and a stable endemic equilibrium point. Moreover, these results are validated by numerical experiments with different initial values. Two therapeutic interventions, reduction of extracellular $\alpha$-syn and reduction of inflammation induced by activated microglia in the central nervous system, are investigated. It is observed that the latter has no apparent effect in delaying the deterioration of neurons. However, treatment to reduce extracellular $\alpha$-syn preserves neurons and delays the onset of Parkinson's disease, whether alone or in combination with another treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Badrah
- Mathematics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, 21589, SAUDI ARABIA
| | - Salma Al-Tuwairqi
- Mathematics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, 21589, SAUDI ARABIA
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Divergence between Neuronal and Oligodendroglial Cell Fate, in Postnatal Brain Neural Stem Cells, Leads to Divergent Properties in Polymorphic In Vitro Assays. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111743. [PMID: 35681436 PMCID: PMC9179558 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Two main stem cell pools exist in the postnatal mammalian brain that, although they share some “stemness” properties, also exhibit significant differences. Multipotent neural stem cells survive within specialized microenvironments, called niches, and they are vulnerable to ageing. Oligodendroglial lineage-restricted progenitor cells are widely distributed in the brain parenchyma and are more resistant to the effects of ageing. Here, we create polymorphic neural stem cell cultures and allow cells to progress towards the neuronal and the oligodendroglial lineage. We show that the divergence of cell fate is accompanied by a divergence in the properties of progenitors, which reflects their adaptation to life in the niche or the parenchyma. Neurogenesis shows significant spatial restrictions and a dependence on laminin, a major niche component, while oligodendrogenesis shows none of these constraints. Furthermore, the blocking of integrin-β1 leads to opposing effects, reducing neurogenesis and enhancing oligodendrogenesis. Therefore, polymorphic neural stem cell assays can be used to investigate the divergence of postnatal brain stem cells and also to predict the in vivo effects of potential therapeutic molecules targeting stem and progenitor cells, as we do for the microneurotrophin BNN-20.
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Efimova EV, Kuvarzin SR, Mor MS, Katolikova NV, Shemiakova TS, Razenkova V, Ptukha M, Kozlova AA, Murtazina RZ, Smirnova D, Veshchitskii AA, Merkulyeva NS, Volnova AB, Musienko PE, Korzhevskii DE, Budygin EA, Gainetdinov RR. Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 2 Is Expressed in the Limbic Brain Areas and Is Involved in Dopamine Regulation and Adult Neurogenesis. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:847410. [PMID: 35431833 PMCID: PMC9011332 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.847410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Trace amines are a group of biogenic amines that are structurally and functionally close to classical monoamine neurotransmitters. Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are emerging as promising targets for treating neuropsychiatric disorders. It has been documented that all TAARs, apart from TAAR1, function as olfactory receptors involved in sensing innate odors encoded by volatile amines. However, recently, brain expression and function of TAAR5 were also demonstrated. In this study, we assessed the behavior, brain neurochemistry, and electrophysiology changes in knock-out mice lacking Trace amine-associated receptor 2 (TAAR2) but expressing beta-Galactosidase mapping expression of TAAR2 receptors. As expected, we detected beta-Galactosidase staining in the glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb. However, we also found staining in the deeper layers of the olfactory bulb and several brain regions, including the hippocampus, cerebellum, cortex, raphe nuclei, hypothalamus, and habenula, indicating that TAAR2 receptors are not only expressed in the olfactory system but are also present in the limbic brain areas that receive olfactory input. In behavioral experiments, TAAR2 knock-out (TAAR2-KO) mice showed increased locomotor activity and less immobility in the forced swim test, with no changes in anxiety level. Furthermore, TAAR2-KO mice showed alterations in brain electrophysiological activity—particularly, decreased spectral power of the cortex and striatum in the 0, 9–20 Hz range. TAAR2-KO mice also had elevated tissue dopamine levels in the striatum and an increased dopaminergic neuron number in the Substantia Nigra. In addition, an increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA level in the striatum and Monoamine Oxidase B (MAO-B) mRNA level in the striatum and midbrain was found in TAAR2-KO mice. Importantly, TAAR2-KO mice demonstrated an increased neuroblast-like and proliferating cell number in the subventricular and subgranular zone, indicating increased adult neurogenesis. These data indicate that in addition to its role in the innate olfaction of volatile amines, TAAR2 is expressed in limbic brain areas and regulates the brain dopamine system, neuronal electrophysiological activity, and adult neurogenesis. These findings further corroborated observations in TAAR1-KO and TAAR5-KO mice, indicating common for TAAR family pattern of expression in limbic brain areas and role in regulating monoamine levels and adult neurogenesis, but with variable involvement of each subtype of TAAR receptors in these functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniya V. Efimova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Saveliy R. Kuvarzin
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Mikael S. Mor
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nataliia V. Katolikova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Taisiia S. Shemiakova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Maria Ptukha
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alena A. Kozlova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ramilya Z. Murtazina
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Daria Smirnova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - Anna B. Volnova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pavel E. Musienko
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Evgeny A. Budygin
- Department of Neurobiology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Raul R. Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- St. Petersburg University Hospital, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- *Correspondence: Raul R. Gainetdinov,
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Novel Approaches Used to Examine and Control Neurogenesis in Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179608. [PMID: 34502516 PMCID: PMC8431772 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis is a key mechanism of brain development and plasticity, which is impaired in chronic neurodegeneration, including Parkinson’s disease. The accumulation of aberrant α-synuclein is one of the features of PD. Being secreted, this protein produces a prominent neurotoxic effect, alters synaptic plasticity, deregulates intercellular communication, and supports the development of neuroinflammation, thereby providing propagation of pathological events leading to the establishment of a PD-specific phenotype. Multidirectional and ambiguous effects of α-synuclein on adult neurogenesis suggest that impaired neurogenesis should be considered as a target for the prevention of cell loss and restoration of neurological functions. Thus, stimulation of endogenous neurogenesis or cell-replacement therapy with stem cell-derived differentiated neurons raises new hopes for the development of effective and safe technologies for treating PD neurodegeneration. Given the rapid development of optogenetics, it is not surprising that this method has already been repeatedly tested in manipulating neurogenesis in vivo and in vitro via targeting stem or progenitor cells. However, niche astrocytes could also serve as promising candidates for controlling neuronal differentiation and improving the functional integration of newly formed neurons within the brain tissue. In this review, we mainly focus on current approaches to assess neurogenesis and prospects in the application of optogenetic protocols to restore the neurogenesis in Parkinson’s disease.
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