1
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Gu J, Rollo B, Berecki G, Petrou S, Kwan P, Sumer H, Cromer B. Generation of a stably transfected mouse embryonic stem cell line for inducible differentiation to excitatory neurons. Exp Cell Res 2024; 435:113902. [PMID: 38145818 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
In vitro differentiation of stem cells into various cell lineages is valuable in developmental studies and an important source of cells for modelling physiology and pathology, particularly for complex tissues such as the brain. Conventional protocols for in vitro neuronal differentiation often suffer from complicated procedures, high variability and low reproducibility. Over the last decade, the identification of cell fate-determining transcription factors has provided new tools for cellular studies in neuroscience and enabled rapid differentiation driven by ectopic transcription factor expression. As a proneural transcription factor, Neurogenin 2 (Ngn2) expression alone is sufficient to trigger rapid and robust neurogenesis from pluripotent cells. Here, we established a stable cell line, by piggyBac (PB) transposition, that conditionally expresses Ngn2 for generation of excitatory neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) using an all-in-one PB construct. Our results indicate that Ngn2-induced excitatory neurons have mature and functional characteristics consistent with previous studies using conventional differentiation methods. This approach provides an all-in-one PB construct for rapid and high copy number gene delivery of dox-inducible transcription factors to induce differentiation. This approach is a valuable in vitro cell model for disease modeling, drug screening and cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinchao Gu
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Alfred Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ben Rollo
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Alfred Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Geza Berecki
- Ion Channels and Human Diseases Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Steven Petrou
- Ion Channels and Human Diseases Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Patrick Kwan
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Alfred Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Huseyin Sumer
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Brett Cromer
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
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2
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Marzoog BA. Transcription Factors in Brain Regeneration: A Potential Novel Therapeutic Target. Curr Drug Targets 2024; 25:46-61. [PMID: 38444255 DOI: 10.2174/0113894501279977231210170231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Transcription factors play a crucial role in providing identity to each cell population. To maintain cell identity, it is essential to balance the expression of activator and inhibitor transcription factors. Cell plasticity and reprogramming offer great potential for future therapeutic applications, as they can regenerate damaged tissue. Specific niche factors can modify gene expression and differentiate or transdifferentiate the target cell to the required fate. Ongoing research is being carried out on the possibilities of transcription factors in regenerating neurons, with neural stem cells (NSCs) being considered the preferred cells for generating new neurons due to their epigenomic and transcriptome memory. NEUROD1/ASCL1, BRN2, MYTL1, and other transcription factors can induce direct reprogramming of somatic cells, such as fibroblasts, into neurons. However, the molecular biology of transcription factors in reprogramming and differentiation still needs to be fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basheer Abdullah Marzoog
- World-Class Research Center, Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare», I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
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3
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Abstract
A major obstacle in studying human central nervous system (CNS) diseases is inaccessibility to the affected tissue and cells. Even in limited cases where tissue is available through surgical interventions, differentiated neurons cannot be maintained for extended time frames, which is prohibitive for experimental repetition and scalability. Advances in methodologies for reprogramming human somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and directed differentiation of human neurons in culture now allow access to physiological and disease relevant cell types. In particular, patient iPSC-derived neurons represent unique ex vivo neuronal networks that allow investigating disease genetic and molecular pathways in physiologically accurate cellular microenvironments, importantly recapitulating molecular and cellular phenotypic aspects of disease. Generation of functional neural cells from iPSCs relies on manipulation of culture formats in the presence of specific factors that promote the conversion of pluripotent stem cells into neurons. To this end, several experimental protocols have been developed. Direct differentiation of stem cells into post-mitotic neurons is usually associated with low throughput, low yield, and high technical variability. Instead, methods relying on expansion of the intermediate neural progenitor cells (NPCs) show incredible potential for posterior generation of suitable neuronal cultures for cellular and biochemical assays, as well as drug screening. NPCs are expandable, self-renewable multipotent cells that can differentiate into astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and electrically active neurons. Here, we describe a protocol for generating iPSC-derived NPCs via formation of neural aggregates and selection of NPC precursor neural rosettes, followed by a simple and reproducible method for generating a mixed population of cortical-like neurons through growth factor withdrawal. Implementation of this protocol has the potential to advance the goals of precision medicine research for both neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Catarina Silva
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Ghata Nandi
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Abstract
The diagnostic rate of comprehensive genomic sequencing remains only 25% to 30% due to the difficulty in interpreting variants of uncertain significance and noncoding mutations and in elucidating downstream effects of these and other genetic changes. Unlike DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing (RNAseq) reveals the functional consequence of genetic variation through the detection of abnormal gene expression levels, differences in gene splicing, and allele-specific expression. RNAseq can provide nearly 40% improvement in diagnostic rates depending on disease and tissue source. In this burgeoning era of precision medicine, RNAseq offers a powerful tool to improve diagnostic rates and understand disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Murdock
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM225, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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5
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Roos D, de Boer M. Mutations in cis that affect mRNA synthesis, processing and translation. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166166. [PMID: 33971252 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Genetic mutations that cause hereditary diseases usually affect the composition of the transcribed mRNA and its encoded protein, leading to instability of the mRNA and/or the protein. Sometimes, however, such mutations affect the synthesis, the processing or the translation of the mRNA, with similar disastrous effects. We here present an overview of mRNA synthesis, its posttranscriptional modification and its translation into protein. We then indicate which elements in these processes are known to be affected by pathogenic mutations, but we restrict our review to mutations in cis, in the DNA of the gene that encodes the affected protein. These mutations can be in enhancer or promoter regions of the gene, which act as binding sites for transcription factors involved in pre-mRNA synthesis. We also describe mutations in polyadenylation sequences and in splice site regions, exonic and intronic, involved in intron removal. Finally, we include mutations in the Kozak sequence in mRNA, which is involved in protein synthesis. We provide examples of genetic diseases caused by mutations in these DNA regions and refer to databases to help identify these regions. The over-all knowledge of mRNA synthesis, processing and translation is essential for improvement of the diagnosis of patients with genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Roos
- Sanquin Blood Supply Organization, Dept. of Blood Cell Research, Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Martin de Boer
- Sanquin Blood Supply Organization, Dept. of Blood Cell Research, Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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6
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Rao Z, Wang R, Li S, Shi Y, Mo L, Han S, Yuan J, Jing N, Cheng L. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Ascl1-Mediated Astrocyte-to-Neuron Conversion. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:534-47. [PMID: 33577795 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct neuronal reprogramming potentially provides valuable sources for cell-based therapies. Proneural gene Ascl1 converts astrocytes into induced neuronal (iN) cells efficiently both in vitro and in vivo. However, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. By combining RNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing, we found that the expression of 1,501 genes was markedly changed during the early stages of Ascl1-induced astrocyte-to-neuron conversion and that the regulatory regions of 107 differentially expressed genes were directly bound by ASCL1. Among Ascl1's direct targets, Klf10 regulates the neuritogenesis of iN cells at the early stage, Myt1 and Myt1l are critical for the electrophysiological maturation of iN cells, and Neurod4 and Chd7 are required for the efficient conversion of astrocytes into neurons. Together, this study provides more insights into understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Ascl1-mediated astrocyte-to-neuron conversion and will be of value for the application of direct neuronal reprogramming. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq were used to study Ascl1-induced astrocyte-to-neuron conversion Early Klf10 regulates neuritogenesis and electrophysiological properties of iN cells Myt1 and Myt1l are critical for the electrophysiological maturation of iN cells Neurod4 and Chd7 are required for efficient conversion of astrocytes to neurons
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7
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Tang X, Sun C. The roles of MicroRNAs in neural regenerative medicine. Exp Neurol 2020; 332:113394. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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8
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Pfaff D, Barbas H. Mechanisms for the Approach/Avoidance Decision Applied to Autism. Trends Neurosci 2020; 42:448-457. [PMID: 31253250 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
As a neurodevelopmental disorder with serious lifelong consequences, autism has received considerable attention from neuroscientists and geneticists. We present a hypothesis of mechanisms plausibly affected during brain development in autism, based on neural pathways that are associated with social behavior and connect the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to the basal ganglia (BG). We consider failure of social approach in autism as a special case of imbalance in the fundamental dichotomy between behavioral approach and avoidance. Differential combinations of genes mutated, differences in the timing of their impact during development, and graded degrees of hormonal influences may help explain the heterogeneity in symptomatology in autism and predominance in boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Pfaff
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA.
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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9
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Li S, Shi Y, Yao X, Wang X, Shen L, Rao Z, Yuan J, Liu Y, Zhou Z, Zhang Z, Liu F, Han S, Geng J, Yang H, Cheng L. Conversion of Astrocytes and Fibroblasts into Functional Noradrenergic Neurons. Cell Rep 2020; 28:682-697.e7. [PMID: 31315047 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of noradrenergic (NA) neurons is associated with a number of neuronal disorders. Diverse neuronal subtypes can be generated by direct reprogramming. However, it is still unknown how to convert non-neuronal cells into NA neurons. Here, we show that seven transcription factors (TFs) (Ascl1, Phox2b, AP-2α, Gata3, Hand2, Nurr1, and Phox2a) are able to convert astrocytes and fibroblasts into induced NA (iNA) neurons. These iNA neurons express the genes required for the biosynthesis, release, and re-uptake of noradrenaline. Moreover, iNA neurons fire action potentials, receive synaptic inputs, and control the beating rate of co-cultured ventricular myocytes. Furthermore, iNA neurons survive and integrate into neural circuits after transplantation. Last, human fibroblasts can be converted into functional iNA neurons as well. Together, iNA neurons are generated by direct reprogramming, and they could be potentially useful for disease modeling and cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanlan Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuhan Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuan Yao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Libing Shen
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhiping Rao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiacheng Yuan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yueguang Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhenning Zhou
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ziheng Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Su'e Han
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junlan Geng
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Leping Cheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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10
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Silva MC, Haggarty SJ. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived models and drug screening in CNS precision medicine. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1471:18-56. [PMID: 30875083 PMCID: PMC8193821 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Development of effective therapeutics for neurological disorders has historically been challenging partly because of lack of accurate model systems in which to investigate disease etiology and test new therapeutics at the preclinical stage. Human stem cells, particularly patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) upon differentiation, have the ability to recapitulate aspects of disease pathophysiology and are increasingly recognized as robust scalable systems for drug discovery. We review advances in deriving cellular models of human central nervous system (CNS) disorders using iPSCs along with strategies for investigating disease-relevant phenotypes, translatable biomarkers, and therapeutic targets. Given their potential to identify novel therapeutic targets and leads, we focus on phenotype-based, small-molecule screens employing human stem cell-derived models. Integrated efforts to assemble patient iPSC-derived cell models with deeply annotated clinicopathological data, along with molecular and drug-response signatures, may aid in the stratification of patients, diagnostics, and clinical trial success, shifting translational science and precision medicine approaches. A number of remaining challenges, including the optimization of cost-effective, large-scale culture of iPSC-derived cell types, incorporation of aging into neuronal models, as well as robustness and automation of phenotypic assays to support quantitative drug efficacy, toxicity, and metabolism testing workflows, are covered. Continued advancement of the field is expected to help fully humanize the process of CNS drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Catarina Silva
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - Stephen J. Haggarty
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
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11
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Abstract
Direct neuronal reprogramming, rewiring the epigenetic and transcriptional network of a differentiated cell type to neuron, apart from being a very promising approach for the treatment of brain injury and neurodegeneration, also offers a prime opportunity to investigate the molecular underpinnings of neuronal cell fate determination, as the precise molecular mechanisms that establish neuronal fate and diversity at the transcriptional and epigenetic level are incompletely understood. Recent studies from a number of groups, including ours, have shown that astrocytes can be directly reprogrammed into functional neurons in vitro and in vivo following ectopic overexpression of combinations of transcription factors, neurogenic proteins, miRNAs, and small chemical molecules.In this chapter we describe the protocols for in vitro converting primary cortical astrocytes of mouse and human origin to induced neurons, through forced expression of two neurogenic molecules, either each one alone or in combination: the master regulatory bHLH proneural transcription factor NEUROGENIN-2 (NEUROG2) and the neurogenic protein CEND1. Forced expression of each one of the two neurogenic proteins in primary astrocytes via retroviral gene transfer results in their direct conversion to subtype-specific induced neurons, while simultaneous coexpression of both molecules drives them predominantly toward acquisition of a neural precursor cell (NPC) state. Although mouse and human astrocytes exhibit differences in their reprogramming rate and particular characteristics, they can both get efficiently in vitro transdifferentiated to NPCs and induced neurons upon NEUROG2 or/and CEND1 forced expression using the reprogramming protocols described in the chapter, presenting valuable cellular platforms for mechanistic studies and in vivo applications to restore neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Aravantinou-Fatorou
- Neural Stem Cells and Neuroimaging Group, Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitra Thomaidou
- Neural Stem Cells and Neuroimaging Group, Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece.
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12
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Yang G, Shcheglovitov A. Probing disrupted neurodevelopment in autism using human stem cell-derived neurons and organoids: An outlook into future diagnostics and drug development. Dev Dyn 2019; 249:6-33. [PMID: 31398277 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interaction, repetitive or restrictive behaviors, and problems with speech. According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 68 children in the US is diagnosed with ASDs. Although ASD-related diagnostics and the knowledge of ASD-associated genetic abnormalities have improved in recent years, our understanding of the cellular and molecular pathways disrupted in ASD remains very limited. As a result, no specific therapies or medications are available for individuals with ASDs. In this review, we describe the neurodevelopmental processes that are likely affected in the brains of individuals with ASDs and discuss how patient-specific stem cell-derived neurons and organoids can be used for investigating these processes at the cellular and molecular levels. Finally, we propose a discovery pipeline to be used in the future for identifying the cellular and molecular deficits and developing novel personalized therapies for individuals with idiopathic ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Alex Shcheglovitov
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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13
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Sasaki T, Suzuki I, Yokoi R, Sato K, Ikegaya Y. Synchronous spike patterns in differently mixed cultures of human iPSC-derived glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 513:300-305. [PMID: 30954214 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.03.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Human induced-pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons develop organized neuronal networks under in vitro cultivation conditions. Here, using a multielectrode array system, we examined whether the spike patterns of hiPSC-derived neuronal populations differed in a manner that depended on the proportions of glutamatergic and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons in the cultures. Synchronous burst firing events spanning multiple electrodes became more frequent as the number of days in culture increased. However, at all developmental stages, the event rates of synchronous burst firing, the repertoires of synchronous burst firing, and the frequencies of sporadic spikes did not differ in cultures with different glutamatergic-to-GABAergic ratios. Pharmacological blockade of GABAergic synaptic transmission increased the frequencies of spike patterns specifically in cultures with lower glutamatergic-to-GABAergic ratios. These results demonstrate that a robust homeostatic property of developing hiPSC-derived neuronal networks in culture counteracts chronically imbalanced glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Sasaki
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
| | - Ikuro Suzuki
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan; iPS-non-Clinical Experiments for Nervous System (iNCENS) Project, Kanagawa, Japan; Consortium for Safety Assessment using Human iPS Cells (CSAHi), Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Remi Yokoi
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan
| | - Kaoru Sato
- iPS-non-Clinical Experiments for Nervous System (iNCENS) Project, Kanagawa, Japan; Consortium for Safety Assessment using Human iPS Cells (CSAHi), Kanagawa, Japan; Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, National Institute of Health Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; Center for Information and Neural Networks, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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14
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Abstract
Adult neurogenesis has been extensively studied in rodent animals, with distinct niches found in the hippocampus and subventricular zone (SVZ). In non-human primates and human postmortem samples, there has been heated debate regarding adult neurogenesis, but it is largely agreed that the rate of adult neurogenesis is much reduced comparing to rodents. The limited adult neurogenesis may partly explain why human brains do not have self-repair capability after injury or disease. A new technology called “in vivo cell conversion” has been invented to convert brain internal glial cells in the injury areas directly into functional new neurons to replenish the lost neurons. Because glial cells are abundant throughout the brain and spinal cord, such engineered glia-to-neuron conversion technology can be applied throughout the central nervous system (CNS) to regenerate new neurons. Thus, compared to cell transplantation or the non-engineered adult neurogenesis, in vivo engineered neuroregeneration technology can provide a large number of functional new neurons in situ to repair damaged brain and spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenliang Lei
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen Li
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longjiao Ge
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Gong Chen
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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15
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Jones I, Yelhekar TD, Wiberg R, Kingham PJ, Johansson S, Wiberg M, Carlsson L. Development and validation of an in vitro model system to study peripheral sensory neuron development and injury. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15961. [PMID: 30374154 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34280-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to discriminate between diverse types of sensation is mediated by heterogeneous populations of peripheral sensory neurons. Human peripheral sensory neurons are inaccessible for research and efforts to study their development and disease have been hampered by the availability of relevant model systems. The in vitro differentiation of peripheral sensory neurons from human embryonic stem cells therefore provides an attractive alternative since an unlimited source of biological material can be generated for studies that specifically address development and injury. The work presented in this study describes the derivation of peripheral sensory neurons from human embryonic stem cells using small molecule inhibitors. The differentiated neurons express canonical- and modality-specific peripheral sensory neuron markers with subsets exhibiting functional properties of human nociceptive neurons that include tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium currents and repetitive action potentials. Moreover, the derived cells associate with human donor Schwann cells and can be used as a model system to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal death following peripheral nerve injury. The quick and efficient derivation of genetically diverse peripheral sensory neurons from human embryonic stem cells offers unlimited access to these specialised cell types and provides an invaluable in vitro model system for future studies.
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16
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Yulyaningsih E, Rudenko IA, Valdearcos M, Dahlén E, Vagena E, Chan A, Alvarez-Buylla A, Vaisse C, Koliwad SK, Xu AW. Acute Lesioning and Rapid Repair of Hypothalamic Neurons outside the Blood-Brain Barrier. Cell Rep 2018; 19:2257-2271. [PMID: 28614713 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.05.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons expressing agouti-related protein (AgRP) are essential for feeding. The majority of these neurons are located outside the blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing them to directly sense circulating metabolic factors. Here, we show that, in adult mice, AgRP neurons outside the BBB (AgRPOBBB) were rapidly ablated by peripheral administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG), whereas AgRP neurons inside the BBB and most proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons were spared. MSG treatment induced proliferation of tanycytes, the putative hypothalamic neural progenitor cells, but the newly proliferated tanycytes did not become neurons. Intriguingly, AgRPOBBB neuronal number increased within a week after MSG treatment, and newly emerging AgRP neurons were derived from post-mitotic cells, including some from the Pomc-expressing cell lineage. Our study reveals that the lack of protection by the BBB renders AgRPOBBB vulnerable to lesioning by circulating toxins but that the rapid re-emergence of AgRPOBBB is part of a reparative process to maintain energy balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernie Yulyaningsih
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ivan A Rudenko
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Martin Valdearcos
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Emma Dahlén
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Eirini Vagena
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Alvin Chan
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Arturo Alvarez-Buylla
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Christian Vaisse
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Suneil K Koliwad
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Allison W Xu
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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17
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Blanchard JW, Xie J, El-Mecharrafie N, Gross S, Lee S, Lerner RA, Baldwin KK. Replacing reprogramming factors with antibodies selected from combinatorial antibody libraries. Nat Biotechnol 2017; 35:960-8. [PMID: 28892074 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.3963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The reprogramming of differentiated cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is usually achieved by exogenous induction of transcription by factors acting in the nucleus. In contrast, during development, signaling pathways initiated at the membrane induce differentiation. The central idea of this study is to identify antibodies that can catalyze cellular de-differentiation and nuclear reprogramming by acting at the cell surface. We screen a lentiviral library encoding ∼100 million secreted and membrane-bound single-chain antibodies and identify antibodies that can replace either Sox2 and Myc (c-Myc) or Oct4 during reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts into iPSCs. We show that one Sox2-replacing antibody antagonizes the membrane-associated protein Basp1, thereby de-repressing nuclear factors WT1, Esrrb and Lin28a (Lin28) independent of Sox2. By manipulating this pathway, we identify three methods to generate iPSCs. Our results establish unbiased selection from autocrine combinatorial antibody libraries as a robust method to discover new biologics and uncover membrane-to-nucleus signaling pathways that regulate pluripotency and cell fate.
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18
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Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are emerging as leading contributors to the global disease burden. While some drug-based approaches have been designed to limit or prevent neuronal loss following acute damage or chronic neurodegeneration, regeneration of functional neurons in the adult Central Nervous System (CNS) still remains an unmet need. In this context, the exploitation of endogenous cell sources has recently gained an unprecedented attention, thanks to the demonstration that, in some CNS regions or under specific circumstances, glial cells can activate spontaneous neurogenesis or can be instructed to produce neurons in the adult mammalian CNS parenchyma. This field of research has greatly advanced in the last years and identified interesting molecular and cellular mechanisms guiding the neurogenic activation/conversion of glia. In this review, we summarize the evolution of the research devoted to understand how resident glia can be directed to produce neurons. We paid particular attention to pharmacologically-relevant approaches exploiting the modulation of niche-associated factors and the application of selected small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Boda
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, I-10126 Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, I-10043 Orbassano, Turin, Italy.
| | - Giulia Nato
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, I-10126 Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, I-10043 Orbassano, Turin, Italy
| | - Annalisa Buffo
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, I-10126 Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, I-10043 Orbassano, Turin, Italy
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19
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Vaz-drago R, Custódio N, Carmo-fonseca M. Deep intronic mutations and human disease. Hum Genet 2017; 136:1093-111. [DOI: 10.1007/s00439-017-1809-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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20
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Abstract
Directed cell conversion (or transdifferentiation) of one somatic cell-type to another can be achieved by ectopic expression of a set of transcription factors. Since the experimental identification of transcription factors for transdifferentiation is extremely time-consuming and expensive, there are still relatively few transdifferentiations achieved in comparison to the number of human cell-types. However, the growing volume of transcriptional data available and the recent introduction of data-driven algorithmic approaches that predict factors for transdifferentiation holds great promise for accelerating this field. Here we review those computational methods whose in-silico predictions have been experimentally validated, highlighting differences and similarities. Our analysis reveals that the factors predicted by each method tend to be different due to varying source cells used, gene expression quantification and algorithmic steps. We show these differences have an impact on the regulatory influences downstream, with some methods favoring transcription factors regulating developmental progression and others favoring factors regulating mature cell processes. These computational approaches offer a starting point to predict and test novel factors for transdifferentiation. We argue that collecting high-quality gene expression data from single-cells or pure cell-populations across a broader set of cell-types would be necessary to improve the quality and consistency of the in-silico predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uma S. Kamaraj
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Julian Gough
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jose M. Polo
- Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Enrico Petretto
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Owen J. L. Rackham
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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21
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Xie YF, Jiang XH, Sessle BJ, Yu XM. Development of regional specificity of spinal and medullary dorsal horn neurons. World J Biol Chem 2016; 7:138-145. [PMID: 26981202 PMCID: PMC4768117 DOI: 10.4331/wjbc.v7.i1.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive studies have focused on the development and regionalization of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). Many genes, which play crucial roles in the development of CNS neurons, have been identified. By using the technique “direct reprogramming”, neurons can be produced from multiple cell sources such as fibroblasts. However, understanding the region-specific regulation of neurons in the CNS is still one of the biggest challenges in the research field of neuroscience. Neurons located in the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) and in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) play crucial roles in pain and sensorimotor functions in the orofacial and other somatic body regions, respectively. Anatomically, Vc represents the most caudal component of the trigeminal system, and is contiguous with SDH. This review is focused on recent data dealing with the regional specificity involved in the development of neurons in Vc and SDH.
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22
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Shimazaki T, Okano H. Heterochronic microRNAs in temporal specification of neural stem cells: application toward rejuvenation. NPJ Aging Mech Dis 2016; 2:15014. [PMID: 28721261 DOI: 10.1038/npjamd.2015.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasticity is a critical factor enabling stem cells to contribute to the development and regeneration of tissues. In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), neural stem cells (NSCs) that are defined by their capability for self-renewal and differentiation into neurons and glia, are present in the ventricular neuroaxis throughout life. However, the differentiation potential of NSCs changes in a spatiotemporally regulated manner and these cells progressively lose plasticity during development. One of the major alterations in this process is the switch from neurogenesis to gliogenesis. NSCs initiate neurogenesis immediately after neural tube closure and then turn to gliogenesis from midgestation, which requires an irreversible competence transition that enforces a progressive reduction of neuropotency. A growing body of evidence indicates that the neurogenesis-to-gliogenesis transition is governed by multiple layers of regulatory networks consisting of multiple factors, including epigenetic regulators, transcription factors, and non-coding RNA (ncRNA). In this review, we focus on critical roles of microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small ncRNA that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, in the regulation of the switch from neurogenesis to gliogenesis in NSCs in the developing CNS. Unraveling the regulatory interactions of miRNAs and target genes will provide insights into the regulation of plasticity of NSCs, and the development of new strategies for the regeneration of damaged CNS.
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24
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Gonorazky H, Liang M, Cummings B, Lek M, Micallef J, Hawkins C, Basran R, Cohn R, Wilson MD, MacArthur D, Marshall CR, Ray PN, Dowling JJ. RNAseq analysis for the diagnosis of muscular dystrophy. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2015; 3:55-60. [PMID: 26783550 PMCID: PMC4704476 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise genetic cause remains elusive in nearly 50% of patients with presumed neurogenetic disease, representing a significant barrier for clinical care. This is despite significant advances in clinical genetic diagnostics, including the application of whole‐exome sequencing and next‐generation sequencing‐based gene panels. In this study, we identify a deep intronic mutation in the DMD gene in a patient with muscular dystrophy using both conventional and RNAseq‐based transcriptome analyses. The implications of our data are that noncoding mutations likely comprise an important source of unresolved genetic disease and that RNAseq is a powerful platform for detecting such mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hernan Gonorazky
- Division of Neurology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04; Program of Genetics and Genome Biology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04; Department of Paediatrics University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada M5G AO4
| | - Minggao Liang
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04; Department of Molecular Genetics University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada M5G AO4
| | - Beryl Cummings
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Massachusetts 02114; Program in Medical and Population Genetics Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT Cambridge Massachusetts
| | - Monkol Lek
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Massachusetts 02114; Program in Medical and Population Genetics Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT Cambridge Massachusetts
| | - Johann Micallef
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04
| | - Cynthia Hawkins
- Pediatric Laboratory Medicine Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04
| | - Raveen Basran
- Pediatric Laboratory Medicine Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04
| | - Ronald Cohn
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04; Department of Paediatrics University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada M5G AO4; Department of Molecular Genetics University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada M5G AO4
| | - Michael D Wilson
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04; Department of Molecular Genetics University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada M5G AO4
| | - Daniel MacArthur
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Massachusetts 02114; Program in Medical and Population Genetics Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT Cambridge Massachusetts
| | - Christian R Marshall
- Pediatric Laboratory Medicine Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04
| | - Peter N Ray
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04; Department of Molecular Genetics University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada M5G AO4; Pediatric Laboratory Medicine Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04
| | - James J Dowling
- Division of Neurology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04; Program of Genetics and Genome Biology Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada M5G A04; Department of Paediatrics University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada M5G AO4; Department of Molecular Genetics University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada M5G AO4
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25
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Davies JA. Synthetic Biology: Rational Pathway Design for Regenerative Medicine. Gerontology 2015; 62:564-70. [PMID: 26474207 DOI: 10.1159/000440721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rational pathway design is the invention of an optimally efficient route from one state (e.g. chemical structure, state of differentiation, physiological state) to another, based on knowledge of biological processes: it contrasts with the use of natural pathways that have evolved by natural selection. Synthetic biology is a hybrid discipline of biology and engineering that offers a means for rationally designed pathways to be realized in living cells. Several areas of regenerative medicine could benefit from rational pathway design, including derivation of patient-specific stem cells, directed differentiation of stem cells, replicating physiological function in an alternative cell type, construction of custom interface tissues and building fail-safe systems into transplanted tissues. Synthetic biological approaches offer the potential for construction of these, for example controllable ex vivo stem cell niches, genetic networks for direct transdifferentiation from adult fibroblast to restricted stem cell without going via induced pluripotent stem cells, signalling pathways for realizing physiological regulation in alternative cell types, morphological modules for producing self-constructing novel 'tissues' and 'kill-switches' for therapeutically applied stem cells. Given the potential of this approach, a closer convergence of the regenerative medicine and synthetic biology research fields seems timely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie A Davies
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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26
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Chen C, Chan A, Wen H, Chung SH, Deng W, Jiang P. Stem and Progenitor Cell-Derived Astroglia Therapies for Neurological Diseases. Trends Mol Med 2015; 21:715-729. [PMID: 26443123 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Astroglia are a major cellular constituent of the central nervous system (CNS) and play crucial roles in brain development, function, and integrity. Increasing evidence demonstrates that astroglia dysfunction occurs in a variety of neurological disorders ranging from CNS injuries to genetic diseases and chronic degenerative conditions. These new insights herald the concept that transplantation of astroglia could be of therapeutic value in treating the injured or diseased CNS. Recent technological advances in the generation of human astroglia from stem and progenitor cells have been prominent. We propose that a better understanding of the suitability of astroglial cells in transplantation as well as of their therapeutic effects in animal models may lead to the establishment of astroglia-based therapies to treat neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Albert Chan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Han Wen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | | | - Wenbin Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA.
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE, USA.
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27
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Han F, Baremberg D, Gao J, Duan J, Lu X, Zhang N, Chen Q. Development of stem cell-based therapy for Parkinson's disease. Transl Neurodegener 2015; 4:16. [PMID: 26339485 PMCID: PMC4559356 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-015-0039-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders of aging, characterized by the degeneration of dopamine neurons (DA neurons) in the substantial nigra, leading to the advent of both motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms. Current treatments include electrical stimulation of the affected brain areas and dopamine replacement therapy. Even though both categories are effective in treating PD patients, the disease progression cannot be stopped. The research advance into cell therapies provides exciting potential for the treatment of PD. Current cell sources include neural stem cells (NSCs) from fetal brain tissues, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and directly induced dopamine neurons (iDA neurons). Here, we evaluate the research progress in different cell sources with a focus on using iPSCs as a valuable source and propose key challenges for developing cells suitable for large-scale clinical applications in the treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabin Han
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Liaocheng People's Hospital/Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, 252000 China
| | - Deborah Baremberg
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Liaocheng People's Hospital/Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, 252000 China
| | - Junyu Gao
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Liaocheng People's Hospital/Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, 252000 China
| | - Jing Duan
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Liaocheng People's Hospital/Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, 252000 China
| | - Xianjie Lu
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Liaocheng People's Hospital/Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, 252000 China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Liaocheng People's Hospital/Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, 252000 China
| | - Qingfa Chen
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Liaocheng People's Hospital/Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, 252000 China
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Abstract
The groundbreaking technologies of induced pluripotency and lineage conversion have generated a genuine opportunity to address fundamental aspects of the diseases that affect the nervous system. These approaches have granted us unrestricted access to the brain and spinal cord of patients and have allowed for the study of disease in the context of human cells, expressing physiological levels of proteins and under each patient's unique genetic constellation. Along with this unprecedented opportunity have come significant challenges, particularly in relation to patient variability, experimental design and data interpretation. Nevertheless, significant progress has been achieved over the past few years both in our ability to create the various neural subtypes that comprise the nervous system and in our efforts to develop cellular models of disease that recapitulate clinical findings identified in patients. In this Review, we present tables listing the various human neural cell types that can be generated and the neurological disease modeling studies that have been reported, describe the current state of the field, highlight important breakthroughs and discuss the next steps and future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin K Ichida
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad, CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- The Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology & Clinical Neurological Sciences and Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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