A review of Rett syndrome (RTT) with induced pluripotent stem cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are pluripotent stem cells generated from somatic cells by the introduction of a combination of pluripotency-associated genes such as OCT4, SOX2, along with either KLF4 and c-MYC or NANOG and LIN28 via retroviral or lentiviral vectors. Most importantly, hiPSCs are similar to human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) functionally as they are pluripotent and can potentially differentiate into any desired cell type when provided with the appropriate cues, but do not have the ethical issues surrounding hESCs. For these reasons, hiPSCs have huge potential in translational medicine such as disease modeling, drug screening, and cellular therapy. Indeed, patient-specific hiPSCs have been generated for a multitude of diseases, including many with a neurological basis, in which disease phenotypes have been recapitulated in vitro and proof-of-principle drug screening has been performed. As the techniques for generating hiPSCs are refined and these cells become a more widely used tool for understanding brain development, the insights they produce must be understood in the context of the greater complexity of the human genome and the human brain. Disease models using iPS from Rett syndrome (RTT) patient's fibroblasts have opened up a new avenue of drug discovery for therapeutic treatment of RTT. The analysis of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) upon differentiation of RTT-hiPSCs into neurons will be critical to conclusively demonstrate the isolation of pre-XCI RTT-hiPSCs in comparison to post-XCI RTT-hiPSCs. The current review projects on iPSC studies in RTT as well as XCI in hiPSC were it suggests for screening new potential therapeutic targets for RTT in future for the benefit of RTT patients. In conclusion, patient-specific drug screening might be feasible and would be particularly helpful in disorders where patients frequently have to try multiple drugs before finding a regimen that works.

Abstract B45: Identification of chromosome aberration of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients in southern India

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most frequent cancer and constitutes a major health problem in India, representing the leading cause of death. The aim of the present investigation was to study the major chromosomal aberrations (CA) like deletion, translocation, inversion and mosaic in OSCC patients of South India. Genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of OSCC. Totally 300 oral sumucosa fibrosis symptoms patients were chosen from various hospitals from southern india by advent screening like Toluidine blue staining and brush biopsy. Finally 103 severely affected OSCC patients were selected. 5ml of peripheral blood samples were taken from affected patients. Equal numbers of normal healthy control subjects were chosen after signing a consent form. Cytogenetic studies were performed by using Giemsa-banding technique and finally the results were ensured by spectral karyotyping (SKY) technique. In the present investigation, major CA like deletion, translocation, inversion and mosaic were identified in experimental subjects. Results showed frequent CA in chromosomes 3p, 3q, 8p, 7p, 9p, 11q, 17p, 19q and X. In comparison with experimental subjects, the control subjects exhibited very low levels of major CA (P<0.05). In the present study, the high frequency of centromeric rearrangements indicates a potential role for mitotic irregularities associated with the centromere in OSCC tumorigenesis, interesting chromosomal regions which may harbor susceptibility genes. Identification of chromosome alterations may be helpful in understanding the molecular basis of the disease in a better manner.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B45.