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Battistella I, Cutarelli A, Zasso J, Clerici M, Sala C, Marcatili M, Conti L. Cortical Astrocyte Progenitors and Astrocytes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13030538. [PMID: 36983719 PMCID: PMC10051695 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13030538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes coordinate several homeostatic processes of the central nervous system and play essential roles for normal brain development and response to disease conditions. Protocols for the conversion of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into mature astrocytes have opened to the generation of in vitro systems to explore astrocytes’ functions in living human cell contexts and patient-specific settings. In this study, we present an optimized monolayer procedure to commit hiPSC-derived cortical progenitors into enriched populations of cortical astrocyte progenitor cells (CX APCs) that can be further amplified and efficiently differentiated into mature astrocytes. Our optimized system provides a valid tool to explore the role of these cells in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases, opening it up to applications in drug development and biomarkers discovery/validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Battistella
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cutarelli
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Jacopo Zasso
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Massimo Clerici
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Carlo Sala
- National Research Council Neuroscience Institute, 20100 Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Marcatili
- Department of Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Luciano Conti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0461-285216
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2
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Carmichael ST, Llorente IL. The Ties That Bind: Glial Transplantation in White Matter Ischemia and Vascular Dementia. Neurotherapeutics 2023; 20:39-47. [PMID: 36357662 PMCID: PMC10119342 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01322-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter injury is a progressive vascular disease that leads to neurological deficits and vascular dementia. It comprises up to 30% of all diagnosed strokes, though up to ten times as many events go undiagnosed in early stages. There are several pathologies that can lead to white matter injury. While some studies suggest that white matter injury starts as small infarcts in deep penetrating blood vessels in the brain, others point to the breakdown of endothelial function or the blood-brain barrier as the primary cause of the disease. Whether due to local endothelial or BBB dysfunction, or to local small infarcts (or a combination), white matter injury progresses, accumulates, and expands from preexisting lesions into adjacent white matter to produce motor and cognitive deficits that present as vascular dementia in the elderly. Vascular dementia is the second leading cause of dementia, and white matter injury-attributed vascular dementia represents 40% of all diagnosed dementias and aggravates Alzheimer's pathology. Despite the advances in the last 15 years, there are few animal models of progressive subcortical white matter injury or vascular dementia. This review will discuss recent progress in animal modeling of white matter injury and the emerging principles to enhance glial function as a means of promoting repair and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Thomas Carmichael
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 635 Charles E Young Drive South, NRB 407, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Irene L Llorente
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, 3801 Miranda Ave, 94304, Palo alto, USA.
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3
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Spatiotemporal dynamics of the cellular components involved in glial scar formation following spinal cord injury. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 153:113500. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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4
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Zheng
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, the School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Wei Wang, Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China. Tel: +86-27-83663657, E-mail:
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5
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Granatiero V, Sayles NM, Savino AM, Konrad C, Kharas MG, Kawamata H, Manfredi G. Modulation of the IGF1R-MTOR pathway attenuates motor neuron toxicity of human ALS SOD1 G93A astrocytes. Autophagy 2021; 17:4029-4042. [PMID: 33749521 PMCID: PMC8726657 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1899682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), the most common motor neuron disease, causes muscle denervation and rapidly fatal paralysis. While motor neurons are the most affected cells in ALS, studies on the pathophysiology of the disease have highlighted the importance of non-cell autonomous mechanisms, which implicate astrocytes and other glial cells. In ALS, subsets of reactive astrocytes lose their physiological functions and become toxic for motor neurons, thereby contributing to disease pathogenesis. Evidence of astrocyte contribution to disease pathogenesis are well established in cellular and animal models of familial ALS linked to mutant SOD1, where astrocytes promote motor neuron cell death. The mechanism underlying astrocytes reactivity in conditions of CNS injury have been shown to involve the MTOR pathway. However, the role of this conserved metabolic signaling pathway, and the potential therapeutic effects of its modulation, have not been investigated in ALS astrocytes. Here, we show elevated activation of the MTOR pathway in human-derived astrocytes harboring mutant SOD1, which results in inhibition of macroautophagy/autophagy, increased cell proliferation, and enhanced astrocyte reactivity. We demonstrate that MTOR pathway activation in mutant SOD1 astrocytes is due to post-transcriptional upregulation of the IGF1R (insulin like growth factor 1 receptor), an upstream positive modulator of the MTOR pathway. Importantly, inhibition of the IGF1R-MTOR pathway decreases cell proliferation and reactivity of mutant SOD1 astrocytes, and attenuates their toxicity to motor neurons. These results suggest that modulation of astrocytic IGF1R-MTOR pathway could be a viable therapeutic strategy in SOD1 ALS and potentially other neurological diseases.Abbreviations: ACM: astrocyte conditioned medium; AKT: AKT serine/threonine kinase; ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; BrdU: thymidine analog 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine; CNS: central nervous system; EIF4EBP1/4EBP1: eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1; GFAP: glial fibrillary acidic protein; IGF1R: insulin like growth factor 1 receptor; INSR: insulin receptor; iPSA: iPSC-derived astrocytes; MAP1LC3B/LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta;MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; NES: nestin; PPK1: 3-phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase 1; PI: propidium iodide; PPP: picropodophyllotoxin; PTEN: phosphatase and tensin homolog; S100B/S100β: S100 calcium binding protein B; SLC1A3/ EAAT1: solute carrier family 1 member 3; SMI-32: antibody to nonphosphorylated NEFH; SOD1: superoxide dismutase 1; TUBB3: tubulin beta 3 class III; ULK1: unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Granatiero
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nicole M. Sayles
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Angela M. Savino
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Center for Cell Engineering, Center for Stem Cell Biology, Center for Experimental Therapeutics, Center for Hematologic Malignancies, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Csaba Konrad
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael G. Kharas
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Center for Cell Engineering, Center for Stem Cell Biology, Center for Experimental Therapeutics, Center for Hematologic Malignancies, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hibiki Kawamata
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Giovanni Manfredi
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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6
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Hart CG, Karimi-Abdolrezaee S. Recent insights on astrocyte mechanisms in CNS homeostasis, pathology, and repair. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:2427-2462. [PMID: 34259342 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes play essential roles in development, homeostasis, injury, and repair of the central nervous system (CNS). Their development is tightly regulated by distinct spatial and temporal cues during embryogenesis and into adulthood throughout the CNS. Astrocytes have several important responsibilities such as regulating blood flow and permeability of the blood-CNS barrier, glucose metabolism and storage, synapse formation and function, and axon myelination. In CNS pathologies, astrocytes also play critical parts in both injury and repair mechanisms. Upon injury, they undergo a robust phenotypic shift known as "reactive astrogliosis," which results in both constructive and deleterious outcomes. Astrocyte activation and migration at the site of injury provides an early defense mechanism to minimize the extent of injury by enveloping the lesion area. However, astrogliosis also contributes to the inhibitory microenvironment of CNS injury and potentiate secondary injury mechanisms, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and glutamate excitotoxicity, which facilitate neurodegeneration in CNS pathologies. Intriguingly, reactive astrocytes are increasingly a focus in current therapeutic strategies as their activation can be modulated toward a neuroprotective and reparative phenotype. This review will discuss recent advancements in knowledge regarding the development and role of astrocytes in the healthy and pathological CNS. We will also review how astrocytes have been genetically modified to optimize their reparative potential after injury, and how they may be transdifferentiated into neurons and oligodendrocytes to promote repair after CNS injury and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Hart
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Spinal Cord Research Centre, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Soheila Karimi-Abdolrezaee
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Spinal Cord Research Centre, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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7
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Kawatani K, Nambara T, Nawa N, Yoshimatsu H, Kusakabe H, Hirata K, Tanave A, Sumiyama K, Banno K, Taniguchi H, Arahori H, Ozono K, Kitabatake Y. A human isogenic iPSC-derived cell line panel identifies major regulators of aberrant astrocyte proliferation in Down syndrome. Commun Biol 2021; 4:730. [PMID: 34127780 PMCID: PMC8203796 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02242-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes exert adverse effects on the brains of individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Although a neurogenic-to-gliogenic shift in the fate-specification step has been reported, the mechanisms and key regulators underlying the accelerated proliferation of astrocyte precursor cells (APCs) in DS remain elusive. Here, we established a human isogenic cell line panel based on DS-specific induced pluripotent stem cells, the XIST-mediated transcriptional silencing system in trisomic chromosome 21, and genome/chromosome-editing technologies to eliminate phenotypic fluctuations caused by genetic variation. The transcriptional responses of genes observed upon XIST induction and/or downregulation are not uniform, and only a small subset of genes show a characteristic expression pattern, which is consistent with the proliferative phenotypes of DS APCs. Comparative analysis and experimental verification using gene modification reveal dose-dependent proliferation-promoting activity of DYRK1A and PIGP on DS APCs. Our collection of human isogenic cell lines provides a comprehensive set of cellular models for further DS investigations. Keiji Kawatani et al. developed a panel of Down syndrome (DS) isogenic astrocytes derived from iPSCs to observe the consequence of DS on astrocyte precursor proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression. Their results suggest a dose-dependent effect of DYRK1A and PIGP on DS-derived astrocyte precursor proliferation, and represent a valuable resource and cellular model for future DS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiji Kawatani
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Nambara
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nobutoshi Nawa
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Yoshimatsu
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Haruna Kusakabe
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Katsuya Hirata
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Neonatal Medicine, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Izumi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akira Tanave
- Laboratory for Mouse Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kenta Sumiyama
- Laboratory for Mouse Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kimihiko Banno
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Physiology II, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Taniguchi
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hitomi Arahori
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keiichi Ozono
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yasuji Kitabatake
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
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8
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Martínez-Larrosa J, Matute-Blanch C, Montalban X, Comabella M. Modelling multiple sclerosis using induced pluripotent stem cells. J Neuroimmunol 2020; 349:577425. [PMID: 33130461 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2020.577425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the leading causes of non-traumatic neurological disability among young adults. Due to its complex pathology and the lack of reliable disease models, there are no effective therapies for MS to prevent neurodegeneration or promote neuroprotection, and hence stop disease progression. The emergence of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) has allowed the generation of patient-specific neural cell types for disease modelling, drug screening, and cell therapy. In this review, the challenges related with the use of iPSC-derived cells in MS are discussed, with a special focus on the functional studies performed, limitations and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Martínez-Larrosa
- Servei de Neurologia-Neuroimmunologia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Institut de Recerca Vall d'Hebron (VHIR), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Matute-Blanch
- Servei de Neurologia-Neuroimmunologia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Institut de Recerca Vall d'Hebron (VHIR), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Montalban
- Servei de Neurologia-Neuroimmunologia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Institut de Recerca Vall d'Hebron (VHIR), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Comabella
- Servei de Neurologia-Neuroimmunologia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Institut de Recerca Vall d'Hebron (VHIR), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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9
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Identification of Molecular Signatures in Neural Differentiation and Neurological Diseases Using Digital Color-Coded Molecular Barcoding. Stem Cells Int 2020; 2020:8852313. [PMID: 33005195 PMCID: PMC7503121 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8852313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, represent powerful tools for disease modeling and for therapeutic applications. PSCs are particularly useful for the study of development and diseases of the nervous system. However, generating in vitro models that recapitulate the architecture and the full variety of subtypes of cells that make the complexity of our brain remains a challenge. In order to fully exploit the potential of PSCs, advanced methods that facilitate the identification of molecular signatures in neural differentiation and neurological diseases are highly demanded. Here, we review the literature on the development and application of digital color-coded molecular barcoding as a potential tool for standardizing PSC research and applications in neuroscience. We will also describe relevant examples of the use of this technique for the characterization of the heterogeneous composition of the brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme.
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10
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Raman S, Srinivasan G, Brookhouser N, Nguyen T, Henson T, Morgan D, Cutts J, Brafman DA. A Defined and Scalable Peptide-Based Platform for the Generation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Astrocytes. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 6:3477-3490. [PMID: 32550261 PMCID: PMC7284803 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Astrocytes
comprise the most abundant cell type in the central
nervous system (CNS) and play critical roles in maintaining neural
tissue homeostasis. In addition, astrocyte dysfunction and death has
been implicated in numerous neurological disorders such as multiple
sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). As such, there is much
interest in using human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived astrocytes
for drug screening, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine applications.
However, current protocols for generation of astrocytes from hPSCs
are limited by the use of undefined xenogeneic components and two-dimensional
(2D) culture surfaces, which limits their downstream applications
where large-quantities of cells generated under defined conditions
are required. Here, we report the use of a completely synthetic, peptide-based
substrate that allows for the differentiation of highly pure populations
of astrocytes from several independent hPSC lines, including those
derived from patients with neurodegenerative disease. This substrate,
which we demonstrate is compatible with both conventional 2D culture
formats and scalable microcarrier (MC)-based technologies, leads to
the generation of cells that express high levels of canonical astrocytic
markers as well as display properties characteristic of functionally
mature cells including production of apolipoprotein E (ApoE), responsiveness
to inflammatory stimuli, ability to take up amyloid-β (Aβ),
and appearance of robust calcium transients. Finally, we show that
these astrocytes can be cryopreserved without any loss of functionality.
In the future, we anticipate that these methods will enable the development
of bioprocesses for the production of hPSC-derived astrocytes needed
for biomedical research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreedevi Raman
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Gayathri Srinivasan
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Nicholas Brookhouser
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States.,Graduate Program in Clinical Translational Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, United States
| | - Toan Nguyen
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Tanner Henson
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Daylin Morgan
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Joshua Cutts
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - David A Brafman
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
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11
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Pernia C, Tobe BTD, O'Donnell R, Snyder EY. The Evolution of Stem Cells, Disease Modeling, and Drug Discovery for Neurological Disorders. Stem Cells Dev 2020; 29:1131-1141. [PMID: 32024446 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2019.0217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human neurological disorders are among the most challenging areas of translational research. The difficulty of acquiring human neural samples or specific representative animal models has necessitated a multifaceted approach to understanding disease pathology and drug discovery. The dedifferentiation of somatic cells to human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for the generation of neural derivatives has broadened the capability of biomedical research to study human cell types in neurological disorders. The initial zeal for the potential of hiPSCs for immediate biomedical breakthroughs has evolved to more reasonable expectations. Over the past decade, hiPSC technology has demonstrated the capacity to successfully establish "disease in a dish" models of complex neurological disorders and to identify possible novel therapeutics. However, as hiPSCs are used more broadly, an increased understanding of the limitations of hiPSC studies is becoming more evident. In this study, we review the challenges of studying neurological disorders, the current limitations of stem cell-based disease modeling, and the degrees to which hiPSC studies to date have demonstrated the capacity to fill essential gaps in neurological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Pernia
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Brian T D Tobe
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Administration Medical Center, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ryan O'Donnell
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Evan Y Snyder
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
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12
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Taga A, Dastgheyb R, Habela C, Joseph J, Richard JP, Gross SK, Lauria G, Lee G, Haughey N, Maragakis NJ. Role of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Spinal Cord Astrocytes in the Functional Maturation of Motor Neurons in a Multielectrode Array System. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019; 8:1272-1285. [PMID: 31631575 PMCID: PMC6877769 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.19-0147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to generate human‐induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)‐derived neural cells displaying region‐specific phenotypes is of particular interest for modeling central nervous system biology in vitro. We describe a unique method by which spinal cord hiPSC‐derived astrocytes (hiPSC‐A) are cultured with spinal cord hiPSC‐derived motor neurons (hiPSC‐MN) in a multielectrode array (MEA) system to record electrophysiological activity over time. We show that hiPSC‐A enhance hiPSC‐MN electrophysiological maturation in a time‐dependent fashion. The sequence of plating, density, and age in which hiPSC‐A are cocultured with MN, but not their respective hiPSC line origin, are factors that influence neuronal electrophysiology. When compared to coculture with mouse primary spinal cord astrocytes, we observe an earlier and more robust electrophysiological maturation in the fully human cultures, suggesting that the human origin is relevant to the recapitulation of astrocyte/motor neuron crosstalk. Finally, we test pharmacological compounds on our MEA platform and observe changes in electrophysiological activity, which confirm hiPSC‐MN maturation. These findings are supported by immunocytochemistry and real‐time PCR studies in parallel cultures demonstrating human astrocyte mediated changes in the structural maturation and protein expression profiles of the neurons. Interestingly, this relationship is reciprocal and coculture with neurons influences astrocyte maturation as well. Taken together, these data indicate that in a human in vitro spinal cord culture system, astrocytes support hiPSC‐MN maturation in a time‐dependent and species‐specific manner and suggest a closer approximation of in vivo conditions. stem cells translational medicine2019;8:1272&1285 We describe a fully human, spinal cord‐specific, coculture platform with human‐induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived motor neurons and astrocytes for multielectrode array recording. We show that human‐induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived motor neurons/human‐induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived astrocytes bidirectional morphological and molecular maturation is reflected by electrophysiological recordings with multielectrode array recording.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Arens Taga
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Raha Dastgheyb
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christa Habela
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jessica Joseph
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Sarah K Gross
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Giuseppe Lauria
- Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabsang Lee
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Norman Haughey
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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13
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Abstract
Our understanding of astrocytes and their role in neurological diseases has increased considerably over the past two decades as the diverse roles of these cells have become recognized. Our evolving understanding of these cells suggests that they are more than support cells for neurons and that they play important roles in CNS homeostasis under normal conditions, in neuroprotection and in disease exacerbation. These multiple functions make them excellent candidates for targeted therapies to treat neurological disorders. New technological advances, including in vivo imaging, optogenetics and chemogenetics, have allowed us to examine astrocytic functions in ways that have uncovered new insights into the dynamic roles of these cells. Furthermore, the use of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes from patients with a host of neurological disorders can help to tease out the contributions of astrocytes to human disease. In this Review, we explore some of the technological advances developed over the past decade that have aided our understanding of astrocyte function. We also highlight neurological disorders in which astrocyte function or dysfunction is believed to have a role in disease pathogenesis or propagation and discuss how the technological advances have been and could be used to study each of these diseases.
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14
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Mohamed LA, Markandaiah SS, Bonanno S, Pasinelli P, Trotti D. Excess glutamate secreted from astrocytes drives upregulation of P-glycoprotein in endothelial cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Exp Neurol 2019; 316:27-38. [PMID: 30974102 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), upregulation in expression and activity of the ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) driven by disease advancement progressively reduces CNS penetration and efficacy of the ALS drug, riluzole. Post-mortem spinal cord tissues from ALS patients revealed elevated P-gp expression levels in endothelial cells of the blood-spinal cord barrier compared to levels measured in control, non-diseased individuals. We recently found that astrocytes expressing familial ALS-linked SOD1 mutations regulate expression levels of P-gp in endothelial cells, which also exhibit a concomitant, significant increase in reactive oxygen species production and NFκB nuclear translocation when exposed to mutant SOD1 astrocyte conditioned media. In this study, we found that glutamate, which is abnormally secreted by mutant SOD1 and sporadic ALS astrocytes, drives upregulation of P-gp expression and activity levels in endothelial cells via activation of N-Methyl-D-Aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors. Surprisingly, astrocyte-secreted glutamate regulation of endothelial P-gp levels is not a mechanism shared by all forms of ALS. C9orf72-ALS astrocytes had no effect on endothelial cell P-gp expression and did not display increased glutamate secretion. Utilizing an optimized in vitro human BBB model consisting of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, we showed that co-culture of endothelial cells with patient-derived astrocytes increased P-gp expression levels and transport activity, which was significantly reduced when endothelial cells were incubated with the NMDAR antagonist, MK801. Overall, our findings unraveled a complex molecular interplay between astrocytes of different ALS genotypes and endothelial cells potentially occurring in disease that could differentially impact ALS prognosis and efficacy of pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loqman A Mohamed
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Shashirekha S Markandaiah
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Silvia Bonanno
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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15
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Richard JP, Hussain U, Gross S, Taga A, Kouser M, Almad A, Campanelli JT, Bulte JWM, Maragakis NJ. Perfluorocarbon Labeling of Human Glial-Restricted Progenitors for 19 F Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019; 8:355-365. [PMID: 30618148 PMCID: PMC6431733 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.18-0094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the fundamental limitations in assessing potential efficacy in Central Nervous System (CNS) transplantation of stem cells is the capacity for monitoring cell survival and migration noninvasively and longitudinally. Human glial‐restricted progenitor (hGRP) cells (Q‐Cells) have been investigated for their utility in providing neuroprotection following transplantation into models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and have been granted a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) for intraspinal transplantation in ALS patients. Furthermore, clinical development of these cells for therapeutic use will rely on the ability to track the cells using noninvasive imaging methodologies as well as the verification that the transplanted GRPs have disease‐relevant activity. As a first step in development, we investigated the use of a perfluorocarbon (PFC) dual‐modal (19F magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and fluorescence) tracer agent to label Q‐Cells in culture and following spinal cord transplantation. PFCs have a number of potential benefits that make them appealing for clinical use. They are quantitative, noninvasive, biologically inert, and highly specific. In this study, we developed optimized PFC labeling protocols for Q‐Cells and demonstrate that PFCs do not significantly alter the glial identity of Q‐Cells. We also show that PFCs do not interfere with the capacity for differentiation into astrocytes either in vitro or following transplantation into the ventral horn of the mouse spinal cord, and can be visualized in vivo by hot spot 19F MRI. These studies provide a foundation for further preclinical development of PFCs within the context of evaluating Q‐Cell transplantation in the brain and spinal cord of future ALS patients using 19F MRI. stem cells translational medicine2019;8:355–365
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Richard
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Uzma Hussain
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarah Gross
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Arens Taga
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mehreen Kouser
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Akshata Almad
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Jeff W M Bulte
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nicholas J Maragakis
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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16
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Leferink PS, Breeuwsma N, Bugiani M, van der Knaap MS, Heine VM. Affected astrocytes in the spinal cord of the leukodystrophy vanishing white matter. Glia 2018; 66:862-873. [PMID: 29285798 PMCID: PMC5838785 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Leukodystrophies are often devastating diseases, presented with progressive clinical signs as spasticity, ataxia and cognitive decline, and lack proper treatment options. New therapy strategies for leukodystrophies mostly focus on oligodendrocyte replacement to rescue lack of myelin in the brain, even though disease pathology also often involves other glial cells and the spinal cord. In this study we investigated spinal cord pathology in a mouse model for Vanishing White Matter disease (VWM) and show that astrocytes in the white matter are severely affected. Astrocyte pathology starts postnatally in the sensory tracts, followed by changes in the astrocytic populations in the motor tracts. Studies in post-mortem tissue of two VWM patients, a 13-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl, confirmed astrocyte abnormalities in the spinal cord. For proper development of new treatment options for VWM and, possibly, other leukodystrophies, future studies should investigate spinal cord involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prisca S. Leferink
- Department of Pediatrics/Child NeurologyAmsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Nicole Breeuwsma
- Department of Pediatrics/Child NeurologyAmsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marianna Bugiani
- Department of PathologyVU University Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marjo S. van der Knaap
- Department of Pediatrics/Child NeurologyAmsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Functional GenomicsCenter for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Vivi M. Heine
- Department of Pediatrics/Child NeurologyAmsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Complex Trait GeneticsCenter for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU Universiteit AmsterdamThe Netherlands
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17
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Krencik R, Seo K, van Asperen JV, Basu N, Cvetkovic C, Barlas S, Chen R, Ludwig C, Wang C, Ward ME, Gan L, Horner PJ, Rowitch DH, Ullian EM. Systematic Three-Dimensional Coculture Rapidly Recapitulates Interactions between Human Neurons and Astrocytes. Stem Cell Reports 2017; 9:1745-1753. [PMID: 29198827 PMCID: PMC5785708 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human astrocytes network with neurons in dynamic ways that are still poorly defined. Our ability to model this relationship is hampered by the lack of relevant and convenient tools to recapitulate this complex interaction. To address this barrier, we have devised efficient coculture systems utilizing 3D organoid-like spheres, termed asteroids, containing pre-differentiated human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived astrocytes (hAstros) combined with neurons generated from hPSC-derived neural stem cells (hNeurons) or directly induced via Neurogenin 2 overexpression (iNeurons). Our systematic methods rapidly produce structurally complex hAstros and synapses in high-density coculture with iNeurons in precise numbers, allowing for improved studies of neural circuit function, disease modeling, and drug screening. We conclude that these bioengineered neural circuit model systems are reliable and scalable tools to accurately study aspects of human astrocyte-neuron functional properties while being easily accessible for cell-type-specific manipulations and observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Krencik
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - Kyounghee Seo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jessy V van Asperen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nupur Basu
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Caroline Cvetkovic
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Saba Barlas
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Robert Chen
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Connor Ludwig
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Chao Wang
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Michael E Ward
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Li Gan
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Philip J Horner
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David H Rowitch
- Department of Pediatrics, Eli and Edythe Broad Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Erik M Ullian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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18
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Tcw J, Wang M, Pimenova AA, Bowles KR, Hartley BJ, Lacin E, Machlovi SI, Abdelaal R, Karch CM, Phatnani H, Slesinger PA, Zhang B, Goate AM, Brennand KJ. An Efficient Platform for Astrocyte Differentiation from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports 2017; 9:600-614. [PMID: 28757165 PMCID: PMC5550034 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence implicates the importance of glia, particularly astrocytes, in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Here, we describe a rapid and robust method for the differentiation of highly pure populations of replicative astrocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), via a neural progenitor cell (NPC) intermediate. We evaluated this protocol across 42 NPC lines (derived from 30 individuals). Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that hiPSC-astrocytes from four individuals are highly similar to primary human fetal astrocytes and characteristic of a non-reactive state. hiPSC-astrocytes respond to inflammatory stimulants, display phagocytic capacity, and enhance microglial phagocytosis. hiPSC-astrocytes also possess spontaneous calcium transient activity. Our protocol is a reproducible, straightforward (single medium), and rapid (<30 days) method to generate populations of hiPSC-astrocytes that can be used for neuron-astrocyte and microglia-astrocyte co-cultures for the study of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Tcw
- Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA; Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Minghui Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Anna A Pimenova
- Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA; Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kathryn R Bowles
- Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA; Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Brigham J Hartley
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Emre Lacin
- Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Saima I Machlovi
- Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA; Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Rawan Abdelaal
- New York Genome Center, 101 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013, USA
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- New York Genome Center, 101 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013, USA
| | - Paul A Slesinger
- Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Alison M Goate
- Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA; Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Kristen J Brennand
- Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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19
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Abstract
ALS is a relentless neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons are the susceptible neuronal population. Their death results in progressive paresis of voluntary and respiratory muscles. The unprecedented rate of discoveries over the last two decades have broadened our knowledge of genetic causes and helped delineate molecular pathways. Here we critically review ALS epidemiology, genetics, pathogenic mechanisms, available animal models, and iPS cell technologies with a focus on their translational therapeutic potential. Despite limited clinical success in treatments to date, the new discoveries detailed here offer new models for uncovering disease mechanisms as well as novel strategies for intervention.
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20
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Qosa H, Lichter J, Sarlo M, Markandaiah SS, McAvoy K, Richard JP, Jablonski MR, Maragakis NJ, Pasinelli P, Trotti D. Astrocytes drive upregulation of the multidrug resistance transporter ABCB1 (P-Glycoprotein) in endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier in mutant superoxide dismutase 1-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Glia 2016; 64:1298-313. [PMID: 27158936 PMCID: PMC5541958 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The efficacy of drugs targeting the CNS is influenced by their limited brain access, which can lead to complete pharmacoresistance. Recently a tissue-specific and selective upregulation of the multidrug efflux transporter ABCB1 or P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the spinal cord of both patients and the mutant SOD1-G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease that prevalently kills motor neurons has been reported. Here, we extended the analysis of P-gp expression in the SOD1-G93A ALS mouse model and found that P-gp upregulation was restricted to endothelial cells of the capillaries, while P-gp expression was not detected in other cells of the spinal cord parenchyma such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neurons. Using both in vitro human and mouse models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), we found that mutant SOD1 astrocytes were driving P-gp upregulation in endothelial cells. In addition, a significant increase in reactive oxygen species production, Nrf2 and NFκB activation in endothelial cells exposed to mutant SOD1 astrocytes in both human and murine BBB models were observed. Most interestingly, astrocytes expressing FUS-H517Q, a different familial ALS-linked mutated gene, also drove NFκB-dependent upregulation of P-gp. However, the pathway was not dependent on oxidative stress but rather involved TNF-α release. Overall, these findings indicated that nuclear translocation of NFκB was a converging mechanism used by endothelial cells of the BBB to upregulate P-gp expression in mutant SOD1-linked ALS and possibly other forms of familial ALS. GLIA 2016 GLIA 2016;64:1298-1313.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisham Qosa
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Jessica Lichter
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Mark Sarlo
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Shashirekha S. Markandaiah
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Kevin McAvoy
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Richard
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Michael R. Jablonski
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Maragakis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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21
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Almad AA, Doreswamy A, Gross SK, Richard JP, Huo Y, Haughey N, Maragakis NJ. Connexin 43 in astrocytes contributes to motor neuron toxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Glia 2016; 64:1154-69. [PMID: 27083773 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons in the CNS. Astrocytes play a critical role in disease progression of ALS. Astrocytes are interconnected through a family of gap junction proteins known as connexins (Cx). Cx43 is a major astrocyte connexin conducting crucial homeostatic functions in the CNS. Under pathological conditions, connexin expression and functions are altered. Here we report that an abnormal increase in Cx43 expression serves as one of the mechanisms for astrocyte-mediated toxicity in ALS. We observed a progressive increase in Cx43 expression in the SOD1(G93A) mouse model of ALS during the disease course. Notably, this increase in Cx43 was also detected in the motor cortex and spinal cord of ALS patients. Astrocytes isolated from SOD1(G93A) mice as well as human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived astrocytes showed an increase in Cx43 protein, which was found to be an endogenous phenomenon independent of neuronal co-culture. Increased Cx43 expression led to important functional consequences when tested in SOD1(G93A) astrocytes when compared to control astrocytes over-expressing wild-type SOD1 (SOD1(WT) ). We observed SOD1(G93A) astrocytes exhibited enhanced gap junction coupling, increased hemichannel-mediated activity, and elevated intracellular calcium levels. Finally, we tested the impact of increased expression of Cx43 on MN survival and observed that use of both a pan Cx43 blocker and Cx43 hemichannel blocker conferred neuroprotection to MNs cultured with SOD1(G93A) astrocytes. These novel findings show a previously unrecognized role of Cx43 in ALS-related motor neuron loss. GLIA 2016;64:1154-1169.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshata A Almad
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Arpitha Doreswamy
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sarah K Gross
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jean-Philippe Richard
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yuqing Huo
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Norman Haughey
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nicholas J Maragakis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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22
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Zhang PW, Haidet-Phillips AM, Pham JT, Lee Y, Huo Y, Tienari PJ, Maragakis NJ, Sattler R, Rothstein JD. Generation of GFAP::GFP astrocyte reporter lines from human adult fibroblast-derived iPS cells using zinc-finger nuclease technology. Glia 2015; 64:63-75. [PMID: 26295203 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are instrumental to major brain functions, including metabolic support, extracellular ion regulation, the shaping of excitatory signaling events and maintenance of synaptic glutamate homeostasis. Astrocyte dysfunction contributes to numerous developmental, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. The generation of adult human fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has provided novel opportunities to study mechanisms of astrocyte dysfunction in human-derived cells. To overcome the difficulties of cell type heterogeneity during the differentiation process from iPSCs to astroglial cells (iPS astrocytes), we generated homogenous populations of iPS astrocytes using zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN) technology. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) driven by the astrocyte-specific glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter was inserted into the safe harbor adeno-associated virus integration site 1 (AAVS1) locus in disease and control-derived iPSCs. Astrocyte populations were enriched using Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) and after enrichment more than 99% of iPS astrocytes expressed mature astrocyte markers including GFAP, S100β, NFIA and ALDH1L1. In addition, mature pure GFP-iPS astrocytes exhibited a well-described functional astrocytic activity in vitro characterized by neuron-dependent regulation of glutamate transporters to regulate extracellular glutamate concentrations. Engraftment of GFP-iPS astrocytes into rat spinal cord grey matter confirmed in vivo cell survival and continued astrocytic maturation. In conclusion, the generation of GFAP::GFP-iPS astrocytes provides a powerful in vitro and in vivo tool for studying astrocyte biology and astrocyte-driven disease pathogenesis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-Wu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Jacqueline T Pham
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Youngjin Lee
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yuqing Huo
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Pentti J Tienari
- Biomedicum, Research Program Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki, FIN-00290, Finland
| | - Nicholas J Maragakis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rita Sattler
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland.,Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-270, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-248, Baltimore, Maryland.,Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-270, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Rangos 2-270, Baltimore, Maryland
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23
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Li K, Javed E, Scura D, Hala TJ, Seetharam S, Falnikar A, Richard JP, Chorath A, Maragakis NJ, Wright MC, Lepore AC. Human iPS cell-derived astrocyte transplants preserve respiratory function after spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2015. [PMID: 26216662 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Transplantation-based replacement of lost and/or dysfunctional astrocytes is a promising therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI) that has not been extensively explored, despite the integral roles played by astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a clinically-relevant source of pluripotent cells that both avoid ethical issues of embryonic stem cells and allow for homogeneous derivation of mature cell types in large quantities, potentially in an autologous fashion. Despite their promise, the iPS cell field is in its infancy with respect to evaluating in vivo graft integration and therapeutic efficacy in SCI models. Astrocytes express the major glutamate transporter, GLT1, which is responsible for the vast majority of glutamate uptake in spinal cord. Following SCI, compromised GLT1 expression/function can increase susceptibility to excitotoxicity. We therefore evaluated intraspinal transplantation of human iPS cell-derived astrocytes (hIPSAs) following cervical contusion SCI as a novel strategy for reconstituting GLT1 expression and for protecting diaphragmatic respiratory neural circuitry. Transplant-derived cells showed robust long-term survival post-injection and efficiently differentiated into astrocytes in injured spinal cord of both immunesuppressed mice and rats. However, the majority of transplant-derived astrocytes did not express high levels of GLT1, particularly at early times post-injection. To enhance their ability to modulate extracellular glutamate levels, we engineered hIPSAs with lentivirus to constitutively express GLT1. Overexpression significantly increased GLT1 protein and functional GLT1-mediated glutamate uptake levels in hIPSAs both in vitro and in vivo post-transplantation. Compared to human fibroblast control and unmodified hIPSA transplantation, GLT1-overexpressing hIPSAs reduced (1) lesion size within the injured cervical spinal cord, (2) morphological denervation by respiratory phrenic motor neurons at the diaphragm neuromuscular junction, and (3) functional diaphragm denervation as measured by recording of spontaneous EMGs and evoked compound muscle action potentials. Our findings demonstrate that hiPSA transplantation is a therapeutically-powerful approach for SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Elham Javed
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Daniel Scura
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Tamara J Hala
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Suneil Seetharam
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Aditi Falnikar
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Jean-Philippe Richard
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855N. Wolfe St., Rangos 250, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
| | - Ashley Chorath
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
| | - Nicholas J Maragakis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855N. Wolfe St., Rangos 250, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, 450S. Easton Rd., 220 Boyer Hall, Glenside, PA 19038, United States.
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
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Nicaise C, Mitrecic D, Falnikar A, Lepore AC. Transplantation of stem cell-derived astrocytes for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal cord injury. World J Stem Cells 2015; 7:380-398. [PMID: 25815122 PMCID: PMC4369494 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v7.i2.380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neglected for years, astrocytes are now recognized to fulfill and support many, if not all, homeostatic functions of the healthy central nervous system (CNS). During neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal cord injury (SCI), astrocytes in the vicinity of degenerating areas undergo both morphological and functional changes that might compromise their intrinsic properties. Evidence from human and animal studies show that deficient astrocyte functions or loss-of-astrocytes largely contribute to increased susceptibility to cell death for neurons, oligodendrocytes and axons during ALS and SCI disease progression. Despite exciting advances in experimental CNS repair, most of current approaches that are translated into clinical trials focus on the replacement or support of spinal neurons through stem cell transplantation, while none focus on the specific replacement of astroglial populations. Knowing the important functions carried out by astrocytes in the CNS, astrocyte replacement-based therapies might be a promising approach to alleviate overall astrocyte dysfunction, deliver neurotrophic support to degenerating spinal tissue and stimulate endogenous CNS repair abilities. Enclosed in this review, we gathered experimental evidence that argue in favor of astrocyte transplantation during ALS and SCI. Based on their intrinsic properties and according to the cell type transplanted, astrocyte precursors or stem cell-derived astrocytes promote axonal growth, support mechanisms and cells involved in myelination, are able to modulate the host immune response, deliver neurotrophic factors and provide protective molecules against oxidative or excitotoxic insults, amongst many possible benefits. Embryonic or adult stem cells can even be genetically engineered in order to deliver missing gene products and therefore maximize the chance of neuroprotection and functional recovery. However, before broad clinical translation, further preclinical data on safety, reliability and therapeutic efficiency should be collected. Although several technical challenges need to be overcome, we discuss the major hurdles that have already been met or solved by targeting the astrocyte population in experimental ALS and SCI models and we discuss avenues for future directions based on latest molecular findings regarding astrocyte biology.
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Human glial progenitor engraftment and gene expression is independent of the ALS environment. Exp Neurol 2014; 264:188-99. [PMID: 25523812 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Although Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease, basic research studies have highlighted that astrocytes contribute to the disease process. Therefore, strategies which replace the diseased astrocyte population with healthy astrocytes may protect against motor neuron degeneration. Our studies have sought to evaluate astrocyte replacement using glial-restricted progenitors (GRPs), which are lineage-restricted precursors capable of differentiating into astrocytes after transplantation. The goal of our current study was to evaluate how transplantation to the diseased ALS spinal cord versus a healthy, wild-type spinal cord may affect human GRP engraftment and selected gene expression. Human GRPs were transplanted into the spinal cord of either an ALS mouse model or wild-type littermate mice. Mice were sacrificed for analysis at either the onset of disease course or at the endstage of disease. The transplanted GRPs were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and NanoString gene profiling which showed no gross differences in the engraftment or gene expression of the cells. Our data indicate that human glial progenitor engraftment and gene expression is independent of the neurodegenerative ALS spinal cord environment. These findings are of interest given that human GRPs are currently in clinical development for spinal cord transplantation into ALS patients.
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Falnikar A, Li K, Lepore AC. Therapeutically targeting astrocytes with stem and progenitor cell transplantation following traumatic spinal cord injury. Brain Res 2014; 1619:91-103. [PMID: 25251595 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Replacement of lost and/or dysfunctional astrocytes via multipotent neural stem cell (NSC) and lineage-restricted neural progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach for traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Cell transplantation in general offers the potential to replace central nervous system (CNS) cell types, achieve remyelination, deliver missing gene products, promote and guide axonal growth, modulate the host immune response, deliver neuroprotective factors, and provide a cellular substrate for bridging the lesion site, amongst other possible benefits. A host of cell types that differ in their developmental stage, CNS region and species of derivation, as well as in their phenotypic potential, have been tested in a variety of SCI animal models. Historically in the SCI field, most pre-clinical NSC and NPC transplantation studies have focused on neuronal and oligodendrocyte replacement. However, much less attention has been geared towards targeting astroglial dysfunction in the inured spinal cord, despite the integral roles played by astrocytes in both normal CNS function and in the diseased nervous system. Despite the relative lack of studies, cell transplantation-based targeting of astrocytes dates back to some of the earliest transplant studies in SCI animal models. In this review, we will describe the history of work involving cell transplantation for targeting astrocytes in models of SCI. We will also touch on the current state of affairs in the field, as well as on important future directions as we move forward in trying to develop this approach into a viable strategy for SCI patients. Practical issues such as timing of delivery, route of transplantation and immunesuppression needs are beyond the scope of this review. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Falnikar
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University Medical College, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University Medical College, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University Medical College, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 469, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States.
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Richard JP, Maragakis NJ. Induced pluripotent stem cells from ALS patients for disease modeling. Brain Res 2014; 1607:15-25. [PMID: 25223906 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ability to reprogram adult somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells that can differentiate into all three germ layers of the developing human has fundamentally changed the landscape of biomedical research. For a neurodegenerative disease like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which does not manifest itself until adulthood and is a heterogeneous disease with few animal models, this technology may be particularly important. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have been created from patients with several familial forms of ALS as well as some sporadic forms of ALS. These cells have been differentiated into ALS-relevant cell subtypes including motor neurons and astrocytes, among others. ALS-relevant pathologies have also been identified in motor neurons from these cells and may provide a window into understanding disease mechanisms in vitro. Given that this is a relatively new field of research, numerous challenges remain before iPSC methodologies can fulfill their potential as tools for modeling ALS as well as providing a platform for the investigation of ALS therapeutics. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ALS complex pathogenesis.
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