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Binda CS, Lelos MJ, Rosser AE, Massey TH. Using gene or cell therapies to treat Huntington's disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2024; 205:193-215. [PMID: 39341655 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-90120-8.00014-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the first exon of the HTT gene, leading to the production of gain-of-toxic-function mutant huntingtin protein species and consequent transcriptional dysregulation and disrupted cell metabolism. The brunt of the disease process is borne by the striatum from the earliest disease stages, with striatal atrophy beginning approximately a decade prior to the onset of neurologic signs. Although the expanded CAG repeat in the HTT gene is necessary and sufficient to cause HD, other genes can influence the age at onset of symptoms and how they progress. Many of these modifier genes have roles in DNA repair and are likely to modulate the stability of the CAG repeat in somatic cells. Currently, there are no disease-modifying treatments for HD that can be prescribed to patients and few symptomatic treatments, but there is a lot of interest in therapeutics that can target the pathogenic pathways at the DNA and RNA levels, some of which have reached the stage of human studies. In contrast, cell therapies aim to replace key neural cells lost to the disease process and/or to support the host vulnerable striatum by direct delivery of cells to the brain. Ultimately it may be possible to combine gene and cell therapies to both slow disease processes and provide some level of neural repair. In this chapter we consider the current status of these therapeutic strategies along with their prospects and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S Binda
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Mariah J Lelos
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anne E Rosser
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; BRAIN Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
| | - Thomas H Massey
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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Zayed MA, Sultan S, Alsaab HO, Yousof SM, Alrefaei GI, Alsubhi NH, Alkarim S, Al Ghamdi KS, Bagabir SA, Jana A, Alghamdi BS, Atta HM, Ashraf GM. Stem-Cell-Based Therapy: The Celestial Weapon against Neurological Disorders. Cells 2022; 11:3476. [PMID: 36359871 PMCID: PMC9655836 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stem cells are a versatile source for cell therapy. Their use is particularly significant for the treatment of neurological disorders for which no definitive conventional medical treatment is available. Neurological disorders are of diverse etiology and pathogenesis. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by abnormal protein deposits, leading to progressive dementia. Parkinson's disease (PD) is due to the specific degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons causing motor and sensory impairment. Huntington's disease (HD) includes a transmittable gene mutation, and any treatment should involve gene modulation of the transplanted cells. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder affecting multiple neurons sporadically but induces progressive neuronal dysfunction. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) impacts upper and lower motor neurons, leading to progressive muscle degeneration. This shows the need to try to tailor different types of cells to repair the specific defect characteristic of each disease. In recent years, several types of stem cells were used in different animal models, including transgenic animals of various neurologic disorders. Based on some of the successful animal studies, some clinical trials were designed and approved. Some studies were successful, others were terminated and, still, a few are ongoing. In this manuscript, we aim to review the current information on both the experimental and clinical trials of stem cell therapy in neurological disorders of various disease mechanisms. The different types of cells used, their mode of transplantation and the molecular and physiologic effects are discussed. Recommendations for future use and hopes are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A. Zayed
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia 32511, Egypt
| | - Samar Sultan
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Regenerative Medicine Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hashem O. Alsaab
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shimaa Mohammad Yousof
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Ghadeer I. Alrefaei
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nouf H. Alsubhi
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science & Arts, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh 21911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh Alkarim
- Embryonic and Cancer Stem Cell Research Group, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Embryonic Stem Cells Research Unit, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kholoud S. Al Ghamdi
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sali Abubaker Bagabir
- Genetic Unit, Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ankit Jana
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Campus-11, Patia, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Badrah S. Alghamdi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Pre-Clinical Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hazem M. Atta
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
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Garcia Jareño P, Bartley OJM, Precious SV, Rosser AE, Lelos MJ. Challenges in progressing cell therapies to the clinic for Huntington's disease: A review of the progress made with pluripotent stem cell derived medium spiny neurons. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 166:1-48. [PMID: 36424090 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a triad of symptoms: motor, cognitive and psychiatric. HD is caused by a genetic mutation, expansion of the CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene, which results in loss of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the striatum. Cell replacement therapy (CRT) has emerged as a possible therapy for HD, aiming to replace those cells lost to the disease process and alleviate its symptoms. Initial pre-clinical studies used primary fetal striatal cells to provide proof-of-principal that CRT can bring about functional recovery on some behavioral tasks following transplantation into HD models. Alternative donor cell sources are required if CRT is to become a viable therapeutic option and human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) sources, which have undergone differentiation toward the MSNs lost to the disease process, have proved to be strong candidates. The focus of this chapter is to review work conducted on the functional assessment of animals following transplantation of hPSC-derived MSNs. We discuss different ways that graft function has been assessed, and the results that have been achieved to date. In addition, this chapter presents and discusses challenges that remain in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oliver J M Bartley
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie V Precious
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anne E Rosser
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (B.R.A.I.N.) Biomedical Research Unit, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Mariah J Lelos
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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Monk R, Connor B. Cell Replacement Therapy for Huntington's Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1266:57-69. [PMID: 33105495 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-4370-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder which is characterised by a triad of highly debilitating motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. While cell death occurs in many brain regions, GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum experience preferential and extensive degeneration. Unlike most neurodegenerative disorders, HD is caused by a single genetic mutation resulting in a CAG repeat expansion and the production of a mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT). Despite identifying the mutation causative of HD in 1993, there are currently no disease-modifying treatments for HD. One potential strategy for the treatment of HD is the development of cell-based therapies. Cell-based therapies aim to restore neuronal circuitry and function by replacing lost neurons, as well as providing neurotropic support to prevent further degeneration. In order to successfully restore basal ganglia functioning in HD, cell-based therapies would need to reconstitute the complex signalling network disrupted by extensive MSN degeneration. This chapter will discuss the potential use of foetal tissue grafts, pluripotent stem cells, neural stem cells, and somatic cell reprogramming to develop cell-based therapies for treating HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Monk
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Brain Research, SMS, FMHS, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bronwen Connor
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Brain Research, SMS, FMHS, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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Yoon Y, Kim HS, Hong CP, Li E, Jeon I, Park HJ, Lee N, Pei Z, Song J. Neural Transplants From Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Rescue the Pathology and Behavioral Defects in a Rodent Model of Huntington's Disease. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:558204. [PMID: 33071737 PMCID: PMC7530284 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.558204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a devastating, autosomal-dominant inheritance disorder with the progressive loss of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and corticostriatal connections in the brain. Cell replacement therapy has been proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy to treat HD. Among various types of stem cells, human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have received special attention to develop disease modeling and cell therapy for HD. In the present study, the therapeutic effects of neural precursor cells (NPCs) derived from a human iPSC line (1231A3-NPCs) were investigated in the quinolinic acid (QA)-lesioned rat model of HD. 1231A3-NPCs were transplanted into the ipsilateral striatum 1 week after QA lesioning, and the transplanted animals showed significant behavioral improvements for up to 12 weeks based on the staircase, rotarod, stepping, apomorphine-induced rotation, and cylinder tests. Transplanted 1231A3-NPCs also partially replaced the lost neurons, enhanced endogenous neurogenesis, reduced inflammatory responses, and reconstituted the damaged neuronal connections. Taken together, these results strongly indicate that NPCs derived from iPSCs can potentially be useful to treat HD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongwoo Yoon
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seongnam-si, South Korea
| | - Hyun Sook Kim
- Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si, South Korea
| | | | - Endan Li
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seongnam-si, South Korea
| | - Iksoo Jeon
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seongnam-si, South Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seongnam-si, South Korea
| | - Nayeon Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seongnam-si, South Korea
| | - Zhong Pei
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jihwan Song
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seongnam-si, South Korea.,iPS Bio, Inc., Seongnam-si, South Korea
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Björklund A, Parmar M. Neuronal Replacement as a Tool for Basal Ganglia Circuitry Repair: 40 Years in Perspective. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:146. [PMID: 32547369 PMCID: PMC7272540 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of new neurons to promote repair of brain circuitry depends on their capacity to re-establish afferent and efferent connections with the host. In this review article, we give an overview of past and current efforts to restore damaged connectivity in the adult mammalian brain using implants of fetal neuroblasts or stem cell-derived neuronal precursors, with a focus on strategies aimed to repair damaged basal ganglia circuitry induced by lesions that mimic the pathology seen in humans affected by Parkinson’s or Huntington’s disease. Early work performed in rodents showed that neuroblasts obtained from striatal primordia or fetal ventral mesencephalon can become anatomically and functionally integrated into lesioned striatal and nigral circuitry, establish afferent and efferent connections with the lesioned host, and reverse the lesion-induced behavioral impairments. Recent progress in the generation of striatal and nigral progenitors from pluripotent stem cells have provided compelling evidence that they can survive and mature in the lesioned brain and re-establish afferent and efferent axonal connectivity with a remarkable degree of specificity. The studies of cell-based circuitry repair are now entering a new phase. The introduction of genetic and virus-based techniques for brain connectomics has opened entirely new possibilities for studies of graft-host integration and connectivity, and the access to more refined experimental techniques, such as chemo- and optogenetics, has provided new powerful tools to study the capacity of grafted neurons to impact the function of the host brain. Progress in this field will help to guide the efforts to develop therapeutic strategies for cell-based repair in Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions involving damage to basal ganglia circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Björklund
- Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Malin Parmar
- Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Besusso D, Schellino R, Boido M, Belloli S, Parolisi R, Conforti P, Faedo A, Cernigoj M, Campus I, Laporta A, Bocchi VD, Murtaj V, Parmar M, Spaiardi P, Talpo F, Maniezzi C, Toselli MG, Biella G, Moresco RM, Vercelli A, Buffo A, Cattaneo E. Stem Cell-Derived Human Striatal Progenitors Innervate Striatal Targets and Alleviate Sensorimotor Deficit in a Rat Model of Huntington Disease. Stem Cell Reports 2020; 14:876-891. [PMID: 32302555 PMCID: PMC7220987 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited late-onset neurological disorder characterized by progressive neuronal loss and disruption of cortical and basal ganglia circuits. Cell replacement using human embryonic stem cells may offer the opportunity to repair the damaged circuits and significantly ameliorate disease conditions. Here, we showed that in-vitro-differentiated human striatal progenitors undergo maturation and integrate into host circuits upon intra-striatal transplantation in a rat model of HD. By combining graft-specific immunohistochemistry, rabies virus-mediated synaptic tracing, and ex vivo electrophysiology, we showed that grafts can extend projections to the appropriate target structures, including the globus pallidus, the subthalamic nucleus, and the substantia nigra, and receive synaptic contact from both host and graft cells with 6.6 ± 1.6 inputs cell per transplanted neuron. We have also shown that transplants elicited a significant improvement in sensory-motor tasks up to 2 months post-transplant further supporting the therapeutic potential of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Besusso
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133 Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, 20122 Italy.
| | - Roberta Schellino
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin 10124, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Orbassano, 10043 Italy
| | - Marina Boido
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin 10124, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Orbassano, 10043 Italy
| | - Sara Belloli
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology of CNR, Segrate, Milan, 20090 Italy; PET and Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Roberta Parolisi
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin 10124, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Orbassano, 10043 Italy
| | - Paola Conforti
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133 Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, 20122 Italy
| | - Andrea Faedo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133 Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, 20122 Italy
| | - Manuel Cernigoj
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133 Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, 20122 Italy
| | - Ilaria Campus
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133 Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, 20122 Italy
| | - Angela Laporta
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133 Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, 20122 Italy
| | - Vittoria Dickinson Bocchi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133 Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, 20122 Italy
| | - Valentina Murtaj
- PET and Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy; PhD Program in Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano - Bicocca, Monza MB, 20900 Italy
| | - Malin Parmar
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Paolo Spaiardi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Pavia, 27100 Italy
| | - Francesca Talpo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Pavia, 27100 Italy
| | - Claudia Maniezzi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Pavia, 27100 Italy
| | | | - Gerardo Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Pavia, 27100 Italy
| | - Rosa Maria Moresco
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology of CNR, Segrate, Milan, 20090 Italy; PET and Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy; Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano - Bicocca, Monza MB, 20900 Italy
| | - Alessandro Vercelli
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin 10124, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Orbassano, 10043 Italy
| | - Annalisa Buffo
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin 10124, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Orbassano, 10043 Italy.
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133 Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, 20122 Italy.
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Ballout N, Rochelle T, Brot S, Bonnet ML, Francheteau M, Prestoz L, Zibara K, Gaillard A. Characterization of Inflammation in Delayed Cortical Transplantation. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:160. [PMID: 31293384 PMCID: PMC6603085 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that embryonic motor cortical neurons transplanted 1-week after lesion in the adult mouse motor cortex significantly enhances graft vascularization, survival, and proliferation of grafted cells, the density of projections developed by grafted neurons and improves functional repair and recovery. The purpose of the present study is to understand the extent to which post-traumatic inflammation following cortical lesion could influence the survival of grafted neurons and the development of their projections to target brain regions and conversely how transplanted cells can modulate host inflammation. For this, embryonic motor cortical tissue was grafted either immediately or with a 1-week delay into the lesioned motor cortex of adult mice. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was performed to determine the density and cell morphology of resident and peripheral infiltrating immune cells. Then, in situ hybridization (ISH) was performed to analyze the distribution and temporal mRNA expression pattern of pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory cytokines following cortical lesion. In parallel, we analyzed the protein expression of both M1- and M2-associated markers to study the M1/M2 balance switch. We have shown that 1-week after the lesion, the number of astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and CD45+ cells were significantly increased along with characteristics of M2 microglia phenotype. Interestingly, the majority of microglia co-expressed transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, supporting the hypothesis that microglial activation is also neuroprotective. Our results suggest that the modulation of post-traumatic inflammation 1-week after cortical lesion might be implicated in the improvement of graft vascularization, survival, and density of projections developed by grafted neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nissrine Ballout
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, INSERM U1084, Poitiers, France.,Laboratory of Stem Cells, PRASE, DSST, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences-I, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Tristan Rochelle
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, INSERM U1084, Poitiers, France
| | - Sebastien Brot
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, INSERM U1084, Poitiers, France
| | - Marie-Laure Bonnet
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, INSERM U1084, Poitiers, France.,CHU Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Maureen Francheteau
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, INSERM U1084, Poitiers, France
| | - Laetitia Prestoz
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, INSERM U1084, Poitiers, France
| | - Kazem Zibara
- Laboratory of Stem Cells, PRASE, DSST, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences-I, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Afsaneh Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, INSERM U1084, Poitiers, France
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9
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Abstract
In Huntington's disease (HD), the medium spiny projection neurons of the neostriatum degenerate early in the course of the disease. While genetic mutant models of HD provide an excellent resource for studying the molecular and cellular effects of the inherited polyQ huntingtin mutation, they do not typically present with overt atrophy of the basal ganglia, despite this being a major pathophysiological hallmark of the disease. By contrast, excitotoxic lesion models, which use quinolinic acid to specifically target the striatal projection neurons, are employed to study the functional consequences of striatal atrophy and to investigate potential therapeutic interventions that target the neuronal degeneration. This chapter provides a detailed guide to the generation of excitotoxic lesion models of HD in rats.
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Tartaglione AM, Popoli P, Calamandrei G. Regenerative medicine in Huntington's disease: Strengths and weaknesses of preclinical studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 77:32-47. [PMID: 28223129 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by impairment in motor, cognitive and psychiatric domains. Currently, there is no specific therapy to act on the onset or progression of HD. The marked neuronal death observed in HD is a main argument in favour of stem cells (SCs) transplantation as a promising therapeutic perspective to replace the population of lost neurons and restore the functionality of the damaged circuitry. The availability of rodent models of HD encourages the investigation of the restorative potential of SCs transplantation longitudinally. However, the results of preclinical studies on SCs therapy in HD are so far largely inconsistent; this hampers the individuation of the more appropriate model and precludes the comparative analysis of transplant efficacy on behavioural end points. Thus, this review will describe the state of the art of in vivo research on SCs therapy in HD, analysing in a translational perspective the strengths and weaknesses of animal studies investigating the therapeutic potential of cell transplantation on HD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Tartaglione
- Centre for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - P Popoli
- National Centre for Medicines Research and Preclinical/Clinical Evaluation, Rome, Italy
| | - G Calamandrei
- Centre for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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11
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Ballout N, Frappé I, Péron S, Jaber M, Zibara K, Gaillard A. Development and Maturation of Embryonic Cortical Neurons Grafted into the Damaged Adult Motor Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2016; 10:55. [PMID: 27536221 PMCID: PMC4971105 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Injury to the human central nervous system can lead to devastating consequences due to its poor ability to self-repair. Neural transplantation aimed at replacing lost neurons and restore functional circuitry has proven to be a promising therapeutical avenue. We previously reported in adult rodent animal models with cortical lesions that grafted fetal cortical neurons could effectively re-establish specific patterns of projections and synapses. The current study was designed to provide a detailed characterization of the spatio-temporal in vivo development of fetal cortical transplanted cells within the lesioned adult motor cortex and their corresponding axonal projections. We show here that as early as 2 weeks after grafting, cortical neuroblasts transplanted into damaged adult motor cortex developed appropriate projections to cortical and subcortical targets. Grafted cells initially exhibited characteristics of immature neurons, which then differentiated into mature neurons with appropriate cortical phenotypes where most were glutamatergic and few were GABAergic. All cortical subtypes identified with the specific markers CTIP2, Cux1, FOXP2, and Tbr1 were generated after grafting as evidenced with BrdU co-labeling. The set of data provided here is of interest as it sets biological standards for future studies aimed at replacing fetal cells with embryonic stem cells as a source of cortical neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nissrine Ballout
- Cellular Therapies in Brain Diseases Group, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1084Poitiers, France; Pole Biologie Sante, Université de Poitiers, U1084Poitiers, France; Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese UniversityBeirut, Lebanon; ER045 - Laboratory of Stem Cells, PRASE, DSSTBeirut, Lebanon
| | - Isabelle Frappé
- Cellular Therapies in Brain Diseases Group, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1084Poitiers, France; Pole Biologie Sante, Université de Poitiers, U1084Poitiers, France
| | - Sophie Péron
- Cellular Therapies in Brain Diseases Group, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1084Poitiers, France; Pole Biologie Sante, Université de Poitiers, U1084Poitiers, France
| | - Mohamed Jaber
- Cellular Therapies in Brain Diseases Group, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1084Poitiers, France; Pole Biologie Sante, Université de Poitiers, U1084Poitiers, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de PoitiersPoitiers, France
| | - Kazem Zibara
- Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese UniversityBeirut, Lebanon; ER045 - Laboratory of Stem Cells, PRASE, DSSTBeirut, Lebanon
| | - Afsaneh Gaillard
- Cellular Therapies in Brain Diseases Group, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1084Poitiers, France; Pole Biologie Sante, Université de Poitiers, U1084Poitiers, France
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12
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Tartaglione AM, Armida M, Potenza RL, Pezzola A, Popoli P, Calamandrei G. Aberrant self-grooming as early marker of motor dysfunction in a rat model of Huntington's disease. Behav Brain Res 2016; 313:53-57. [PMID: 27374158 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.06.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the study of neurodegenerative diseases, rodent models provide experimentally accessible systems to study multiple pathogenetic aspects. The identification of early and robust behavioural changes is crucial to monitoring disease progression and testing potential therapeutic strategies in animals. Consistent experimental data support the translational value of rodent self-grooming as index of disturbed motor functions and perseverative behaviour patterns in different rodent models of brain disorders. Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by severe degeneration of basal ganglia, cognitive and psychiatric impairments and motor abnormalities. In the rat species, intrastriatal injection of the excitotoxin quinolinic acid (QA) mimics some of the neuroanatomical and behavioural changes found in HD, including the loss of GABAergic neurons and the appearance of motor and cognitive deficits. We show here that striatal damage induced by unilateral QA injection in dorsal striatum of rats triggers aberrant grooming behaviour as early as three weeks post-lesion in absence of other motor impairments: specifically, both quantitative (frequency and duration) and qualitative (the sequential pattern of movements) features of self-grooming behaviour were significantly altered in QA-lesioned rats placed in either the elevated plus-maze and the open-field. The consistent abnormalities in self-grooming recorded in two different experimental contexts support the use of this behavioural marker in rodent models of striatal damage such as HD, to assess the potential effects of drug and cell replacement therapy in the early stage of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Tartaglione
- Unit of Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Armida
- Unit of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicine Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Luisa Potenza
- Unit of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicine Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Pezzola
- Unit of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicine Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Popoli
- Unit of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicine Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Gemma Calamandrei
- Unit of Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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13
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Lelos MJ, Roberton VH, Vinh NN, Harrison C, Eriksen P, Torres EM, Clinch SP, Rosser AE, Dunnett SB. Direct Comparison of Rat- and Human-Derived Ganglionic Eminence Tissue Grafts on Motor Function. Cell Transplant 2016; 25:665-75. [DOI: 10.3727/096368915x690297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a debilitating, genetically inherited neurodegenerative disorder that results in early loss of medium spiny neurons from the striatum and subsequent degeneration of cortical and other subcortical brain regions. Behavioral changes manifest as a range of motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric impairments. It has been established that replacement of the degenerated medium spiny neurons with rat-derived fetal whole ganglionic eminence (rWGE) tissue can alleviate motor and cognitive deficits in preclinical rodent models of HD. However, clinical application of this cell replacement therapy requires the use of human-derived (hWGE), not rWGE, tissue. Despite this, little is currently known about the functional efficacy of hWGE. The aim of this study was to directly compare the ability of the gold standard rWGE grafts, against the clinically relevant hWGE grafts, on a range of behavioral tests of motor function. Lister hooded rats either remained as unoperated controls or received unilateral excitotoxic lesions of the lateral neostriatum. Subsets of lesioned rats then received transplants of either rWGE or hWGE primary fetal tissue into the lateral striatum. All rats were tested postlesion and postgraft on the following tests of motor function: staircase test, apomorphine-induced rotation, cylinder test, adjusting steps test, and vibrissae-evoked touch test. At 21 weeks postgraft, brain tissue was taken for histological analysis. The results revealed comparable improvements in apomorphine-induced rotational bias and the vibrissae test, despite larger graft volumes in the hWGE cohort. hWGE grafts, but not rWGE grafts, stabilized behavioral performance on the adjusting steps test. These results have implications for clinical application of cell replacement therapies, as well as providing a foundation for the development of stem cell-derived cell therapy products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariah J. Lelos
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Victoria H. Roberton
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Ngoc-Nga Vinh
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Carl Harrison
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Peter Eriksen
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Eduardo M. Torres
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Susanne P. Clinch
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Anne E. Rosser
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Stephen B. Dunnett
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
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14
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Reddington AE, Rosser AE, Dunnett SB. Differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into striatal projection neurons: a pure MSN fate may not be sufficient. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:398. [PMID: 25520619 PMCID: PMC4251433 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder leading to the loss inter alia of DARPP-32 positive medium spiny projection neurons ("MSNs") in the striatum. There is no known cure for HD but the relative specificity of cell loss early in the disease has made cell replacement by neural transplantation an attractive therapeutic possibility. Transplantation of human fetal striatal precursor cells has shown "proof-of-principle" in clinical trials; however, the practical and ethical difficulties associated with sourcing fetal tissues have stimulated the need to identify alternative source(s) of donor cells that are more readily available and more suitable for standardization. We now have available the first generation of protocols to generate DARPP-32 positive MSN-like neurons from pluripotent stem cells and these have been successfully grafted into animal models of HD. However, whether these grafts can provide stable functional recovery to the level that can regularly be achieved with primary fetal striatal grafts remains to be demonstrated. Of particular concern, primary fetal striatal grafts are not homogenous; they contain not only the MSN subpopulation of striatal projection neurons but also include all the different cell types that make up the mature striatum, such as the multiple populations of striatal interneurons and striatal glia, and which certainly contribute to normal striatal function. By contrast, present protocols for pluripotent stem cell differentiation are almost entirely targeted at specifying just neurons of an MSN lineage. So far, evidence for the functionality and integration of stem-cell derived grafts is correspondingly limited. Indeed, consideration of the features of full striatal reconstruction that is achieved with primary fetal striatal grafts suggests that optimal success of the next generations of stem cell-derived replacement therapy in HD will require that graft protocols be developed to allow inclusion of multiple striatal cell types, such as interneurons and/or glia. Almost certainly, therefore, more sophisticated differentiation protocols will be necessary, over and above replacement of a specific population of MSNs. A rational solution to this technical challenge requires that we re-address the underlying question-what constitutes a functional striatal graft?
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Reddington
- The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University Cardiff, UK
| | - Anne E Rosser
- The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University Cardiff, UK ; Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, Cardiff University Cardiff, UK
| | - Stephen B Dunnett
- The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University Cardiff, UK
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15
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Chen Y, Carter RL, Cho IK, Chan AWS. Cell-based therapies for Huntington's disease. Drug Discov Today 2014; 19:980-4. [PMID: 24631682 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based therapies are a viable option for the long-term treatment of Huntington's disease (HD), which is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration predominately in the striatum and cortex. Current research focuses on genetic suppression of the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) gene and cell replacement therapy of the lost cells in HD. As we discuss here, the recent development of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells technology demonstrated the potential of cell-based therapy in rodent models. It was shown that iPSCs were capable of differentiating into lost neurons in HD and stem cell grafts can improve motor deficiency in HD rodent models. Altogether, these findings have shown great promise for developing the foundation of the cell-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiju Chen
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd, NE Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael St, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Richard L Carter
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd, NE Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael St, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - In K Cho
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd, NE Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael St, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Anthony W S Chan
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd, NE Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael St, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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