Human Dental Pulp Cells Differentiate toward Neuronal Cells and Promote Neuroregeneration in Adult Organotypic Hippocampal Slices In Vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Li; Ide, Ryoji; Saiki, Chikako; Kumazawa, Yasuo; Okamura, Hisashi

2017-08-11

The adult mammalian central nerve system has fundamental difficulties regarding effective neuroregeneration. The aim of this study is to investigate whether human dental pulp cells (DPCs) can promote neuroregeneration by (i) being differentiated toward neuronal cells and/or (ii) stimulating local neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Using immunostaining, we demonstrated that adult human dental pulp contains multipotent DPCs, including STRO-1, CD146 and P75-positive stem cells. DPC-formed spheroids were able to differentiate into neuronal, vascular, osteogenic and cartilaginous lineages under osteogenic induction. However, under neuronal inductive conditions, cells in the DPC-formed spheroids differentiated toward neuronal rather than other lineages. Electrophysiological study showed that these cells consistently exhibit the capacity to produce action potentials, suggesting that they have a functional feature in neuronal cells. We further co-cultivated DPCs with adult mouse hippocampal slices on matrigel in vitro. Immunostaining and presto blue assay showed that DPCs were able to stimulate the growth of neuronal cells (especially neurons) in both the CA1 zone and the edges of the hippocampal slices. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), was expressed in co-cultivated DPCs. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that DPCs are well-suited to differentiate into the neuronal lineage. They are able to stimulate neurogenesis in the adult mouse hippocampus through neurotrophic support in vitro.

Generation of Regionally Specified Neural Progenitors and Functional Neurons from Human Embryonic Stem Cells under Defined Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnete Kirkeby

2012-06-01

Full Text Available To model human neural-cell-fate specification and to provide cells for regenerative therapies, we have developed a method to generate human neural progenitors and neurons from human embryonic stem cells, which recapitulates human fetal brain development. Through the addition of a small molecule that activates canonical WNT signaling, we induced rapid and efficient dose-dependent specification of regionally defined neural progenitors ranging from telencephalic forebrain to posterior hindbrain fates. Ten days after initiation of differentiation, the progenitors could be transplanted to the adult rat striatum, where they formed neuron-rich and tumor-free grafts with maintained regional specification. Cells patterned toward a ventral midbrain (VM identity generated a high proportion of authentic dopaminergic neurons after transplantation. The dopamine neurons showed morphology, projection pattern, and protein expression identical to that of human fetal VM cells grafted in parallel. VM-patterned but not forebrain-patterned neurons released dopamine and reversed motor deficits in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.

Human endothelial progenitor cells rescue cortical neurons from oxygen-glucose deprivation induced death.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacigaluppi, Susanna; Donzelli, Elisabetta; De Cristofaro, Valentina; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; D'Amico, Giovanna; Scuteri, Arianna; Tredici, Giovanni

2016-09-19

Cerebral ischemia is characterized by both acute and delayed neuronal injuries. Neuro-protection is a major issue that should be properly addressed from a pharmacological point of view, and cell-based treatment approaches are of interest due to their potential pleiotropic effects. Endothelial progenitor cells have the advantage of being mobilized from the bone marrow into the circulation, but have been less studied than other stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore, the comparison between human endothelial progenitor cells (hEPC) and human mesenchymal progenitor cells (hMSC) in terms of efficacy in rescuing neurons from cell death after transitory ischemia is the aim of the current study, in the effort to address further directions. In vitro model of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) on a primary culture of rodent cortical neurons was set up with different durations of exposure: 1, 2 and 3hrs with assessment of neuron survival. The 2hrs OGD was chosen for the subsequent experiments. After 2hrs OGD neurons were either placed in indirect co-culture with hMSC or hEPC or cultured in hMSC or hEPC conditioned medium and cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. At day 2 after 2hrs OGD exposure, mean neuronal survival was 47.9±24.2%. In contrast, after treatment with hEPC and hMSC indirect co-culture was 74.1±27.3%; and 69.4±18.8%, respectively. In contrast, treatment with conditioned medium did not provide any advantage in terms of survival to OGD neurons The study shows the efficacy of hEPC in indirect co-culture to rescue neurons from cell death after OGD, comparable to that of hMSC. hEPC deserve further studies given their potential interest for ischemia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional Properties of Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons in Health and Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason P. Weick

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Stem cell-derived neurons from various source materials present unique model systems to examine the fundamental properties of central nervous system (CNS development as well as the molecular underpinnings of disease phenotypes. In order to more accurately assess potential therapies for neurological disorders, multiple strategies have been employed in recent years to produce neuronal populations that accurately represent in vivo regional and transmitter phenotypes. These include new technologies such as direct conversion of somatic cell types into neurons and glia which may accelerate maturation and retain genetic hallmarks of aging. In addition, novel forms of genetic manipulations have brought human stem cells nearly on par with those of rodent with respect to gene targeting. For neurons of the CNS, the ultimate phenotypic characterization lies with their ability to recapitulate functional properties such as passive and active membrane characteristics, synaptic activity, and plasticity. These features critically depend on the coordinated expression and localization of hundreds of ion channels and receptors, as well as scaffolding and signaling molecules. In this review I will highlight the current state of knowledge regarding functional properties of human stem cell-derived neurons, with a primary focus on pluripotent stem cells. While significant advances have been made, critical hurdles must be overcome in order for this technology to support progression toward clinical applications.

Characterization of three human cell line models for high-throughput neuronal cytotoxicity screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Zhi-Bin; Hogberg, Helena; Kuo, David; Sakamuru, Srilatha; Xia, Menghang; Smirnova, Lena; Hartung, Thomas; Gerhold, David

2017-02-01

More than 75 000 man-made chemicals contaminate the environment; many of these have not been tested for toxicities. These chemicals demand quantitative high-throughput screening assays to assess them for causative roles in neurotoxicities, including Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. To facilitate high throughput screening for cytotoxicity to neurons, three human neuronal cellular models were compared: SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, LUHMES conditionally-immortalized dopaminergic neurons, and Neural Stem Cells (NSC) derived from human fetal brain. These three cell lines were evaluated for rapidity and degree of differentiation, and sensitivity to 32 known or candidate neurotoxicants. First, expression of neural differentiation genes was assayed during a 7-day differentiation period. Of the three cell lines, LUHMES showed the highest gene expression of neuronal markers after differentiation. Both in the undifferentiated state and after 7 days of neuronal differentiation, LUHMES cells exhibited greater cytotoxic sensitivity to most of 32 suspected or known neurotoxicants than SH-SY5Y or NSCs. LUHMES cells were also unique in being more susceptible to several compounds in the differentiating state than in the undifferentiated state; including known neurotoxicants colchicine, methyl-mercury (II), and vincristine. Gene expression results suggest that differentiating LUHMES cells may be susceptible to apoptosis because they express low levels of anti-apoptotic genes BCL2 and BIRC5/survivin, whereas SH-SY5Y cells may be resistant to apoptosis because they express high levels of BCL2, BIRC5/survivin, and BIRC3 genes. Thus, LUHMES cells exhibited favorable characteristics for neuro-cytotoxicity screening: rapid differentiation into neurons that exhibit high level expression neuronal marker genes, and marked sensitivity of LUHMES cells to known neurotoxicants. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Direct conversion of human pluripotent stem cells into cranial motor neurons using a piggyBac vector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo De Santis

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs are widely used for in vitro disease modeling. One of the challenges in the field is represented by the ability of converting human PSCs into specific disease-relevant cell types. The nervous system is composed of a wide variety of neuronal types with selective vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases. This is particularly relevant for motor neuron diseases, in which different motor neurons populations show a different susceptibility to degeneration. Here we developed a fast and efficient method to convert human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into cranial motor neurons of the branchiomotor and visceral motor subtype. These populations represent the motor neuron subgroup that is primarily affected by a severe form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with bulbar onset and worst prognosis. This goal was achieved by stable integration of an inducible vector, based on the piggyBac transposon, allowing controlled activation of Ngn2, Isl1 and Phox2a (NIP. The NIP module effectively produced electrophysiologically active cranial motor neurons. Our method can be easily extended to PSCs carrying disease-associated mutations, thus providing a useful tool to shed light on the cellular and molecular bases of selective motor neuron vulnerability in pathological conditions. Keywords: Spinal motor neuron, Cranial motor neuron, Induced pluripotent stem cells, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Phox2a, piggyBac

Microtubule Abnormalities Underlying Gulf War Illness in Neurons from Human-Induced Pluripotent Cells

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), originating from GW...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0433 TITLE: Microtubule Abnormalities Underlying Gulf War Illness in Neurons from Human- Induced Pluripotent Cells ...A simple blood sample is taken from the soldier, and then transduced, using reliable established methods , to make the cells pluripotent .

Human iPSC-derived neurons and lymphoblastoid cells for personalized medicine research in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurwitz, David

2016-09-01

The development and clinical implementation of personalized medicine crucially depends on the availability of high-quality human biosamples; animal models, although capable of modeling complex human diseases, cannot reflect the large variation in the human genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. Although the biosamples available from public biobanks that store human tissues and cells may represent the large human diversity for most diseases, these samples are not always sufficient for developing biomarkers for patient-tailored therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders. Postmortem human tissues are available from many biobanks; nevertheless, collections of neuronal human cells from large patient cohorts representing the human diversity remain scarce. Two tools are gaining popularity for personalized medicine research on neuropsychiatric disorders: human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons and human lymphoblastoid cell lines. This review examines and contrasts the advantages and limitations of each tool for personalized medicine research.

Directed differentiation of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons from human pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yao; Qu, Zhuang-Yin; Cao, Shi-Ying; Li, Qi; Ma, Lixiang; Krencik, Robert; Xu, Min; Liu, Yan

2016-06-15

Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) play critical roles in learning, memory and cognition. Dysfunction or degeneration of BFCNs may connect to neuropathology, such as Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome and dementia. Generation of functional BFCNs may contribute to the studies of cell-based therapy and pathogenesis that is related to learning and memory deficits. Here we describe a detail method for robust generation of BFCNs from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). In this method, BFCN progenitors are patterned from hESC or hiPSC-derived primitive neuroepithelial cells, with the treatment of sonic hedgehog (SHH) or combination with its agonist Purmorphamine, and by co-culturing with human astrocytes. At day 20, ∼90% hPSC-derived progenitors expressed NKX2.1, which is a transcriptional marker for MGE. Moreover, around 40% of NKX2.1+ cells co-expressed OLIG2 and ∼15% of NKX2.1+ cells co-expressed ISLET1, which are ventral markers. At day 35, ∼40% neurons robustly express ChAT, most of which are co-labeled with NKX2.1, ISLET1 and FOXG1, indicating the basal forebrain-like identity. At day 45, these neurons express mature neuronal markers MAP2, Synapsin, and VAChT. In this method, undefined conditions including genetic modification or cell-sorting are avoided. As a choice, feeder free conditions are used to avoid ingredients of animal origin. Moreover, Purmorphamine can be substituted for SHH to induce ventral progenitors effectively and economically. We provide an efficient method to generate BFCNs from multiple hPSC lines, which offers the potential application for disease modeling and pharmacological studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recapitulation of spinal motor neuron-specific disease phenotypes in a human cell model of spinal muscular atrophy

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhi-Bo Wang; Xiaoqing Zhang; Xue-Jun Li

2013-01-01

Establishing human cell models of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to mimic motor neuron-specific phenotypes holds the key to understanding the pathogenesis of this devastating disease.Here,we developed a closely representative cell model of SMA by knocking down the disease-determining gene,survival motor neuron (SMN),in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).Our study with this cell model demonstrated that knocking down of SMN does not interfere with neural induction or the initial specification of spinal motor neurons.Notably,the axonal outgrowth of spinal motor neurons was significantly impaired and these disease-mimicking neurons subsequently degenerated.Furthermore,these disease phenotypes were caused by SMN-full length (SMN-FL) but not SMN-A7 (lacking exon 7)knockdown,and were specific to spinal motor neurons.Restoring the expression of SMN-FL completely ameliorated all of the disease phenotypes,including specific axonal defects and motor neuron loss.Finally,knockdown of SMNFL led to excessive mitochondrial oxidative stress in human motor neuron progenitors.The involvement of oxidative stress in the degeneration of spinal motor neurons in the SMA cell model was further confirmed by the administration of N-acetylcysteine,a potent antioxidant,which prevented disease-related apoptosis and subsequent motor neuron death.Thus,we report here the successful establishment of an hESC-based SMA model,which exhibits disease gene isoform specificity,cell type specificity,and phenotype reversibility.Our model provides a unique paradigm for studying how motor neurons specifically degenerate and highlights the potential importance of antioxidants for the treatment of SMA.

Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells into Dopaminergic Neuron-like Cells in Vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, So Young; Soker, Shay; Jang, Yu-Jin; Kwon, Tae Gyun; Yoo, Eun Sang

2016-02-01

We investigated the potential of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons in vitro as an autologous stem cell source for Parkinson's disease treatment. The hDPSCs were expanded in knockout-embryonic stem cell (KO-ES) medium containing leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on gelatin-coated plates for 3-4 days. Then, the medium was replaced with KO-ES medium without LIF to allow the formation of the neurosphere for 4 days. The neurosphere was transferred into ITS medium, containing ITS (human insulin-transferrin-sodium) and fibronectin, to select for Nestin-positive cells for 6-8 days. The cells were then cultured in N-2 medium containing basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF), FGF-8b, sonic hedgehog-N, and ascorbic acid on poly-l-ornithine/fibronectin-coated plates to expand the Nestin-positive cells for up to 2 weeks. Finally, the cells were transferred into N-2/ascorbic acid medium to allow for their differentiation into dopaminergic neurons for 10-15 days. The differentiation stages were confirmed by morphological, immunocytochemical, flow cytometric, real-time PCR, and ELISA analyses. The expressions of mesenchymal stem cell markers were observed at the early stages. The expressions of early neuronal markers were maintained throughout the differentiation stages. The mature neural markers showed increased expression from stage 3 onwards. The percentage of cells positive for tyrosine hydroxylase was 14.49%, and the amount was 0.526 ± 0.033 ng/mL at the last stage. hDPSCs can differentiate into dopaminergic neural cells under experimental cell differentiation conditions, showing potential as an autologous cell source for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Ketamine Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Hiroyuki; Uchida, Tokujiro; Makita, Koshi

2015-01-01

Purpose Ketamine toxicity has been demonstrated in nonhuman mammalian neurons. To study the toxic effect of ketamine on human neurons, an experimental model of cultured neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) was examined, and the mechanism of its toxicity was investigated. Methods Human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons were treated with 0, 20, 100 or 500 μM ketamine for 6 and 24 h. Ketamine toxicity was evaluated by quantification of caspase 3/7 activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP concentration, neurotransmitter reuptake activity and NADH/NAD+ ratio. Mitochondrial morphological change was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Results Twenty-four-hour exposure of iPSC-derived neurons to 500 μM ketamine resulted in a 40% increase in caspase 3/7 activity (P ketamine (100 μM) decreased the ATP level (22%, P ketamine concentration, which suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction preceded ROS generation and caspase activation. Conclusions We established an in vitro model for assessing the neurotoxicity of ketamine in iPSC-derived neurons. The present data indicate that the initial mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy may be related to its inhibitory effect on the mitochondrial electron transport system, which underlies ketamine-induced neural toxicity. Higher ketamine concentration can induce ROS generation and apoptosis in human neurons. PMID:26020236

Proneural transcription factor Atoh1 drives highly efficient differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into dopaminergic neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagal, Jonathan; Zhan, Xiping; Xu, Jinchong; Tilghman, Jessica; Karuppagounder, Senthilkumar S; Chen, Li; Dawson, Valina L; Dawson, Ted M; Laterra, John; Ying, Mingyao

2014-08-01

Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are a promising cell resource for various applications in regenerative medicine. Highly efficient approaches that differentiate human PSCs into functional lineage-specific neurons are critical for modeling neurological disorders and testing potential therapies. Proneural transcription factors are crucial drivers of neuron development and hold promise for driving highly efficient neuronal conversion in PSCs. Here, we study the functions of proneural transcription factor Atoh1 in the neuronal differentiation of PSCs. We show that Atoh1 is induced during the neuronal conversion of PSCs and that ectopic Atoh1 expression is sufficient to drive PSCs into neurons with high efficiency. Atoh1 induction, in combination with cell extrinsic factors, differentiates PSCs into functional dopaminergic (DA) neurons with >80% purity. Atoh1-induced DA neurons recapitulate key biochemical and electrophysiological features of midbrain DA neurons, the degeneration of which is responsible for clinical symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Atoh1-induced DA neurons provide a reliable disease model for studying PD pathogenesis, such as neurotoxin-induced neurodegeneration in PD. Overall, our results determine the role of Atoh1 in regulating neuronal differentiation and neuron subtype specification of human PSCs. Our Atoh1-mediated differentiation approach will enable large-scale applications of PD patient-derived midbrain DA neurons in mechanistic studies and drug screening for both familial and sporadic PD. ©AlphaMed Press.

Labeling of neuronal differentiation and neuron cells with biocompatible fluorescent nanodiamonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Tzu-Chia; Liu, Kuang-Kai; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Hwang, Eric; Chao, Jui-I

2014-05-16

Nanodiamond is a promising carbon nanomaterial developed for biomedical applications. Here, we show fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) with the biocompatible properties that can be used for the labeling and tracking of neuronal differentiation and neuron cells derived from embryonal carcinoma stem (ECS) cells. The fluorescence intensities of FNDs were increased by treatment with FNDs in both the mouse P19 and human NT2/D1 ECS cells. FNDs were taken into ECS cells; however, FNDs did not alter the cellular morphology and growth ability. Moreover, FNDs did not change the protein expression of stem cell marker SSEA-1 of ECS cells. The neuronal differentiation of ECS cells could be induced by retinoic acid (RA). Interestingly, FNDs did not affect on the morphological alteration, cytotoxicity and apoptosis during the neuronal differentiation. Besides, FNDs did not alter the cell viability and the expression of neuron-specific marker β-III-tubulin in these differentiated neuron cells. The existence of FNDs in the neuron cells can be identified by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Together, FND is a biocompatible and readily detectable nanomaterial for the labeling and tracking of neuronal differentiation process and neuron cells from stem cells.

Generation of Regionally Specific Neural Progenitor Cells (NPCs) and Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells (hPSCs).

Science.gov (United States)

Cutts, Josh; Brookhouser, Nicholas; Brafman, David A

2016-01-01

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a multipotent cell population capable of long-term expansion and differentiation into a variety of neuronal subtypes. As such, NPCs have tremendous potential for disease modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine. Current methods for the generation of NPCs results in cell populations homogenous for pan-neural markers such as SOX1 and SOX2 but heterogeneous with respect to regional identity. In order to use NPCs and their neuronal derivatives to investigate mechanisms of neurological disorders and develop more physiologically relevant disease models, methods for generation of regionally specific NPCs and neurons are needed. Here, we describe a protocol in which exogenous manipulation of WNT signaling, through either activation or inhibition, during neural differentiation of hPSCs, promotes the formation of regionally homogenous NPCs and neuronal cultures. In addition, we provide methods to monitor and characterize the efficiency of hPSC differentiation to these regionally specific cell identities.

Efficient and rapid derivation of primitive neural stem cells and generation of brain subtype neurons from human pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yiping; Shin, Soojung; Jha, Balendu Shekhar; Liu, Qiuyue; Sheng, Jianting; Li, Fuhai; Zhan, Ming; Davis, Janine; Bharti, Kapil; Zeng, Xianmin; Rao, Mahendra; Malik, Nasir; Vemuri, Mohan C

2013-11-01

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells, are unique cell sources for disease modeling, drug discovery screens, and cell therapy applications. The first step in producing neural lineages from hPSCs is the generation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Current methods of NSC derivation involve the time-consuming, labor-intensive steps of an embryoid body generation or coculture with stromal cell lines that result in low-efficiency derivation of NSCs. In this study, we report a highly efficient serum-free pluripotent stem cell neural induction medium that can induce hPSCs into primitive NSCs (pNSCs) in 7 days, obviating the need for time-consuming, laborious embryoid body generation or rosette picking. The pNSCs expressed the neural stem cell markers Pax6, Sox1, Sox2, and Nestin; were negative for Oct4; could be expanded for multiple passages; and could be differentiated into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, in addition to the brain region-specific neuronal subtypes GABAergic, dopaminergic, and motor neurons. Global gene expression of the transcripts of pNSCs was comparable to that of rosette-derived and human fetal-derived NSCs. This work demonstrates an efficient method to generate expandable pNSCs, which can be further differentiated into central nervous system neurons and glia with temporal, spatial, and positional cues of brain regional heterogeneity. This method of pNSC derivation sets the stage for the scalable production of clinically relevant neural cells for cell therapy applications in good manufacturing practice conditions.

Efficient and Cost-Effective Generation of Mature Neurons From Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

OpenAIRE

Badja , Cherif; Maleeva , Galyna; El-Yazidi , Claire; Barruet , Emilie; Lasserre , Manon; Tropel , Philippe; Binetruy , Bernard; Bregestovski , Piotr; Magdinier , Frédérique

2014-01-01

The authors describe a feeder-free method of generating induced pluripotent stem cells by relying on the use of a chemically defined medium that overcomes the need for embryoid body formation and neuronal rosette isolation for neuronal precursors and terminally differentiated neuron production. This specific and efficient single-step strategy allows the production of mature neurons in 20–40 days with multiple applications, especially for modeling human pathologies.

Rapid and efficient CRISPR/Cas9 gene inactivation in human neurons during human pluripotent stem cell differentiation and direct reprogramming.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio, Alicia; Luoni, Mirko; Giannelli, Serena G; Radice, Isabella; Iannielli, Angelo; Cancellieri, Cinzia; Di Berardino, Claudia; Regalia, Giulia; Lazzari, Giovanna; Menegon, Andrea; Taverna, Stefano; Broccoli, Vania

2016-11-18

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a rapid and customizable tool for gene editing in mammalian cells. In particular, this approach has widely opened new opportunities for genetic studies in neurological disease. Human neurons can be differentiated in vitro from hPSC (human Pluripotent Stem Cells), hNPCs (human Neural Precursor Cells) or even directly reprogrammed from fibroblasts. Here, we described a new platform which enables, rapid and efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome targeting simultaneously with three different paradigms for in vitro generation of neurons. This system was employed to inactivate two genes associated with neurological disorder (TSC2 and KCNQ2) and achieved up to 85% efficiency of gene targeting in the differentiated cells. In particular, we devised a protocol that, combining the expression of the CRISPR components with neurogenic factors, generated functional human neurons highly enriched for the desired genome modification in only 5 weeks. This new approach is easy, fast and that does not require the generation of stable isogenic clones, practice that is time consuming and for some genes not feasible.

Characterization of energy and neurotransmitter metabolism in cortical glutamatergic neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells: A novel approach to study metabolism in human neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Aldana, Blanca I; Zhang, Yu; Lihme, Maria Fog; Bak, Lasse K; Nielsen, Jørgen E; Holst, Bjørn; Hyttel, Poul; Freude, Kristine K; Waagepetersen, Helle S

2017-06-01

Alterations in the cellular metabolic machinery of the brain are associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Novel human cellular disease models are essential in order to study underlying disease mechanisms. In the present study, we characterized major metabolic pathways in neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). With this aim, cultures of hiPSC-derived neurons were incubated with [U- 13 C]glucose, [U- 13 C]glutamate or [U- 13 C]glutamine. Isotopic labeling in metabolites was determined using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and cellular amino acid content was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Additionally, we evaluated mitochondrial function using real-time assessment of oxygen consumption via the Seahorse XF e 96 Analyzer. Moreover, in order to validate the hiPSC-derived neurons as a model system, a metabolic profiling was performed in parallel in primary neuronal cultures of mouse cerebral cortex and cerebellum. These serve as well-established models of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons, respectively. The hiPSC-derived neurons were previously characterized as being forebrain-specific cortical glutamatergic neurons. However, a comparable preparation of predominantly mouse cortical glutamatergic neurons is not available. We found a higher glycolytic capacity in hiPSC-derived neurons compared to mouse neurons and a substantial oxidative metabolism through the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. This finding is supported by the extracellular acidification and oxygen consumption rates measured in the cultured human neurons. [U- 13 C]Glutamate and [U- 13 C]glutamine were found to be efficient energy substrates for the neuronal cultures originating from both mice and humans. Interestingly, isotopic labeling in metabolites from [U- 13 C]glutamate was higher than that from [U- 13 C]glutamine. Although the metabolic profile of hiPSC-derived neurons in vitro was

Healthy human CSF promotes glial differentiation of hESC-derived neural cells while retaining spontaneous activity in existing neuronal networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heikki Kiiski

2013-05-01

The possibilities of human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cells from the basic research tool to a treatment option in regenerative medicine have been well recognized. These cells also offer an interesting tool for in vitro models of neuronal networks to be used for drug screening and neurotoxicological studies and for patient/disease specific in vitro models. Here, as aiming to develop a reductionistic in vitro human neuronal network model, we tested whether human embryonic stem cell (hESC-derived neural cells could be cultured in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF in order to better mimic the in vivo conditions. Our results showed that CSF altered the differentiation of hESC-derived neural cells towards glial cells at the expense of neuronal differentiation. The proliferation rate was reduced in CSF cultures. However, even though the use of CSF as the culture medium altered the glial vs. neuronal differentiation rate, the pre-existing spontaneous activity of the neuronal networks persisted throughout the study. These results suggest that it is possible to develop fully human cell and culture-based environments that can further be modified for various in vitro modeling purposes.

Functional Maturation of Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons in Long-Term Cultures.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca S Lam

Full Text Available Differentiated neurons can be rapidly acquired, within days, by inducing stem cells to express neurogenic transcription factors. We developed a protocol to maintain long-term cultures of human neurons, called iNGNs, which are obtained by inducing Neurogenin-1 and Neurogenin-2 expression in induced pluripotent stem cells. We followed the functional development of iNGNs over months and they showed many hallmark properties for neuronal maturation, including robust electrical and synaptic activity. Using iNGNs expressing a variant of channelrhodopsin-2, called CatCh, we could control iNGN activity with blue light stimulation. In combination with optogenetic tools, iNGNs offer opportunities for studies that require precise spatial and temporal resolution. iNGNs developed spontaneous network activity, and these networks had excitatory glutamatergic synapses, which we characterized with single-cell synaptic recordings. AMPA glutamatergic receptor activity was especially dominant in postsynaptic recordings, whereas NMDA glutamatergic receptor activity was absent from postsynaptic recordings but present in extrasynaptic recordings. Our results on long-term cultures of iNGNs could help in future studies elucidating mechanisms of human synaptogenesis and neurotransmission, along with the ability to scale-up the size of the cultures.

Plasticity of marrow mesenchymal stem cells from human first-trimester fetus: from single-cell clone to neuronal differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yihua; Shen, Wenzheng; Sun, Bingjie; Lv, Changrong; Dou, Zhongying

2011-02-01

Recent results have shown that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from human first-trimester abortus (hfBMSCs) are closer to embryonic stem cells and perform greater telomerase activity and faster propagation than mid- and late-prophase fetal and adult BMSCs. However, no research has been done on the plasticity of hfBMSCs into neuronal cells using single-cell cloned strains without cell contamination. In this study, we isolated five single cells from hfBMSCs and obtained five single-cell cloned strains, and investigated their biological property and neuronal differentiation potential. We found that four of the five strains showed similar expression profile of surface antigen markers to hfBMSCs, and most of them differentiated into neuron-like cells expressing Nestin, Pax6, Sox1, β-III Tubulin, NF-L, and NSE under induction. One strain showed different expression profile of surface antigen markers from the four strains and hfBMSCs, and did not differentiate toward neuronal cells. We demonstrated for the first time that some of single-cell cloned strains from hfBMSCs can differentiate into nerve tissue-like cell clusters under induction in vitro, and that the plasticity of each single-cell cloned strain into neuronal cells is different.

Neurite outgrowth in human iPSC-derived neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Data on morphology of rat and human neurons in cell cultureThis dataset is associated with the following publication:Druwe, I., T. Freudenrich , K. Wallace , T. Shafer , and W. Mundy. Comparison of Human Induced PluripotentStem Cell-Derived Neurons and Rat Primary CorticalNeurons as In Vitro Models of Neurite Outgrowth. Applied In vitro Toxicology. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Larchmont, NY, USA, 2(1): 26-36, (2016).

SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line: in vitro cell model of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Hong-rong; Hu, Lin-sen; Li, Guo-yi

2010-04-20

To evaluate the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line as an in vitro model of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons for Parkinson's disease (PD) research and to determine the effect of differentiation on this cell model. The data of this review were selected from the original reports and reviews related to SH-SY5Y cells published in Chinese and foreign journals (Pubmed 1973 to 2009). After searching the literature, 60 articles were selected to address this review. The SH-SY5Y cell line has become a popular cell model for PD research because this cell line posses many characteristics of DAergic neurons. For example, these cells express tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, as well as the dopamine transporter. Moreover, this cell line can be differentiated into a functionally mature neuronal phenotype in the presence of various agents. Upon differentiation, SH-SY5Y cells stop proliferating and a constant cell number is subsequently maintained. However, different differentiating agents induce different neuronal phenotypes and biochemical changes. For example, retinoic acid induces differentiation toward a cholinergic neuronal phenotype and increases the susceptibility of SH-SY5Y cells to neurotoxins and neuroprotective agents, whereas treatment with retinoic acid followed by phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate results in a DAergic neuronal phenotype and decreases the susceptibility of cells to neurotoxins and neuroprotective agents. Some differentiating agents also alter kinetics of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP(+)) uptake, making SH-SY5Y cells more similar to primary mesencephalic neurons. Differentiated and undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells have been widely used as a cell model of DAergic neurons for PD research. Some differentiating agents afford SH-SY5Y cells with more potential for studying neurotoxicity and neuroprotection and are thus more relevant to experimental PD research.

The saucor, a new stereological tool for analysing the spatial distributions of cells, exemplified by human neocortical neurons and glial cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stark, Anette K; Gundersen, Hans Jørgen Gottlieb; Gardi, Jonathan Eyal

2011-01-01

The 3D spatial arrangement of particles or cells, for example glial cells, with respect to other particles or cells, for example neurons, can be characterized by the radial number density function, which expresses the number density of so-called ‘secondary’ particles as a function of their distance...... formulae based on the Horvitz–Thompson theorem are derived for both isotropic uniform random and vertical uniform random designs. The method is illustrated with an example where the radial number density of neurons and glial cells around neurons in the human neocortex is estimated using thick vertical...... sections for light microscopy. The results indicate that the glial cells are clustered around the neurons and the neurons have a tendency towards repulsion from each other....

Qualitative analysis neurons in the adult human dentate nucleus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marić Dušica

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Although many relevant findings regarding to the morphology and cytoarchitectural development of the dentate nucleus have been presented so far, very little qualitative information has been collected on neuronal morphology in the adult human dentate nucleus. The neurons were labelled by Golgi staining from thirty human cerebella, obtained from medico-legal forensic autopsies of adult human bodies and free of significant brain pathology. The human dentate neurons were qualitatively analyzed and these cells were classified into two main classes: the small and the large multipolar neurons. Considering the shape of the cell body, number of the primary dendrites, shape of the dendritic tree and their position within the dentate nucleus, three subclasses of the large multipolar neurons have been recognized. The classification of neurons from the human dentate nucleus has been qualitatively confirmed in fetuses and premature infants. This study represents the first qualitative analysis and classification of the large multipolar neurons in the dentate nucleus of the adult human.

Transduced human copper chaperone for Cu,Zn-SOD (PEP-1-CCS) protects against neuronal cell death.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Soo Hyun; Kim, Dae Won; Kim, So Young; An, Jae Jin; Lee, Sun Hwa; Choi, Hee Soon; Sohn, Eun Jung; Hwang, Seok-Il; Won, Moo Ho; Kang, Tae-Cheon; Kwon, Hyung Joo; Kang, Jung Hoon; Cho, Sung-Woo; Park, Jinseu; Eum, Won Sik; Choi, Soo Young

2005-12-31

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the development of various human diseases. Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of the major means by which cells counteract the deleterious effects of ROS. SOD activity is dependent upon bound copper ions supplied by its partner metallochaperone protein, copper chaperone for SOD (CCS). In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of PEP-1-CCS against neuronal cell death and ischemic insults. When PEP-1-CCS was added to the culture medium of neuronal cells, it rapidly entered the cells and protected them against paraquat-induced cell death. Moreover, transduced PEP-1-CCS markedly increased endogenous SOD activity in the cells. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that it prevented neuronal cell death in the hippocampus in response to transient forebrain ischemia. These results suggest that CCS is essential to activate SOD, and that transduction of PEP-1-CCS provides a potential strategy for therapeutic delivery in various human diseases including stroke related to SOD or ROS.

The saucor, a new stereological tool for analysing the spatial distributions of cells, exemplified by human neocortical neurons and glial cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stark, Anette K.; Gundersen, Hans Jørgen Gottlieb; Gardi, Jonathan Eyal

The three dimensional spatial arrangement of particles or cells, for example glial cells, with respect to other particles or cells, for example neurons, can be characterized by the radial number density function, which expresses the number density of so called “secondary” particles as a function....... Estimation formulae based on the Horvitz-Thompson theorem are derived for both IUR and VUR designs. The method is illustrated with an example where the radial number density of neurons and glial cells around neurons in the human neocortex is estimated using thick vertical sections for light microscopy....... The results indicate that the glial cells are clustered around the neurons and the neurons have a tendency towards repulsion from each other....

Graphene foam as a biocompatible scaffold for culturing human neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Mattei, Cristiana; Nasr, Babak; Hudson, Emma J.; Alshawaf, Abdullah J.; Chana, Gursharan; Everall, Ian P.; Dottori, Mirella; Skafidas, Efstratios

2018-01-01

In this study, we explore the use of electrically active graphene foam as a scaffold for the culture of human-derived neurons. Human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived cortical neurons fated as either glutamatergic or GABAergic neuronal phenotypes were cultured on graphene foam. We show that graphene foam is biocompatible for the culture of human neurons, capable of supporting cell viability and differentiation of hESC-derived cortical neurons. Based on the findings, we propose that graphene foam represents a suitable scaffold for engineering neuronal tissue and warrants further investigation as a model for understanding neuronal maturation, function and circuit formation. PMID:29657752

Characterizing Human Stem Cell–derived Sensory Neurons at the Single-cell Level Reveals Their Ion Channel Expression and Utility in Pain Research

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Gareth T; Gutteridge, Alex; Fox, Heather DE; Wilbrey, Anna L; Cao, Lishuang; Cho, Lily T; Brown, Adam R; Benn, Caroline L; Kammonen, Laura R; Friedman, Julia H; Bictash, Magda; Whiting, Paul; Bilsland, James G; Stevens, Edward B

2014-01-01

The generation of human sensory neurons by directed differentiation of pluripotent stem cells opens new opportunities for investigating the biology of pain. The inability to generate this cell type has meant that up until now their study has been reliant on the use of rodent models. Here, we use a combination of population and single-cell techniques to perform a detailed molecular, electrophysiological, and pharmacological phenotyping of sensory neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells. We describe the evolution of cell populations over 6 weeks of directed differentiation; a process that results in the generation of a largely homogeneous population of neurons that are both molecularly and functionally comparable to human sensory neurons derived from mature dorsal root ganglia. This work opens the prospect of using pluripotent stem-cell–derived sensory neurons to study human neuronal physiology and as in vitro models for drug discovery in pain and sensory disorders. PMID:24832007

A time course analysis of the electrophysiological properties of neurons differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deborah Prè

Full Text Available Many protocols have been designed to differentiate human embryonic stem cells (ESCs and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs into neurons. Despite the relevance of electrophysiological properties for proper neuronal function, little is known about the evolution over time of important neuronal electrophysiological parameters in iPSC-derived neurons. Yet, understanding the development of basic electrophysiological characteristics of iPSC-derived neurons is critical for evaluating their usefulness in basic and translational research. Therefore, we analyzed the basic electrophysiological parameters of forebrain neurons differentiated from human iPSCs, from day 31 to day 55 after the initiation of neuronal differentiation. We assayed the developmental progression of various properties, including resting membrane potential, action potential, sodium and potassium channel currents, somatic calcium transients and synaptic activity. During the maturation of iPSC-derived neurons, the resting membrane potential became more negative, the expression of voltage-gated sodium channels increased, the membrane became capable of generating action potentials following adequate depolarization and, at day 48-55, 50% of the cells were capable of firing action potentials in response to a prolonged depolarizing current step, of which 30% produced multiple action potentials. The percentage of cells exhibiting miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents increased over time with a significant increase in their frequency and amplitude. These changes were associated with an increase of Ca2+ transient frequency. Co-culturing iPSC-derived neurons with mouse glial cells enhanced the development of electrophysiological parameters as compared to pure iPSC-derived neuronal cultures. This study demonstrates the importance of properly evaluating the electrophysiological status of the newly generated neurons when using stem cell technology, as electrophysiological properties of

Direct Reprogramming of Adult Human Somatic Stem Cells Into Functional Neurons Using Sox2, Ascl1, and Neurog2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Alves de Medeiros Araújo

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS or directly into cells from a different lineage, including neurons, has revolutionized research in regenerative medicine in recent years. Mesenchymal stem cells are good candidates for lineage reprogramming and autologous transplantation, since they can be easily isolated from accessible sources in adult humans, such as bone marrow and dental tissues. Here, we demonstrate that expression of the transcription factors (TFs SRY (sex determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2, Mammalian achaete-scute homolog 1 (Ascl1, or Neurogenin 2 (Neurog2 is sufficient for reprogramming human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSC into induced neurons (iNs. Furthermore, the combination of Sox2/Ascl1 or Sox2/Neurog2 is sufficient to reprogram up to 50% of transfected hUCMSCs into iNs showing electrical properties of mature neurons and establishing synaptic contacts with co-culture primary neurons. Finally, we show evidence supporting the notion that different combinations of TFs (Sox2/Ascl1 and Sox2/Neurog2 may induce multiple and overlapping neuronal phenotypes in lineage-reprogrammed iNs, suggesting that neuronal fate is determined by a combination of signals involving the TFs used for reprogramming but also the internal state of the converted cell. Altogether, the data presented here contribute to the advancement of techniques aiming at obtaining specific neuronal phenotypes from lineage-converted human somatic cells to treat neurological disorders.

The GluN2B subunit represents a major functional determinant of NMDA receptors in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioana Neagoe

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Abnormal signaling pathways mediated by N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various CNS disorders and have been long considered as promising points of therapeutic intervention. However, few efforts have been previously described concerning evaluation of therapeutic modulators of NMDARs and their downstream pathways in human neurons with endogenous expression of NMDARs. In the present study, we assessed expression, functionality, and subunit composition of endogenous NMDARs in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC-derived cortical neurons (iCell Neurons and iCell GlutaNeurons. We initially confirmed the expected pharmacological response of iCell Neurons and iCell GlutaNeurons to NMDA by patch-clamp recordings. Subsequent pharmacological interrogation using GluN2 subunit-selective antagonists revealed the predominance of GluN2B in both iCell Neurons and iCell GlutaNeurons. This observation was also supported by qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses of GluN2 subunit expression as well as pharmacological experiments using positive allosteric modulators with distinct GluN2 subunit selectivity. We conclude that iCell Neurons and iCell GlutaNeurons express functional GluN2B-containing NMDARs and could serve as a valuable system for development and validation of GluN2B-modulating pharmaceutical agents. Keywords: Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons, iCell Neurons, iCell GlutaNeurons, NMDA receptors, GluN2B, Positive allosteric modulators

Evaluation of motor neuron differentiation potential of human umbilical cord blood- derived mesenchymal stem cells, in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefi, Behnam; Sanooghi, Davood; Faghihi, Faezeh; Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi; Latifi, Nourahmad

2017-04-01

Many people suffer from spinal cord injuries annually. These deficits usually threaten the quality of life of patients. As a postpartum medically waste product, human Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) is a rich source of stem cells with self- renewal properties and neural differentiation capacity which made it useful in regenerative medicine. Since there is no report on potential of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells into motor neurons, we set out to evaluate the differentiation properties of these cells into motor neuron-like cells through administration of Retinoic Acid(RA), Sonic Hedgehog(Shh) and BDNF using a three- step in vitro procedure. The results were evaluated using Real-time PCR, Flowcytometry and Immunocytochemistry for two weeks. Our data showed that the cells changed into bipolar morphology and could express markers related to motor neuron; including Hb-9, Pax-6, Islet-1, NF-H, ChAT at the level of mRNA and protein. We could also quantitatively evaluate the expression of Islet-1, ChAT and NF-H at 7 and 14days post- induction using flowcytometry. It is concluded that human UCB-MSCs is potent to express motor neuron- related markers in the presence of RA, Shh and BDNF through a three- step protocol; thus it could be a suitable cell candidate for regeneration of motor neurons in spinal cord injuries. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

In Vitro Reconstruction of Neuronal Networks Derived from Human iPS Cells Using Microfabricated Devices.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuzo Takayama

Full Text Available Morphology and function of the nervous system is maintained via well-coordinated processes both in central and peripheral nervous tissues, which govern the homeostasis of organs/tissues. Impairments of the nervous system induce neuronal disorders such as peripheral neuropathy or cardiac arrhythmia. Although further investigation is warranted to reveal the molecular mechanisms of progression in such diseases, appropriate model systems mimicking the patient-specific communication between neurons and organs are not established yet. In this study, we reconstructed the neuronal network in vitro either between neurons of the human induced pluripotent stem (iPS cell derived peripheral nervous system (PNS and central nervous system (CNS, or between PNS neurons and cardiac cells in a morphologically and functionally compartmentalized manner. Networks were constructed in photolithographically microfabricated devices with two culture compartments connected by 20 microtunnels. We confirmed that PNS and CNS neurons connected via synapses and formed a network. Additionally, calcium-imaging experiments showed that the bundles originating from the PNS neurons were functionally active and responded reproducibly to external stimuli. Next, we confirmed that CNS neurons showed an increase in calcium activity during electrical stimulation of networked bundles from PNS neurons in order to demonstrate the formation of functional cell-cell interactions. We also confirmed the formation of synapses between PNS neurons and mature cardiac cells. These results indicate that compartmentalized culture devices are promising tools for reconstructing network-wide connections between PNS neurons and various organs, and might help to understand patient-specific molecular and functional mechanisms under normal and pathological conditions.

Neuroprotective Effect of Arctigenin via Upregulation of P-CREB in Mouse Primary Neurons and Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Nan; Wen, Qingping; Ren, Lu; Liang, Wenbo; Xia, Yang; Zhang, Xiaodan; Zhao, Dan; Sun, Dong; Hu, Yv; Hao, Haiguang; Yan, Yaping; Zhang, Guangxian; Yang, Jingxian; Kang, Tingguo

2013-01-01

Arctigenin (Arc) has been shown to act on scopolamine-induced memory deficit mice and to provide a neuroprotective effect on cultured cortical neurons from glutamate-induced neurodegeneration through mechanisms not completely defined. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of Arc on H89-induced cell damage and its potential mechanisms in mouse cortical neurons and human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. We found that Arc prevented cell viability loss induced by H89 in human SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, Arc reduced intracellular beta amyloid (Aβ) production induced by H89 in neurons and human SH-SY5Y cells, and Arc also inhibited the presenilin 1(PS1) protein level in neurons. In addition, neural apoptosis in both types of cells, inhibition of neurite outgrowth in human SH-SY5Y cells and reduction of synaptic marker synaptophysin (SYN) expression in neurons were also observed after H89 exposure. All these effects induced by H89 were markedly reversed by Arc treatment. Arc also significantly attenuated downregulation of the phosphorylation of CREB (p-CREB) induced by H89, which may contribute to the neuroprotective effects of Arc. These results demonstrated that Arc exerted the ability to protect neurons and SH-SY5Y cells against H89-induced cell injury via upregulation of p-CREB. PMID:24025424

Neuroprotective Effect of Arctigenin via Upregulation of P-CREB in Mouse Primary Neurons and Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tingguo Kang

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Arctigenin (Arc has been shown to act on scopolamine-induced memory deficit mice and to provide a neuroprotective effect on cultured cortical neurons from glutamate-induced neurodegeneration through mechanisms not completely defined. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of Arc on H89-induced cell damage and its potential mechanisms in mouse cortical neurons and human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. We found that Arc prevented cell viability loss induced by H89 in human SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, Arc reduced intracellular beta amyloid (Aβ production induced by H89 in neurons and human SH-SY5Y cells, and Arc also inhibited the presenilin 1(PS1 protein level in neurons. In addition, neural apoptosis in both types of cells, inhibition of neurite outgrowth in human SH-SY5Y cells and reduction of synaptic marker synaptophysin (SYN expression in neurons were also observed after H89 exposure. All these effects induced by H89 were markedly reversed by Arc treatment. Arc also significantly attenuated downregulation of the phosphorylation of CREB (p-CREB induced by H89, which may contribute to the neuroprotective effects of Arc. These results demonstrated that Arc exerted the ability to protect neurons and SH-SY5Y cells against H89-induced cell injury via upregulation of p-CREB.

Differential induction of Toll-like receptors & type 1 interferons by Sabin attenuated & wild type 1 polioviruses in human neuronal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanty, Madhu C; Deshpande, Jagadish M

2013-01-01

Polioviruses are the causative agent of paralytic poliomyelitis. Attenuated polioviruses (Sabin oral poliovirus vaccine strains) do not replicate efficiently in neurons as compared to the wild type polioviruses and therefore do not cause disease. This study was aimed to investigate the differential host immune response to wild type 1 poliovirus (wild PV) and Sabin attenuated type 1 poliovirus (Sabin PV) in cultured human neuronal cells. By using flow cytometry and real time PCR methods we examined host innate immune responses and compared the role of toll like receptors (TLRs) and cytoplasmic RNA helicases in cultured human neuronal cells (SK-N-SH) infected with Sabin PV and wild PV. Human neuronal cells expressed very low levels of TLRs constitutively. Sabin PV infection induced significantly higher expression of TLR3, TLR7 and melanoma differentiation-associated protein-5 (MDA-5) m-RNA in neuronal cells at the beginning of infection (up to 4 h) as compared to wild PV. Further, Sabin PV also induced the expression of interferon α/β at early time point of infection. The induced expression of IFN α/β gene by Sabin PV in neuronal cells could be suppressed by inhibiting TLR7. Neuronal cell innate immune response to Sabin and wild polioviruses differ significantly for TLR3, TLR7, MDA5 and type 1 interferons. Effects of TLR7 activation and interferon production and Sabin virus replication in neuronal cells need to be actively investigated in future studies.

Combined small-molecule inhibition accelerates the derivation of functional, early-born, cortical neurons from human pluripotent stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yuchen; Zhang, Xin-Jun; Renier, Nicolas; Wu, Zhuhao; Atkin, Talia; Sun, Ziyi; Ozair, M. Zeeshan; Tchieu, Jason; Zimmer, Bastian; Fattahi, Faranak; Ganat, Yosif; Azevedo, Ricardo; Zeltner, Nadja; Brivanlou, Ali H.; Karayiorgou, Maria; Gogos, Joseph; Tomishima, Mark; Tessier-Lavigne, Marc; Shi, Song-Hai; Studer, Lorenz

2017-01-01

Considerable progress has been made in converting human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into functional neurons. However, the protracted timing of human neuron specification and functional maturation remains a key challenge that hampers the routine application of hPSC-derived lineages in disease modeling and regenerative medicine. Using a combinatorial small-molecule screen, we previously identified conditions for the rapid differentiation of hPSCs into peripheral sensory neurons. Here we generalize the approach to central nervous system (CNS) fates by developing a small-molecule approach for accelerated induction of early-born cortical neurons. Combinatorial application of 6 pathway inhibitors induces post-mitotic cortical neurons with functional electrophysiological properties by day 16 of differentiation, in the absence of glial cell co-culture. The resulting neurons, transplanted at 8 days of differentiation into the postnatal mouse cortex, are functional and establish long-distance projections, as shown using iDISCO whole brain imaging. Accelerated differentiation into cortical neuron fates should facilitate hPSC-based strategies for disease modeling and cell therapy in CNS disorders. PMID:28112759

Temporally coordinated spiking activity of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons co-cultured with astrocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kayama, Tasuku; Suzuki, Ikuro; Odawara, Aoi; Sasaki, Takuya; Ikegaya, Yuji

2018-01-01

In culture conditions, human induced-pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived neurons form synaptic connections with other cells and establish neuronal networks, which are expected to be an in vitro model system for drug discovery screening and toxicity testing. While early studies demonstrated effects of co-culture of hiPSC-derived neurons with astroglial cells on survival and maturation of hiPSC-derived neurons, the population spiking patterns of such hiPSC-derived neurons have not been fully characterized. In this study, we analyzed temporal spiking patterns of hiPSC-derived neurons recorded by a multi-electrode array system. We discovered that specific sets of hiPSC-derived neurons co-cultured with astrocytes showed more frequent and highly coherent non-random synchronized spike trains and more dynamic changes in overall spike patterns over time. These temporally coordinated spiking patterns are physiological signs of organized circuits of hiPSC-derived neurons and suggest benefits of co-culture of hiPSC-derived neurons with astrocytes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neuronal medium that supports basic synaptic functions and activity of human neurons in vitro

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bardy, C.; Hurk, M. van den; Eames, T.; Marchand, C.; Hernandez, R.V.; Kellogg, M.; Gorris, M.A.J.; Galet, B.; Palomares, V.; Brown, J.; Bang, A.G.; Mertens, J.; Bohnke, L.; Boyer, L.; Simon, S.; Gage, F.H.

2015-01-01

Human cell reprogramming technologies offer access to live human neurons from patients and provide a new alternative for modeling neurological disorders in vitro. Neural electrical activity is the essence of nervous system function in vivo. Therefore, we examined neuronal activity in media widely

Differentiation potential of human CD133 positive hematopoietic stem cells into motor neuron- like cells, in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Moghaddam, Sepideh Alavi; Yousefi, Behnam; Sanooghi, Davood; Faghihi, Faezeh; Hayati Roodbari, Nasim; Bana, Nikoo; Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi; Pooyan, Paria; Arjmand, Babak

2017-12-01

Spinal cord injuries and motor neuron-related disorders impact on life of many patients around the world. Since pharmacotherapy and surgical approaches were not efficient to regenerate these types of defects; stem cell therapy as a good strategy to restore the lost cells has become the focus of interest among the scientists. Umbilical cord blood CD133 + hematopoietic stem cells (UCB- CD133 + HSCs) with self- renewal property and neural lineage differentiation capacity are ethically approved cell candidate for use in regenerative medicine. In this regard the aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the capability of these cells to differentiate into motor neuron-like cells (MNL), in vitro. CD133 + HSCs were isolated from human UCB using MACS system. After cell characterization using flow cytometry, the cells were treated with a combination of Retinoic acid, Sonic hedgehog, Brain derived neurotrophic factor, and B27 through a 2- step procedure for two weeks. The expression of MN-specific markers was examined using qRT- PCR, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. By the end of the two-week differentiation protocol, CD133 + cells acquired unipolar MNL morphology with thin and long neurites. The expression of Isl-1(62.15%), AChE (41.83%), SMI-32 (21.55%) and Nestin (17.46%) was detected using flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. The analysis of the expression of PAX6, ISL-1, ACHE, CHAT and SMI-32 revealed that MNLs present these neural markers at levels comparable with undifferentiated cells. In Conclusion Human UCB- CD133 + HSCs are remarkably potent cell candidates to transdifferentiate into motor neuron-like cells, in vitro. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Β-amyloid 1-42 oligomers impair function of human embryonic stem cell-derived forebrain cholinergic neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linn Wicklund

Full Text Available Cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD patients is associated with a decline in the levels of growth factors, impairment of axonal transport and marked degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs. Neurogenesis persists in the adult human brain, and the stimulation of regenerative processes in the CNS is an attractive prospect for neuroreplacement therapy in neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. Currently, it is still not clear how the pathophysiological environment in the AD brain affects stem cell biology. Previous studies investigating the effects of the β-amyloid (Aβ peptide on neurogenesis have been inconclusive, since both neurogenic and neurotoxic effects on progenitor cell populations have been reported. In this study, we treated pluripotent human embryonic stem (hES cells with nerve growth factor (NGF as well as with fibrillar and oligomeric Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 (nM-µM concentrations and thereafter studied the differentiation in vitro during 28-35 days. The process applied real time quantitative PCR, immunocytochemistry as well as functional studies of intracellular calcium signaling. Treatment with NGF promoted the differentiation into functionally mature BFCNs. In comparison to untreated cells, oligomeric Aβ1-40 increased the number of functional neurons, whereas oligomeric Aβ1-42 suppressed the number of functional neurons. Interestingly, oligomeric Aβ exposure did not influence the number of hES cell-derived neurons compared with untreated cells, while in contrast fibrillar Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 induced gliogenesis. These findings indicate that Aβ1-42 oligomers may impair the function of stem cell-derived neurons. We propose that it may be possible for future AD therapies to promote the maturation of functional stem cell-derived neurons by altering the brain microenvironment with trophic support and by targeting different aggregation forms of Aβ.

Differential induction of Toll-like receptors & type 1 interferons by Sabin attenuated & wild type 1 polioviruses in human neuronal cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madhu C Mohanty

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives: Polioviruses are the causative agent of paralytic poliomyelitis. Attenuated polioviruses (Sabin oral poliovirus vaccine strains do not replicate efficiently in neurons as compared to the wild type polioviruses and therefore do not cause disease. This study was aimed to investigate the differential host immune response to wild type 1 poliovirus (wild PV and Sabin attenuated type 1 poliovirus (Sabin PV in cultured human neuronal cells. Methods: By using flow cytometry and real time PCR methods we examined host innate immune responses and compared the role of toll like receptors (TLRs and cytoplasmic RNA helicases in cultured human neuronal cells (SK-N-SH infected with Sabin PV and wild PV. Results: Human neuronal cells expressed very low levels of TLRs constitutively. Sabin PV infection induced significantly higher expression of TLR3, TLR7 and melanoma differentiation-associated protein-5 (MDA-5 m-RNA in neuronal cells at the beginning of infection (up to 4 h as compared to wild PV. Further, Sabin PV also induced the expression of interferon α/β at early time point of infection. The induced expression of IFN α/β gene by Sabin PV in neuronal cells could be suppressed by inhibiting TLR7. Interpretation & conclusions: Neuronal cell innate immune response to Sabin and wild polioviruses differ significantly for TLR3, TLR7, MDA5 and type 1 interferons. Effects of TLR7 activation and interferon production and Sabin virus replication in neuronal cells need to be actively investigated in future studies.

Comparative study on effects of two different types of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on human neuronal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Valdiglesias, Vanessa; Costa, Carla; Sharma, Vyom; Kiliç, Gözde; Pásaro, Eduardo; Teixeira, João Paulo; Dhawan, Alok; Laffon, Blanca

2013-07-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) are among most frequently used nanoparticles (NPs). They are present in a variety of consumer products, including food industry in which they are employed as an additive. The potential toxic effects of these NPs on mammal cells have been extensively studied. However, studies regarding neurotoxicity and specific effects on neuronal systems are very scarce and, to our knowledge, no studies on human neuronal cells have been reported so far. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to investigate the effects of two types of TiO₂ NPs, with different crystalline structure, on human SHSY5Y neuronal cells. After NPs characterization, a battery of assays was performed to evaluate the viability, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative damage in TiO₂ NP-exposed SHSY5Y cells. Results obtained showed that the behaviour of both types of NPs resulted quite comparable. They did not reduce the viability of neuronal cells but were effectively internalized by the cells and induced dose-dependent cell cycle alterations, apoptosis by intrinsic pathway, and genotoxicity not related with double strand break production. Furthermore, all these effects were not associated with oxidative damage production and, consequently, further investigations on the specific mechanisms underlying the effects observed in this study are required. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells into neuronal by resveratrol.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Ya-Wei; Zhang, Zhen; Liu, Ming-Yue; Hu, Wei-Ping

2017-12-01

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have been proposed as a promising source of stem cells in nerve regeneration due to their close embryonic origin and ease of harvest. Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural polyphenolic and possesses many biological functions such as anti-inflammatory activity and protection against atherosclerosis and neuroprotective activities. There is increasing evidence showing that RSV plays a pivotal role in neuron protection and neuronal differentiation. In this study, we isolated DPSCs from impacted third molars and investigated whether RSV induces neuronal differentiation of DPSCs. To avoid loss of DPSCs multipotency, all the experiments were conducted on cells at early passages. RT-PCR results showed that RSV-treated DPSCs (RSV-DPSCs) significantly increased the expression of the neuroprogenitor marker Nestin. When RSV-DPSCs were differentiated with neuronal induction media (RSV-dDPSCs), they showed a cell morphology similar to neurons. The expression of neuronal-specific marker genes Nestin, Musashi, and NF-M in RSV-dDPSCs was significantly increased. Immunocytochemical staining and Western blot analysis showed that the expression of neuronal marker proteins, Nestin, and NF-M, was significantly increased in RSV-dDPSCs. Therefore, we have shown that RSV treatment, along with the use of neuronal induction media, effectively promotes neuronal cell differentiation of DPSCs. © 2017 International Federation for Cell Biology.

Neuronal medium that supports basic synaptic functions and activity of human neurons in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardy, Cedric; van den Hurk, Mark; Eames, Tameji; Marchand, Cynthia; Hernandez, Ruben V; Kellogg, Mariko; Gorris, Mark; Galet, Ben; Palomares, Vanessa; Brown, Joshua; Bang, Anne G; Mertens, Jerome; Böhnke, Lena; Boyer, Leah; Simon, Suzanne; Gage, Fred H

2015-05-19

Human cell reprogramming technologies offer access to live human neurons from patients and provide a new alternative for modeling neurological disorders in vitro. Neural electrical activity is the essence of nervous system function in vivo. Therefore, we examined neuronal activity in media widely used to culture neurons. We found that classic basal media, as well as serum, impair action potential generation and synaptic communication. To overcome this problem, we designed a new neuronal medium (BrainPhys basal + serum-free supplements) in which we adjusted the concentrations of inorganic salts, neuroactive amino acids, and energetic substrates. We then tested that this medium adequately supports neuronal activity and survival of human neurons in culture. Long-term exposure to this physiological medium also improved the proportion of neurons that were synaptically active. The medium was designed to culture human neurons but also proved adequate for rodent neurons. The improvement in BrainPhys basal medium to support neurophysiological activity is an important step toward reducing the gap between brain physiological conditions in vivo and neuronal models in vitro.

Thermo-responsive polymeric nanoparticles for enhancing neuronal differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Hye In; Cho, Ann-Na; Jang, Jiho; Kim, Dong-Wook; Cho, Seung-Woo; Chung, Bong Geun

2015-10-01

We report thermo-responsive retinoic acid (RA)-loaded poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-acrylamide (PNIPAM-co-Am) nanoparticles for directing human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) fate. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance analysis confirmed that RA was efficiently incorporated into PNIAPM-co-Am nanoparticles (PCANs). The size of PCANs dropped with increasing temperatures (300-400 nm at room temperature, 80-90 nm at 37°C) due to its phase transition from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. Due to particle shrinkage caused by this thermo-responsive property of PCANs, RA could be released from nanoparticles in the cells upon cellular uptake. Immunocytochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that neuronal differentiation of hiPSC-derived neuronal precursors was enhanced after treatment with 1-2 μg/ml RA-loaded PCANs. Therefore, we propose that this PCAN could be a potentially powerful carrier for effective RA delivery to direct hiPSC fate to neuronal lineage. The use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has been at the forefront of research in the field of regenerative medicine, as these cells have the potential to differentiate into various terminal cell types. In this article, the authors utilized a thermo-responsive polymer, Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), as a delivery platform for retinoic acid. It was shown that neuronal differentiation could be enhanced in hiPSC-derived neuronal precursor cells. This method may pave a way for future treatment of neuronal diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thiamine deficiency induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Xin; Xu, Mei; Frank, Jacqueline A. [Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536 (United States); Ke, Zun-ji [Department of Biochemistry, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China 201203 (China); Luo, Jia, E-mail: jialuo888@uky.edu [Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536 (United States); Department of Biochemistry, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China 201203 (China)

2017-04-01

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency (TD) plays a major role in the etiology of Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) which is a severe neurological disorder. TD induces selective neuronal cell death, neuroinflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress in the brain which are commonly observed in many aging-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The progress in this line of research is hindered due to the lack of appropriate in vitro models. The neurons derived for the human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide a relevant and powerful tool for the research in pharmaceutical and environmental neurotoxicity. In this study, we for the first time used human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-derived neurons (iCell neurons) to investigate the mechanisms of TD-induced neurodegeneration. We showed that TD caused a concentration- and duration-dependent death of iCell neurons. TD induced ER stress which was evident by the increase in ER stress markers, such as GRP78, XBP-1, CHOP, ATF-6, phosphorylated eIF2α, and cleaved caspase-12. TD also triggered oxidative stress which was shown by the increase in the expression 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). ER stress inhibitors (STF-083010 and salubrinal) and antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) were effective in alleviating TD-induced death of iCell neurons, supporting the involvement of ER stress and oxidative stress. It establishes that the iCell neurons are a novel tool to investigate cellular and molecular mechanisms for TD-induced neurodegeneration. - Highlights: • Thiamine deficiency (TD) causes death of human neurons in culture. • TD induces both endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress. • Alleviating ER stress and oxidative stress reduces TD

Thiamine deficiency induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xin; Xu, Mei; Frank, Jacqueline A.; Ke, Zun-ji; Luo, Jia

2017-01-01

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency (TD) plays a major role in the etiology of Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) which is a severe neurological disorder. TD induces selective neuronal cell death, neuroinflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress in the brain which are commonly observed in many aging-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The progress in this line of research is hindered due to the lack of appropriate in vitro models. The neurons derived for the human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide a relevant and powerful tool for the research in pharmaceutical and environmental neurotoxicity. In this study, we for the first time used human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-derived neurons (iCell neurons) to investigate the mechanisms of TD-induced neurodegeneration. We showed that TD caused a concentration- and duration-dependent death of iCell neurons. TD induced ER stress which was evident by the increase in ER stress markers, such as GRP78, XBP-1, CHOP, ATF-6, phosphorylated eIF2α, and cleaved caspase-12. TD also triggered oxidative stress which was shown by the increase in the expression 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). ER stress inhibitors (STF-083010 and salubrinal) and antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) were effective in alleviating TD-induced death of iCell neurons, supporting the involvement of ER stress and oxidative stress. It establishes that the iCell neurons are a novel tool to investigate cellular and molecular mechanisms for TD-induced neurodegeneration. - Highlights: • Thiamine deficiency (TD) causes death of human neurons in culture. • TD induces both endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress. • Alleviating ER stress and oxidative stress reduces TD

Generation of human cortical neurons from a new immortal fetal neural stem cell line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacci, E.; Villa, A.; Parmar, M.; Cavallaro, M.; Mandahl, N.; Lindvall, O.; Martinez-Serrano, A.; Kokaia, Z.

2007-01-01

Isolation and expansion of neural stem cells (NSCs) of human origin are crucial for successful development of cell therapy approaches in neurodegenerative diseases. Different epigenetic and genetic immortalization strategies have been established for long-term maintenance and expansion of these cells in vitro. Here we report the generation of a new, clonal NSC (hc-NSC) line, derived from human fetal cortical tissue, based on v-myc immortalization. Using immunocytochemistry, we show that these cells retain the characteristics of NSCs after more than 50 passages. Under proliferation conditions, when supplemented with epidermal and basic fibroblast growth factors, the hc-NSCs expressed neural stem/progenitor cell markers like nestin, vimentin and Sox2. When growth factors were withdrawn, proliferation and expression of v-myc and telomerase were dramatically reduced, and the hc-NSCs differentiated into glia and neurons (mostly glutamatergic and GABAergic, as well as tyrosine hydroxylase-positive, presumably dopaminergic neurons). RT-PCR analysis showed that the hc-NSCs retained expression of Pax6, Emx2 and Neurogenin2, which are genes associated with regionalization and cell commitment in cortical precursors during brain development. Our data indicate that this hc-NSC line could be useful for exploring the potential of human NSCs to replace dead or damaged cortical cells in animal models of acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Taking advantage of its clonality and homogeneity, this cell line will also be a valuable experimental tool to study the regulatory role of intrinsic and extrinsic factors in human NSC biology

Cell-type-specific gene delivery into neuronal cells in vitro and in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parveen, Zahida; Mukhtar, Muhammad; Rafi, Mohammed; Wenger, David A.; Siddiqui, Khwaja M.; Siler, Catherine A.; Dietzschold, Bernhard; Pomerantz, Roger J.; Schnell, Matthias J.; Dornburg, Ralph

2003-01-01

The avian retroviruses reticuloendotheliosis virus strain A (REV-A) and spleen necrosis virus (SNV) are not naturally infectious in human cells. However, REV-A-derived viral vectors efficiently infect human cells when they are pseudotyped with envelope proteins displaying targeting ligands specific for human cell-surface receptors. Here we report that vectors containing the gag region of REV-A and pol of SNV can be pseudotyped with the envelope protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and the glycoproteins of different rabies virus (RV) strains. Vectors pseudotyped with the envelope protein of the highly neurotropic RV strain CVS-N2c facilitated cell type-specific gene delivery into mouse and human neurons, but did not infect other human cell types. Moreover, when such vector particles were injected into the brain of newborn mice, only neuronal cells were infected in vivo. Cell-type-specific gene delivery into neurons may present quite specific gene therapy approaches for many degenerative diseases of the brain

Improved cell therapy protocols for Parkinson's disease based on differentiation efficiency and safety of hESC-, hiPSC-, and non-human primate iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sundberg, Maria; Bogetofte, Helle; Lawson, Tristan

2013-01-01

of safety and efficacy of stem cell-derived DA neurons. The aim of this study was to improve the safety of human- and non-human primate iPSC (PiPSC)-derived DA neurons. According to our results, NCAM(+) /CD29(low) sorting enriched VM DA neurons from pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cell populations......The main motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease are due to the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral midbrain (VM). For the future treatment of Parkinson's disease with cell transplantation it is important to develop efficient differentiation methods for production of human iPSCs and h......ESCs-derived midbrain-type DA neurons. Here we describe an efficient differentiation and sorting strategy for DA neurons from both human ES/iPS cells and non-human primate iPSCs. The use of non-human primate iPSCs for neuronal differentiation and autologous transplantation is important for preclinical evaluation...

Differentiation Potential of Human Chorion-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Motor Neuron-Like Cells in Two- and Three-Dimensional Culture Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Faghihi, Faezeh; Mirzaei, Esmaeil; Ai, Jafar; Lotfi, Abolfazl; Sayahpour, Forough Azam; Barough, Somayeh Ebrahimi; Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi

2016-04-01

Many people worldwide suffer from motor neuron-related disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal cord injuries. Recently, several attempts have been made to recruit stem cells to modulate disease progression in ALS and also regenerate spinal cord injuries. Chorion-derived mesenchymal stem cells (C-MSCs), used to be discarded as postpartum medically waste product, currently represent a class of cells with self renewal property and immunomodulatory capacity. These cells are able to differentiate into mesodermal and nonmesodermal lineages such as neural cells. On the other hand, gelatin, as a simply denatured collagen, is a suitable substrate for cell adhesion and differentiation. It has been shown that electrospinning of scaffolds into fibrous structure better resembles the physiological microenvironment in comparison with two-dimensional (2D) culture system. Since there is no report on potential of human chorion-derived MSCs to differentiate into motor neuron cells in two- and three-dimensional (3D) culture systems, we set out to determine the effect of retinoic acid (RA) and sonic hedgehog (Shh) on differentiation of human C-MSCs into motor neuron-like cells cultured on tissue culture plates (2D) and electrospun nanofibrous gelatin scaffold (3D).

Systematic Three-Dimensional Coculture Rapidly Recapitulates Interactions between Human Neurons and Astrocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Krencik

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Summary: 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. : In this article, Krencik and colleagues show that high-density cocultures of pre-differentiated human astrocytes with induced neurons, from pluripotent stem cells, elicit mature characteristics by 3–5 weeks. This provides a faster and more defined alternative method to organoid cultures for investigating human neural circuit function. Keywords: human pluripotent stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, synapses, coculture, three-dimensional spheres, organoids, disease modeling

Transplantation of neuronal-primed human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in hemiparkinsonian rodents.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa L M Khoo

Full Text Available Bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs have shown promise in in vitro neuronal differentiation and in cellular therapy for neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson' disease. However, the effects of intracerebral transplantation are not well defined, and studies do not agreed on the optimal neuronal differentiation method. Here, we investigated three growth factor-based neuronal differentiation procedures (using FGF-2/EGF/PDGF/SHH/FGF-8/GDNF, and found all to be capable of eliciting an immature neural phenotype, in terms of cell morphology and gene/protein expression. The neuronal-priming (FGF-2/EGF method induced neurosphere-like formation and the highest NES and NR4A2 expression by hMSCs. Transplantation of undifferentiated and neuronal-primed hMSCs into the striatum and substantia nigra of 6-OHDA-lesioned hemiparkinsonian rats revealed transient graft survival of 7 days, despite the reported immunosuppressive properties of MSCs and cyclosporine-immunosuppression of rats. Neither differentiation of hMSCs nor induction of host neurogenesis was observed at injection sites, and hMSCs continued producing mesodermal fibronectin. Strategies for improving engraftment and differentiation post-transplantation, such as prior in vitro neuronal-priming, nigral and striatal grafting, and co-transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells that promote neural regeneration, were unable to provide advantages. Innate inflammatory responses (Iba-1-positive microglia/macrophage and GFAP-positive astrocyte activation and accumulation were detected around grafts within 7 days. Our findings indicate that growth factor-based methods allow hMSC differentiation toward immature neuronal-like cells, and contrary to previous reports, only transient survival and engraftment of hMSCs occurs following transplantation in immunosuppressed hemiparkinsonian rats. In addition, suppression of host innate inflammatory responses may be a key factor for

Anti-Aβ drug screening platform using human iPS cell-derived neurons for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naoki Yahata

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive memory and cognitive decline during middle to late adult life. The AD brain is characterized by deposition of amyloid β peptide (Aβ, which is produced from amyloid precursor protein by β- and γ-secretase (presenilin complex-mediated sequential cleavage. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS cells potentially provide an opportunity to generate a human cell-based model of AD that would be crucial for drug discovery as well as for investigating mechanisms of the disease. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We differentiated human iPS (hiPS cells into neuronal cells expressing the forebrain marker, Foxg1, and the neocortical markers, Cux1, Satb2, Ctip2, and Tbr1. The iPS cell-derived neuronal cells also expressed amyloid precursor protein, β-secretase, and γ-secretase components, and were capable of secreting Aβ into the conditioned media. Aβ production was inhibited by β-secretase inhibitor, γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI, and an NSAID; however, there were different susceptibilities to all three drugs between early and late differentiation stages. At the early differentiation stage, GSI treatment caused a fast increase at lower dose (Aβ surge and drastic decline of Aβ production. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicate that the hiPS cell-derived neuronal cells express functional β- and γ-secretases involved in Aβ production; however, anti-Aβ drug screening using these hiPS cell-derived neuronal cells requires sufficient neuronal differentiation.

Spider Silk as Guiding Biomaterial for Human Model Neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Roloff

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Over the last years, a number of therapeutic strategies have emerged to promote axonal regeneration. An attractive strategy is the implantation of biodegradable and nonimmunogenic artificial scaffolds into injured peripheral nerves. In previous studies, transplantation of decellularized veins filled with spider silk for bridging critical size nerve defects resulted in axonal regeneration and remyelination by invading endogenous Schwann cells. Detailed interaction of elongating neurons and the spider silk as guidance material is unknown. To visualize direct cellular interactions between spider silk and neurons in vitro, we developed an in vitro crossed silk fiber array. Here, we describe in detail for the first time that human (NT2 model neurons attach to silk scaffolds. Extending neurites can bridge gaps between single silk fibers and elongate afterwards on the neighboring fiber. Culturing human neurons on the silk arrays led to an increasing migration and adhesion of neuronal cell bodies to the spider silk fibers. Within three to four weeks, clustered somata and extending neurites formed ganglion-like cell structures. Microscopic imaging of human neurons on the crossed fiber arrays in vitro will allow for a more efficient development of methods to maximize cell adhesion and neurite growth on spider silk prior to transplantation studies.

Patterning human neuronal networks on photolithographically engineered silicon dioxide substrates functionalized with glial analogues.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Mark A; Brennan, Paul M; Bunting, Andrew S; Cameron, Katherine; Murray, Alan F; Shipston, Mike J

2014-05-01

Interfacing neurons with silicon semiconductors is a challenge being tackled through various bioengineering approaches. Such constructs inform our understanding of neuronal coding and learning and ultimately guide us toward creating intelligent neuroprostheses. A fundamental prerequisite is to dictate the spatial organization of neuronal cells. We sought to pattern neurons using photolithographically defined arrays of polymer parylene-C, activated with fetal calf serum. We used a purified human neuronal cell line [Lund human mesencephalic (LUHMES)] to establish whether neurons remain viable when isolated on-chip or whether they require a supporting cell substrate. When cultured in isolation, LUHMES neurons failed to pattern and did not show any morphological signs of differentiation. We therefore sought a cell type with which to prepattern parylene regions, hypothesizing that this cellular template would enable secondary neuronal adhesion and network formation. From a range of cell lines tested, human embryonal kidney (HEK) 293 cells patterned with highest accuracy. LUHMES neurons adhered to pre-established HEK 293 cell clusters and this coculture environment promoted morphological differentiation of neurons. Neurites extended between islands of adherent cell somata, creating an orthogonally arranged neuronal network. HEK 293 cells appear to fulfill a role analogous to glia, dictating cell adhesion, and generating an environment conducive to neuronal survival. We next replaced HEK 293 cells with slower growing glioma-derived precursors. These primary human cells patterned accurately on parylene and provided a similarly effective scaffold for neuronal adhesion. These findings advance the use of this microfabrication-compatible platform for neuronal patterning. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Thiamine deficiency induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Xu, Mei; Frank, Jacqueline A; Ke, Zun-Ji; Luo, Jia

2017-04-01

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency (TD) plays a major role in the etiology of Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) which is a severe neurological disorder. TD induces selective neuronal cell death, neuroinflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress in the brain which are commonly observed in many aging-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The progress in this line of research is hindered due to the lack of appropriate in vitro models. The neurons derived for the human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide a relevant and powerful tool for the research in pharmaceutical and environmental neurotoxicity. In this study, we for the first time used human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-derived neurons (iCell neurons) to investigate the mechanisms of TD-induced neurodegeneration. We showed that TD caused a concentration- and duration-dependent death of iCell neurons. TD induced ER stress which was evident by the increase in ER stress markers, such as GRP78, XBP-1, CHOP, ATF-6, phosphorylated eIF2α, and cleaved caspase-12. TD also triggered oxidative stress which was shown by the increase in the expression 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). ER stress inhibitors (STF-083010 and salubrinal) and antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) were effective in alleviating TD-induced death of iCell neurons, supporting the involvement of ER stress and oxidative stress. It establishes that the iCell neurons are a novel tool to investigate cellular and molecular mechanisms for TD-induced neurodegeneration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A chemically defined substrate for the expansion and neuronal differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Yihuan; Cutts, Josh; Kimura, Azuma; Varun, Divya; Brafman, David A

2015-07-01

Due to the limitation of current pharmacological therapeutic strategies, stem cell therapies have emerged as a viable option for treating many incurable neurological disorders. Specifically, human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neural progenitor cells (hNPCs), a multipotent cell population that is capable of near indefinite expansion and subsequent differentiation into the various cell types that comprise the central nervous system (CNS), could provide an unlimited source of cells for such cell-based therapies. However the clinical application of these cells will require (i) defined, xeno-free conditions for their expansion and neuronal differentiation and (ii) scalable culture systems that enable their expansion and neuronal differentiation in numbers sufficient for regenerative medicine and drug screening purposes. Current extracellular matrix protein (ECMP)-based substrates for the culture of hNPCs are expensive, difficult to isolate, subject to batch-to-batch variations, and, therefore, unsuitable for clinical application of hNPCs. Using a high-throughput array-based screening approach, we identified a synthetic polymer, poly(4-vinyl phenol) (P4VP), that supported the long-term proliferation and self-renewal of hNPCs. The hNPCs cultured on P4VP maintained their characteristic morphology, expressed high levels of markers of multipotency, and retained their ability to differentiate into neurons. Such chemically defined substrates will eliminate critical roadblocks for the utilization of hNPCs for human neural regenerative repair, disease modeling, and drug discovery. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A chemically defined substrate for the expansion and neuronal differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yihuan Tsai

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Due to the limitation of current pharmacological therapeutic strategies, stem cell therapies have emerged as a viable option for treating many incurable neurological disorders. Specifically, human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (hNPCs, a multipotent cell population that is capable of near indefinite expansion and subsequent differentiation into the various cell types that comprise the central nervous system (CNS, could provide an unlimited source of cells for such cell-based therapies. However the clinical application of these cells will require (i defined, xeno-free conditions for their expansion and neuronal differentiation and (ii scalable culture systems that enable their expansion and neuronal differentiation in numbers sufficient for regenerative medicine and drug screening purposes. Current extracellular matrix protein (ECMP-based substrates for the culture of hNPCs are expensive, difficult to isolate, subject to batch-to-batch variations, and, therefore, unsuitable for clinical application of hNPCs. Using a high-throughput array-based screening approach, we identified a synthetic polymer, poly(4-vinyl phenol (P4VP, that supported the long-term proliferation and self-renewal of hNPCs. The hNPCs cultured on P4VP maintained their characteristic morphology, expressed high levels of markers of multipotency, and retained their ability to differentiate into neurons. Such chemically defined substrates will eliminate critical roadblocks for the utilization of hNPCs for human neural regenerative repair, disease modeling, and drug discovery.

Endogenous retinal neural stem cell reprogramming for neuronal regeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romain Madelaine

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In humans, optic nerve injuries and associated neurodegenerative diseases are often followed by permanent vision loss. Consequently, an important challenge is to develop safe and effective methods to replace retinal neurons and thereby restore neuronal functions and vision. Identifying cellular and molecular mechanisms allowing to replace damaged neurons is a major goal for basic and translational research in regenerative medicine. Contrary to mammals, the zebrafish has the capacity to fully regenerate entire parts of the nervous system, including retina. This regenerative process depends on endogenous retinal neural stem cells, the Müller glial cells. Following injury, zebrafish Müller cells go back into cell cycle to proliferate and generate new neurons, while mammalian Müller cells undergo reactive gliosis. Recently, transcription factors and microRNAs have been identified to control the formation of new neurons derived from zebrafish and mammalian Müller cells, indicating that cellular reprogramming can be an efficient strategy to regenerate human retinal neurons. Here we discuss recent insights into the use of endogenous neural stem cell reprogramming for neuronal regeneration, differences between zebrafish and mammalian Müller cells, and the need to pursue the identification and characterization of new molecular factors with an instructive and potent function in order to develop theurapeutic strategies for eye diseases.

Characterization of calcium signals in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived dentate gyrus neuronal progenitors and mature neurons, stably expressing an advanced calcium indicator protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Vőfély, Gergő; Berecz, Tünde; Szabó, Eszter; Szebényi, Kornélia; Hathy, Edit; Orbán, Tamás I; Sarkadi, Balázs; Homolya, László; Marchetto, Maria C; Réthelyi, János M; Apáti, Ágota

2018-04-01

Pluripotent stem cell derived human neuronal progenitor cells (hPSC-NPCs) and their mature neuronal cell culture derivatives may efficiently be used for central nervous system (CNS) drug screening, including the investigation of ligand-induced calcium signalization. We have established hippocampal NPC cultures derived from human induced PSCs, which were previously generated by non-integrating Sendai virus reprogramming. Using established protocols these NPCs were differentiated into hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons. In order to study calcium signaling without the need of dye loading, we have stably expressed an advanced calcium indicator protein (GCaMP6fast) in the NPCs using the Sleeping Beauty transposon system. We observed no significant effects of the long-term GCaMP6 expression on NPC morphology, gene expression pattern or neural differentiation capacity. In order to compare the functional properties of GCaMP6-expressing neural cells and the corresponding parental cells loaded with calcium indicator dye Fluo-4, a detailed characterization of calcium signals was performed. We found that the calcium signals induced by ATP, glutamate, LPA, or proteases - were similar in these two systems. Moreover, the presence of the calcium indicator protein allowed for a sensitive, repeatable detection of changes in calcium signaling during the process of neurogenesis and neuronal maturation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spindle neurons of the human anterior cingulate cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Nimchinsky, E. A.; Vogt, B. A.; Morrison, J. H.; Hof, P. R.; Bloom, F. E. (Principal Investigator)

1995-01-01

The human anterior cingulate cortex is distinguished by the presence of an unusual cell type, a large spindle neuron in layer Vb. This cell has been noted numerous times in the historical literature but has not been studied with modern neuroanatomic techniques. For instance, details regarding the neuronal class to which these cells belong and regarding their precise distribution along both ventrodorsal and anteroposterior axes of the cingulate gyrus are still lacking. In the present study, morphological features and the anatomic distribution of this cell type were studied using computer-assisted mapping and immunocytochemical techniques. Spindle neurons are restricted to the subfields of the anterior cingulate cortex (Brodmann's area 24), exhibiting a greater density in anterior portions of this area than in posterior portions, and tapering off in the transition zone between anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, a majority of the spindle cells at any level is located in subarea 24b on the gyral surface. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that the neurofilament protein triple was present in a large percentage of these neurons and that they did not contain calcium-binding proteins. Injections of the carbocyanine dye DiI into the cingulum bundle revealed that these cells are projection neurons. Finally, spindle cells were consistently affected in Alzheimer's disease cases, with an overall loss of about 60%. Taken together, these observations indicate that the spindle cells of the human cingulate cortex represent a morphological subpopulation of pyramidal neurons whose restricted distribution may be associated with functionally distinct areas.

Regional differentiation of retinoic acid-induced human pluripotent embryonic carcinoma stem cell neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis E Coyle

Full Text Available The NTERA2 cl D1 (NT2 cell line, derived from human teratocarcinoma, exhibits similar properties as embryonic stem (ES cells or very early neuroepithelial progenitors. NT2 cells can be induced to become postmitotic central nervous system neurons (NT2N with retinoic acid. Although neurons derived from pluripotent cells, such as NT2N, have been characterized for their neurotransmitter phenotypes, their potential suitability as a donor source for neural transplantation also depends on their ability to respond to localized environmental cues from a specific region of the CNS. Therefore, our study aimed to characterize the regional transcription factors that define the rostocaudal and dorsoventral identity of NT2N derived from a monolayer differentiation paradigm using quantitative PCR (qPCR. Purified NT2N mainly expressed both GABAergic and glutamatergic phenotypes and were electrically active but did not form functional synapses. The presence of immature astrocytes and possible radial glial cells was noted. The NT2N expressed a regional transcription factor code consistent with forebrain, hindbrain and spinal cord neural progenitors but showed minimal expression of midbrain phenotypes. In the dorsoventral plane NT2N expressed both dorsal and ventral neural progenitors. Of major interest was that even under the influence of retinoic acid, a known caudalization factor, the NT2N population maintained a rostral phenotype subpopulation which expressed cortical regional transcription factors. It is proposed that understanding the regional differentiation bias of neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells will facilitate their successful integration into existing neuronal networks within the CNS.

Evaluation of the rotenone-induced activation of the Nrf2 pathway in a neuronal model derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zagoura, Dimitra; Canovas-Jorda, David; Pistollato, Francesca; Bremer-Hoffmann, Susanne; Bal-Price, Anna

2017-06-01

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are considered as a powerful tool for drug and chemical screening and development of new in vitro testing strategies in the field of toxicology, including neurotoxicity evaluation. These cells are able to expand and efficiently differentiate into different types of neuronal and glial cells as well as peripheral neurons. These human cells-based neuronal models serve as test systems for mechanistic studies on different pathways involved in neurotoxicity. One of the well-known mechanisms that are activated by chemically-induced oxidative stress is the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Therefore, in the current study, we evaluated whether Nrf2 signaling machinery is expressed in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-derived mixed neuronal/glial culture and if so whether it becomes activated by rotenone-induced oxidative stress mediated by complex I inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. Rotenone was found to induce the activation of Nrf2 signaling particularly at the highest tested concentration (100 nM), as shown by Nrf2 nuclear translocation and the up-regulation of the Nrf2-downstream antioxidant enzymes, NQO1 and SRXN1. Interestingly, exposure to rotenone also increased the number of astroglial cells in which Nrf2 activation may play an important role in neuroprotection. Moreover, rotenone caused cell death of dopaminergic neurons since a decreased percentage of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH + ) cells was observed. The obtained results suggest that hiPSC-derived mixed neuronal/glial culture could be a valuable in vitro human model for the establishment of neuronal specific assays in order to link Nrf2 pathway activation (biomarker of oxidative stress) with additional neuronal specific readouts that could be applied to in vitro neurotoxicity evaluation. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models to investigate human cytomegalovirus infection in neural cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo D'Aiuto

Full Text Available Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV infection is one of the leading prenatal causes of congenital mental retardation and deformities world-wide. Access to cultured human neuronal lineages, necessary to understand the species specific pathogenic effects of HCMV, has been limited by difficulties in sustaining primary human neuronal cultures. Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS cells now provide an opportunity for such research. We derived iPS cells from human adult fibroblasts and induced neural lineages to investigate their susceptibility to infection with HCMV strain Ad169. Analysis of iPS cells, iPS-derived neural stem cells (NSCs, neural progenitor cells (NPCs and neurons suggests that (i iPS cells are not permissive to HCMV infection, i.e., they do not permit a full viral replication cycle; (ii Neural stem cells have impaired differentiation when infected by HCMV; (iii NPCs are fully permissive for HCMV infection; altered expression of genes related to neural metabolism or neuronal differentiation is also observed; (iv most iPS-derived neurons are not permissive to HCMV infection; and (v infected neurons have impaired calcium influx in response to glutamate.

Inhibition of apoptosis blocks human motor neuron cell death in a stem cell model of spinal muscular atrophy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhruv Sareen

Full Text Available Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA is a genetic disorder caused by a deletion of the survival motor neuron 1 gene leading to motor neuron loss, muscle atrophy, paralysis, and death. We show here that induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC lines generated from two Type I SMA subjects-one produced with lentiviral constructs and the second using a virus-free plasmid-based approach-recapitulate the disease phenotype and generate significantly fewer motor neurons at later developmental time periods in culture compared to two separate control subject iPSC lines. During motor neuron development, both SMA lines showed an increase in Fas ligand-mediated apoptosis and increased caspase-8 and-3 activation. Importantly, this could be mitigated by addition of either a Fas blocking antibody or a caspase-3 inhibitor. Together, these data further validate this human stem cell model of SMA, suggesting that specific inhibitors of apoptotic pathways may be beneficial for patients.

Protocol for the Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Mixed Cultures of Neurons and Glia for Neurotoxicity Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Pistollato, Francesca; Canovas-Jorda, David; Zagoura, Dimitra; Price, Anna

2017-06-09

Human pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into various cell types that can be applied to human-based in vitro toxicity assays. One major advantage is that the reprogramming of somatic cells to produce human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) avoids the ethical and legislative issues related to the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). HiPSCs can be expanded and efficiently differentiated into different types of neuronal and glial cells, serving as test systems for toxicity testing and, in particular, for the assessment of different pathways involved in neurotoxicity. This work describes a protocol for the differentiation of hiPSCs into mixed cultures of neuronal and glial cells. The signaling pathways that are regulated and/or activated by neuronal differentiation are defined. This information is critical to the application of the cell model to the new toxicity testing paradigm, in which chemicals are assessed based on their ability to perturb biological pathways. As a proof of concept, rotenone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial respiratory complex I, was used to assess the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway, a key regulator of the antioxidant-response-element-(ARE)-driven cellular defense mechanism against oxidative stress.

Molecular hierarchy in neurons differentiated from mouse ES cells containing a single human chromosome 21.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chi Chiu; Kadota, Mitsutaka; Nishigaki, Ryuichi; Kazuki, Yasuhiro; Shirayoshi, Yasuaki; Rogers, Michael Scott; Gojobori, Takashi; Ikeo, Kazuho; Oshimura, Mitsuo

2004-02-06

Defects in neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation in the fetal brain of Down syndrome (DS) patients lead to the apparent neuropathological abnormalities and contribute to the phenotypic characters of mental retardation, and premature development of Alzheimer's disease, those being the most common phenotype in DS. In order to understand the molecular mechanism underlying the cause of phenotypic abnormalities in the DS brain, we have utilized an in vitro model of TT2F mouse embryonic stem cells containing a single human chromosome 21 (hChr21) to study neuron development and neuronal differentiation by microarray containing 15K developmentally expressed cDNAs. Defective neuronal differentiation in the presence of extra hChr21 manifested primarily the post-transcriptional and translational modification, such as Mrpl10, SNAPC3, Srprb, SF3a60 in the early neuronal stem cell stage, and Mrps18a, Eef1g, and Ubce8 in the late differentiated stage. Hierarchical clustering patterned specific expression of hChr21 gene dosage effects on neuron outgrowth, migration, and differentiation, such as Syngr2, Dncic2, Eif3sf, and Peg3.

First human hNT neurons patterned on parylene-C/silicon dioxide substrates: Combining an accessible cell line and robust patterning technology for the study of the pathological adult human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Unsworth, C P; Graham, E S; Delivopoulos, E; Dragunow, M; Murray, A F

2010-12-15

In this communication, we describe a new method which has enabled the first patterning of human neurons (derived from the human teratocarcinoma cell line (hNT)) on parylene-C/silicon dioxide substrates. We reveal the details of the nanofabrication processes, cell differentiation and culturing protocols necessary to successfully pattern hNT neurons which are each key aspects of this new method. The benefits in patterning human neurons on silicon chip using an accessible cell line and robust patterning technology are of widespread value. Thus, using a combined technology such as this will facilitate the detailed study of the pathological human brain at both the single cell and network level. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Successful in vitro expansion and Characterization of Human Enteric Neuronal cells- A step towards Cell based therapies for Hirschsprung’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balamurugan M

2010-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Enteric Nervous system (ENS is a part of the Peripheral nervous system (PNS that controls the peristaltic activity of the gut wall which is essential for propulsion of food in the digestive tract. It is composed of a large number of neurons and glial cells, distributed throughout the length of the gut. These ganglion cells develop from the neural crest in the embryo. Failure of complete colonization of the gut by these enteric neural crest cells during early development of life results in absence of ganglia or neurons in a portion of the gut, usually the colon which leads to aperistaltis and severe intestinal obstruction. This is known as Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR also known as congenital megacolon. HSCR affects 1 in 4500 newborns (1, 2. It appears either sporadically or has a familial basis and is often associated with other developmental defects. The main forms of treatment of HSCR are surgical resection of the aganglionic segment and pull through of the normal bowel. At present research is aimed at developing Cell based therapies for replacement of ganglion cells or enteric neuronal cells in the aganglionic portion of the gut thus aiming at restoring the function of the gut (1, 3, 5. In this study we have isolated, in vitro expanded and characterized the Enteric Neuronal cells derived from human gut full thickness biopsy samplesMATERIALS AND METHODS: The postnatal gut full thickness biopsy samples of size 2-4 mm were obtained using from 13 patients undergoing gut resection surgery after informed consent. The samples were washed in Phosphate Buffer saline and using forceps, the outer smooth muscle layers along with the myenteric plexus were peeled off from the underlying tissue as strips. The strips were washed in Phosphate Buffer saline (PBS and treated with 1mg/ml Collagenase/Dispase mixture in PBS for 30-45 min at 37°C. The digested cells were filtered with 70µm filter and the cell suspensions were centrifuged at 1800

Progranulin is expressed within motor neurons and promotes neuronal cell survival

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kay Denis G

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Progranulin is a secreted high molecular weight growth factor bearing seven and one half copies of the cysteine-rich granulin-epithelin motif. While inappropriate over-expression of the progranulin gene has been associated with many cancers, haploinsufficiency leads to atrophy of the frontotemporal lobes and development of a form of dementia (frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin positive inclusions, FTLD-U associated with the formation of ubiquitinated inclusions. Recent reports indicate that progranulin has neurotrophic effects, which, if confirmed would make progranulin the only neuroprotective growth factor that has been associated genetically with a neurological disease in humans. Preliminary studies indicated high progranulin gene expression in spinal cord motor neurons. However, it is uncertain what the role of Progranulin is in normal or diseased motor neuron function. We have investigated progranulin gene expression and subcellular localization in cultured mouse embryonic motor neurons and examined the effect of progranulin over-expression and knockdown in the NSC-34 immortalized motor neuron cell line upon proliferation and survival. Results In situ hybridisation and immunohistochemical techniques revealed that the progranulin gene is highly expressed by motor neurons within the mouse spinal cord and in primary cultures of dissociated mouse embryonic spinal cord-dorsal root ganglia. Confocal microscopy coupled to immunocytochemistry together with the use of a progranulin-green fluorescent protein fusion construct revealed progranulin to be located within compartments of the secretory pathway including the Golgi apparatus. Stable transfection of the human progranulin gene into the NSC-34 motor neuron cell line stimulates the appearance of dendritic structures and provides sufficient trophic stimulus to survive serum deprivation for long periods (up to two months. This is mediated at least in part through

Characterization of energy and neurotransmitter metabolism in cortical glutamatergic neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aldana, Blanca I; Zhang, Yu; Lihme, Maria Fog

2017-01-01

pathways in neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). With this aim, cultures of hiPSC-derived neurons were incubated with [U-(13)C]glucose, [U-(13)C]glutamate or [U-(13)C]glutamine. Isotopic labeling in metabolites was determined using gas chromatography coupled to mass...

Neuropeptide co-expression in hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons of laboratory animals and the human

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katalin eSkrapits

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Hypothalamic peptidergic neurons using kisspeptin (KP and its co-transmitters for communication are critically involved in the regulation of mammalian reproduction and puberty. This article provides an overview of neuropeptides present in KP neurons, with a focus on the human species. Immunohistochemical studies reveal that large subsets of human KP neurons synthesize neurokinin B, as also shown in laboratory species. In contrast, dynorphin described in KP neurons of rodents and sheep is found rarely in KP cells of human males and postmenopausal females. Similarly, galanin is detectable in mouse, but not human, KP cells, whereas substance P, cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript and proenkephalin-derived opioids are expressed in varying subsets of KP neurons in humans, but not reported in ARC of other species. Human KP neurons do not contain neurotensin, cholecystokinin, proopiomelanocortin-derivatives, agouti-related protein, neuropeptide Y, somatostatin or tyrosine hydroxylase (dopamine. These data identify the possible co-transmitters of human KP cells. Neurochemical properties distinct from those of laboratory species indicate that humans use considerably different neurotransmitter mechanisms to regulate fertility.

Gene expression pattern of functional neuronal cells derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bron Dominique

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neuronal tissue has limited potential to self-renew or repair after neurological diseases. Cellular therapies using stem cells are promising approaches for the treatment of neurological diseases. However, the clinical use of embryonic stem cells or foetal tissues is limited by ethical considerations and other scientific problems. Thus, bone marrow mesenchymal stomal cells (BM-MSC could represent an alternative source of stem cells for cell replacement therapies. Indeed, many studies have demonstrated that MSC can give rise to neuronal cells as well as many tissue-specific cell phenotypes. Methods BM-MSC were differentiated in neuron-like cells under specific induction (NPBM + cAMP + IBMX + NGF + Insulin. By day ten, differentiated cells presented an expression profile of real neurons. Functionality of these differentiated cells was evaluated by calcium influx through glutamate receptor AMPA3. Results Using microarray analysis, we compared gene expression profile of these different samples, before and after neurogenic differentiation. Among the 1943 genes differentially expressed, genes down-regulated are involved in osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, adipogenesis, myogenesis and extracellular matrix component (tuftelin, AGC1, FADS3, tropomyosin, fibronectin, ECM2, HAPLN1, vimentin. Interestingly, genes implicated in neurogenesis are increased. Most of them are involved in the synaptic transmission and long term potentialisation as cortactin, CASK, SYNCRIP, SYNTL4 and STX1. Other genes are involved in neurite outgrowth, early neuronal cell development, neuropeptide signaling/synthesis and neuronal receptor (FK506, ARHGAP6, CDKRAP2, PMCH, GFPT2, GRIA3, MCT6, BDNF, PENK, amphiregulin, neurofilament 3, Epha4, synaptotagmin. Using real time RT-PCR, we confirmed the expression of selected neuronal genes: NEGR1, GRIA3 (AMPA3, NEF3, PENK and Epha4. Functionality of these neuron-like cells was demonstrated by Ca2+ influx through glutamate

γ-Secretase modulators reduce endogenous amyloid β42 levels in human neural progenitor cells without altering neuronal differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

D’Avanzo, Carla; Sliwinski, Christopher; Wagner, Steven L.; Tanzi, Rudolph E.; Kim, Doo Yeon; Kovacs, Dora M.

2015-01-01

Soluble γ-secretase modulators (SGSMs) selectively decrease toxic amyloid β (Aβ) peptides (Aβ42). However, their effect on the physiologic functions of γ-secretase has not been tested in human model systems. γ-Secretase regulates fate determination of neural progenitor cells. Thus, we studied the impact of SGSMs on the neuronal differentiation of ReNcell VM (ReN) human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs). Quantitative PCR analysis showed that treatment of neurosphere-like ReN cell aggregate cultures with γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs), but not SGSMs, induced a 2- to 4-fold increase in the expression of the neuronal markers Tuj1 and doublecortin. GSI treatment also induced neuronal marker protein expression, as shown by Western blot analysis. In the same conditions, SGSM treatment selectively reduced endogenous Aβ42 levels by ∼80%. Mechanistically, we found that Notch target gene expressions were selectively inhibited by a GSI, not by SGSM treatment. We can assert, for the first time, that SGSMs do not affect the neuronal differentiation of hNPCs while selectively decreasing endogenous Aβ42 levels in the same conditions. Our results suggest that our hNPC differentiation system can serve as a useful model to test the impact of GSIs and SGSMs on both endogenous Aβ levels and γ-secretase physiologic functions including endogenous Notch signaling.—D’Avanzo, C., Sliwinski, C., Wagner, S. L., Tanzi, R. E., Kim, D. Y., Kovacs, D. M. γ-Secretase modulators reduce endogenous amyloid β42 levels in human neural progenitor cells without altering neuronal differentiation. PMID:25903103

Physiological characterisation of human iPS-derived dopaminergic neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth M Hartfield

Full Text Available Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs offer the potential to study otherwise inaccessible cell types. Critical to this is the directed differentiation of hiPSCs into functional cell lineages. This is of particular relevance to research into neurological disease, such as Parkinson's disease (PD, in which midbrain dopaminergic neurons degenerate during disease progression but are unobtainable until post-mortem. Here we report a detailed study into the physiological maturation over time of human dopaminergic neurons in vitro. We first generated and differentiated hiPSC lines into midbrain dopaminergic neurons and performed a comprehensive characterisation to confirm dopaminergic functionality by demonstrating dopamine synthesis, release, and re-uptake. The neuronal cultures include cells positive for both tyrosine hydroxylase (TH and G protein-activated inward rectifier potassium channel 2 (Kir3.2, henceforth referred to as GIRK2, representative of the A9 population of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc neurons vulnerable in PD. We observed for the first time the maturation of the slow autonomous pace-making (<10 Hz and spontaneous synaptic activity typical of mature SNc dopaminergic neurons using a combination of calcium imaging and electrophysiology. hiPSC-derived neurons exhibited inositol tri-phosphate (IP3 receptor-dependent release of intracellular calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum in neuronal processes as calcium waves propagating from apical and distal dendrites, and in the soma. Finally, neurons were susceptible to the dopamine neuron-specific toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+ which reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and altered mitochondrial morphology. Mature hiPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons provide a neurophysiologically-defined model of previously inaccessible vulnerable SNc dopaminergic neurons to bridge the gap between clinical PD and animal models.

Estrogen receptor beta-selective agonists stimulate calcium oscillations in human and mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Zhang

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Estrogens are used extensively to treat hot flashes in menopausal women. Some of the beneficial effects of estrogens in hormone therapy on the brain might be due to nongenomic effects in neurons such as the rapid stimulation of calcium oscillations. Most studies have examined the nongenomic effects of estrogen receptors (ER in primary neurons or brain slices from the rodent brain. However, these cells can not be maintained continuously in culture because neurons are post-mitotic. Neurons derived from embryonic stem cells could be a potential continuous, cell-based model to study nongenomic actions of estrogens in neurons if they are responsive to estrogens after differentiation. In this study ER-subtype specific estrogens were used to examine the role of ERalpha and ERbeta on calcium oscillations in neurons derived from human (hES and mouse embryonic stem cells. Unlike the undifferentiated hES cells the differentiated cells expressed neuronal markers, ERbeta, but not ERalpha. The non-selective ER agonist 17beta-estradiol (E(2 rapidly increased [Ca2+]i oscillations and synchronizations within a few minutes. No change in calcium oscillations was observed with the selective ERalpha agonist 4,4',4''-(4-Propyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyltrisphenol (PPT. In contrast, the selective ERbeta agonists, 2,3-bis(4-Hydroxyphenyl-propionitrile (DPN, MF101, and 2-(3-fluoro-4-hydroxyphenyl-7-vinyl-1,3 benzoxazol-5-ol (ERB-041; WAY-202041 stimulated calcium oscillations similar to E(2. The ERbeta agonists also increased calcium oscillations and phosphorylated PKC, AKT and ERK1/2 in neurons derived from mouse ES cells, which was inhibited by nifedipine demonstrating that ERbeta activates L-type voltage gated calcium channels to regulate neuronal activity. Our results demonstrate that ERbeta signaling regulates nongenomic pathways in neurons derived from ES cells, and suggest that these cells might be useful to study the nongenomic mechanisms of estrogenic compounds.

Application of stem cell derived neuronal cells to evaluate neurotoxic chemotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Wing

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs and differentiation to cells composing major organs has opened up the possibility for a new model system to study adverse toxicities associated with chemotherapy. Therefore, we used human iPSC-derived neurons to study peripheral neuropathy, one of the most common adverse effects of chemotherapy and cause for dose reduction. To determine the utility of these neurons in investigating the effects of neurotoxic chemotherapy, we measured morphological differences in neurite outgrowth, cell viability as determined by ATP levels and apoptosis through measures of caspase 3/7 activation following treatment with clinically relevant concentrations of platinating agents (cisplatin, oxaliplatin and carboplatin, taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel and nab-paclitaxel, a targeted proteasome inhibitor (bortezomib, an antiangiogenic compound (thalidomide, and 5-fluorouracil, a chemotherapeutic that does not cause neuropathy. We demonstrate differential sensitivity of neurons to mechanistically distinct classes of chemotherapeutics. We also show a dose-dependent reduction of electrical activity as measured by mean firing rate of the neurons following treatment with paclitaxel. We compared neurite outgrowth and cell viability of iPSC-derived cortical (iCell® Neurons and peripheral (Peri.4U neurons to cisplatin, paclitaxel and vincristine. Goshajinkigan, a Japanese herbal neuroprotectant medicine, was protective against paclitaxel-induced neurotoxicity but not oxaliplatin as measured by morphological phenotypes. Thus, we have demonstrated the utility of human iPSC-derived neurons as a useful model to distinguish drug class differences and for studies of a potential neuroprotectant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Direct Induction and Functional Maturation of Forebrain GABAergic Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfred Xuyang Sun

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA-releasing interneurons play an important modulatory role in the cortex and have been implicated in multiple neurological disorders. Patient-derived interneurons could provide a foundation for studying the pathogenesis of these diseases as well as for identifying potential therapeutic targets. Here, we identified a set of genetic factors that could robustly induce human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs into GABAergic neurons (iGNs with high efficiency. We demonstrated that the human iGNs express neurochemical markers and exhibit mature electrophysiological properties within 6–8 weeks. Furthermore, in vitro, iGNs could form functional synapses with other iGNs or with human-induced glutamatergic neurons (iENs. Upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice, human iGNs underwent synaptic maturation and integration into host neural circuits. Taken together, our rapid and highly efficient single-step protocol to generate iGNs may be useful to both mechanistic and translational studies of human interneurons.

GROα regulates human embryonic stem cell self-renewal or adoption of a neuronal fate

Science.gov (United States)

Krtolica, Ana; Larocque, Nick; Genbacev, Olga; Ilic, Dusko; Coppe, Jean-Philippe; Patil, Christopher K.; Zdravkovic, Tamara; McMaster, Michael; Campisi, Judith; Fisher, Susan J.

2012-01-01

Previously we reported that feeders formed from human placental fibroblasts (hPFs) support derivation and long-term self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) under serum-free conditions. Here, we show, using antibody array and ELISA platforms, that hPFs secrete ~6-fold higher amounts of the CXC-type chemokine, GROα, than IMR 90, a human lung fibroblast line, which does not support hESC growth. Furthermore, immunocytochemistry and immunoblot approaches revealed that hESCs express CXCR, a GROα receptor. We used this information to develop defined culture medium for feeder-free propagation of hESCs in an undifferentiated state. Cells passaged as small aggregates and maintained in the GROα-containing medium had a normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers, and exhibited apical–basal polarity, i.e., had the defining features of pluripotent hESCs. They also differentiated into the three primary (embryonic) germ layers and formed teratomas in immunocompromised mice. hESCs cultured as single cells in the GROα-containing medium also had a normal karyotype, but they downregulated markers of pluripotency, lost apical–basal polarity, and expressed markers that are indicative of the early stages of neuronal differentiation—βIII tubulin, vimentin, radial glial protein, and nestin. These data support our hypothesis that establishing and maintaining cell polarity is essential for the long-term propagation of hESCs in an undifferentiated state and that disruption of cell–cell contacts can trigger adoption of a neuronal fate. PMID:21396766

Zinc Deficiency Induces Apoptosis via Mitochondrial p53- and Caspase-Dependent Pathways in Human Neuronal Precursor Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Seth, Rohit; Corniola, Rikki S.; Gower-Winter, Shannon D.; Morgan, Thomas J., Jr.; Bishop, Brian; Levenson, Cathy W.

2015-01-01

Previous studies have shown that zinc deficiency leads to apoptosis of neuronal precursor cells in vivo and in vitro. In addition to the role of p53 as a nuclear transcription factor in zinc deficient cultured human neuronal precursors (NT-2), we have now identified the translocation of phosphorylated p53 to the mitochondria and p53-dependent…

Isolation of skin-derived precursors from human foreskin and their differentiation into neurons and glial cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bakhtiari M

2010-12-01

Full Text Available "n Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Background: Skin-derived precursors (SKPs are a type of progenitor cells extracted from mammalian dermal tissue and can be differentiate to neural and mesodermal lineage in vitro. These cells can introduce an accessible autologos source of neural precursor cells for treatment of different neurodegenerative diseases. This research was done in order to set up isolation, culture, proliferation and differentiation of human skin derived precursors (hSKPs."n"nMethods: Human foreskin samples were cut into smaller pieces and cultured in proliferation medium after enzymatic digestion. To induce neural differentiation, cells were cultured in neural differentiation medium after fifth passage. We used immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR for characterization of the cells. Neuron and glial cell differentiation potential was assessed by immunofloresence using specific antibodies. The experiments were carried out in triplicate."n"nResults: After differentiation, βΙΙΙ- tubulin and neurofilament-M positive cells were observed that are specific markers for neurons. Moreover, glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP and S100 positive cells were identified that are markers specifically express in glial cells. Detected neurons and glials were

Quantitative analysis of intraneuronal transport in human iPS neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haruko Nakamura

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Induced pluripotent stem (iPS cells are promising tools to investigate disease mechanism and develop new drugs. Intraneuronal transport, which is fundamental for neuronal survival and function, is vulnerable to various pharmacological and chemical agents and is disrupted in some neurodegenerative disorders. We applied a quantification method for axonal transport by counting CM-DiI–labeled particles traveling along the neurite, which allowed us to monitor and quantitate, for the first time, intraneuronal transport in human neurons differentiated from iPS cells (iCell neurons. We evaluated the acute effects of several anti-neoplastic agents that have been previously shown to affect intraneuronal transport. Vincristine, paclitaxel and oxaliplatin decreased the number of moving particle along neurites. Cisplatin, however, produced no effect on intraneuronal transport, which is in contrast to our previous report indicating that it inhibits transport in chick dorsal root ganglion neurons. Our system may be a useful method for assessing intraneuronal transport and neurotoxicity in human iPS neurons.

Neuronal markers are expressed in human gliomas and NSE knockdown sensitizes glioblastoma cells to radiotherapy and temozolomide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Tao; Skaftnesmo, Kai Ove; Leiss, Lina; Sleire, Linda; Wang, Jian; Li, Xingang; Enger, Per Øyvind

2011-01-01

Expression of neuronal elements has been identified in various glial tumors, and glioblastomas (GBMs) with neuronal differentiation patterns have reportedly been associated with longer survival. However, the neuronal class III β-tubulin has been linked to increasing malignancy in astrocytomas. Thus, the significance of neuronal markers in gliomas is not established. The expressions of class III β-tubulin, neurofilament protein (NFP), microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were investigated in five GBM cell lines and two GBM biopsies with immunocytochemistry and Western blot. Moreover, the expression levels were quantified by real-time qPCR under different culture conditions. Following NSE siRNA treatment we used Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) to monitor cell growth and migration and MTS assays to study viability after irradiation and temozolomide treatment. Finally, we quantitated NSE expression in a series of human glioma biopsies with immunohistochemistry using a morphometry software, and collected survival data for the corresponding patients. The biopsies were then grouped according to expression in two halves which were compared by survival analysis. Immunocytochemistry and Western blotting showed that all markers except NFP were expressed both in GBM cell lines and biopsies. Notably, qPCR demonstrated that NSE was upregulated in cellular stress conditions, such as serum-starvation and hypoxia, while we found no uniform pattern for the other markers. NSE knockdown reduced the migration of glioma cells, sensitized them to hypoxia, radio- and chemotherapy. Furthermore, we found that GBM patients in the group with the highest NSE expression lived significantly shorter than patients in the low-expression group. Neuronal markers are aberrantly expressed in human GBMs, and NSE is consistently upregulated in different cellular stress conditions. Knockdown of NSE reduces the migration of GBM cells and sensitizes

Topographical distribution and morphology of NADPH-diaphorase-stained neurons in the human claustrum

Science.gov (United States)

Hinova-Palova, Dimka V.; Edelstein, Lawrence; Landzhov, Boycho; Minkov, Minko; Malinova, Lina; Hristov, Stanislav; Denaro, Frank J.; Alexandrov, Alexandar; Kiriakova, Teodora; Brainova, Ilina; Paloff, Adrian; Ovtscharoff, Wladimir

2014-01-01

We studied the topographical distribution and morphological characteristics of NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons and fibers in the human claustrum. These neurons were seen to be heterogeneously distributed throughout the claustrum. Taking into account the size and shape of stained perikarya as well as dendritic and axonal characteristics, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPHd)-positive neurons were categorized by diameter into three types: large, medium and small. Large neurons ranged from 25 to 35 μm in diameter and typically displayed elliptical or multipolar cell bodies. Medium neurons ranged from 20 to 25 μm in diameter and displayed multipolar, bipolar and irregular cell bodies. Small neurons ranged from 14 to 20 μm in diameter and most often displayed oval or elliptical cell bodies. Based on dendritic characteristics, these neurons were divided into spiny and aspiny subtypes. Our findings reveal two populations of NADPHd-positive neurons in the human claustrum—one comprised of large and medium cells consistent with a projection neuron phenotype, the other represented by small cells resembling the interneuron phenotype as defined by previous Golgi impregnation studies. PMID:24904317

Electrospun polyurethane scaffolds for proliferation and neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlberg, Bjoern; Liu, Johan; Axell, Mathilda Zetterstroem; Kuhn, H Georg; Nannmark, Ulf

2009-01-01

Adult central nervous system (CNS) tissue has a limited capacity to recover after trauma or disease. Hence, tissue engineering scaffolds intended for CNS repair and rehabilitation have been subject to intense research effort. Electrospun porous scaffolds, mimicking the natural three-dimensional environment of the in vivo extracellular matrix (ECM) and providing physical support, have been identified as promising candidates for CNS tissue engineering. The present study demonstrates in vitro culturing and neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) on electrospun fibrous polyurethane scaffolds. Electrospun scaffolds composed of biocompatible polyurethane resin (Desmopan 9370A, Bayer MaterialScience AG) were prepared with a vertical electrospinning setup. Resulting scaffolds, with a thickness of approximately 150 μm, exhibited high porosity (84%) and a bimodal pore size distribution with peaks at 5-6 and 1 μm. The mean fiber diameter was measured to approximately 360 nm with a standard deviation of 80 nm. The undifferentiated hESC line SA002 (Cellartis AB, Goeteborg, Sweden) was seeded and cultured on the produced scaffolds and allowed propagation and then differentiation for up to 47 days. Cultivation of hESC on electrospun fibrous scaffolds proved successful and neuronal differentiation was observed via standard immunocytochemistry. The results indicate that predominantly dopaminergic tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons are derived in co-culture with fibrous scaffolds, in comparison to reference cultures under the same differentiation conditions displaying large proportions of GFAP positive cell types. Scanning electron micrographs confirm neurite outgrowth and connection to adjacent cells, as well as cell attachment to individual fibers of the fibrous scaffold. Consequently, electrospun polyurethane scaffolds have been proven feasible as a substrate for hESC propagation and neuronal differentiation. The physical interaction between cells

Electrospun polyurethane scaffolds for proliferation and neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlberg, Bjoern; Liu, Johan [BioNano Systems Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, Goeteborg, SE-412 96 (Sweden); Axell, Mathilda Zetterstroem; Kuhn, H Georg [Center for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Goeteborg, SE-413 45 (Sweden); Nannmark, Ulf, E-mail: bjorn.carlberg@chalmers.s, E-mail: mathilda.zetterstrom@neuro.gu.s, E-mail: georg.kuhn@neuro.gu.s, E-mail: ulf.nannmark@anatcell.gu.s, E-mail: jliu@chalmers.s [Department of Medical Chemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Goeteborg, SE-405 30 (Sweden)

2009-08-15

Adult central nervous system (CNS) tissue has a limited capacity to recover after trauma or disease. Hence, tissue engineering scaffolds intended for CNS repair and rehabilitation have been subject to intense research effort. Electrospun porous scaffolds, mimicking the natural three-dimensional environment of the in vivo extracellular matrix (ECM) and providing physical support, have been identified as promising candidates for CNS tissue engineering. The present study demonstrates in vitro culturing and neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) on electrospun fibrous polyurethane scaffolds. Electrospun scaffolds composed of biocompatible polyurethane resin (Desmopan 9370A, Bayer MaterialScience AG) were prepared with a vertical electrospinning setup. Resulting scaffolds, with a thickness of approximately 150{mu}m, exhibited high porosity (84%) and a bimodal pore size distribution with peaks at 5-6 and 1{mu}m. The mean fiber diameter was measured to approximately 360 nm with a standard deviation of 80 nm. The undifferentiated hESC line SA002 (Cellartis AB, Goeteborg, Sweden) was seeded and cultured on the produced scaffolds and allowed propagation and then differentiation for up to 47 days. Cultivation of hESC on electrospun fibrous scaffolds proved successful and neuronal differentiation was observed via standard immunocytochemistry. The results indicate that predominantly dopaminergic tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons are derived in co-culture with fibrous scaffolds, in comparison to reference cultures under the same differentiation conditions displaying large proportions of GFAP positive cell types. Scanning electron micrographs confirm neurite outgrowth and connection to adjacent cells, as well as cell attachment to individual fibers of the fibrous scaffold. Consequently, electrospun polyurethane scaffolds have been proven feasible as a substrate for hESC propagation and neuronal differentiation. The physical interaction between

Amniotic fluid promotes the appearance of neural retinal progenitors and neurons in human RPE cell cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Davari, Maliheh; Soheili, Zahra-Soheila; Ahmadieh, Hamid; Sanie-Jahromi, Fateme; Ghaderi, Shima; Kanavi, Mozhgan Rezaei; Samiei, Shahram; Akrami, Hassan; Haghighi, Massoud; Javidi-Azad, Fahimeh

2013-01-01

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are capable of differentiating into retinal neurons when induced by the appropriate growth factors. Amniotic fluid contains a variety of growth factors that are crucial for the development of a fetus. In this study, the effects of human amniotic fluid (HAF) on primary RPE cell cultures were evaluated. RPE cells were isolated from the globes of postnatal human cadavers. The isolated cells were plated and grown in DMEM/F12 with 10% fetal bovine serum. To confirm the RPE identity of the cultured cells, they were immunocytochemically examined for the presence of the RPE cell-specific marker RPE65. RPE cultures obtained from passages 2-7 were treated with HAF and examined morphologically for 1 month. To determine whether retinal neurons or progenitors developed in the treated cultures, specific markers for bipolar (protein kinase C isomer α, PKCα), amacrine (cellular retinoic acid-binding protein I, CRABPI), and neural progenitor (NESTIN) cells were sought, and the amount of mRNA was quantified using real-time PCR. Treating RPE cells with HAF led to a significant decrease in the number of RPE65-positive cells, while PKCα- and CRABPI-positive cells were detected in the cultures. Compared with the fetal bovine serum-treated cultures, the levels of mRNAs quantitatively increased by 2-, 20- and 22-fold for NESTIN, PKCα, and CRABPI, respectively. The RPE cultures treated with HAF established spheres containing both pigmented and nonpigmented cells, which expressed neural progenitor markers such as NESTIN. This study showed that HAF can induce RPE cells to transdifferentiate into retinal neurons and progenitor cells, and that it provides a potential source for cell-based therapies to treat retinal diseases.

Morphometric characteristics of the neurons of the human subiculum proper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Živanović-Mačužić Ivana

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The human subiculum is a significant part of the hippocampal formation positioned between the hippocampus proper and the entorhinal and other cortices. It plays an important role in spatial navigation, memory processing and control of the response to stress. The aim of our study was identification of the morphometric characteristics of the neurons of the human subiculum proper: the maximum length and width of cell body and total dendritic length and volume of cell body. Comparing the measured parameters of different types of subicular neurons (bipolar, multipolar, pyramidal neurons with triangular-shaped soma and neurons with oval-shaped soma, we can conclude that bipolar neurons have the lowest values of the measured parameters: the maximum length of their cell body is 14.1 ± 0.2 µm, the maximum width is 13.9 ± 0.5 µm, and total dendritic length is 14597 ± 3.1 µm. The lowest volume value was observed in bipolar neurons; the polymorphic layer is 1152.99 ± 662.69 µm3. The pyramidal neurons of the pyramidal layer have the highest value for the maximal length of the cell body (44.43 ± 7.94 µm, maximum width (23.64 ± 1.89 µm, total dendritic length (1830 ± 466.3 µm and volume (11768.65±4004.9 µm3 These characteristics of the pyramidal neurons indicate their importance, because the axons of these neurons make up the greatest part of the fornix, along with the axons of neurons of the CA1 hippocampal field.

Induction of apoptotic death and retardation of neuronal differentiation of human neural stem cells by sodium arsenite treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivanov, Vladimir N., E-mail: vni3@columbia.edu [Center for Radiological Research, Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, NY 10032 (United States); Hei, Tom K. [Center for Radiological Research, Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, NY 10032 (United States)

2013-04-01

Chronic arsenic toxicity is a global health problem that affects more than 100 million people worldwide. Long-term health effects of inorganic sodium arsenite in drinking water may result in skin, lung and liver cancers and in severe neurological abnormalities. We investigated in the present study whether sodium arsenite affects signaling pathways that control cell survival, proliferation and neuronal differentiation of human neural stem cells (NSC). We demonstrated that the critical signaling pathway, which was suppressed by sodium arsenite in NSC, was the protective PI3K–AKT pathway. Sodium arsenite (2–4 μM) also caused down-regulation of Nanog, one of the key transcription factors that control pluripotency and self-renewal of stem cells. Mitochondrial damage and cytochrome-c release induced by sodium arsenite exposure was followed by initiation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in NSC. Beside caspase-9 and caspase-3 inhibitors, suppression of JNK activity decreased levels of arsenite-induced apoptosis in NSC. Neuronal differentiation of NSC was substantially inhibited by sodium arsenite exposure. Overactivation of JNK1 and ERK1/2 and down-regulation of PI3K–AKT activity induced by sodium arsenite were critical factors that strongly affected neuronal differentiation. In conclusion, sodium arsenite exposure of human NSC induces the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, which is substantially accelerated due to the simultaneous suppression of PI3K–AKT. Sodium arsenite also negatively affects neuronal differentiation of NSC through overactivation of MEK–ERK and suppression of PI3K–AKT. - Highlights: ► Arsenite induces the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in human neural stem cells. ► Arsenite-induced apoptosis is strongly upregulated by suppression of PI3K–AKT. ► Arsenite-induced apoptosis is strongly down-regulated by inhibition of JNK–cJun. ► Arsenite negatively affects neuronal differentiation by inhibition of PI3K–AKT.

Induction of apoptotic death and retardation of neuronal differentiation of human neural stem cells by sodium arsenite treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, Vladimir N.; Hei, Tom K.

2013-01-01

Chronic arsenic toxicity is a global health problem that affects more than 100 million people worldwide. Long-term health effects of inorganic sodium arsenite in drinking water may result in skin, lung and liver cancers and in severe neurological abnormalities. We investigated in the present study whether sodium arsenite affects signaling pathways that control cell survival, proliferation and neuronal differentiation of human neural stem cells (NSC). We demonstrated that the critical signaling pathway, which was suppressed by sodium arsenite in NSC, was the protective PI3K–AKT pathway. Sodium arsenite (2–4 μM) also caused down-regulation of Nanog, one of the key transcription factors that control pluripotency and self-renewal of stem cells. Mitochondrial damage and cytochrome-c release induced by sodium arsenite exposure was followed by initiation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in NSC. Beside caspase-9 and caspase-3 inhibitors, suppression of JNK activity decreased levels of arsenite-induced apoptosis in NSC. Neuronal differentiation of NSC was substantially inhibited by sodium arsenite exposure. Overactivation of JNK1 and ERK1/2 and down-regulation of PI3K–AKT activity induced by sodium arsenite were critical factors that strongly affected neuronal differentiation. In conclusion, sodium arsenite exposure of human NSC induces the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, which is substantially accelerated due to the simultaneous suppression of PI3K–AKT. Sodium arsenite also negatively affects neuronal differentiation of NSC through overactivation of MEK–ERK and suppression of PI3K–AKT. - Highlights: ► Arsenite induces the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in human neural stem cells. ► Arsenite-induced apoptosis is strongly upregulated by suppression of PI3K–AKT. ► Arsenite-induced apoptosis is strongly down-regulated by inhibition of JNK–cJun. ► Arsenite negatively affects neuronal differentiation by inhibition of PI3K–AKT

Effect of Potent γ-Secretase Modulator in Human Neurons Derived From Multiple Presenilin 1–Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Mutant Carriers

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qing; Waltz, Shannon; Woodruff, Grace; Ouyang, Joe; Israel, Mason A.; Herrera, Cheryl; Sarsoza, Floyd; Tanzi, Rudolph E.; Koo, Edward H.; Ringman, John M.; Goldstein, Lawrence S. B.; Wagner, Steven L.; Yuan, Shauna H.

2015-01-01

Importance Although considerable effort has been expended developing drug candidates for Alzheimer disease, none have yet succeeded owing to the lack of efficacy or to safety concerns. One potential shortcoming of current approaches to Alzheimer disease drug discovery and development is that they rely primarily on transformed cell lines and animal models that substantially overexpress wild-type or mutant proteins. It is possible that drug development failures thus far are caused in part by the limits of these approaches, which do not accurately reveal how drug candidates will behave in naive human neuronal cells. Objective To analyze purified neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells from patients carrying 3 different presenilin 1 (PS1) mutations and nondemented control individuals in the absence of any overexpression. We tested the efficacy of γ-secretase inhibitor and γ-secretase modulator (GSM) in neurons derived from both normal control and 3 PS1 mutations (A246E, H163R, and M146L). Design, Setting, and Participants Adult human skin biopsies were obtained from volunteers at the Alzheimer Disease Research Center, University of California, San Diego. Cell cultures were treated with γ-secretase inhibitor or GSM. Comparisons of total β-amyloid (Aβ) and Aβ peptides 38, 40, and 42 in the media were made between vehicle- vs drug-treated cultures. Main Outcomes and Measures Soluble Aβ levels in the media were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results As predicted, mutant PS1 neurons exhibited an elevated Aβ42:Aβ40 ratio (P <.05) at the basal state as compared with the nondemented control neurons. Treatment with a potent non–nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory druglike GSM revealed a new biomarker signature that differs from all previous cell types and animals tested. This new signature was the same in both the mutant and control neurons and consisted of a reduction in Aβ42, Aβ40, and Aβ38 and in the Aβ42:Aβ40 ratio, with no

Stress-induced localization of HSPA6 (HSP70B') and HSPA1A (HSP70-1) proteins to centrioles in human neuronal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalouei, Sam; Chow, Ari M; Brown, Ian R

2014-05-01

The localization of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-tagged HSP70 proteins was employed to identify stress-sensitive sites in human neurons following temperature elevation. Stable lines of human SH-SY5Y neuronal cells were established that expressed YFP-tagged protein products of the human inducible HSP70 genes HSPA6 (HSP70B') and HSPA1A (HSP70-1). Following a brief period of thermal stress, YFP-tagged HSPA6 and HSPA1A rapidly appeared at centrioles in the cytoplasm of human neuronal cells, with HSPA6 demonstrating a more prolonged signal compared to HSPA1A. Each centriole is composed of a distal end and a proximal end, the latter linking the centriole doublet. The YFP-tagged HSP70 proteins targeted the proximal end of centrioles (identified by γ-tubulin marker) rather than the distal end (centrin marker). Centrioles play key roles in cellular polarity and migration during neuronal differentiation. The proximal end of the centriole, which is involved in centriole stabilization, may be stress-sensitive in post-mitotic, differentiating human neurons.

Afferent neuronal control of type-I gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH neurons in the human

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik eHrabovszky

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Understanding the regulation of the human menstrual cycle represents an important ultimate challenge of reproductive neuroendocrine research. However, direct translation of information from laboratory animal experiments to the human is often complicated by strikingly different and unique reproductive strategies and central regulatory mechanisms that can be present in even closely related animal species. In all mammals studied so far, type-I gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH synthesizing neurons form the final common output way from the hypothalamus in the neuroendocrine control of the adenohypophysis. Under various physiological and pathological conditions, hormonal and metabolic signals either regulate GnRH neurons directly or act on upstream neuronal circuitries to influence the pattern of pulsatile GnRH secretion into the hypophysial portal circulation. Neuronal afferents to GnRH cells convey important metabolic-, stress-, sex steroid-, lactational- and circadian signals to the reproductive axis, among other effects. This article gives an overview of the available neuroanatomical literature that described the afferent regulation of human GnRH neurons by peptidergic, monoaminergic and amino acidergic neuronal systems. Recent studies of human genetics provided evidence that central peptidergic signaling by kisspeptins and neurokinin B play particularly important roles in puberty onset and later, in the sex steroid-dependent feedback regulation of GnRH neurons. This review article places special emphasis on the topographic distribution, sexual dimorphism, aging-dependent neuroanatomical changes and plastic connectivity to GnRH neurons of the critically important human hypothalamic kisspeptin and neurokinin B systems.

Characterising the developmental profile of human embryonic stem cell-derived medium spiny neuron progenitors and assessing mature neuron function using a CRISPR-generated human DARPP-32WT/eGFP-AMP reporter line.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, C P J; Pouton, C W; Haynes, J M

2017-06-01

In the developing ventral telencephalon, cells of the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) give rise to all medium spiny neurons (MSNs). This development occurs in response to a highly orchestrated series of morphogenetic stimuli that pattern the resultant neurons as they develop. Striatal MSNs are characterised by expression of dopamine receptors, dopamine-and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein (DARPP32) and the neurotransmitter GABA. In this study, we demonstrate that fine tuning Wnt and hedgehog (SHH) signaling early in human embryonic stem cell differentiation can induce a subpallial progenitor molecular profile. Stimulation of TGFβ signaling pathway by activin-A further supports patterning of progenitors to striatal precursors which adopt an LGE-specific gene signature. Moreover, we report that these MSNs also express markers associated with mature neuron function (cannabinoid, adenosine and dopamine receptors). To facilitate live-cell identification we generated a human embryonic stem cell line using CRISPR-mediated gene editing at the DARPP32 locus (DARPP32 WT/eGFP-AMP-LacZ ). The addition of dopamine to MSNs either increased, decreased or had no effect on intracellular calcium, indicating the presence of multiple dopamine receptor subtypes. In summary, we demonstrate greater control over early fate decisions using activin-A, Wnt and SHH to direct differentiation into MSNs. We also generate a DARPP32 reporter line that enables deeper pharmacological profiling and interrogation of complex receptor interactions in human MSNs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transplantation of Human Dental Pulp-Derived Stem Cells or Differentiated Neuronal Cells from Human Dental Pulp-Derived Stem Cells Identically Enhances Regeneration of the Injured Peripheral Nerve.

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, Imran; Park, Ju-Mi; Kang, Young-Hoon; Byun, June-Ho; Kim, Dae-Geon; Kim, Joo-Heon; Kang, Dong-Ho; Rho, Gyu-Jin; Park, Bong-Wook

2017-09-01

Human dental mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the dental follicle, pulp, and root apical papilla of extracted wisdom teeth have been known to exhibit successful and potent neurogenic differentiation capacity. In particular, human dental pulp-derived stem cells (hDPSCs) stand out as the most prominent source for in vitro neuronal differentiation. In this study, to evaluate the in vivo peripheral nerve regeneration potential of hDPSCs and differentiated neuronal cells from DPSCs (DF-DPSCs), a total of 1 × 10 6 hDPSCs or DF-hDPSCs labeled with PKH26 tracking dye and supplemented with fibrin glue scaffold and collagen tubulization were transplanted into the sciatic nerve resection (5-mm gap) of rat models. At 12 weeks after cell transplantation, both hDPSC and DF-hDPSC groups showed notably increased behavioral activities and higher muscle contraction forces compared with those in the non-cell transplanted control group. In immunohistochemical analysis of regenerated nerve specimens, specific markers for angiogenesis, axonal fiber, and myelin sheath increased in both the cell transplantation groups. Pretransplanted labeled PKH26 were also distinctly detected in the regenerated nerve tissues, indicating that transplanted cells were well-preserved and differentiated into nerve cells. Furthermore, no difference was observed in the nerve regeneration potential between the hDPSC and DF-hDPSC transplanted groups. These results demonstrate that dental pulp tissue is an excellent stem cell source for nerve regeneration, and in vivo transplantation of the undifferentiated hDPSCs could exhibit sufficient and excellent peripheral nerve regeneration potential.

Parkin Mutations Reduce the Complexity of Neuronal Processes in iPSC-derived Human Neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Yong; Jiang, Houbo; Hu, Zhixing; Fan, Kevin; Wang, Jun; Janoschka, Stephen; Wang, Xiaomin; Ge, Shaoyu; Feng, Jian

2015-01-01

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the degeneration of nigral dopaminergic (DA) neurons and non-DA neurons in many parts of the brain. Mutations of parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that strongly binds to microtubules, are the most frequent cause of recessively inherited Parkinson’s disease. The lack of robust PD phenotype in parkin knockout mice suggests a unique vulnerability of human neurons to parkin mutations. Here, we show that the complexity of neuronal processes as measured by total neurite length, number of terminals, number of branch points and Sholl analysis, was greatly reduced in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived TH+ or TH− neurons from PD patients with parkin mutations. Consistent with these, microtubule stability was significantly decreased by parkin mutations in iPSC-derived neurons. Overexpression of parkin, but not its PD-linked mutant nor GFP, restored the complexity of neuronal processes and the stability of microtubules. Consistent with these, the microtubule-depolymerizing agent colchicine mimicked the effect of parkin mutations by decreasing neurite length and complexity in control neurons while the microtubule-stabilizing drug taxol mimicked the effect of parkin overexpression by enhancing the morphology of parkin-deficient neurons. The results suggest that parkin maintains the morphological complexity of human neurons by stabilizing microtubules. PMID:25332110

Direct transfer of viral and cellular proteins from varicella-zoster virus-infected non-neuronal cells to human axons.

Science.gov (United States)

Grigoryan, Sergei; Yee, Michael B; Glick, Yair; Gerber, Doron; Kepten, Eldad; Garini, Yuval; Yang, In Hong; Kinchington, Paul R; Goldstein, Ronald S

2015-01-01

Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), the alphaherpesvirus that causes varicella upon primary infection and Herpes zoster (shingles) following reactivation in latently infected neurons, is known to be fusogenic. It forms polynuclear syncytia in culture, in varicella skin lesions and in infected fetal human ganglia xenografted to mice. After axonal infection using VZV expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in compartmentalized microfluidic cultures there is diffuse filling of axons with GFP as well as punctate fluorescence corresponding to capsids. Use of viruses with fluorescent fusions to VZV proteins reveals that both proteins encoded by VZV genes and those of the infecting cell are transferred in bulk from infecting non-neuronal cells to axons. Similar transfer of protein to axons was observed following cell associated HSV1 infection. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments provide evidence that this transfer is by diffusion of proteins from the infecting cells into axons. Time-lapse movies and immunocytochemical experiments in co-cultures demonstrate that non-neuronal cells fuse with neuronal somata and proteins from both cell types are present in the syncytia formed. The fusogenic nature of VZV therefore may enable not only conventional entry of virions and capsids into axonal endings in the skin by classical entry mechanisms, but also by cytoplasmic fusion that permits viral protein transfer to neurons in bulk.

Human neuronal cell based assay: A new in vitro model for toxicity evaluation of ciguatoxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Coccini, Teresa; Caloni, Francesca; De Simone, Uliana

2017-06-01

Ciguatoxins (CTXs) are emerging marine neurotoxins representing the main cause of ciguatera fish poisoning, an intoxication syndrome which configures a health emergency and constitutes an evolving issue constantly changing due to new vectors and derivatives of CTXs, as well as their presence in new non-endemic areas. The study applied the neuroblastoma cell model of human origin (SH-SY5Y) to evaluate species-specific mechanistic information on CTX toxicity. Metabolic functionality, cell morphology, cytosolic Ca 2+ i responses, neuronal cell growth and proliferation were assessed after short- (4-24h) and long-term exposure (10days) to P-CTX-3C. In SH-SY5Y, P-CTX-3C displayed a powerful cytotoxicity requiring the presence of both Veratridine and Ouabain. SH-SY5Y were very sensitive to Ouabain: 10 and 0.25nM appeared the optimal concentrations, for short- and long-term toxicity studies, respectively, to be used in co-incubation with Veratridine (25μM), simulating the physiological and pathological endogenous Ouabain levels in humans. P-CTX-3C cytotoxic effect, on human neurons co-incubated with OV (Ouabain+Veratridine) mix, was expressed starting from 100pM after short- and 25pM after long-term exposure. Notably, P-CTX-3C alone at 25nM induced cytotoxicity after 24h and prolonged exposure. This human brain-derived cell line appears a suitable cell-based-model to evaluate cytotoxicity of CTX present in marine food contaminated at low toxic levels and to characterize the toxicological profile of other/new congeners. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuron as a human model for testing environmentally induced developmental neurotoxicity

Science.gov (United States)

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons as a human model for testing environmentally induced developmental neurotoxicity Ingrid L. Druwe1, Timothy J. Shafer2, Kathleen Wallace2, Pablo Valdivia3 ,and William R. Mundy2. 1University of North Carolina, Curriculum in Toxicology...

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons respond to convulsant drugs when co-cultured with hiPSC-derived astrocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Misawa Niki; Yamamoto, Koji; Shoji, Masanobu; Asami, Asano; Kawamata, Yuji

2017-08-15

Accurate risk assessment for drug-induced seizure is expected to be performed before entering clinical studies because of its severity and fatal damage to drug development. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has allowed the use of human neurons and glial cells in toxicology studies. Recently, several studies showed the advantage of co-culture system of human iPSC (hiPSC)-derived neurons with rodent/human primary astrocytes regarding neuronal functions. However, the application of hiPSC-derived neurons for seizure risk assessment has not yet been fully addressed, and not at all when co-cultured with hiPSC-derived astrocytes. Here, we characterized hiPSC-derived neurons co-cultured with hiPSC-derived astrocytes to discuss how hiPSC-derived neurons are useful to assess seizure risk of drugs. First, we detected the frequency of spikes and synchronized bursts hiPSC-derived neurons when co-cultured with hiPSC-derived astrocytes for 8 weeks. This synchronized burst was suppressed by the treatment with 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, and D-(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, an N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. These data suggested that co-cultured hiPSC-derived neurons formed synaptic connections mediated by AMPA and NMDA receptors. We also demonstrated that co-cultured hiPSC-derived neurons showed epileptiform activity upon treatment with gabazine or kaliotoxin. Finally, we performed single-cell transcriptome analysis in hiPSC-derived neurons and found that hiPSC-derived astrocytes activated the pathways involved in the activities of AMPA and NMDA receptor functions, neuronal polarity, and axon guidance in hiPSC-derived neurons. These data suggested that hiPSC-derived astrocytes promoted the development of action potential, synaptic functions, and neuronal networks in hiPSC-derived neurons, and then these functional alterations result in the epileptiform

Exosomes from dental pulp stem cells rescue human dopaminergic neurons from 6-hydroxy-dopamine-induced apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarmalavičiūtė, Akvilė; Tunaitis, Virginijus; Pivoraitė, Ugnė; Venalis, Algirdas; Pivoriūnas, Augustas

2015-07-01

Stem cells derived from the dental pulp of human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) have unique neurogenic properties that could be potentially exploited for therapeutic use. The importance of paracrine SHED signaling for neuro-regeneration has been recognized, but the exact mechanisms behind these effects are presently unknown. In the present study, we investigated the neuro-protective potential of exosomes and micro-vesicles derived from SHEDs on human dopaminergic neurons during oxidative stress-induced by 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA). ReNcell VM human neural stem cells were differentiated into dopaminergic neurons and treated with 100 μmol/L of 6-OHDA alone or in combination with exosomes or micro-vesicles purified by ultracentrifugation from SHEDs cultivated in serum-free medium under two conditions: in standard two-dimensional culture flasks or on laminin-coated micro-carriers in a bioreactor. Real-time monitoring of apoptosis was performed with the use of time-lapse confocal microscopy and the CellEvent Caspase-3/7 green detection reagent. Exosomes but not micro-vesicles derived from SHEDs grown on the laminin-coated three-dimensional alginate micro-carriers suppressed 6-OHDA-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic neurons by approximately 80% throughout the culture period. Strikingly, no such effects were observed for the exosomes derived from SHEDs grown under standard culture conditions. Our results suggest that exosomes derived from SHEDs are considered as new potential therapeutic tool in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factor-Reduced Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Efficiently Differentiate into Neurons Independent of the Number of Reprogramming Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Hermann

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs by overexpression of the transcription factors OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-Myc holds great promise for the development of personalized cell replacement therapies. In an attempt to minimize the risk of chromosomal disruption and to simplify reprogramming, several studies demonstrated that a reduced set of reprogramming factors is sufficient to generate iPSC. We recently showed that a reduction of reprogramming factors in murine cells not only reduces reprogramming efficiency but also may worsen subsequent differentiation. To prove whether this is also true for human cells, we compared the efficiency of neuronal differentiation of iPSC generated from fetal human neural stem cells with either one (OCT4; hiPSC1F-NSC or two (OCT4, KLF4; hiPSC2F-NSC reprogramming factors with iPSC produced from human fibroblasts using three (hiPSC3F-FIB or four reprogramming factors (hiPSC4F-FIB. After four weeks of coculture with PA6 stromal cells, neuronal differentiation of hiPSC1F-NSC and hiPSC2F-NSC was as efficient as iPSC3F-FIB or iPSC4F-FIB. We conclude that a reduction of reprogramming factors in human cells does reduce reprogramming efficiency but does not alter subsequent differentiation into neural lineages. This is of importance for the development of future application of iPSC in cell replacement therapies.

Nicotine signals through muscle-type and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in both human bronchial epithelial cells and airway fibroblasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luketich James D

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-neuronal cells, including those derived from lung, are reported to express nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR. We examined nAChR subunit expression in short-term cultures of human airway cells derived from a series of never smokers, ex-smokers, and active smokers. Methods and Results At the mRNA level, human bronchial epithelial (HBE cells and airway fibroblasts expressed a range of nAChR subunits. In multiple cultures of both cell types, mRNA was detected for subunits that constitute functional muscle-type and neuronal-type pentomeric receptors. Two immortalized cell lines derived from HBE cells also expressed muscle-type and neuronal-type nAChR subunits. Airway fibroblasts expressed mRNA for three muscle-type subunits (α1, δ, and ε significantly more often than HBE cells. Immunoblotting of HBE cell and airway fibroblast extracts confirmed that mRNA for many nAChR subunits is translated into detectable levels of protein, and evidence of glycosylation of nAChRs was observed. Some minor differences in nAChR expression were found based on smoking status in fibroblasts or HBE cells. Nicotine triggered calcium influx in the immortalized HBE cell line BEAS2B, which was blocked by α-bungarotoxin and to a lesser extent by hexamethonium. Activation of PKC and MAPK p38, but not MAPK p42/44, was observed in BEAS2B cells exposed to nicotine. In contrast, nicotine could activate p42/44 in airway fibroblasts within five minutes of exposure. Conclusions These results suggest that muscle-type and neuronal-type nAChRs are functional in airway fibroblasts and HBE cells, that prior tobacco exposure does not appear to be an important variable in nAChR expression, and that distinct signaling pathways are observed in response to nicotine.

From the Cover: AstrocytesAre Protective Against Chlorpyrifos Developmental Neurotoxicity in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Astrocyte-Neuron Cocultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xian; Yang, Xiangkun; Majumder, Anirban; Swetenburg, Raymond; Goodfellow, Forrest T; Bartlett, Michael G; Stice, Steven L

2017-06-01

Human neural progenitor cells are capable of independent, directed differentiation into astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and neurons and thus offer a potential cell source for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) systems. Human neural progenitor-derived astrocyte-neuron cocultured at defined ratios mimic cellular heterogeneity and interaction in the central nervous system. Cytochrome P450 enzymes are expressed at a relatively high level in astrocytes and may play a critical role in the biotransformation of endogenous or exogenous compounds, including chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide that affects the central nervous system. P450 enzymes metabolize chlorpyrifos to chlorpyrifos-oxon, which is then metabolized primarily to 3, 5, 6-trichloropyridinol in addition to diethylphosphate and diethylthiophosphate. These end metabolites are less neurotoxic than chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-oxon. Our objective was to identify the interactive role of astrocytes and neurons in chlorpyrifos-induced human DNT. In neuron-only cultures, chlorpyrifos inhibited neurite length, neurite number and branch points per neuron in a dose-dependent manner during a 48 h exposure, starting at 10 μM. However, in astrocyte-neuron cocultures, astrocytes protected neurons from the effects of chlorpyrifos at higher concentrations, up to and including 30 μM chlorpyrifos and endogenous astrocyte P450 enzymes effectively metabolized chlorpyrifos. The P450 inhibitor SKF525A partly negated the protective effect of astrocytes, allowing reduction in branch points with chlorpyrifos (10 μM). Thus, the scalable and defined astrocyte-neuron cocultures model that we established here has potentially identified a role for P450 enzymes in astrocytic neuroprotection against chlorpyrifos and provides a novel model for addressing DNT in a more accurate multicellular environment. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For

Cortical cell and neuron density estimates in one chimpanzee hemisphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Christine E; Turner, Emily C; Sawyer, Eva Kille; Reed, Jamie L; Young, Nicole A; Flaherty, David K; Kaas, Jon H

2016-01-19

The density of cells and neurons in the neocortex of many mammals varies across cortical areas and regions. This variability is, perhaps, most pronounced in primates. Nonuniformity in the composition of cortex suggests regions of the cortex have different specializations. Specifically, regions with densely packed neurons contain smaller neurons that are activated by relatively few inputs, thereby preserving information, whereas regions that are less densely packed have larger neurons that have more integrative functions. Here we present the numbers of cells and neurons for 742 discrete locations across the neocortex in a chimpanzee. Using isotropic fractionation and flow fractionation methods for cell and neuron counts, we estimate that neocortex of one hemisphere contains 9.5 billion cells and 3.7 billion neurons. Primary visual cortex occupies 35 cm(2) of surface, 10% of the total, and contains 737 million densely packed neurons, 20% of the total neurons contained within the hemisphere. Other areas of high neuron packing include secondary visual areas, somatosensory cortex, and prefrontal granular cortex. Areas of low levels of neuron packing density include motor and premotor cortex. These values reflect those obtained from more limited samples of cortex in humans and other primates.

Proteomic Analysis of Human Adipose Derived Stem Cells during Small Molecule Chemical Stimulated Pre-neuronal Differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Jerran; Milthorpe, Bruce K; Herbert, Benjamin R; Padula, Matthew P

2017-11-30

Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) are acquired from abdominal liposuction yielding a thousand fold more stem cells per millilitre than those from bone marrow. A large research void exists as to whether ADSCs are capable of transdermal differentiation toward neuronal phenotypes. Previous studies have investigated the use of chemical cocktails with varying inconclusive results. Human ADSCs were treated with a chemical stimulant, beta-mercaptoethanol, to direct them toward a neuronal-like lineage within 24 hours. Quantitative proteomics using iTRAQ was then performed to ascertain protein abundance differences between ADSCs, beta-mercaptoethanol treated ADSCs and a glioblastoma cell line. The soluble proteome of ADSCs differentiated for 12 hours and 24 hours was significantly different from basal ADSCs and control cells, expressing a number of remodeling, neuroprotective and neuroproliferative proteins. However toward the later time point presented stress and shock related proteins were observed to be up regulated with a large down regulation of structural proteins. Cytokine profiles support a large cellular remodeling shift as well indicating cellular distress. The earlier time point indicates an initiation of differentiation. At the latter time point there is a vast loss of cell population during treatment. At 24 hours drastically decreased cytokine profiles and overexpression of stress proteins reveal that exposure to beta-mercaptoethanol beyond 24 hours may not be suitable for clinical application as our results indicate that the cells are in trauma whilst producing neuronal-like morphologies. The shorter treatment time is promising, indicating a reducing agent has fast acting potential to initiate neuronal differentiation of ADSCs.

Nanoparticle-mediated transcriptional modification enhances neuronal differentiation of human neural stem cells following transplantation in rat brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaowei; Tzeng, Stephany Y; Liu, Xiaoyan; Tammia, Markus; Cheng, Yu-Hao; Rolfe, Andrew; Sun, Dong; Zhang, Ning; Green, Jordan J; Wen, Xuejun; Mao, Hai-Quan

2016-04-01

Strategies to enhance survival and direct the differentiation of stem cells in vivo following transplantation in tissue repair site are critical to realizing the potential of stem cell-based therapies. Here we demonstrated an effective approach to promote neuronal differentiation and maturation of human fetal tissue-derived neural stem cells (hNSCs) in a brain lesion site of a rat traumatic brain injury model using biodegradable nanoparticle-mediated transfection method to deliver key transcriptional factor neurogenin-2 to hNSCs when transplanted with a tailored hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel, generating larger number of more mature neurons engrafted to the host brain tissue than non-transfected cells. The nanoparticle-mediated transcription activation method together with an HA hydrogel delivery matrix provides a translatable approach for stem cell-based regenerative therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of acetylcholine from choline derived from phosphatidylcholine in a human neuronal cell line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blusztajn, J.K.; Liscovitch, M.; Richardson, U.I.

1987-01-01

Cholinergic neurons are unique among cells since they alone utilize choline not only as a component of major membrane phospholipids, such as phosphatidylcholine (Ptd-Cho), but also as a precursor of their neurotransmitter acetylcholine (AcCho). It has been hypothesized that choline-phospholipids might serve as a storage pool of choline for AcCho synthesis. The selective vulnerability of cholinergic neurons in certain neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer disease, motor neuron disorders) might result from the abnormally accelerated liberation of choline (to be used a precursor of AcCho) from membrane phospholipids, resulting in altered membrane composition and function and compromised neuronal viability. However, the proposed metabolic link between membrane turnover and AcCho synthesis has been difficult to demonstrate because of the heterogeneity of the preparations used. Here the authors used a population of purely cholinergic cells (human neuroblastomas, LA-N-2), incubated in the presence of [methyl- 3 H]methionine to selectively label PtdCho synthesized by methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine, the only pathway of de novo choline synthesis. Three peaks of radioactive material that cochromatographed with authentic AcCho, choline, and phosphocholine were observed when the water-soluble metabolites of the [ 3 H]PtdCho were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results demonstrate that AcCho can be synthesized from choline derived from the degradation of endogenous PtdCho formed de novo by methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine

Single-Cell Detection of Secreted Aβ and sAPPα from Human IPSC-Derived Neurons and Astrocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Mei-Chen; Muratore, Christina R; Gierahn, Todd M; Sullivan, Sarah E; Srikanth, Priya; De Jager, Philip L; Love, J Christopher; Young-Pearse, Tracy L

2016-02-03

Secreted factors play a central role in normal and pathological processes in every tissue in the body. The brain is composed of a highly complex milieu of different cell types and few methods exist that can identify which individual cells in a complex mixture are secreting specific analytes. By identifying which cells are responsible, we can better understand neural physiology and pathophysiology, more readily identify the underlying pathways responsible for analyte production, and ultimately use this information to guide the development of novel therapeutic strategies that target the cell types of relevance. We present here a method for detecting analytes secreted from single human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural cells and have applied the method to measure amyloid β (Aβ) and soluble amyloid precursor protein-alpha (sAPPα), analytes central to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Through these studies, we have uncovered the dynamic range of secretion profiles of these analytes from single iPSC-derived neuronal and glial cells and have molecularly characterized subpopulations of these cells through immunostaining and gene expression analyses. In examining Aβ and sAPPα secretion from single cells, we were able to identify previously unappreciated complexities in the biology of APP cleavage that could not otherwise have been found by studying averaged responses over pools of cells. This technique can be readily adapted to the detection of other analytes secreted by neural cells, which would have the potential to open new perspectives into human CNS development and dysfunction. We have established a technology that, for the first time, detects secreted analytes from single human neurons and astrocytes. We examine secretion of the Alzheimer's disease-relevant factors amyloid β (Aβ) and soluble amyloid precursor protein-alpha (sAPPα) and present novel findings that could not have been observed without a single-cell analytical platform. First, we

Differentiation and Characterization of Dopaminergic Neurons From Baboon Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Grow, Douglas A; Simmons, DeNard V; Gomez, Jorge A; Wanat, Matthew J; McCarrey, John R; Paladini, Carlos A; Navara, Christopher S

2016-09-01

: The progressive death of dopamine producing neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta is the principal cause of symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Stem cells have potential therapeutic use in replacing these cells and restoring function. To facilitate development of this approach, we sought to establish a preclinical model based on a large nonhuman primate for testing the efficacy and safety of stem cell-based transplantation. To this end, we differentiated baboon fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (biPSCs) into dopaminergic neurons with the application of specific morphogens and growth factors. We confirmed that biPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons resemble those found in the human midbrain based on cell type-specific expression of dopamine markers TH and GIRK2. Using the reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we also showed that biPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons express PAX6, FOXA2, LMX1A, NURR1, and TH genes characteristic of this cell type in vivo. We used perforated patch-clamp electrophysiology to demonstrate that biPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons fired spontaneous rhythmic action potentials and high-frequency action potentials with spike frequency adaption upon injection of depolarizing current. Finally, we showed that biPSC-derived neurons released catecholamines in response to electrical stimulation. These results demonstrate the utility of the baboon model for testing and optimizing the efficacy and safety of stem cell-based therapeutic approaches for the treatment of PD. Functional dopamine neurons were produced from baboon induced pluripotent stem cells, and their properties were compared to baboon midbrain cells in vivo. The baboon has advantages as a clinically relevant model in which to optimize the efficacy and safety of stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. Baboons possess crucial neuroanatomical and immunological similarities to humans, and baboon

Functionalizing Ascl1 with Novel Intracellular Protein Delivery Technology for Promoting Neuronal Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Meghan; Chapani, Parv; Styan, Tara; Vaidyanathan, Ranjani; Willerth, Stephanie Michelle

2016-08-01

Pluripotent stem cells can become any cell type found in the body. Accordingly, one of the major challenges when working with pluripotent stem cells is producing a highly homogenous population of differentiated cells, which can then be used for downstream applications such as cell therapies or drug screening. The transcription factor Ascl1 plays a key role in neural development and previous work has shown that Ascl1 overexpression using viral vectors can reprogram fibroblasts directly into neurons. Here we report on how a recombinant version of the Ascl1 protein functionalized with intracellular protein delivery technology (Ascl1-IPTD) can be used to rapidly differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into neurons. We first evaluated a range of Ascl1-IPTD concentrations to determine the most effective amount for generating neurons from hiPSCs cultured in serum free media. Next, we looked at the frequency of Ascl1-IPTD supplementation in the media on differentiation and found that one time supplementation is sufficient enough to trigger the neural differentiation process. Ascl1-IPTD was efficiently taken up by the hiPSCs and enabled rapid differentiation into TUJ1-positive and NeuN-positive populations with neuronal morphology after 8 days. After 12 days of culture, hiPSC-derived neurons produced by Ascl1-IPTD treatment exhibited greater neurite length and higher numbers of branch points compared to neurons derived using a standard neural progenitor differentiation protocol. This work validates Ascl1-IPTD as a powerful tool for engineering neural tissue from pluripotent stem cells.

Neurite outgrowth in human iPSC-derived neurons

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Data on morphology of rat and human neurons in cell culture. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Druwe, I., T. Freudenrich , K. Wallace , T....

Feline bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) show similar phenotype and functions with regards to neuronal differentiation as human MSCs.

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz, Jessian L; Greco, Steven J; Patel, Shyam A; Sherman, Lauren S; Bhatt, Suresh; Bhatt, Rekha S; Shrensel, Jeffrey A; Guan, Yan-Zhong; Xie, Guiqin; Ye, Jiang-Hong; Rameshwar, Pranela; Siegel, Allan

2012-09-01

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) show promise for treatment of a variety of neurological and other disorders. Cat has a high degree of linkage with the human genome and has been used as a model for analysis of neurological disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and motor disorders. The present study was designed to characterize bone marrow-derived MSCs from cats and to investigate the capacity to generate functional peptidergic neurons. MSCs were expanded with cells from the femurs of cats and then characterized by phenotype and function. Phenotypically, feline and human MSCs shared surface markers, and lacked hematopoietic markers, with similar morphology. As compared to a subset of human MSCs, feline MSCs showed no evidence of the major histocompatibility class II. Since the literature suggested Stro-1 as an indicator of pluripotency, we compared early and late passages feline MSCs and found its expression in >90% of the cells. However, the early passage cells showed two distinct populations of Stro-1-expressing cells. At passage 5, the MSCs were more homogeneous with regards to Stro-1 expression. The passage 5 MSCs differentiated to osteogenic and adipogenic cells, and generated neurons with electrophysiological properties. This correlated with the expression of mature neuronal markers with concomitant decrease in stem cell-associated genes. At day 12 induction, the cells were positive for MAP2, Neuronal Nuclei, tubulin βIII, Tau and synaptophysin. This correlated with electrophysiological maturity as presented by excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). The findings indicate that the cat may constitute a promising biomedical model for evaluation of novel therapies such as stem cell therapy in such neurological disorders as Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Copyright © 2012 International Society of Differentiation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single-cell axotomy of cultured hippocampal neurons integrated in neuronal circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomis-Rüth, Susana; Stiess, Michael; Wierenga, Corette J; Meyn, Liane; Bradke, Frank

2014-05-01

An understanding of the molecular mechanisms of axon regeneration after injury is key for the development of potential therapies. Single-cell axotomy of dissociated neurons enables the study of the intrinsic regenerative capacities of injured axons. This protocol describes how to perform single-cell axotomy on dissociated hippocampal neurons containing synapses. Furthermore, to axotomize hippocampal neurons integrated in neuronal circuits, we describe how to set up coculture with a few fluorescently labeled neurons. This approach allows axotomy of single cells in a complex neuronal network and the observation of morphological and molecular changes during axon regeneration. Thus, single-cell axotomy of mature neurons is a valuable tool for gaining insights into cell intrinsic axon regeneration and the plasticity of neuronal polarity of mature neurons. Dissociation of the hippocampus and plating of hippocampal neurons takes ∼2 h. Neurons are then left to grow for 2 weeks, during which time they integrate into neuronal circuits. Subsequent axotomy takes 10 min per neuron and further imaging takes 10 min per neuron.

Spatial distribution of human neocortical neurons and glial cells according to sex and age measured by the saucer method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stark, Anette Kirstine; Petersen, A O; Gardi, Jonathan Eyal

2007-01-01

primary neurons in the human neocortex (divided into frontal-, temporal-, parietal- and occipital cortex) of young and old subjects free of neurological or psychological disease to test if age and gender has any influence on the cell distribution in human neocortex. Plots of the spatial distribution...

2-Iminobiotin Superimposed on Hypothermia Protects Human Neuronal Cells from Hypoxia-Induced Cell Damage: An in Vitro Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karina Zitta

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Perinatal asphyxia represents one of the major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Hypothermia is currently the only established treatment for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE, but additional pharmacological strategies are being explored to further reduce the damage after perinatal asphyxia. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether 2-iminobiotin (2-IB superimposed on hypothermia has the potential to attenuate hypoxia-induced injury of neuronal cells. In vitro hypoxia was induced for 7 h in neuronal IMR-32 cell cultures. Afterwards, all cultures were subjected to 25 h of hypothermia (33.5°C, and incubated with vehicle or 2-IB (10, 30, 50, 100, and 300 ng/ml. Cell morphology was evaluated by brightfield microscopy. Cell damage was analyzed by LDH assays. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS was measured using fluorometric assays. Western blotting for PARP, Caspase-3, and the phosphorylated forms of akt and erk1/2 was conducted. To evaluate early apoptotic events and signaling, cell protein was isolated 4 h post-hypoxia and human apoptosis proteome profiler arrays were performed. Twenty-five hour after the hypoxic insult, clear morphological signs of cell damage were visible and significant LDH release as well as ROS production were observed even under hypothermic conditions. Post-hypoxic application of 2-IB (10 and 30 ng/ml reduced the hypoxia-induced LDH release but not ROS production. Phosphorylation of erk1/2 was significantly increased after hypoxia, while phosphorylation of akt, protein expression of Caspase-3 and cleavage of PARP were only slightly increased. Addition of 2-IB did not affect any of the investigated proteins. Apoptosis proteome profiler arrays performed with cellular protein obtained 4 h after hypoxia revealed that post-hypoxic application of 2-IB resulted in a ≥ 25% down regulation of 10/35 apoptosis-related proteins: Bad, Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved Caspase-3, TRAILR1, TRAILR2, PON2, p21, p27, and phospho

A simplified protocol for differentiation of electrophysiologically mature neuronal networks from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunhanlar, N; Shpak, G; van der Kroeg, M; Gouty-Colomer, L A; Munshi, S T; Lendemeijer, B; Ghazvini, M; Dupont, C; Hoogendijk, W J G; Gribnau, J; de Vrij, F M S; Kushner, S A

2017-04-18

Progress in elucidating the molecular and cellular pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders has been hindered by the limited availability of living human brain tissue. The emergence of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has offered a unique alternative strategy using patient-derived functional neuronal networks. However, methods for reliably generating iPSC-derived neurons with mature electrophysiological characteristics have been difficult to develop. Here, we report a simplified differentiation protocol that yields electrophysiologically mature iPSC-derived cortical lineage neuronal networks without the need for astrocyte co-culture or specialized media. This protocol generates a consistent 60:40 ratio of neurons and astrocytes that arise from a common forebrain neural progenitor. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of 114 neurons derived from three independent iPSC lines confirmed their electrophysiological maturity, including resting membrane potential (-58.2±1.0 mV), capacitance (49.1±2.9 pF), action potential (AP) threshold (-50.9±0.5 mV) and AP amplitude (66.5±1.3 mV). Nearly 100% of neurons were capable of firing APs, of which 79% had sustained trains of mature APs with minimal accommodation (peak AP frequency: 11.9±0.5 Hz) and 74% exhibited spontaneous synaptic activity (amplitude, 16.03±0.82 pA; frequency, 1.09±0.17 Hz). We expect this protocol to be of broad applicability for implementing iPSC-based neuronal network models of neuropsychiatric disorders.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 18 April 2017; doi:10.1038/mp.2017.56.

Voltage-gated Na+ currents in human dorsal root ganglion neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiulin; Priest, Birgit T; Belfer, Inna; Gold, Michael S

2017-01-01

Available evidence indicates voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSCs) in peripheral sensory neurons are essential for the pain and hypersensitivity associated with tissue injury. However, our understanding of the biophysical and pharmacological properties of the channels in sensory neurons is largely based on the study of heterologous systems or rodent tissue, despite evidence that both expression systems and species differences influence these properties. Therefore, we sought to determine the extent to which the biophysical and pharmacological properties of VGSCs were comparable in rat and human sensory neurons. Whole cell patch clamp techniques were used to study Na+ currents in acutely dissociated neurons from human and rat. Our results indicate that while the two major current types, generally referred to as tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive and TTX-resistant were qualitatively similar in neurons from rats and humans, there were several differences that have important implications for drug development as well as our understanding of pain mechanisms. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23235.001 PMID:28508747

Cellular programming and reprogramming: sculpting cell fate for the production of dopamine neurons for cell therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguila, Julio C; Hedlund, Eva; Sanchez-Pernaute, Rosario

2012-01-01

Pluripotent stem cells are regarded as a promising cell source to obtain human dopamine neurons in sufficient amounts and purity for cell replacement therapy. Importantly, the success of clinical applications depends on our ability to steer pluripotent stem cells towards the right neuronal identity. In Parkinson disease, the loss of dopamine neurons is more pronounced in the ventrolateral population that projects to the sensorimotor striatum. Because synapses are highly specific, only neurons with this precise identity will contribute, upon transplantation, to the synaptic reconstruction of the dorsal striatum. Thus, understanding the developmental cell program of the mesostriatal dopamine neurons is critical for the identification of the extrinsic signals and cell-intrinsic factors that instruct and, ultimately, determine cell identity. Here, we review how extrinsic signals and transcription factors act together during development to shape midbrain cell fates. Further, we discuss how these same factors can be applied in vitro to induce, select, and reprogram cells to the mesostriatal dopamine fate.

Neuron-derived orphan receptor 1 promoted human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells proliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chang-Guo; Lei, Wei; Li, Chang; Zeng, Da-Xiong; Huang, Jian-An

2015-05-01

As a transcription factor of the nuclear receptor superfamily, neuron-derived orphan receptor 1 (NOR1) is induced rapidly in response to various extracellular stimuli. But, it is still unclear its role in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells proliferation. Human PASMCs were cultured in vitro and stimulated by serum. The special antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODNs) were used to knockdown human NOR1 gene expression. Real-time PCR and Western-blot were used to evaluate the gene expression and protein levels. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) induced human PASMCs proliferation in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, FBS promoted NOR1 gene expression in a dose dependent manner and a time dependent manner. 10% FBS induced a maximal NOR1 mRNA levels at 2 h. FBS also induced a significant higher NOR1 protein levels as compared with control. The NOR1 over-expressed plasmid significantly promoted DNA synthesis and cells proliferation. Moreover, the special AS-ODNs against human NOR1 not only prevented NOR1 expression but also inhibited DNA synthesis and cells proliferation significantly. The NOR1 over-expression plasmid could up-regulate cyclin D1 expression markedly, but the AS-ODNs inhibited cyclin D1 expression significantly. So, we concluded that NOR1 could promote human PASMCs proliferation. Cyclin D1 might be involved in this process.

Mechanism Governing Human Kappa-Opioid Receptor Expression under Desferrioxamine-Induced Hypoxic Mimic Condition in Neuronal NMB Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Babcock

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Cellular adaptation to hypoxia is a protective mechanism for neurons and relevant to cancer. Treatment with desferrioxamine (DFO to induce hypoxia reduced the viability of human neuronal NMB cells. Surviving/attached cells exhibited profound increases of expression of the human kappa-opioid receptor (hKOR and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α. The functional relationship between hKOR and HIF-1α was investigated using RT-PCR, Western blot, luciferase reporter, mutagenesis, siRNA and receptor-ligand binding assays. In surviving neurons, DFO increased HIF-1α expression and its amount in the nucleus. DFO also dramatically increased hKOR expression. Two (designated as HIFC and D out of four potential HIF response elements of the hKOR gene (HIFA–D synergistically mediated the DFO response. Mutation of both elements completely abolished the DFO-induced effect. The CD11 plasmid (containing HIFC and D with an 11 bp spacing produced greater augmentation than that of the CD17 plasmid (HIFC and D with a 17 bp-spacing, suggesting that a proper topological interaction of these elements synergistically enhanced the promoter activity. HIF-1α siRNA knocked down the increase of endogenous HIF-1α messages and diminished the DFO-induced increase of hKOR expression. Increased hKOR expression resulted in the up-regulation of hKOR protein. In conclusion, the adaptation of neuronal hKOR under hypoxia was governed by HIF-1, revealing a new mechanism of hKOR regulation.

Generation of Induced Neuronal Cells by the Single Reprogramming Factor ASCL1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soham Chanda

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Direct conversion of nonneural cells to functional neurons holds great promise for neurological disease modeling and regenerative medicine. We previously reported rapid reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs into mature induced neuronal (iN cells by forced expression of three transcription factors: ASCL1, MYT1L, and BRN2. Here, we show that ASCL1 alone is sufficient to generate functional iN cells from mouse and human fibroblasts and embryonic stem cells, indicating that ASCL1 is the key driver of iN cell reprogramming in different cell contexts and that the role of MYT1L and BRN2 is primarily to enhance the neuronal maturation process. ASCL1-induced single-factor neurons (1F-iN expressed mature neuronal markers, exhibited typical passive and active intrinsic membrane properties, and formed functional pre- and postsynaptic structures. Surprisingly, ASCL1-induced iN cells were predominantly excitatory, demonstrating that ASCL1 is permissive but alone not deterministic for the inhibitory neuronal lineage.

Highly Efficient Differentiation and Enrichment of Spinal Motor Neurons Derived from Human and Monkey Embryonic Stem Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Tamaki; Honda, Makoto; Minami, Itsunari; Tooi, Norie; Amagai, Yuji; Nakatsuji, Norio; Aiba, Kazuhiro

2009-01-01

Background There are no cures or efficacious treatments for severe motor neuron diseases. It is extremely difficult to obtain naïve spinal motor neurons (sMNs) from human tissues for research due to both technical and ethical reasons. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are alternative sources. Several methods for MN differentiation have been reported. However, efficient production of naïve sMNs and culture cost were not taken into consideration in most of the methods. Methods/Principal Findings We aimed to establish protocols for efficient production and enrichment of sMNs derived from pluripotent stem cells. Nestin+ neural stem cell (NSC) clusters were induced by Noggin or a small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling. After dissociation of NSC clusters, neurospheres were formed in a floating culture containing FGF2. The number of NSCs in neurospheres could be expanded more than 30-fold via several passages. More than 33% of HB9+ sMN progenitor cells were observed after differentiation of dissociated neurospheres by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and a Shh agonist for another week on monolayer culture. HB9+ sMN progenitor cells were enriched by gradient centrifugation up to 80% purity. These HB9+ cells differentiated into electrophysiologically functional cells and formed synapses with myotubes during a few weeks after ATRA/SAG treatment. Conclusions and Significance The series of procedures we established here, namely neural induction, NSC expansion, sMN differentiation and sMN purification, can provide large quantities of naïve sMNs derived from human and monkey pluripotent stem cells. Using small molecule reagents, reduction of culture cost could be achieved. PMID:19701462

Increasing Human Neural Stem Cell Transplantation Dose Alters Oligodendroglial and Neuronal Differentiation after Spinal Cord Injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katja M. Piltti

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Multipotent human central nervous system-derived neural stem cells transplanted at doses ranging from 10,000 (low to 500,000 (very high cells differentiated predominantly into the oligodendroglial lineage. However, while the number of engrafted cells increased linearly in relationship to increasing dose, the proportion of oligodendrocytic cells declined. Increasing dose resulted in a plateau of engraftment, enhanced neuronal differentiation, and increased distal migration caudal to the transplantation sites. Dose had no effect on terminal sensory recovery or open-field locomotor scores. However, total human cell number and decreased oligodendroglial proportion were correlated with hindlimb girdle coupling errors. Conversely, greater oligodendroglial proportion was correlated with increased Ab step pattern, decreased swing speed, and increased paw intensity, consistent with improved recovery. These data suggest that transplant dose, and/or target niche parameters can regulate donor cell engraftment, differentiation/maturation, and lineage-specific migration profiles.

Cells from the adult corneal stroma can be reprogrammed to a neuron-like cell using exogenous growth factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greene, Carol Ann, E-mail: carol.greene@auckland.ac.nz; Chang, Chuan-Yuan; Fraser, Cameron J.; Nelidova, Dasha E.; Chen, Jing A.; Lim, Angela; Brebner, Alex; McGhee, Jennifer; Sherwin, Trevor; Green, Colin R.

2014-03-10

Cells thought to be stem cells isolated from the cornea of the eye have been shown to exhibit neurogenic potential. We set out to uncover the identity and location of these cells within the cornea and to elucidate their neuronal protein and gene expression profile during the process of switching to a neuron-like cell. Here we report that every cell of the adult human and rat corneal stroma is capable of differentiating into a neuron-like cell when treated with neurogenic differentiation specifying growth factors. Furthermore, the expression of genes regulating neurogenesis and mature neuronal structure and function was increased. The switch from a corneal stromal cell to a neuron-like cell was also shown to occur in vivo in intact corneas of living rats. Our results clearly indicate that lineage specifying growth factors can affect changes in the protein and gene expression profiles of adult cells, suggesting that possibly many adult cell populations can be made to switch into another type of mature cell by simply modifying the growth factor environment. - Highlights: • Adult corneal stromal cells can differentiated into neuron-like cells. • Neuronal specification of the adult stromal cell population is stochastic. • Neuronal specification in an adult cell population can be brought about by growth factors.

Cells from the adult corneal stroma can be reprogrammed to a neuron-like cell using exogenous growth factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, Carol Ann; Chang, Chuan-Yuan; Fraser, Cameron J.; Nelidova, Dasha E.; Chen, Jing A.; Lim, Angela; Brebner, Alex; McGhee, Jennifer; Sherwin, Trevor; Green, Colin R.

2014-01-01

Cells thought to be stem cells isolated from the cornea of the eye have been shown to exhibit neurogenic potential. We set out to uncover the identity and location of these cells within the cornea and to elucidate their neuronal protein and gene expression profile during the process of switching to a neuron-like cell. Here we report that every cell of the adult human and rat corneal stroma is capable of differentiating into a neuron-like cell when treated with neurogenic differentiation specifying growth factors. Furthermore, the expression of genes regulating neurogenesis and mature neuronal structure and function was increased. The switch from a corneal stromal cell to a neuron-like cell was also shown to occur in vivo in intact corneas of living rats. Our results clearly indicate that lineage specifying growth factors can affect changes in the protein and gene expression profiles of adult cells, suggesting that possibly many adult cell populations can be made to switch into another type of mature cell by simply modifying the growth factor environment. - Highlights: • Adult corneal stromal cells can differentiated into neuron-like cells. • Neuronal specification of the adult stromal cell population is stochastic. • Neuronal specification in an adult cell population can be brought about by growth factors

Glutamate neurons are intermixed with midbrain dopamine neurons in nonhuman primates and humans

Science.gov (United States)

Root, David H.; Wang, Hui-Ling; Liu, Bing; Barker, David J.; Mód, László; Szocsics, Péter; Silva, Afonso C.; Maglóczky, Zsófia; Morales, Marisela

2016-01-01

The rodent ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) contain dopamine neurons intermixed with glutamate neurons (expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 2; VGluT2), which play roles in reward and aversion. However, identifying the neuronal compositions of the VTA and SNC in higher mammals has remained challenging. Here, we revealed VGluT2 neurons within the VTA and SNC of nonhuman primates and humans by simultaneous detection of VGluT2 mRNA and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; for identification of dopamine neurons). We found that several VTA subdivisions share similar cellular compositions in nonhuman primates and humans; their rostral linear nuclei have a high prevalence of VGluT2 neurons lacking TH; their paranigral and parabrachial pigmented nuclei have mostly TH neurons, and their parabrachial pigmented nuclei have dual VGluT2-TH neurons. Within nonhuman primates and humans SNC, the vast majority of neurons are TH neurons but VGluT2 neurons were detected in the pars lateralis subdivision. The demonstration that midbrain dopamine neurons are intermixed with glutamate or glutamate-dopamine neurons from rodents to humans offers new opportunities for translational studies towards analyzing the roles that each of these neurons play in human behavior and in midbrain-associated illnesses such as addiction, depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. PMID:27477243

Dual Inhibition of Activin/Nodal/TGF-β and BMP Signaling Pathways by SB431542 and Dorsomorphin Induces Neuronal Differentiation of Human Adipose Derived Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vedavathi Madhu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Damage to the nervous system can cause devastating diseases or musculoskeletal dysfunctions and transplantation of progenitor stem cells can be an excellent treatment option in this regard. Preclinical studies demonstrate that untreated stem cells, unlike stem cells activated to differentiate into neuronal lineage, do not survive in the neuronal tissues. Conventional methods of inducing neuronal differentiation of stem cells are complex and expensive. We therefore sought to determine if a simple, one-step, and cost effective method, previously reported to induce neuronal differentiation of embryonic stem cells and induced-pluripotent stem cells, can be applied to adult stem cells. Indeed, dual inhibition of activin/nodal/TGF-β and BMP pathways using SB431542 and dorsomorphin, respectively, induced neuronal differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells (hADSCs as evidenced by formation of neurite extensions, protein expression of neuron-specific gamma enolase, and mRNA expression of neuron-specific transcription factors Sox1 and Pax6 and matured neuronal marker NF200. This process correlated with enhanced phosphorylation of p38, Erk1/2, PI3K, and Akt1/3. Additionally, in vitro subcutaneous implants of SB431542 and dorsomorphin treated hADSCs displayed significantly higher expression of active-axonal-growth-specific marker GAP43. Our data offers novel insights into cell-based therapies for the nervous system repair.

Large-scale generation of human iPSC-derived neural stem cells/early neural progenitor cells and their neuronal differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Aiuto, Leonardo; Zhi, Yun; Kumar Das, Dhanjit; Wilcox, Madeleine R; Johnson, Jon W; McClain, Lora; MacDonald, Matthew L; Di Maio, Roberto; Schurdak, Mark E; Piazza, Paolo; Viggiano, Luigi; Sweet, Robert; Kinchington, Paul R; Bhattacharjee, Ayantika G; Yolken, Robert; Nimgaonka, Vishwajit L; Nimgaonkar, Vishwajit L

2014-01-01

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based technologies offer an unprecedented opportunity to perform high-throughput screening of novel drugs for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Such screenings require a robust and scalable method for generating large numbers of mature, differentiated neuronal cells. Currently available methods based on differentiation of embryoid bodies (EBs) or directed differentiation of adherent culture systems are either expensive or are not scalable. We developed a protocol for large-scale generation of neuronal stem cells (NSCs)/early neural progenitor cells (eNPCs) and their differentiation into neurons. Our scalable protocol allows robust and cost-effective generation of NSCs/eNPCs from iPSCs. Following culture in neurobasal medium supplemented with B27 and BDNF, NSCs/eNPCs differentiate predominantly into vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) positive neurons. Targeted mass spectrometry analysis demonstrates that iPSC-derived neurons express ligand-gated channels and other synaptic proteins and whole-cell patch-clamp experiments indicate that these channels are functional. The robust and cost-effective differentiation protocol described here for large-scale generation of NSCs/eNPCs and their differentiation into neurons paves the way for automated high-throughput screening of drugs for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Detection of Temperature Difference in Neuronal Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanimoto, Ryuichi; Hiraiwa, Takumi; Nakai, Yuichiro; Shindo, Yutaka; Oka, Kotaro; Hiroi, Noriko; Funahashi, Akira

2016-03-01

For a better understanding of the mechanisms behind cellular functions, quantification of the heterogeneity in an organism or cells is essential. Recently, the importance of quantifying temperature has been highlighted, as it correlates with biochemical reaction rates. Several methods for detecting intracellular temperature have recently been established. Here we develop a novel method for sensing temperature in living cells based on the imaging technique of fluorescence of quantum dots. We apply the method to quantify the temperature difference in a human derived neuronal cell line, SH-SY5Y. Our results show that temperatures in the cell body and neurites are different and thus suggest that inhomogeneous heat production and dissipation happen in a cell. We estimate that heterogeneous heat dissipation results from the characteristic shape of neuronal cells, which consist of several compartments formed with different surface-volume ratios. Inhomogeneous heat production is attributable to the localization of specific organelles as the heat source.

Near infrared laser stimulation of human neural stem cells into neurons on graphene nanomesh semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhavan, Omid; Ghaderi, Elham; Shirazian, Soheil A

2015-02-01

Reduced graphene oxide nanomeshes (rGONMs), as p-type semiconductors with band-gap energy of ∼ 1 eV, were developed and applied in near infrared (NIR) laser stimulation of human neural stem cells (hNSCs) into neurons. The biocompatibility of the rGONMs in growth of hNSCs was found similar to that of the graphene oxide (GO) sheets. Proliferation of the hNSCs on the GONMs was assigned to the excess oxygen functional groups formed on edge defects of the GONMs, resulting in superhydrophilicity of the surface. Under NIR laser stimulation, the graphene layers (especially the rGONMs) exhibited significant cell differentiations, including more elongations of the cells and higher differentiation of neurons than glia. The higher hNSC differentiation on the rGONM than the reduced GO (rGO) was assigned to the stimulation effects of the low-energy photoexcited electrons injected from the rGONM semiconductors into the cells, while the high-energy photoelectrons of the rGO (as a zero band-gap semiconductor) could suppress the cell proliferation and/or even cause cell damages. Using conventional heating of the culture media up to ∼ 43 °C (the temperature typically reached under the laser irradiation), no significant differentiation was observed in dark. This further confirmed the role of photoelectrons in the hNSC differentiation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human Nav1.8: enhanced persistent and ramp currents contribute to distinct firing properties of human DRG neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Chongyang; Estacion, Mark; Huang, Jianying; Vasylyev, Dymtro; Zhao, Peng; Dib-Hajj, Sulayman D.

2015-01-01

Although species-specific differences in ion channel properties are well-documented, little has been known about the properties of the human Nav1.8 channel, an important contributor to pain signaling. Here we show, using techniques that include voltage clamp, current clamp, and dynamic clamp in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, that human Nav1.8 channels display slower inactivation kinetics and produce larger persistent current and ramp current than previously reported in other species. DRG neurons expressing human Nav1.8 channels unexpectedly produce significantly longer-lasting action potentials, including action potentials with half-widths in some cells >10 ms, and increased firing frequency compared with the narrower and usually single action potentials generated by DRG neurons expressing rat Nav1.8 channels. We also show that native human DRG neurons recapitulate these properties of Nav1.8 current and the long-lasting action potentials. Together, our results demonstrate strikingly distinct properties of human Nav1.8, which contribute to the firing properties of human DRG neurons. PMID:25787950

Embryonic stem cells and prospects for their use in regenerative medicine approaches to motor neurone disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Christou, Y A; Moore, H D; Shaw, P J; Monk, P N

2007-10-01

Human embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells with the potential to differentiate into any cell type in the presence of appropriate stimulatory factors and environmental cues. Their broad developmental potential has led to valuable insights into the principles of developmental and cell biology and to the proposed use of human embryonic stem cells or their differentiated progeny in regenerative medicine. This review focuses on the prospects for the use of embryonic stem cells in cell-based therapy for motor neurone disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that specifically affects upper and lower motor neurones and leads ultimately to death from respiratory failure. Stem cell-derived motor neurones could conceivably be used to replace the degenerated cells, to provide authentic substrates for drug development and screening and for furthering our understanding of disease mechanisms. However, to reliably and accurately culture motor neurones, the complex pathways by which differentiation occurs in vivo must be understood and reiterated in vitro by embryonic stem cells. Here we discuss the need for new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of motor neurone disease, the developmental processes that result in motor neurone formation in vivo, a number of experimental approaches to motor neurone production in vitro and recent progress in the application of stem cells to the treatment and understanding of motor neurone disease.

PINK1 is necessary for long term survival and mitochondrial function in human dopaminergic neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alison Wood-Kaczmar

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Parkinson's disease (PD is a common age-related neurodegenerative disease and it is critical to develop models which recapitulate the pathogenic process including the effect of the ageing process. Although the pathogenesis of sporadic PD is unknown, the identification of the mendelian genetic factor PINK1 has provided new mechanistic insights. In order to investigate the role of PINK1 in Parkinson's disease, we studied PINK1 loss of function in human and primary mouse neurons. Using RNAi, we created stable PINK1 knockdown in human dopaminergic neurons differentiated from foetal ventral mesencephalon stem cells, as well as in an immortalised human neuroblastoma cell line. We sought to validate our findings in primary neurons derived from a transgenic PINK1 knockout mouse. For the first time we demonstrate an age dependent neurodegenerative phenotype in human and mouse neurons. PINK1 deficiency leads to reduced long-term viability in human neurons, which die via the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Human neurons lacking PINK1 demonstrate features of marked oxidative stress with widespread mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal mitochondrial morphology. We report that PINK1 plays a neuroprotective role in the mitochondria of mammalian neurons, especially against stress such as staurosporine. In addition we provide evidence that cellular compensatory mechanisms such as mitochondrial biogenesis and upregulation of lysosomal degradation pathways occur in PINK1 deficiency. The phenotypic effects of PINK1 loss-of-function described here in mammalian neurons provides mechanistic insight into the age-related degeneration of nigral dopaminergic neurons seen in PD.

Stereological analysis of neuron, glial and endothelial cell numbers in the human amygdaloid complex.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María García-Amado

Full Text Available Cell number alterations in the amygdaloid complex (AC might coincide with neurological and psychiatric pathologies with anxiety imbalances as well as with changes in brain functionality during aging. This stereological study focused on estimating, in samples from 7 control individuals aged 20 to 75 years old, the number and density of neurons, glia and endothelial cells in the entire AC and in its 5 nuclear groups (including the basolateral (BL, corticomedial and central groups, 5 nuclei and 13 nuclear subdivisions. The volume and total cell number in these territories were determined on Nissl-stained sections with the Cavalieri principle and the optical fractionator. The AC mean volume was 956 mm(3 and mean cell numbers (x10(6 were: 15.3 neurons, 60 glial cells and 16.8 endothelial cells. The numbers of endothelial cells and neurons were similar in each AC region and were one fourth the number of glial cells. Analysis of the influence of the individuals' age at death on volume, cell number and density in each of these 24 AC regions suggested that aging does not affect regional size or the amount of glial cells, but that neuron and endothelial cell numbers respectively tended to decrease and increase in territories such as AC or BL. These accurate stereological measures of volume and total cell numbers and densities in the AC of control individuals could serve as appropriate reference values to evaluate subtle alterations in this structure in pathological conditions.

Stereological analysis of neuron, glial and endothelial cell numbers in the human amygdaloid complex.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Amado, María; Prensa, Lucía

2012-01-01

Cell number alterations in the amygdaloid complex (AC) might coincide with neurological and psychiatric pathologies with anxiety imbalances as well as with changes in brain functionality during aging. This stereological study focused on estimating, in samples from 7 control individuals aged 20 to 75 years old, the number and density of neurons, glia and endothelial cells in the entire AC and in its 5 nuclear groups (including the basolateral (BL), corticomedial and central groups), 5 nuclei and 13 nuclear subdivisions. The volume and total cell number in these territories were determined on Nissl-stained sections with the Cavalieri principle and the optical fractionator. The AC mean volume was 956 mm(3) and mean cell numbers (x10(6)) were: 15.3 neurons, 60 glial cells and 16.8 endothelial cells. The numbers of endothelial cells and neurons were similar in each AC region and were one fourth the number of glial cells. Analysis of the influence of the individuals' age at death on volume, cell number and density in each of these 24 AC regions suggested that aging does not affect regional size or the amount of glial cells, but that neuron and endothelial cell numbers respectively tended to decrease and increase in territories such as AC or BL. These accurate stereological measures of volume and total cell numbers and densities in the AC of control individuals could serve as appropriate reference values to evaluate subtle alterations in this structure in pathological conditions.

Evaluation of Motor Neuron-Like Cell Differentiation of hEnSCs on Biodegradable PLGA Nanofiber Scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimi-Barough, Somayeh; Norouzi Javidan, Abbas; Saberi, Hoshangh; Joghataei, Mohammad Tghi; Rahbarghazi, Reza; Mirzaei, Esmaeil; Faghihi, Faezeh; Shirian, Sadegh; Ai, Armin; Ai, Jafar

2015-12-01

Human endometrium is a high-dynamic tissue that contains human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) which can be differentiated into a number of cell lineages. The differentiation of hEnSCs into many cell lineages such as osteoblast, adipocyte, and neural cells has been investigated previously. However, the differentiation of these stem cells into motor neuron-like cells has not been investigated yet. Different biochemical and topographical cues can affect the differentiation of stem cells into a specific cell. The aim of this study was to investigate the capability of hEnSCs to be differentiated into motor neuron-like cells under biochemical and topographical cues. The biocompatible and biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) electrospun nanofibrous scaffold was used as a topographical cue. Human EnSCs were cultured on the PLGA scaffold and tissue culture polystyrene (TCP), then differentiation of hEnSCs into motor neuron-like cells under induction media including retinoic acid (RA) and sonic hedgehog (Shh) were evaluated for 15 days. The proliferation rate of cells was assayed by using MTT assay. The morphology of cells was studied by scanning electron microscopy imaging, and the expression of motor neuron-specific markers by real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry. Results showed that survival and differentiation of hEnSCs into motor neuron-like cells on the PLGA scaffold were better than those on the TCP group. Taken together, the results suggest that differentiated hEnSCs on PLGA can provide a suitable, three-dimensional situation for neuronal survival and outgrowth for regeneration of the central nervous system, and these cells may be a potential candidate in cellular therapy for motor neuron diseases.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Source of Dopaminergic Neurons: A Potential Cell Based Therapy for Parkinson's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatesh, Katari; Sen, Dwaipayan

2017-01-01

Cell repair/replacing strategies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease depend on well-characterized dopaminergic neuronal candidates that are healthy and show promising effect on the rejuvenation of degenerated area of the brain. Therefore, it is imperative to develop innovative therapeutic strategies that replace damaged neurons with new/functional dopaminergic neurons. Although several research groups have reported the generation of neural precursors/neurons from human/ mouse embryonic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells, the latter is considered to be an attractive therapeutic candidate because of its high capacity for self-renewable, no adverse effect to allogeneic versus autologous transplants, high ethical acceptance and no teratoma formation. Therefore, mesenchymal stem cells can be considered as an ideal source for replacing lost cells in degenerative diseases like Parkinson's. Hence, the use of these cells in the differentiation of dopaminergic neurons becomes significant and thrives as a therapeutic approach to treat Parkinson's disease. Here we highlight the basic biology of mesenchymal stem cells, their differentiation potential into dopaminergic neurons and potential use in the clinics. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Neurons in the white matter of the adult human neocortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Luisa Suarez-Sola

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The white matter (WM of the adult human neocortex contains the so-called “interstitial neurons”. They are most numerous in the superficial WM underlying the cortical gyri, and decrease in density toward the deep WM. They are morphologically heterogeneous. A subgroup of interstitial neurons display pyramidal-cell like morphologies, characterized by a polarized dendritic tree with a dominant apical dendrite, and covered with a variable number of dendritic spines. In addition, a large contingent of interstitial neurons can be classified as interneurons based on their neurochemical profile as well as on morphological criteria. WM- interneurons have multipolar or bipolar shapes and express GABA and a variety of other neuronal markers, such as calbindin and calretinin, the extracellular matrix protein reelin, or neuropeptide Y, somatostatin, and nitric oxide synthase. The heterogeneity of interstitial neurons may be relevant for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease and schizophrenia. Interstitial neurons are most prominent in human brain, and only rudimentary in the brain of non-primate mammals. These evolutionary differences have precluded adequate experimental work on this cell population, which is usually considered as a relict of the subplate, a transient compartment proper of development and without a known function in the adult brain. The primate-specific prominence of the subplate in late fetal stages points to an important role in the establishment of interstitial neurons. Neurons in the adult WM may be actively involved in coordinating inter-areal connectivity and regulation of blood flow. Further studies in primates will be needed to elucidate the developmental history, adult components and activities of this large neuronal system.

Therapeutic opportunities and challenges of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Manoj Kumar Jaiswal

2017-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are progressive neurodegenera-tive diseases that affect nerve cells in the brain affecting upper and lower motor neurons (UMNs/LMNs), brain stem and spinal cord.The clinical phenotype is characterized by loss of motor neurons (MNs), mus-cular weakness and atrophy eventually leading to paralysis and death due to respiratory failure within 3–5 years after disease onset. No effective treatment or cure is currently available that halts or reverses ALS and MND except FDA approved drug riluzole that only modestly slows the progression of ALS in some patients. Recent advances in human derived induced pluripotent stem cells have made it possible for the first time to obtain substantial amounts of human cells to recapitulate in vitro"disease in dish"and test some of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms involved in ALS and MNDs. In this review, I discussed the opportunities and challenges of induced pluropotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of ALS and MND patients with special emphasis on their implications in finding a cure for ALS and MNDs.

Therapeutic opportunities and challenges of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiswal, Manoj Kumar

2017-05-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are progressive neurodegenerative diseases that affect nerve cells in the brain affecting upper and lower motor neurons (UMNs/LMNs), brain stem and spinal cord. The clinical phenotype is characterized by loss of motor neurons (MNs), muscular weakness and atrophy eventually leading to paralysis and death due to respiratory failure within 3-5 years after disease onset. No effective treatment or cure is currently available that halts or reverses ALS and MND except FDA approved drug riluzole that only modestly slows the progression of ALS in some patients. Recent advances in human derived induced pluripotent stem cells have made it possible for the first time to obtain substantial amounts of human cells to recapitulate in vitro " disease in dish " and test some of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms involved in ALS and MNDs. In this review, I discussed the opportunities and challenges of induced pluropotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of ALS and MND patients with special emphasis on their implications in finding a cure for ALS and MNDs.

Non-classical nuclear localization signal peptides for high efficiency lipofection of primary neurons and neuronal cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, H; Zhu, J; Maronski, M; Kotzbauer, P T; Lee, V M-Y; Dichter, M A; Diamond, S L

2002-01-01

Gene transfer into CNS is critical for potential therapeutic applications as well as for the study of the genetic basis of neural development and nerve function. Unfortunately, lipid-based gene transfer to CNS cells is extremely inefficient since the nucleus of these post-mitotic cells presents a significant barrier to transfection. We report the development of a simple and highly efficient lipofection method for primary embryonic rat hippocampal neurons (up to 25% transfection) that exploits the M9 sequence of the non-classical nuclear localization signal of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 for targeting beta(2)-karyopherin (transportin-1). M9-assistant lipofection resulted in 20-100-fold enhancement of transfection over lipofection alone for embryonic-derived retinal ganglion cells, rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, embryonic rat ventral mesencephalon neurons, as well as the clinically relevant human NT2 cells or retinoic acid-differentiated NT2 neurons. This technique can facilitate the implementation of promoter construct experiments in post-mitotic cells, stable transformant generation, and dominant-negative mutant expression techniques in CNS cells.

Human Na(v)1.8: enhanced persistent and ramp currents contribute to distinct firing properties of human DRG neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Chongyang; Estacion, Mark; Huang, Jianying; Vasylyev, Dymtro; Zhao, Peng; Dib-Hajj, Sulayman D; Waxman, Stephen G

2015-05-01

Although species-specific differences in ion channel properties are well-documented, little has been known about the properties of the human Nav1.8 channel, an important contributor to pain signaling. Here we show, using techniques that include voltage clamp, current clamp, and dynamic clamp in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, that human Na(v)1.8 channels display slower inactivation kinetics and produce larger persistent current and ramp current than previously reported in other species. DRG neurons expressing human Na(v)1.8 channels unexpectedly produce significantly longer-lasting action potentials, including action potentials with half-widths in some cells >10 ms, and increased firing frequency compared with the narrower and usually single action potentials generated by DRG neurons expressing rat Na(v)1.8 channels. We also show that native human DRG neurons recapitulate these properties of Na(v)1.8 current and the long-lasting action potentials. Together, our results demonstrate strikingly distinct properties of human Na(v)1.8, which contribute to the firing properties of human DRG neurons.

Populations of subplate and interstitial neurons in fetal and adult human telencephalon.

Science.gov (United States)

Judaš, Miloš; Sedmak, Goran; Pletikos, Mihovil; Jovanov-Milošević, Nataša

2010-10-01

In the adult human telencephalon, subcortical (gyral) white matter contains a special population of interstitial neurons considered to be surviving descendants of fetal subplate neurons [Kostovic & Rakic (1980) Cytology and the time of origin of interstitial neurons in the white matter in infant and adult human and monkey telencephalon. J Neurocytol9, 219]. We designate this population of cells as superficial (gyral) interstitial neurons and describe their morphology and distribution in the postnatal and adult human cerebrum. Human fetal subplate neurons cannot be regarded as interstitial, because the subplate zone is an essential part of the fetal cortex, the major site of synaptogenesis and the 'waiting' compartment for growing cortical afferents, and contains both projection neurons and interneurons with distinct input-output connectivity. However, although the subplate zone is a transient fetal structure, many subplate neurons survive postnatally as superficial (gyral) interstitial neurons. The fetal white matter is represented by the intermediate zone and well-defined deep periventricular tracts of growing axons, such as the corpus callosum, anterior commissure, internal and external capsule, and the fountainhead of the corona radiata. These tracts gradually occupy the territory of transient fetal subventricular and ventricular zones.The human fetal white matter also contains distinct populations of deep fetal interstitial neurons, which, by virtue of their location, morphology, molecular phenotypes and advanced level of dendritic maturation, remain distinct from subplate neurons and neurons in adjacent structures (e.g. basal ganglia, basal forebrain). We describe the morphological, histochemical (nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase) and immunocytochemical (neuron-specific nuclear protein, microtubule-associated protein-2, calbindin, calretinin, neuropeptide Y) features of both deep fetal interstitial neurons and deep (periventricular

An experimental electronic model for a neuronal cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos-Cantón, I; Martel-Gallegos, G; Rangel-López, A; Vertiz-Hérnandez, A; Zarazúa, S

2014-01-01

Over the last two decades, the study of information transmission in living beings has acquired great relevance, because it regulates and conducts the functioning of all of the organs in the body. In information transmission pathways, the neuron plays an important role in that it receives, transmits, and processes electrical signals from different parts of the human body; these signals are transmitted as electrical impulses called action potentials, and they transmit information from one neuron to another. In this work, and with the aim of developing experiments for teaching biological processes, we implemented an electronic circuit of the neuron cell device and its mathematical model based on piecewise linear functions. (paper)

Isolation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Dopaminergic Progenitors by Cell Sorting for Successful Transplantation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daisuke Doi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs can provide a promising source of midbrain dopaminergic (DA neurons for cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease. However, iPSC-derived donor cells inevitably contain tumorigenic or inappropriate cells. Here, we show that human iPSC-derived DA progenitor cells can be efficiently isolated by cell sorting using a floor plate marker, CORIN. We induced DA neurons using scalable culture conditions on human laminin fragment, and the sorted CORIN+ cells expressed the midbrain DA progenitor markers, FOXA2 and LMX1A. When transplanted into 6-OHDA-lesioned rats, the CORIN+ cells survived and differentiated into midbrain DA neurons in vivo, resulting in significant improvement of the motor behavior, without tumor formation. In particular, the CORIN+ cells in a NURR1+ cell-dominant stage exhibited the best survival and function as DA neurons. Our method is a favorable strategy in terms of scalability, safety, and efficiency and may be advantageous for clinical application.

RNA-Seq of human neurons derived from iPS cells reveals candidate long non-coding RNAs involved in neurogenesis and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingyan Lin

Full Text Available Genome-wide expression analysis using next generation sequencing (RNA-Seq provides an opportunity for in-depth molecular profiling of fundamental biological processes, such as cellular differentiation and malignant transformation. Differentiating human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs provide an ideal system for RNA-Seq since defective neurogenesis caused by abnormalities in transcription factors, DNA methylation, and chromatin modifiers lie at the heart of some neuropsychiatric disorders. As a preliminary step towards applying next generation sequencing using neurons derived from patient-specific iPSCs, we have carried out an RNA-Seq analysis on control human neurons. Dramatic changes in the expression of coding genes, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, pseudogenes, and splice isoforms were seen during the transition from pluripotent stem cells to early differentiating neurons. A number of genes that undergo radical changes in expression during this transition include candidates for schizophrenia (SZ, bipolar disorder (BD and autism spectrum disorders (ASD that function as transcription factors and chromatin modifiers, such as POU3F2 and ZNF804A, and genes coding for cell adhesion proteins implicated in these conditions including NRXN1 and NLGN1. In addition, a number of novel lncRNAs were found to undergo dramatic changes in expression, one of which is HOTAIRM1, a regulator of several HOXA genes during myelopoiesis. The increase we observed in differentiating neurons suggests a role in neurogenesis as well. Finally, several lncRNAs that map near SNPs associated with SZ in genome wide association studies also increase during neuronal differentiation, suggesting that these novel transcripts may be abnormally regulated in a subgroup of patients.

Alpha-synuclein cell-to-cell transfer and seeding in grafted dopaminergic neurons in vivo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elodie Angot

Full Text Available Several people with Parkinson's disease have been treated with intrastriatal grafts of fetal dopaminergic neurons. Following autopsy, 10-22 years after surgery, some of the grafted neurons contained Lewy bodies similar to those observed in the host brain. Numerous studies have attempted to explain these findings in cell and animal models. In cell culture, α-synuclein has been found to transfer from one cell to another, via mechanisms that include exosomal transport and endocytosis, and in certain cases seed aggregation in the recipient cell. In animal models, transfer of α-synuclein from host brain cells to grafted neurons has been shown, but the reported frequency of the event has been relatively low and little is known about the underlying mechanisms as well as the fate of the transferred α-synuclein. We now demonstrate frequent transfer of α-synuclein from a rat brain engineered to overexpress human α-synuclein to grafted dopaminergic neurons. Further, we show that this model can be used to explore mechanisms underlying cell-to-cell transfer of α-synuclein. Thus, we present evidence both for the involvement of endocytosis in α-synuclein uptake in vivo, and for seeding of aggregation of endogenous α-synuclein in the recipient neuron by the transferred α-synuclein. Finally, we show that, at least in a subset of the studied cells, the transmitted α-synuclein is sensitive to proteinase K. Our new model system could be used to test compounds that inhibit cell-to-cell transfer of α-synuclein and therefore might retard progression of Parkinson neuropathology.

Generating regionalized neuronal cells from pluripotency, a step-by-step protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnete eKirkeby

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Human pluripotent stem cells possess the potential to generate cells for regenerative therapies in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, and constitute an excellent cell source for studying human neural development and disease modeling. Protocols for neural differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells have undergone significant progress during recent years, allowing for rapid and synchronized neural conversion. Differentiation procedures can further be combined with accurate and efficient positional patterning to yield regionalized neural progenitors and subtype-specific neurons corresponding to different parts of the developing human brain. Here, we present a step-by-step protocol for neuralization and regionalization of human pluripotent cells for transplantation studies or in vitro analysis.

Differentiation of the SH-SY5Y Human Neuroblastoma Cell Line.

Science.gov (United States)

Shipley, Mackenzie M; Mangold, Colleen A; Szpara, Moriah L

2016-02-17

Having appropriate in vivo and in vitro systems that provide translational models for human disease is an integral aspect of research in neurobiology and the neurosciences. Traditional in vitro experimental models used in neurobiology include primary neuronal cultures from rats and mice, neuroblastoma cell lines including rat B35 and mouse Neuro-2A cells, rat PC12 cells, and short-term slice cultures. While many researchers rely on these models, they lack a human component and observed experimental effects could be exclusive to the respective species and may not occur identically in humans. Additionally, although these cells are neurons, they may have unstable karyotypes, making their use problematic for studies of gene expression and reproducible studies of cell signaling. It is therefore important to develop more consistent models of human neurological disease. The following procedure describes an easy-to-follow, reproducible method to obtain homogenous and viable human neuronal cultures, by differentiating the chromosomally stable human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y. This method integrates several previously described methods(1-4) and is based on sequential removal of serum from media. The timeline includes gradual serum-starvation, with introduction of extracellular matrix proteins and neurotrophic factors. This allows neurons to differentiate, while epithelial cells are selected against, resulting in a homogeneous neuronal culture. Representative results demonstrate the successful differentiation of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells from an initial epithelial-like cell phenotype into a more expansive and branched neuronal phenotype. This protocol offers a reliable way to generate homogeneous populations of neuronal cultures that can be used for subsequent biochemical and molecular analyses, which provides researchers with a more accurate translational model of human infection and disease.

Human iPSC-Derived Neuronal Model of Tau-A152T Frontotemporal Dementia Reveals Tau-Mediated Mechanisms of Neuronal Vulnerability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Catarina Silva

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Frontotemporal dementia (FTD and other tauopathies characterized by focal brain neurodegeneration and pathological accumulation of proteins are commonly associated with tau mutations. However, the mechanism of neuronal loss is not fully understood. To identify molecular events associated with tauopathy, we studied induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC-derived neurons from individuals carrying the tau-A152T variant. We highlight the potential of in-depth phenotyping of human neuronal cell models for pre-clinical studies and identification of modulators of endogenous tau toxicity. Through a panel of biochemical and cellular assays, A152T neurons showed accumulation, redistribution, and decreased solubility of tau. Upregulation of tau was coupled to enhanced stress-inducible markers and cell vulnerability to proteotoxic, excitotoxic, and mitochondrial stressors, which was rescued upon CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeting of tau or by pharmacological activation of autophagy. Our findings unmask tau-mediated perturbations of specific pathways associated with neuronal vulnerability, revealing potential early disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets for FTD and other tauopathies.

Von Economo Neurons and Fork Cells: A Neurochemical Signature Linked to Monoaminergic Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Dijkstra, Anke A; Lin, Li-Chun; Nana, Alissa L; Gaus, Stephanie E; Seeley, William W

2018-01-01

The human anterior cingulate and frontoinsular cortices are distinguished by 2 unique Layer 5 neuronal morphotypes, the von Economo neurons (VENs) and fork cells, whose biological identity remains mysterious. Insights could impact research on diverse neuropsychiatric diseases to which these cells have been linked. Here, we leveraged the Allen Brain Atlas to evaluate mRNA expression of 176 neurotransmitter-related genes and identified vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor subunit θ (GABRQ), and adrenoreceptor α-1A (ADRA1A) expression in human VENs, fork cells, and a minority of neighboring Layer 5 neurons. We confirmed these results using immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization. VMAT2 and GABRQ expression was absent in mouse cerebral cortex. Although VMAT2 is known to package monoamines into synaptic vesicles, in VENs and fork cells its expression occurs in the absence of monoamine-synthesizing enzymes or reuptake transporters. Thus, VENs and fork cells may possess a novel, uncharacterized mode of cortical monoaminergic function that distinguishes them from most other mammalian Layer 5 neurons. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Optical coherence tomography visualizes neurons in human entorhinal cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Magnain, Caroline; Augustinack, Jean C.; Konukoglu, Ender; Frosch, Matthew P.; Sakadžić, Sava; Varjabedian, Ani; Garcia, Nathalie; Wedeen, Van J.; Boas, David A.; Fischl, Bruce

2015-01-01

Abstract. The cytoarchitecture of the human brain is of great interest in diverse fields: neuroanatomy, neurology, neuroscience, and neuropathology. Traditional histology is a method that has been historically used to assess cell and fiber content in the ex vivo human brain. However, this technique suffers from significant distortions. We used a previously demonstrated optical coherence microscopy technique to image individual neurons in several square millimeters of en-face tissue blocks from layer II of the human entorhinal cortex, over 50  μm in depth. The same slices were then sectioned and stained for Nissl substance. We registered the optical coherence tomography (OCT) images with the corresponding Nissl stained slices using a nonlinear transformation. The neurons were then segmented in both images and we quantified the overlap. We show that OCT images contain information about neurons that is comparable to what can be obtained from Nissl staining, and thus can be used to assess the cytoarchitecture of the ex vivo human brain with minimal distortion. With the future integration of a vibratome into the OCT imaging rig, this technique can be scaled up to obtain undistorted volumetric data of centimeter cube tissue blocks in the near term, and entire human hemispheres in the future. PMID:25741528

Developmental neurotoxicity screening using human embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosnjak, Zeljko J

2012-09-01

Research in the area of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, along with neuroscience, will further our understanding of drug-induced death of neurons during their development. With the development of an in vitro model of stem cell-derived human neural cell lines investigators can, under control conditions and during intense neuronal growth, examine molecular mechanisms of various drugs and conditions on early developmental neuroapoptosis in humans. If the use of this model will lead to fewer risks, or identification of drugs and anesthetics that are less likely to cause the death of neurons, this approach will be a major stride toward assuring the safety of drugs during the brain development. The ultimate goal would be not only to find the trigger for the catastrophic chain of events, but also to prevent neuronal cell death itself. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Immunohistochemical Markers for Quantitative Studies of Neurons and Glia in Human Neocortex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyck, Lise; Dalmau, Ishar; Chemnitz, John

2007-01-01

Reproducible visualisation of neurons and glia in human brain is essential for quantitative studies of the cellular changes in neurological disease. However, immunohistochemistry in human brain specimens is often compromised due to prolonged fixation. To select cell-lineage specific antibodies fo...

Cell culture chamber with gas supply for prolonged recording of human neuronal cells on microelectrode array.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreutzer, Joose; Ylä-Outinen, Laura; Mäki, Antti-Juhana; Ristola, Mervi; Narkilahti, Susanna; Kallio, Pasi

2017-03-15

Typically, live cell analyses are performed outside an incubator in an ambient air, where the lack of sufficient CO 2 supply results in a fast change of pH and the high evaporation causes concentration drifts in the culture medium. That limits the experiment time for tens of minutes. In many applications, e.g. in neurotoxicity studies, a prolonged measurement of extracellular activity is, however, essential. We demonstrate a simple cell culture chamber that enables stable culture conditions during prolonged extracellular recordings on a microelectrode array (MEA) outside an incubator. The proposed chamber consists of a gas permeable silicone structure that enables gas transfer into the chamber. We show that the culture chamber supports the growth of the human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neurons both inside and outside an incubator. The structure provides very low evaporation, stable pH and osmolarity, and maintains strong signaling of hESC-derived neuronal networks over three-day MEA experiments. Existing systems are typically complex including continuous perfusion of medium or relatively large amount of gas to supply. The proposed chamber requires only a supply of very low flow rate (1.5ml/min) of non-humidified 5% CO 2 gas. Utilizing dry gas supply makes the proposed chamber simple to use. Using the proposed culture structure on top of MEA, we can maintain hESC-derived neural networks over three days outside an incubator. Technically, the structure requires very low flow rate of dry gas supporting, however, low evaporation and maintaining the pH of the culture. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Expression of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecules on adult stem cells after neuronal differentiation of inner ear spiral ganglion neurons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Kyoung Ho; Yeo, Sang Won; Troy, Frederic A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • PolySia expressed on neurons primarily during early stages of neuronal development. • PolySia–NCAM is expressed on neural stem cells from adult guinea pig spiral ganglion. • PolySia is a biomarker that modulates neuronal differentiation in inner ear stem cells. - Abstract: During brain development, polysialylated (polySia) neural cell adhesion molecules (polySia–NCAMs) modulate cell–cell adhesive interactions involved in synaptogenesis, neural plasticity, myelination, and neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation. Our findings show that polySia–NCAM is expressed on NSC isolated from adult guinea pig spiral ganglion (GPSG), and in neurons and Schwann cells after differentiation of the NSC with epidermal, glia, fibroblast growth factors (GFs) and neurotrophins. These differentiated cells were immunoreactive with mAb’s to polySia, NCAM, β-III tubulin, nestin, S-100 and stained with BrdU. NSC could regenerate and be differentiated into neurons and Schwann cells. We conclude: (1) polySia is expressed on NSC isolated from adult GPSG and on neurons and Schwann cells differentiated from these NSC; (2) polySia is expressed on neurons primarily during the early stage of neuronal development and is expressed on Schwann cells at points of cell–cell contact; (3) polySia is a functional biomarker that modulates neuronal differentiation in inner ear stem cells. These new findings suggest that replacement of defective cells in the inner ear of hearing impaired patients using adult spiral ganglion neurons may offer potential hope to improve the quality of life for patients with auditory dysfunction and impaired hearing disorders

Expression of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecules on adult stem cells after neuronal differentiation of inner ear spiral ganglion neurons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Kyoung Ho [Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Catholic University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yeo, Sang Won, E-mail: swyeo@catholic.ac.kr [Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Catholic University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Troy, Frederic A., E-mail: fatroy@ucdavis.edu [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen City (China)

2014-10-17

Highlights: • PolySia expressed on neurons primarily during early stages of neuronal development. • PolySia–NCAM is expressed on neural stem cells from adult guinea pig spiral ganglion. • PolySia is a biomarker that modulates neuronal differentiation in inner ear stem cells. - Abstract: During brain development, polysialylated (polySia) neural cell adhesion molecules (polySia–NCAMs) modulate cell–cell adhesive interactions involved in synaptogenesis, neural plasticity, myelination, and neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation. Our findings show that polySia–NCAM is expressed on NSC isolated from adult guinea pig spiral ganglion (GPSG), and in neurons and Schwann cells after differentiation of the NSC with epidermal, glia, fibroblast growth factors (GFs) and neurotrophins. These differentiated cells were immunoreactive with mAb’s to polySia, NCAM, β-III tubulin, nestin, S-100 and stained with BrdU. NSC could regenerate and be differentiated into neurons and Schwann cells. We conclude: (1) polySia is expressed on NSC isolated from adult GPSG and on neurons and Schwann cells differentiated from these NSC; (2) polySia is expressed on neurons primarily during the early stage of neuronal development and is expressed on Schwann cells at points of cell–cell contact; (3) polySia is a functional biomarker that modulates neuronal differentiation in inner ear stem cells. These new findings suggest that replacement of defective cells in the inner ear of hearing impaired patients using adult spiral ganglion neurons may offer potential hope to improve the quality of life for patients with auditory dysfunction and impaired hearing disorders.

Neocortical glial cell numbers in human brains.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelvig, D P; Pakkenberg, H; Stark, A K; Pakkenberg, B

2008-11-01

Stereological cell counting was applied to post-mortem neocortices of human brains from 31 normal individuals, age 18-93 years, 18 females (average age 65 years, range 18-93) and 13 males (average age 57 years, range 19-87). The cells were differentiated in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and neurons and counting were done in each of the four lobes. The study showed that the different subpopulations of glial cells behave differently as a function of age; the number of oligodendrocytes showed a significant 27% decrease over adult life and a strong correlation to the total number of neurons while the total astrocyte number is constant through life; finally males have a 28% higher number of neocortical glial cells and a 19% higher neocortical neuron number than females. The overall total number of neocortical neurons and glial cells was 49.3 billion in females and 65.2 billion in males, a difference of 24% with a high biological variance. These numbers can serve as reference values in quantitative studies of the human neocortex.

Glass promotes the differentiation of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types in the Drosophila eye

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Carolyn A.; Chen, Hao; Cook, Tiffany; Brown, Stuart

2018-01-01

Transcriptional regulators can specify different cell types from a pool of equivalent progenitors by activating distinct developmental programs. The Glass transcription factor is expressed in all progenitors in the developing Drosophila eye, and is maintained in both neuronal and non-neuronal cell types. Glass is required for neuronal progenitors to differentiate as photoreceptors, but its role in non-neuronal cone and pigment cells is unknown. To determine whether Glass activity is limited to neuronal lineages, we compared the effects of misexpressing it in neuroblasts of the larval brain and in epithelial cells of the wing disc. Glass activated overlapping but distinct sets of genes in these neuronal and non-neuronal contexts, including markers of photoreceptors, cone cells and pigment cells. Coexpression of other transcription factors such as Pax2, Eyes absent, Lozenge and Escargot enabled Glass to induce additional genes characteristic of the non-neuronal cell types. Cell type-specific glass mutations generated in cone or pigment cells using somatic CRISPR revealed autonomous developmental defects, and expressing Glass specifically in these cells partially rescued glass mutant phenotypes. These results indicate that Glass is a determinant of organ identity that acts in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells to promote their differentiation into functional components of the eye. PMID:29324767

Direct Lineage Reprogramming Reveals Disease-Specific Phenotypes of Motor Neurons from Human ALS Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-Lu Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Subtype-specific neurons obtained from adult humans will be critical to modeling neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS. Here, we show that adult human skin fibroblasts can be directly and efficiently converted into highly pure motor neurons without passing through an induced pluripotent stem cell stage. These adult human induced motor neurons (hiMNs exhibit the cytological and electrophysiological features of spinal motor neurons and form functional neuromuscular junctions (NMJs with skeletal muscles. Importantly, hiMNs converted from ALS patient fibroblasts show disease-specific degeneration manifested through poor survival, soma shrinkage, hypoactivity, and an inability to form NMJs. A chemical screen revealed that the degenerative features of ALS hiMNs can be remarkably rescued by the small molecule kenpaullone. Taken together, our results define a direct and efficient strategy to obtain disease-relevant neuronal subtypes from adult human patients and reveal their promising value in disease modeling and drug identification.

HSPB1 mutations causing hereditary neuropathy in humans disrupt non-cell autonomous protection of motor neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Heilman, Patrick L; Song, SungWon; Miranda, Carlos J; Meyer, Kathrin; Srivastava, Amit K; Knapp, Amy; Wier, Christopher G; Kaspar, Brian K; Kolb, Stephen J

2017-11-01

Heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1), is a ubiquitously expressed, multifunctional protein chaperone. Mutations in HSPB1 result in the development of a late-onset, distal hereditary motor neuropathy type II (dHMN) and axonal Charcot-Marie Tooth disease with sensory involvement (CMT2F). The functional consequences of HSPB1 mutations associated with hereditary neuropathy are unknown. HSPB1 also displays neuroprotective properties in many neuronal disease models, including the motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). HSPB1 is upregulated in SOD1-ALS animal models during disease progression, predominately in glial cells. Glial cells are known to contribute to motor neuron loss in ALS through a non-cell autonomous mechanism. In this study, we examined the non-cell autonomous role of wild type and mutant HSPB1 in an astrocyte-motor neuron co-culture model system of ALS. Astrocyte-specific overexpression of wild type HSPB1 was sufficient to attenuate SOD1(G93A) astrocyte-mediated toxicity in motor neurons, whereas, overexpression of mutHSPB1 failed to ameliorate motor neuron toxicity. Expression of a phosphomimetic HSPB1 mutant in SOD1(G93A) astrocytes also reduced toxicity to motor neurons, suggesting that phosphorylation may contribute to HSPB1 mediated-neuroprotection. These data provide evidence that astrocytic HSPB1 expression may play a central role in motor neuron health and maintenance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vector-free and transgene-free human iPS cells differentiate into functional neurons and enhance functional recovery after ischemic stroke in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osama Mohamad

Full Text Available Stroke is a leading cause of human death and disability in the adult population in the United States and around the world. While stroke treatment is limited, stem cell transplantation has emerged as a promising regenerative therapy to replace or repair damaged tissues and enhance functional recovery after stroke. Recently, the creation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS cells through reprogramming of somatic cells has revolutionized cell therapy by providing an unlimited source of autologous cells for transplantation. In addition, the creation of vector-free and transgene-free human iPS (hiPS cells provides a new generation of stem cells with a reduced risk of tumor formation that was associated with the random integration of viral vectors seen with previous techniques. However, the potential use of these cells in the treatment of ischemic stroke has not been explored. In the present investigation, we examined the neuronal differentiation of vector-free and transgene-free hiPS cells and the transplantation of hiPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells (hiPS-NPCs in an ischemic stroke model in mice. Vector-free hiPS cells were maintained in feeder-free and serum-free conditions and differentiated into functional neurons in vitro using a newly developed differentiation protocol. Twenty eight days after transplantation in stroke mice, hiPS-NPCs showed mature neuronal markers in vivo. No tumor formation was seen up to 12 months after transplantation. Transplantation of hiPS-NPCs restored neurovascular coupling, increased trophic support and promoted behavioral recovery after stroke. These data suggest that using vector-free and transgene-free hiPS cells in stem cell therapy are safe and efficacious in enhancing recovery after focal ischemic stroke in mice.

Dissecting human cerebral organoids and fetal neocortex using single-cell RNAseq

Science.gov (United States)

Treutlein, Barbara

Cerebral organoids - three-dimensional cultures of human cerebral tissue derived from pluripotent stem cells - have emerged as models of human cortical development. However, the extent to which in vitro organoid systems recapitulate neural progenitor cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation programs observed in vivo remains unclear. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to dissect and compare cell composition and progenitor-to-neuron lineage relationships in human cerebral organoids and fetal neocortex. Covariation network analysis using the fetal neocortex data reveals known and novel interactions among genes central to neural progenitor proliferation and neuronal differentiation. In the organoid, we detect diverse progenitors and differentiated cell types of neuronal and mesenchymal lineages, and identify cells that derived from regions resembling the fetal neocortex. We find that these organoid cortical cells use gene expression programs remarkably similar to those of the fetal tissue in order to organize into cerebral cortex-like regions. Our comparison of in vivo and in vitro cortical single cell transcriptomes illuminates the genetic features underlying human cortical development that can be studied in organoid cultures.

Extracellular Monomeric and Aggregated Tau Efficiently Enter Human Neurons through Overlapping but Distinct Pathways

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lewis D. Evans

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Summary: In Alzheimer’s disease, neurofibrillary tangle pathology appears to spread along neuronal connections, proposed to be mediated by the release and uptake of abnormal, disease-specific forms of microtubule-binding protein tau MAPT. It is currently unclear whether transfer of tau between neurons is a toxic gain-of-function process in dementia or reflects a constitutive biological process. We report two entry mechanisms for monomeric tau to human neurons: a rapid dynamin-dependent phase typical of endocytosis and a second, slower actin-dependent phase of macropinocytosis. Aggregated tau entry is independent of actin polymerization and largely dynamin dependent, consistent with endocytosis and distinct from macropinocytosis, the major route for aggregated tau entry reported for non-neuronal cells. Anti-tau antibodies abrogate monomeric tau entry into neurons, but less efficiently in the case of aggregated tau, where internalized tau carries antibody with it into neurons. These data suggest that tau entry to human neurons is a physiological process and not a disease-specific phenomenon. : In contrast with predictions that transfer of the microtubule-associated protein tau between neurons is a toxic gain-of-function process in dementia, Evans et al. show that healthy human neurons efficiently take up both normal and aggregated tau, by distinct but overlapping uptake mechanisms. Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Tau, MAPT, iPSC, endocytosis, human neurons, intracellular transport

The biologic role of ganglioside in neuronal differentiation--effects of GM1 ganglioside on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

OpenAIRE

Lee, M. C.; Lee, W. S.; Park, C. S.; Juhng, S. W.

1994-01-01

Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell is a cloned cell line which has many attractive features for the study of neuronal proliferation and neurite outgrowth, because it has receptors for insulin, IGF-I and PDGF. Gangliosides are sialic acid containing glycosphingolipids which form an integral part of the plasma membrane of many mammalian cells. They inhibit cell growth mediated by tyrosine kinase receptors and ligand-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity, and autophosphorylation of EGF(epidermal gro...

Overexpression of miR-183/-96/-182 triggers neuronal cell fate in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial (hRPE) cells in culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Davari, Maliheh; Soheili, Zahra-Soheila; Samiei, Shahram; Sharifi, Zohreh; Pirmardan, Ehsan Ranaei

2017-01-29

miR-183 cluster, composed of miR-183/-96/-182 genes, is highly expressed in the adult retina, particularly in photoreceptors. It involves in development, maturation and normal function of neuroretina. Ectopic overexpression of miR-183/-96/-182 genes was performed to assess reprogramming of hRPE cells. They were amplified from genomic DNA and cloned independently or in tandem configuration into pAAV.MCS vector. hRPE cells were then transfected with the recombinant constructs. Real-Time PCR was performed to measure the expression levels of miR-183/-96/-182 and that of several retina-specific neuronal genes such as OTX2, NRL, PDC and DCT. The transfected cells also were immunocytochemically examined for retina-specific neuronal markers, including Rhodopsin, red opsin, CRX, Thy1, CD73, recoverin and PKCα, to determine the cellular fate of the transfected hRPE cells. Data showed that upon miR-183/-96/-182 overexpression in hRPE cultures, the expression of neuronal genes including OTX2, NRL, PDC and DCT was also upregulated. Moreover, miR-183 cluster-treated hRPE cells were immunoreactive for neuronal markers such as Rhodopsin, red opsin, CRX and Thy1. Both transcriptional and translational upregulation of neuronal genes in miR-183 cluster-treated hRPE cells suggests that in vitro overexpression of miR-183 cluster could trigger reprogramming of hRPE cells to retinal neuron fate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In Vitro Modeling of Blood-Brain Barrier with Human iPSC-Derived Endothelial Cells, Pericytes, Neurons, and Astrocytes via Notch Signaling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kohei Yamamizu

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The blood-brain barrier (BBB is composed of four cell populations, brain endothelial cells (BECs, pericytes, neurons, and astrocytes. Its role is to precisely regulate the microenvironment of the brain through selective substance crossing. Here we generated an in vitro model of the BBB by differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs into all four populations. When the four hiPSC-derived populations were co-cultured, endothelial cells (ECs were endowed with features consistent with BECs, including a high expression of nutrient transporters (CAT3, MFSD2A and efflux transporters (ABCA1, BCRP, PGP, MRP5, and strong barrier function based on tight junctions. Neuron-derived Dll1, which activates Notch signaling in ECs, was essential for the BEC specification. We performed in vitro BBB permeability tests and assessed ten clinical drugs by nanoLC-MS/MS, finding a good correlation with the BBB permeability reported in previous cases. This technology should be useful for research on human BBB physiology, pathology, and drug development.

Isolation and characterization of neural stem cells from human fetal striatum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiaoxia; Xu Jinchong; Bai Yun; Wang Xuan; Dai Xin; Liu Yinan; Zhang Jun; Zou Junhua; Shen Li; Li Lingsong

2005-01-01

This paper described that neural stem cells (hsNSCs) were isolated and expanded rapidly from human fetal striatum in adherent culture. The population was serum- and growth factor-dependent and expressed neural stem cell markers. They were capable of multi-differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. When plated in the dopaminergic neuron inducing medium, human striatum neural stem cells could differentiate into tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons. hsNSCs were morphologically homogeneous and possessed high proliferation ability. The population doubled every 44.28 h and until now it has divided for more than 82 generations in vitro. Normal human diploid karyotype was unchanged throughout the in vitro culture period. Together, this study has exploited a method for continuous and rapid expansion of human neural stem cells as pure population, which maintained the capacity to generate almost fifty percent neurons. The availability of such cells may hold great interest for basic and applied neuroscience

Rapid generation of sub-type, region-specific neurons and neural networks from human pluripotent stem cell-derived neurospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aynun N. Begum

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Stem cell-based neuronal differentiation has provided a unique opportunity for disease modeling and regenerative medicine. Neurospheres are the most commonly used neuroprogenitors for neuronal differentiation, but they often clump in culture, which has always represented a challenge for neurodifferentiation. In this study, we report a novel method and defined culture conditions for generating sub-type or region-specific neurons from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells derived neurosphere without any genetic manipulation. Round and bright-edged neurospheres were generated in a supplemented knockout serum replacement medium (SKSRM with 10% CO2, which doubled the expression of the NESTIN, PAX6 and FOXG1 genes compared with those cultured with 5% CO2. Furthermore, an additional step (AdSTEP was introduced to fragment the neurospheres and facilitate the formation of a neuroepithelial-type monolayer that we termed the “neurosphederm”. The large neural tube-type rosette (NTTR structure formed from the neurosphederm, and the NTTR expressed higher levels of the PAX6, SOX2 and NESTIN genes compared with the neuroectoderm-derived neuroprogenitors. Different layers of cortical, pyramidal, GABAergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic neurons appeared within 27 days using the neurosphederm, which is a shorter period than in traditional neurodifferentiation-protocols (42–60 days. With additional supplements and timeline dopaminergic and Purkinje neurons were also generated in culture too. Furthermore, our in vivo results indicated that the fragmented neurospheres facilitated significantly better neurogenesis in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID mouse brains compared with the non-fragmented neurospheres. Therefore, this neurosphere-based neurodifferentiation protocol is a valuable tool for studies of neurodifferentiation, neuronal transplantation and high throughput screening assays.

Modeling Niemann Pick type C1 using human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ordoñez, M Paulina; Steele, John W

2017-02-01

Data generated in Niemann Pick type C1 (NPC1) human embryonic and human induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons complement on-going studies in animal models and provide the first example, in disease-relevant human cells, of processes that underlie preferential neuronal defects in a NPC1. Our work and that of other investigators in human neurons derived from stem cells highlight the importance of performing rigorous mechanistic studies in relevant cell types to guide drug discovery and therapeutic development, alongside of existing animal models. Through the use of human stem cell-derived models of disease, we can identify and discover or repurpose drugs that revert early events that lead to neuronal failure in NPC1. Together with the study of disease pathogenesis and efficacy of therapies in animal models, these strategies will fulfill the promise of stem cell technology in the development of new treatments for human diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Exploiting human neurons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Cortical Neurons for High Throughput Medication Screening in Autism: A Proof of Concept Study in SHANK3 Haploinsufficiency Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hélène Darville

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Autism spectrum disorders affect millions of individuals worldwide, but their heterogeneity complicates therapeutic intervention that is essentially symptomatic. A versatile yet relevant model to rationally screen among hundreds of therapeutic options would help improving clinical practice. Here we investigated whether neurons differentiated from pluripotent stem cells can provide such a tool using SHANK3 haploinsufficiency as a proof of principle. A library of compounds was screened for potential to increase SHANK3 mRNA content in neurons differentiated from control human embryonic stem cells. Using induced pluripotent stem cell technology, active compounds were then evaluated for efficacy in correcting dysfunctional networks of neurons differentiated from individuals with deleterious point mutations of SHANK3. Among 202 compounds tested, lithium and valproic acid showed the best efficacy at corrected SHANK3 haploinsufficiency associated phenotypes in cellulo. Lithium pharmacotherapy was subsequently provided to one patient and, after one year, an encouraging decrease in autism severity was observed. This demonstrated that pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons provide a novel cellular paradigm exploitable in the search for specific disease-modifying treatments.

Negative Effects of High Glucose Exposure in Human Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annamaria Morelli

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Metabolic disorders are often associated with male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, suggesting that hypothalamic defects involving GnRH neurons may impair the reproductive function. Among metabolic factors hyperglycemia has been implicated in the control of the reproductive axis at central level, both in humans and in animal models. To date, little is known about the direct effects of pathological high glucose concentrations on human GnRH neurons. In this study, we investigated the high glucose effects in the human GnRH-secreting FNC-B4 cells. Gene expression profiling by qRT-PCR, confirmed that FNC-B4 cells express GnRH and several genes relevant for GnRH neuron function (KISS1R, KISS1, sex steroid and leptin receptors, FGFR1, neuropilin 2, and semaphorins, along with glucose transporters (GLUT1, GLUT3, and GLUT4. High glucose exposure (22 mM; 40 mM significantly reduced gene and protein expression of GnRH, KISS1R, KISS1, and leptin receptor, as compared to normal glucose (5 mM. Consistent with previous studies, leptin treatment significantly induced GnRH mRNA expression at 5 mM glucose, but not in the presence of high glucose concentrations. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate a deleterious direct contribution of high glucose on human GnRH neurons, thus providing new insights into pathogenic mechanisms linking metabolic disorders to reproductive dysfunctions.

Pharmacological Characterisation of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Expressed in Human iPSC-Derived Neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Chatzidaki

Full Text Available Neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs represent a potentially valuable tool for the characterisation of neuronal receptors and ion channels. Previous studies on iPSC-derived neuronal cells have reported the functional characterisation of a variety of receptors and ion channels, including glutamate receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA receptors and several voltage-gated ion channels. In the present study we have examined the expression and functional properties of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs in human iPSC-derived neurons. Gene expression analysis indicated the presence of transcripts encoding several nAChR subunits, with highest levels detected for α3-α7, β1, β2 and β4 subunits (encoded by CHRNA3-CHRNA7, CHRNB1, CHRNB2 and CHRNB4 genes. In addition, similarly high transcript levels were detected for the truncated dupα7 subunit transcript, encoded by the partially duplicated gene CHRFAM7A, which has been associated with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. The functional properties of these nAChRs have been examined by calcium fluorescence and by patch-clamp recordings. The data obtained suggest that the majority of functional nAChRs expressed in these cells have pharmacological properties typical of α7 receptors. Large responses were induced by a selective α7 agonist (compound B, in the presence of the α7-selective positive allosteric modulator (PAM PNU-120596, which were blocked by the α7-selective antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA. In addition, a small proportion of the neurons express nAChRs with properties typical of heteromeric (non-α7 containing nAChR subtypes. These cells therefore represent a great tool to advance our understanding of the properties of native human nAChRs, α7 in particular.

Exclusive neuronal expression of SUCLA2 in the human brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dobolyi, Arpád; Ostergaard, Elsebet; Bagó, Attila G

2015-01-01

associated with SUCLA2 mutations, the precise localization of SUCLA2 protein has never been investigated. Here, we show that immunoreactivity of A-SUCL-β in surgical human cortical tissue samples was present exclusively in neurons, identified by their morphology and visualized by double labeling...... was absent in glial cells, identified by antibodies directed against the glial markers GFAP and S100. Furthermore, in situ hybridization histochemistry demonstrated that SUCLA2 mRNA was present in Nissl-labeled neurons but not glial cells labeled with S100. Immunoreactivity of the GTP-forming β subunit (G......-SUCL-β) encoded by SUCLG2, or in situ hybridization histochemistry for SUCLG2 mRNA could not be demonstrated in either neurons or astrocytes. Western blotting of post mortem brain samples revealed minor G-SUCL-β immunoreactivity that was, however, not upregulated in samples obtained from diabetic versus non...

Cryopreservation Maintains Functionality of Human iPSC Dopamine Neurons and Rescues Parkinsonian Phenotypes In Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dustin R. Wakeman

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A major challenge for clinical application of pluripotent stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD is large-scale manufacturing and cryopreservation of neurons that can be efficiently prepared with minimal manipulation. To address this obstacle, midbrain dopamine neurons were derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-mDA and cryopreserved in large production lots for biochemical and transplantation studies. Cryopreserved, post-mitotic iPSC-mDA neurons retained high viability with gene, protein, and electrophysiological signatures consistent with midbrain floor-plate lineage. To test therapeutic efficacy, cryopreserved iPSC-mDA neurons were transplanted without subculturing into the 6-OHDA-lesioned rat and MPTP-lesioned non-human-primate models of PD. Grafted neurons retained midbrain lineage with extensive fiber innervation in both rodents and monkeys. Behavioral assessment in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats demonstrated significant reversal in functional deficits up to 6 months post transplantation with reinnervation of the host striatum and no aberrant growth, supporting the translational development of pluripotent cell-based therapies in PD.

Optimal staining methods for delineation of cortical areas and neuron counts in human brains.

Science.gov (United States)

Uylings, H B; Zilles, K; Rajkowska, G

1999-04-01

For cytoarchitectonic delineation of cortical areas in human brain, the Gallyas staining for somata with its sharp contrast between cell bodies and neuropil is preferable to the classical Nissl staining, the more so when an image analysis system is used. This Gallyas staining, however, does not appear to be appropriate for counting neuron numbers in pertinent brain areas, due to the lack of distinct cytological features between small neurons and glial cells. For cell counting Nissl is preferable. In an optimal design for cell counting at least both the Gallyas and the Nissl staining must be applied, the former staining for cytoarchitectural delineaton of cortical areas and the latter for counting the number of neurons in the pertinent cortical areas. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Why our brains cherish humanity: Mirror neurons and colamus humanitatem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John R. Skoyles

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Commonsense says we are isolated. After all, our bodies are physically separate. But Seneca’s colamus humanitatem, and John Donne’s observation that “no man is an island” suggests we are neither entirely isolated nor separate. A recent discovery in neuroscience—that of mirror neurons—argues that the brain and the mind is neither built nor functions remote from what happens in other individuals. What are mirror neurons? They are brain cells that process both what happens to or is done by an individual, and, as it were, its perceived “refl ection,” when that same thing happens or is done by another individual. Thus, mirror neurons are both activated when an individual does a particular action, and when that individual perceives that same action done by another. The discovery of mirror neurons suggests we need to radically revise our notions of human nature since they offer a means by which we may not be so separated as we think. Humans unlike other apes are adapted to mirror interact nonverbally when together. Notably, our faces have been evolved to display agile and nimble movements. While this is usually explained as enabling nonverbal communication, a better description would be nonverbal commune based upon mirror neurons. I argue we cherish humanity, colamus humanitatem, because mirror neurons and our adapted mirror interpersonal interface blur the physical boundaries that separate us.

Effects of Feeder Cells on Dopaminergic Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenqiang Zhao

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs and human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs are used for the culture of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs. MEFs and HFFs differed in their capacity to support the proliferation and pluripotency of hESCs and could affect cardiac differentiation potential of hESCs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of MEFs and HFFs feeders on dopaminergic differentiation of hESCs lines. To minimize the impact of culture condition variation, two hESCs lines were cultured on mixed feeder cells (MFCs, MEFs: HFFs =1:1 and HFFs feeder respectively, and then were differentiated into DA neurons under the identical protocol. Dopaminergic differentiation was evaluated by immunocytochemistry, quantitative fluorescent real-time PCR (qRT-PCR, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and patch clamp. Our results demonstrated that these hESCs-derived neurons were genuine and functional DA neurons. However, compared to hESCs line on MFCs feeder, hESCs line on HFFs feeder had a higher proportion of TH positive cells and expressed higher levels of FOXA2, PITX3, NURR1 and TH genes. In addition, the values of threshold intensity and threshold membrane potential of DA neurons from hESCs line on HFFs feeder were lower than those of DA neurons from hESCs line on the MFCs feeder. In conclusion, HFFs feeder not only facilitated the differentiation of hESCs cells into dopaminergic neurons, but also induced hESCs-derived DA neurons to express higher electrophysiological excitability. Therefore, feeder cells could affect not only dopaminergic differentiation potential of different hESCs lines, but also electrophysiological properties of hESCs-derived DA neurons.

Intrinsically active and pacemaker neurons in pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Illes, Sebastian; Jakab, Martin; Beyer, Felix; Gelfert, Renate; Couillard-Despres, Sébastien; Schnitzler, Alfons; Ritter, Markus; Aigner, Ludwig

2014-03-11

Neurons generated from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) self-organize into functional neuronal assemblies in vitro, generating synchronous network activities. Intriguingly, PSC-derived neuronal assemblies develop spontaneous activities that are independent of external stimulation, suggesting the presence of thus far undetected intrinsically active neurons (IANs). Here, by using mouse embryonic stem cells, we provide evidence for the existence of IANs in PSC-neuronal networks based on extracellular multielectrode array and intracellular patch-clamp recordings. IANs remain active after pharmacological inhibition of fast synaptic communication and possess intrinsic mechanisms required for autonomous neuronal activity. PSC-derived IANs are functionally integrated in PSC-neuronal populations, contribute to synchronous network bursting, and exhibit pacemaker properties. The intrinsic activity and pacemaker properties of the neuronal subpopulation identified herein may be particularly relevant for interventions involving transplantation of neural tissues. IANs may be a key element in the regulation of the functional activity of grafted as well as preexisting host neuronal networks.

Reprogramming of HUVECs into induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSCs, generation and characterization of HiPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yohannes Haile

Full Text Available Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by chronic and progressive structural or functional loss of neurons. Limitations related to the animal models of these human diseases have impeded the development of effective drugs. This emphasizes the need to establish disease models using human-derived cells. The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC technology has provided novel opportunities in disease modeling, drug development, screening, and the potential for "patient-matched" cellular therapies in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, with the objective of establishing reliable tools to study neurodegenerative diseases, we reprogrammed human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs into iPSCs (HiPSCs. Using a novel and direct approach, HiPSCs were differentiated into cells of central nervous system (CNS lineage, including neuronal, astrocyte and glial cells, with high efficiency. HiPSCs expressed embryonic genes such as nanog, sox2 and Oct-3/4, and formed embryoid bodies that expressed markers of the 3 germ layers. Expression of endothelial-specific genes was not detected in HiPSCs at RNA or protein levels. HiPSC-derived neurons possess similar morphology but significantly longer neurites compared to primary human fetal neurons. These stem cell-derived neurons are susceptible to inflammatory cell-mediated neuronal injury. HiPSC-derived neurons express various amino acids that are important for normal function in the CNS. They have functional receptors for a variety of neurotransmitters such as glutamate and acetylcholine. HiPSC-derived astrocytes respond to ATP and acetylcholine by elevating cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations. In summary, this study presents a novel technique to generate differentiated and functional HiPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes. These cells are appropriate tools for studying the development of the nervous system, the pathophysiology of various neurodegenerative diseases and the development of potential

Neurotrophic effects of growth/differentiation factor 5 in a neuronal cell line.

Science.gov (United States)

Toulouse, André; Collins, Grace C; Sullivan, Aideen M

2012-04-01

The neurotrophin growth/differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) is studied as a potential therapeutic agent for Parkinson's disease as it is believed to play a role in the development and maintenance of the nigrostriatal system. Progress in understanding the effects of GDF5 on dopaminergic neurones has been hindered by the use of mixed cell populations derived from primary cultures or in vivo experiments, making it difficult to differentiate between direct and indirect effects of GDF5 treatment on neurones. In an attempt to establish an useful model to study the direct neuronal influence of GDF5, we have characterised the effects of GDF5 on a human neuronal cell line, SH-SY5Y. Our results show that GDF5 has the capability to promote neuronal but not dopaminergic differentiation. We also show that it promotes neuronal survival in vitro following a 6-hydroxydopamine insult. Our results show that application of GDF5 to SH-SY5Y cultures induces the SMAD pathway which could potentially be implicated in the intracellular transmission of GDF5's neurotrophic effects. Overall, our study shows that the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line provides an excellent neuronal model to study the neurotrophic effects of GDF5.

Reconstruction of phrenic neuron identity in embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Carolina Barcellos; Kanning, Kevin C; Kreis, Patricia; Stevenson, Danielle; Crossley, Martin; Nowak, Magdalena; Iacovino, Michelina; Kyba, Michael; Chambers, David; Blanc, Eric; Lieberam, Ivo

2014-02-01

Air breathing is an essential motor function for vertebrates living on land. The rhythm that drives breathing is generated within the central nervous system and relayed via specialised subsets of spinal motor neurons to muscles that regulate lung volume. In mammals, a key respiratory muscle is the diaphragm, which is innervated by motor neurons in the phrenic nucleus. Remarkably, relatively little is known about how this crucial subtype of motor neuron is generated during embryogenesis. Here, we used direct differentiation of motor neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells as a tool to identify genes that direct phrenic neuron identity. We find that three determinants, Pou3f1, Hoxa5 and Notch, act in combination to promote a phrenic neuron molecular identity. We show that Notch signalling induces Pou3f1 in developing motor neurons in vitro and in vivo. This suggests that the phrenic neuron lineage is established through a local source of Notch ligand at mid-cervical levels. Furthermore, we find that the cadherins Pcdh10, which is regulated by Pou3f1 and Hoxa5, and Cdh10, which is controlled by Pou3f1, are both mediators of like-like clustering of motor neuron cell bodies. This specific Pcdh10/Cdh10 activity might provide the means by which phrenic neurons are assembled into a distinct nucleus. Our study provides a framework for understanding how phrenic neuron identity is conferred and will help to generate this rare and inaccessible yet vital neuronal subtype directly from pluripotent stem cells, thus facilitating subsequent functional investigations.

Magnetic Resonance Microscopy of Human and Porcine Neurons and Cellular Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Flint, Jeremy J.; Hansen, Brian; Portnoy, Sharon; Lee, Choong-Heon; King, Michael A.; Fey, Michael; Vincent, Franck; Stanisz, Greg J; Vestergaard-Poulsen, Peter; Blackband, Stephen J

2012-01-01

With its unparalleled ability to safely generate high-contrast images of soft tissues, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has remained at the forefront of diagnostic clinical medicine. Unfortunately due to resolution limitations, clinical scans are most useful for detecting macroscopic structural changes associated with a small number of pathologies. Moreover, due to a longstanding inability to directly observe magnetic resonance (MR) signal behavior at the cellular level, such information is poorly characterized and generally must be inferred. With the advent of the MR microscope in 1986 came the ability to measure MR signal properties of theretofore unobservable tissue structures. Recently, further improvements in hardware technology have made possible the ability to visualize mammalian cellular structure. In the current study, we expand upon previous work by imaging the neuronal cell bodies and processes of human and porcine α-motor neurons. Complimentary imaging studies are conducted in pig tissue in order to demonstrate qualitative similarities to human samples. Also, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were generated inside porcine α-motor neuron cell bodies and portions of their largest processes (mean = 1.7±0.5 μm2/ms based on 53 pixels) as well as in areas containing a mixture of extracellular space, microvasculature, and neuropil (0.59±0.37 μm2/ms based on 33 pixels). Three-dimensional reconstruction of MR images containing α-motor neurons shows the spatial arrangement of neuronal projections between adjacent cells. Such advancements in imaging portend the ability to construct accurate models of MR signal behavior based on direct observation and measurement of the components which comprise functional tissues. These tools would not only be useful for improving our interpretation of macroscopic MRI performed in the clinic, but they could potentially be used to develop new methods of differential diagnosis to aid in the early detection of a

Neocortical glial cell numbers in human brains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pelvig, D.P.; Pakkenberg, H.; Stark, A.K.

2008-01-01

Stereological cell counting was applied to post-mortem neocortices of human brains from 31 normal individuals, age 18-93 years, 18 females (average age 65 years, range 18-93) and 13 males (average age 57 years, range 19-87). The cells were differentiated in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia...... while the total astrocyte number is constant through life; finally males have a 28% higher number of neocortical glial cells and a 19% higher neocortical neuron number than females. The overall total number of neocortical neurons and glial cells was 49.3 billion in females and 65.2 billion in males...... and neurons and counting were done in each of the four lobes. The study showed that the different subpopulations of glial cells behave differently as a function of age; the number of oligodendrocytes showed a significant 27% decrease over adult life and a strong correlation to the total number of neurons...

Choline acetyltransferase-containing neurons in the human parietal neocortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V Benagiano

2009-06-01

Full Text Available A number of immunocytochemical studies have indicated the presence of cholinergic neurons in the cerebral cortex of various species of mammals. Whether such cholinergic neurons in the human cerebral cortex are exclusively of subcortical origin is still debated. In this immunocytochemical study, the existence of cortical cholinergic neurons was investigated on surgical samples of human parietal association neocortex using a highly specific monoclonal antibody against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT, the acetylcholine biosynthesising enzyme. ChAT immunoreactivity was detected in a subpopulation of neurons located in layers II and III. These were small or medium-sized pyramidal neurons which showed cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in the perikarya and processes, often in close association to blood microvessels. This study, providing demonstration of ChAT neurons in the human parietal neocortex, strongly supports the existence of intrinsic cholinergic innervation of the human neocortex. It is likely that these neurons contribute to the cholinergic innervation of the intracortical microvessels.

Differentiation of insulin-producing cells from human neural progenitor cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuichi Hori

2005-04-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Success in islet-transplantation-based therapies for type 1 diabetes, coupled with a worldwide shortage of transplant-ready islets, has motivated efforts to develop renewable sources of islet-replacement tissue. Islets and neurons share features, including common developmental programs, and in some species brain neurons are the principal source of systemic insulin. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here we show that brain-derived human neural progenitor cells, exposed to a series of signals that regulate in vivo pancreatic islet development, form clusters of glucose-responsive insulin-producing cells (IPCs. During in vitro differentiation of neural progenitor cells with this novel method, genes encoding essential known in vivo regulators of pancreatic islet development were expressed. Following transplantation into immunocompromised mice, IPCs released insulin C-peptide upon glucose challenge, remained differentiated, and did not form detectable tumors. CONCLUSION: Production of IPCs solely through extracellular factor modulation in the absence of genetic manipulations may promote strategies to derive transplantable islet-replacement tissues from human neural progenitor cells and other types of multipotent human stem cells.

TRANSGENIC GDNF POSITIVELY INFLUENCES PROLIFERATION, DIFFERENTIATION, MATURATION AND SURVIVAL OF MOTOR NEURONS PRODUCED FROM MOUSE EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Édgar Cortés

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Embryonic stem cells (ESC are pluripotent and thus can differentiate into every cell type present in the body. Directed differentiation into motor neurons has been described for pluripotent cells. Although neurotrophic factors promote neuronal survival, their role in neuronal commitment is elusive. Here, we developed double-transgenic lines of mouse ESC that constitutively produce Glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF and also contain a GFP reporter, driven by HB9, which is expressed only by postmitotic motor neurons. After lentiviral transduction, ESC lines integrated and expressed the human GDNF gene without altering pluripotency markers before differentiation. Further, GDNF-ESC showed significantly higher spontaneous release of this neurotrophin to the medium, when compared to controls. To study motor neuron induction, control and GDNF cell lines were grown as embryoid bodies and stimulated with retinoic acid and Sonic Hedgehog. In GDNF-overexpressing cells, a significant increase of proliferative Olig2+ precursors, which are specified as spinal motor neurons, was found. Accordingly, GDNF increases the yield of cells with the pan motor neuronal markers HB9, monitored by GFP expression, and Isl1. At terminal differentiation, almost all differentiated neurons express phenotypic markers of motor neurons in GDNF cultures, with lower proportions in control cells. To test if the effects of GDNF were present at early differentiation stages, exogenous recombinant human GDNF was added to control ESC, also resulting in enhanced motor neuron differentiation. This effect was abolished by the co-addition of neutralizing anti-GDNF antibodies, strongly suggesting that differentiating ESC are responsive to GDNF. Using the HB9::GFP reporter, motor neurons were selected for electrophysiological recordings. Motor neurons differentiated from GDNF-ESC, compared to control motor neurons, showed greater electrophysiological maturation, characterized by

Merkel cells and neurons keep in touch

Science.gov (United States)

Woo, Seung-Hyun; Lumpkin, Ellen A.; Patapoutian, Ardem

2014-01-01

The Merkel cell-neurite complex is a unique vertebrate touch receptor comprising two distinct cell types in the skin. Its presence in touch-sensitive skin areas was recognized more than a century ago, but the functions of each cell type in sensory transduction have been unclear. Three recent studies demonstrate that Merkel cells are mechanosensitive cells that function in touch transduction via Piezo2. One study concludes that Merkel cells rather than sensory neurons are principal sites of mechanotransduction, whereas the other two studies report that both Merkel cells and neurons encode mechanical inputs. Together, these studies settle a longstanding debate on whether Merkel cells are mechanosensory cells, and enable future investigations of how these skin cells communicate with neurons. PMID:25480024

Nitro-Oxidative Stress after Neuronal Ischemia Induces Protein Nitrotyrosination and Cell Death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Tajes

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Ischemic stroke is an acute vascular event that obstructs blood supply to the brain, producing irreversible damage that affects neurons but also glial and brain vessel cells. Immediately after the stroke, the ischemic tissue produces nitric oxide (NO to recover blood perfusion but also produces superoxide anion. These compounds interact, producing peroxynitrite, which irreversibly nitrates protein tyrosines. The present study measured NO production in a human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y, a murine glial (BV2, a human endothelial cell line (HUVEC, and in primary cultures of human cerebral myocytes (HC-VSMCs after experimental ischemia in vitro. Neuronal, endothelial, and inducible NO synthase (NOS expression was also studied up to 24 h after ischemia, showing a different time course depending on the NOS type and the cells studied. Finally, we carried out cell viability experiments on SH-SY5Y cells with H2O2, a prooxidant agent, and with a NO donor to mimic ischemic conditions. We found that both compounds were highly toxic when they interacted, producing peroxynitrite. We obtained similar results when all cells were challenged with peroxynitrite. Our data suggest that peroxynitrite induces cell death and is a very harmful agent in brain ischemia.

Human cell-based micro electrode array platform for studying neurotoxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura eYlä-Outinen

2010-09-01

Full Text Available At present, most of the neurotoxicological analyses are based on in vitro and in vivo models utilizing animal cells or animal models. In addition, the used in vitro models are mostly based on molecular biological end-point analyses. Thus, for neurotoxicological screening, human cell-based analysis platforms in which the functional neuronal networks responses for various neurotoxicants can be also detected real-time are highly needed. Microelectrode array (MEA is a method which enables the measurement of functional activity of neuronal cell networks in vitro for long periods of time. Here, we utilize MEA to study the neurotoxicity of methyl mercury chloride (MeHgCl, concentrations 0.5-500 nM to human embryonic stem cell (hESC-derived neuronal cell networks exhibiting spontaneous electrical activity. The neuronal cell cultures were matured on MEAs into networks expressing spontaneous spike train-like activity before exposing the cells to MeHgCl for 72 hours. MEA measurements were performed acutely and 24, 48, and 72 hours after the onset of the exposure. Finally, exposed cells were analyzed with traditional molecular biological methods for cell proliferation, cell survival, and gene and protein expression. Our results show that 500 nM MeHgCl decreases the electrical signaling and alters the pharmacologic response of hESC-derived neuronal networks in delayed manner whereas effects can not be detected with qRT-PCR, immunostainings, or proliferation measurements. Thus, we conclude that human cell-based MEA-platform is a sensitive online method for neurotoxicological screening.

Cholinergic and dopaminergic neuronal differentiation of human adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Marei, Hany El Sayed; El-Gamal, Aya; Althani, Asma; Afifi, Nahla; Abd-Elmaksoud, Ahmed; Farag, Amany; Cenciarelli, Carlo; Thomas, Caceci; Anwarul, Hasan

2018-02-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that can differentiate into various cell types such as cartilage, bone, and fat cells. Recent studies have shown that induction of MSCs in vitro by growth factors including epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) causes them to differentiate into neural like cells. These cultures also express ChAT, a cholinergic marker; and TH, a dopaminergic marker for neural cells. To establish a protocol with maximum differentiation potential, we examined MSCs under three experimental culture conditions using neural induction media containing FGF2, EGF, BMP-9, retinoic acid, and heparin. Adipose-derived MSCs were extracted and expanded in vitro for 3 passages after reaching >80% confluency, for a total duration of 9 days. Cells were then characterized by flow cytometry for CD markers as CD44 positive and CD45 negative. MSCs were then treated with neural induction media and were characterized by morphological changes and Q-PCR. Differentiated MSCs expressed markers for immature and mature neurons; β Tubulin III (TUBB3) and MAP2, respectively, showing the neural potential of these cells to differentiate into functional neurons. Improved protocols for MSCs induction will facilitate and ensure the reproducibility and standard production of MSCs for therapeutic applications in neurodegenerative diseases. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Non-Viral Generation of Neural Precursor-like Cells from Adult Human Fibroblasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maucksch C

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have reported direct reprogramming of human fibroblasts to mature neurons by the introduction of defined neural genes. This technology has potential use in the areas of neurological disease modeling and drug development. However, use of induced neurons for large-scale drug screening and cell-based replacement strategies is limited due to their inability to expand once reprogrammed. We propose it would be more desirable to induce expandable neural precursor cells directly from human fibroblasts. To date several pluripotent and neural transcription factors have been shown to be capable of converting mouse fibroblasts to neural stem/precursor-like cells when delivered by viral vectors. Here we extend these findings and demonstrate that transient ectopic insertion of the transcription factors SOX2 and PAX6 to adult human fibroblasts through use of non-viral plasmid transfection or protein transduction allows the generation of induced neural precursor (iNP colonies expressing a range of neural stem and pro-neural genes. Upon differentiation, iNP cells give rise to neurons exhibiting typical neuronal morphologies and expressing multiple neuronal markers including tyrosine hydroxylase and GAD65/67. Importantly, iNP-derived neurons demonstrate electrophysiological properties of functionally mature neurons with the capacity to generate action potentials. In addition, iNP cells are capable of differentiating into glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP-expressing astrocytes. This study represents a novel virus-free approach for direct reprogramming of human fibroblasts to a neural precursor fate.

Comparative Analysis of Human and Rodent Brain Primary Neuronal Culture Spontaneous Activity Using Micro-Electrode Array Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Napoli, Alessandro; Obeid, Iyad

2016-03-01

Electrical activity in embryonic brain tissue has typically been studied using Micro Electrode Array (MEA) technology to make dozens of simultaneous recordings from dissociated neuronal cultures, brain stem cell progenitors, or brain slices from fetal rodents. Although these rodent neuronal primary culture electrical properties are mostly investigated, it has not been yet established to what extent the electrical characteristics of rodent brain neuronal cultures can be generalized to those of humans. A direct comparison of spontaneous spiking activity between rodent and human primary neurons grown under the same in vitro conditions using MEA technology has never been carried out before and will be described in the present study. Human and rodent dissociated fetal brain neuronal cultures were established in-vitro by culturing on a glass grid of 60 planar microelectrodes neurons under identical conditions. Three different cultures of human neurons were produced from tissue sourced from a single aborted fetus (at 16-18 gestational weeks) and these were compared with seven different cultures of embryonic rat neurons (at 18 gestational days) originally isolated from a single rat. The results show that the human and rodent cultures behaved significantly differently. Whereas the rodent cultures demonstrated robust spontaneous activation and network activity after only 10 days, the human cultures required nearly 40 days to achieve a substantially weaker level of electrical function. These results suggest that rat neuron preparations may yield inferences that do not necessarily transfer to humans. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Calretinin as a marker for premotor neurons involved in upgaze in human brainstem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher eAdamczyk

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Eye movements are generated by different premotor pathways. Damage to them can cause specific deficits of eye movements, such as saccades. For correlative clinico-anatomical post-mortem studies of cases with eye movement disorders it is essential to identify the functional cell groups of the oculomotor system in the human brain by marker proteins. Based on monkey studies, the premotor neurons of the saccadic system can be identified by the histochemical markers parvalbumin and perineuronal nets in humans. These areas involve the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC and the rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fascicle (RIMLF, which both contain premotor neurons for upgaze and downgaze. Recent monkey and human studies revealed a selective excitatory calretinin-positive input to the motoneurons mediating upgaze, but not to those for downgaze. Three premotor regions were identified as sources of calretinin input in monkey: y-group, INC and RIMLF. These findings suggest that the expression pattern of parvalbumin and calretinin may help to identify premotor neurons involved in up- or downgaze. In a post-mortem study of five human cases without neurological diseases we investigated the y-group, INC and RIMLF for the presence of parvalbumin and calretinin positive neurons including their co-expression. Adjacent thin paraffin sections were stained for the aggrecan component of perineuronal nets, parvalbumin or calretinin and glutamate decarboxylase. The comparative analysis of scanned thin sections of INC and RIMLF revealed medium-sized parvalbumin positive neurons with and without calretinin coexpression, which were intermingled. The parvalbumin/calretinin positive neurons in both nuclei are considered as excitatory premotor upgaze neurons. Accordingly, the parvalbumin-positive neurons lacking calretinin are considered as premotor downgaze neurons in RIMLF, but may in addition include inhibitory premotor upgaze neurons in the INC as

Fishy Business: Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Zinc Transporters and Free Zinc Availability in Human Neuronal Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damitha De Mel

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Omega-3 (ω-3 fatty acids are one of the two main families of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA. The main omega-3 fatty acids in the mammalian body are α-linolenic acid (ALA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA. Central nervous tissues of vertebrates are characterized by a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover, in the human brain, DHA is considered as the main structural omega-3 fatty acid, which comprises about 40% of the PUFAs in total. DHA deficiency may be the cause of many disorders such as depression, inability to concentrate, excessive mood swings, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dry skin and so on. On the other hand, zinc is the most abundant trace metal in the human brain. There are many scientific studies linking zinc, especially excess amounts of free zinc, to cellular death. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are characterized by altered zinc metabolism. Both animal model studies and human cell culture studies have shown a possible link between omega-3 fatty acids, zinc transporter levels and free zinc availability at cellular levels. Many other studies have also suggested a possible omega-3 and zinc effect on neurodegeneration and cellular death. Therefore, in this review, we will examine the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on zinc transporters and the importance of free zinc for human neuronal cells. Moreover, we will evaluate the collective understanding of mechanism(s for the interaction of these elements in neuronal research and their significance for the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegeneration.

Fishy business: effect of omega-3 fatty acids on zinc transporters and free zinc availability in human neuronal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

De Mel, Damitha; Suphioglu, Cenk

2014-08-15

Omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids are one of the two main families of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The main omega-3 fatty acids in the mammalian body are α-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Central nervous tissues of vertebrates are characterized by a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover, in the human brain, DHA is considered as the main structural omega-3 fatty acid, which comprises about 40% of the PUFAs in total. DHA deficiency may be the cause of many disorders such as depression, inability to concentrate, excessive mood swings, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dry skin and so on. On the other hand, zinc is the most abundant trace metal in the human brain. There are many scientific studies linking zinc, especially excess amounts of free zinc, to cellular death. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, are characterized by altered zinc metabolism. Both animal model studies and human cell culture studies have shown a possible link between omega-3 fatty acids, zinc transporter levels and free zinc availability at cellular levels. Many other studies have also suggested a possible omega-3 and zinc effect on neurodegeneration and cellular death. Therefore, in this review, we will examine the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on zinc transporters and the importance of free zinc for human neuronal cells. Moreover, we will evaluate the collective understanding of mechanism(s) for the interaction of these elements in neuronal research and their significance for the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegeneration.

Clinical utility of neuronal cells directly converted from fibroblasts of patients for neuropsychiatric disorders: studies of lysosomal storage diseases and channelopathy

Science.gov (United States)

Kano, Shin-ichi; Yuan, Ming; Cardarelli, Ross A.; Maegawa, Gustavo; Higurashi, Norimichi; Gaval-Cruz, Meriem; Wilson, Ashley M.; Tristan, Carlos; Kondo, Mari A.; Chen, Yian; Koga, Minori; Obie, Cassandra; Ishizuka, Koko; Seshadri, Saurav; Srivastava, Rupali; Kato, Takahiro A.; Horiuchi, Yasue; Sedlak, Thomas W.; Lee, Yohan; Rapoport, Judith L.; Hirose, Shinichi; Okano, Hideyuki; Valle, David; O'Donnell, Patricio; Sawa, Akira; Kai, Mihoko

2015-01-01

Methodologies for generating functional neuronal cells directly from human fibroblasts [induced neuronal (iN) cells] have been recently developed, but the research so far has only focused on technical refinements or recapitulation of known pathological phenotypes. A critical question is whether this novel technology will contribute to elucidation of novel disease mechanisms or evaluation of therapeutic strategies. Here we have addressed this question by studying Tay-Sachs disease, a representative lysosomal storage disease, and Dravet syndrome, a form of severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy, using human iN cells with feature of immature postmitotic glutamatergic neuronal cells. In Tay-Sachs disease, we have successfully characterized canonical neuronal pathology, massive accumulation of GM2 ganglioside, and demonstrated the suitability of this novel cell culture for future drug screening. In Dravet syndrome, we have identified a novel functional phenotype that was not suggested by studies of classical mouse models and human autopsied brains. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that human iN cells are useful for translational neuroscience research to explore novel disease mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic compounds. In the future, research using human iN cells with well-characterized genomic landscape can be integrated into multidisciplinary patient-oriented research on neuropsychiatric disorders to address novel disease mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic strategies. PMID:25732146

Inhibitor of PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway Small Molecule Promotes Motor Neuron Differentiation of Human Endometrial Stem Cells Cultured on Electrospun Biocomposite Polycaprolactone/Collagen Scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimi-Barough, Somayeh; Hoveizi, Elham; Yazdankhah, Meysam; Ai, Jafar; Khakbiz, Mehrdad; Faghihi, Faezeh; Tajerian, Roksana; Bayat, Neda

2017-05-01

Small molecules as useful chemical tools can affect cell differentiation and even change cell fate. It is demonstrated that LY294002, a small molecule inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signal pathway, can inhibit proliferation and promote neuronal differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the differentiation effect of Ly294002 small molecule on the human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) into motor neuron-like cells on polycaprolactone (PCL)/collagen scaffolds. hEnSCs were cultured in a neurogenic inductive medium containing 1 μM LY294002 on the surface of PCL/collagen electrospun fibrous scaffolds. Cell attachment and viability of cells on scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazoyl-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of neuron-specific markers was assayed by real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry analysis after 15 days post induction. Results showed that attachment and differentiation of hEnSCs into motor neuron-like cells on the scaffolds with Ly294002 small molecule were higher than that of the cells on tissue culture plates as control group. In conclusion, PCL/collagen electrospun scaffolds with Ly294002 have potential for being used in neural tissue engineering because of its bioactive and three-dimensional structure which enhances viability and differentiation of hEnSCs into neurons through inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Thus, manipulation of this pathway by small molecules can enhance neural differentiation.

Generation of a Motor Nerve Organoid with Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiro Kawada

2017-11-01

Full Text Available During development, axons spontaneously assemble into a fascicle to form nerves and tracts in the nervous system as they extend within a spatially constrained path. However, understanding of the axonal fascicle has been hampered by lack of an in vitro model system. Here, we report generation of a nerve organoid composed of a robust fascicle of axons extended from a spheroid of human stem cell-derived motor neurons within our custom-designed microdevice. The device is equipped with a narrow channel providing a microenvironment that facilitates the growing axons to spontaneously assemble into a unidirectional fascicle. The fascicle was specifically made with axons. We found that it was electrically active and elastic and could serve as a model to evaluate degeneration of axons in vitro. This nerve organoid model should facilitate future studies on the development of the axonal fascicle and drug screening for diseases affecting axon fascicles.

Uptake of inorganic mercury by human locus ceruleus and corticomotor neurons: implications for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Environmental toxins are suspected to play a role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In an attempt to determine which pathways these toxins can use to enter motor neurons we compared the distribution of mercury in the CNS of a human and of mice that had been exposed to inorganic mercury. Results In the human who had been exposed to metallic mercury, mercury was seen predominantly in the locus ceruleus and corticomotor neurons, as well as in scattered glial cells. In mice that had been exposed to mercury vapor or mercuric chloride, mercury was present in lower motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain stem. Conclusions In humans, inorganic mercury can be taken up predominantly by corticomotor neurons, possibly when the locus ceruleus is upregulated by stress. This toxin uptake into corticomotor neurons is in accord with the hypothesis that ALS originates in these upper motor neurons. In mice, inorganic mercury is taken up predominantly by lower motor neurons. The routes toxins use to enter motor neurons depends on the nature of the toxin, the duration of exposure, and possibly the amount of stress (for upper motor neuron uptake) and exercise (for lower motor neuron uptake) at the time of toxin exposure. PMID:24252585

CpG methylation differences between neurons and glia are highly conserved from mouse to human.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessler, Noah J; Van Baak, Timothy E; Baker, Maria S; Laritsky, Eleonora; Coarfa, Cristian; Waterland, Robert A

2016-01-15

Understanding epigenetic differences that distinguish neurons and glia is of fundamental importance to the nascent field of neuroepigenetics. A recent study used genome-wide bisulfite sequencing to survey differences in DNA methylation between these two cell types, in both humans and mice. That study minimized the importance of cell type-specific differences in CpG methylation, claiming these are restricted to localized genomic regions, and instead emphasized that widespread and highly conserved differences in non-CpG methylation distinguish neurons and glia. We reanalyzed the data from that study and came to markedly different conclusions. In particular, we found widespread cell type-specific differences in CpG methylation, with a genome-wide tendency for neuronal CpG-hypermethylation punctuated by regions of glia-specific hypermethylation. Alarmingly, our analysis indicated that the majority of genes identified by the primary study as exhibiting cell type-specific CpG methylation differences were misclassified. To verify the accuracy of our analysis, we isolated neuronal and glial DNA from mouse cortex and performed quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing at nine loci. The pyrosequencing results corroborated our analysis, without exception. Most interestingly, we found that gene-associated neuron vs. glia CpG methylation differences are highly conserved across human and mouse, and are very likely to be functional. In addition to underscoring the importance of independent verification to confirm the conclusions of genome-wide epigenetic analyses, our data indicate that CpG methylation plays a major role in neuroepigenetics, and that the mouse is likely an excellent model in which to study the role of DNA methylation in human neurodevelopment and disease. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Differentiation of isolated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into neural stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Song; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Ji-Ming; Duan, Hong-Tao; Kong, Jia-Hui; Wang, Yue-Xin; Dong, Meng; Bi, Xue; Song, Jian

2016-01-01

AIM To investigate whether umbilical cord human mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) was able to differentiate into neural stem cell and neuron in vitro. METHODS The umbilical cords were obtained from pregnant women with their written consent and the approval of the Clinic Ethnics Committee. UC-MSC were isolated by adherent culture in the medium contains 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS), then they were maintained in the medium contain 10% FBS and induced to neural cells in neural differentiation medium. We investigated whether UC-MSC was able to differentiate into neural stem cell and neuron in vitro by using flow cytometry, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence (IF) analyzes. RESULTS A substantial number of UC-MSC was harvested using the tissue explants adherent method at about 2wk. Flow cytometric study revealed that these cells expressed common markers of MSCs, such as CD105 (SH2), CD73 (SH3) and CD90. After induction of differentiation of neural stem cells, the cells began to form clusters; RT-PCR and IF showed that the neuron specific enolase (NSE) and neurogenic differentiation 1-positive cells reached 87.3%±14.7% and 72.6%±11.8%, respectively. Cells showed neuronal cell differentiation after induced, including neuron-like protrusions, plump cell body, obviously and stronger refraction. RT-PCR and IF analysis showed that microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and nuclear factor-M-positive cells reached 43.1%±10.3% and 69.4%±19.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION Human umbilical cord derived MSCs can be cultured and proliferated in vitro and differentiate into neural stem cells, which may be a valuable source for cell therapy of neurodegenerative eye diseases. PMID:26949608

Differentiation of isolated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into neural stem cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Song Chen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available AIM: To investigate whether umbilical cord human mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC was able to differentiate into neural stem cell and neuron in vitro. METHODS: The umbilical cords were obtained from pregnant women with their written consent and the approval of the Clinic Ethnics Committee. UC-MSC were isolated by adherent culture in the medium contains 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS, then they were maintained in the medium contain 10% FBS and induced to neural cells in neural differentiation medium. We investigated whether UC-MSC was able to differentiate into neural stem cell and neuron in vitro by using flow cytometry, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and immunofluorescence (IF analyzes. RESULTS: A substantial number of UC-MSC was harvested using the tissue explants adherent method at about 2wk. Flow cytometric study revealed that these cells expressed common markers of MSCs, such as CD105 (SH2, CD73 (SH3 and CD90. After induction of differentiation of neural stem cells, the cells began to form clusters; RT-PCR and IF showed that the neuron specific enolase (NSE and neurogenic differentiation 1-positive cells reached 87.3%±14.7% and 72.6%±11.8%, respectively. Cells showed neuronal cell differentiation after induced, including neuron-like protrusions, plump cell body, obviously and stronger refraction. RT-PCR and IF analysis showed that microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2 and nuclear factor-M-positive cells reached 43.1%±10.3% and 69.4%±19.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Human umbilical cord derived MSCs can be cultured and proliferated in vitro and differentiate into neural stem cells, which may be a valuable source for cell therapy of neurodegenerative eye diseases.

Analysis of tick-borne encephalitis virus-induced host responses in human cells of neuronal origin and interferon-mediated protection

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Selinger, Martin; Wilkie, G. S.; Tong, L.; Gu, Q.; Schnettler, E.; Grubhoffer, Libor; Kohl, A.

2017-01-01

Roč. 98, č. 8 (2017), s. 2043-2060 ISSN 0022-1317 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-03044S Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : blood- brain -barrier * long noncoding RNAs * double-stranded-RNA * interferon * immune-response * gene-expression * stimulated genes * human astrocytes * viral-infection * protein * tick-borne encephalitis virus * neuronal cells * transcriptome analysis * host response * interferon Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Virology Impact factor: 2.838, year: 2016

PPARbeta agonists trigger neuronal differentiation in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Loreto, S; D'Angelo, B; D'Amico, M A; Benedetti, E; Cristiano, L; Cinque, B; Cifone, M G; Cerù, M P; Festuccia, C; Cimini, A

2007-06-01

Neuroblastomas are pediatric tumors originating from immature neuroblasts in the developing peripheral nervous system. Differentiation therapies could help lowering the high mortality due to rapid tumor progression to advanced stages. Oleic acid has been demonstrated to promote neuronal differentiation in neuronal cultures. Herein we report on the effects of oleic acid and of a specific synthetic PPARbeta agonist on cell growth, expression of differentiation markers and on parameters responsible for the malignancy such as adhesion, migration, invasiveness, BDNF, and TrkB expression of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The results obtained demonstrate that many, but not all, oleic acid effects are mediated by PPARbeta and support a role for PPARbeta in neuronal differentiation strongly pointing towards PPAR ligands as new therapeutic strategies against progression and recurrences of neuroblastoma.

A preliminary investigation into the impact of a pesticide combination on human neuronal and glial cell lines in vitro.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D Coleman

Full Text Available Many pesticides are used increasingly in combinations during crop protection and their stability ensures the presence of such combinations in foodstuffs. The effects of three fungicides, pyrimethanil, cyprodinil and fludioxonil, were investigated together and separately on U251 and SH-SY5Y cells, which can be representative of human CNS glial and neuronal cells respectively. Over 48h, all three agents showed significant reductions in cellular ATP, at concentrations that were more than tenfold lower than those which significantly impaired cellular viability. The effects on energy metabolism were reflected in their marked toxic effects on mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, evidence of oxidative stress was seen in terms of a fall in cellular thiols coupled with increases in the expression of enzymes associated with reactive species formation, such as GSH peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. The glial cell line showed significant responsiveness to the toxin challenge in terms of changes in antioxidant gene expression, although the neuronal SH-SY5Y line exhibited greater vulnerability to toxicity, which was reflected in significant increases in caspase-3 expression, which is indicative of the initiation of apoptosis. Cyprodinil was the most toxic agent individually, although oxidative stress-related enzyme gene expression increases appeared to demonstrate some degree of synergy in the presence of the combination of agents. This report suggests that the impact of some pesticides, both individually and in combinations, merits further study in terms of their impact on human cellular health.

Pyramidal neurons in the septal and temporal CA1 field of the human and hedgehog tenrec hippocampus.

Science.gov (United States)

Liagkouras, Ioannis; Michaloudi, Helen; Batzios, Christos; Psaroulis, Dimitrios; Georgiadis, Marios; Künzle, Heinz; Papadopoulos, Georgios C

2008-07-07

The present study examines comparatively the cellular density of disector-counted/Nissl-stained CA1 pyramidal neurons and the morphometric characteristics (dendritic number/length, spine number/density and Sholl-counted dendritic branch points/20 microm) of the basal and apical dendritic systems of Golgi-impregnated CA1 neurons, in the septal and temporal hippocampus of the human and hedgehog tenrec brain. The obtained results indicate that in both hippocampal parts the cellular density of the CA1 pyramidal neurons is lower in human than in tenrec. However, while the human pyramidal cell density is higher in the septal hippocampal part than in the temporal one, in the tenrec the density of these cells is higher in the temporal part. The dendritic tree of the CA1 pyramidal cells, more developed in the septal than in temporal hippocampus in both species studied, is in general more complex in the human hippocampus. The basal and the apical dendritic systems exhibit species related morphometric differences, while dendrites of different orders exhibit differences in their number and length, and in their spine density. Finally, in both species, as well as hippocampal parts and dendritic systems, changes of dendritic morphometric features along ascending dendritic orders fluctuate in a similar way, as do the number of dendritic branch points in relation to the distance from the neuron soma.

Novel transcriptional networks regulated by CLOCK in human neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontenot, Miles R; Berto, Stefano; Liu, Yuxiang; Werthmann, Gordon; Douglas, Connor; Usui, Noriyoshi; Gleason, Kelly; Tamminga, Carol A; Takahashi, Joseph S; Konopka, Genevieve

2017-11-01

The molecular mechanisms underlying human brain evolution are not fully understood; however, previous work suggested that expression of the transcription factor CLOCK in the human cortex might be relevant to human cognition and disease. In this study, we investigated this novel transcriptional role for CLOCK in human neurons by performing chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing for endogenous CLOCK in adult neocortices and RNA sequencing following CLOCK knockdown in differentiated human neurons in vitro. These data suggested that CLOCK regulates the expression of genes involved in neuronal migration, and a functional assay showed that CLOCK knockdown increased neuronal migratory distance. Furthermore, dysregulation of CLOCK disrupts coexpressed networks of genes implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, and the expression of these networks is driven by hub genes with human-specific patterns of expression. These data support a role for CLOCK-regulated transcriptional cascades involved in human brain evolution and function. © 2017 Fontenot et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Phase II enzyme induction by a carotenoid, lutein, in a PC12D neuronal cell line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyake, Seiji; Kobayashi, Saori; Tsubota, Kazuo; Ozawa, Yoko

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Lutein reduced ROS levels in a PC12D neuronal cell line. • Lutein induced mRNAs of phase II antioxidative enzymes in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein increased protein levels of HO-1, SOD2, and NQO-1 in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein had no effect on intranuclear Nrf2 levels in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein did not activate potential upstream Nrf2 nuclear translocation pathways. - Abstract: The mechanism by which lutein, a carotenoid, acts as an antioxidant in retinal cells is still not fully understood. Here, lutein treatment of a neuronal cell line (PC12D) immediately resulted in reduced intracellular ROS levels, implying that it has a direct role in ROS scavenging. Significantly, lutein treatment also induced phase II antioxidative enzyme expression, probably via a nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf2) independent pathway. This latter mechanism could explain why lutein acts diversely to protect against oxidative/cytotoxic stress, and why it is physiologically involved in the human neural tissue, such as the retina

Phase II enzyme induction by a carotenoid, lutein, in a PC12D neuronal cell line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyake, Seiji [Laboratory of Retinal Cell Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan); Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan); Wakasa Seikatsu Co., Ltd., 134 Chudoujiminami-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8813 (Japan); Kobayashi, Saori [Wakasa Seikatsu Co., Ltd., 134 Chudoujiminami-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8813 (Japan); Tsubota, Kazuo [Laboratory of Retinal Cell Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan); Ozawa, Yoko, E-mail: ozawa@a5.keio.jp [Laboratory of Retinal Cell Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan); Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan)

2014-04-04

Highlights: • Lutein reduced ROS levels in a PC12D neuronal cell line. • Lutein induced mRNAs of phase II antioxidative enzymes in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein increased protein levels of HO-1, SOD2, and NQO-1 in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein had no effect on intranuclear Nrf2 levels in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein did not activate potential upstream Nrf2 nuclear translocation pathways. - Abstract: The mechanism by which lutein, a carotenoid, acts as an antioxidant in retinal cells is still not fully understood. Here, lutein treatment of a neuronal cell line (PC12D) immediately resulted in reduced intracellular ROS levels, implying that it has a direct role in ROS scavenging. Significantly, lutein treatment also induced phase II antioxidative enzyme expression, probably via a nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf2) independent pathway. This latter mechanism could explain why lutein acts diversely to protect against oxidative/cytotoxic stress, and why it is physiologically involved in the human neural tissue, such as the retina.

Establishment of a long-term spiral ganglion neuron culture with reduced glial cell number: Effects of AraC on cell composition and neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwieger, Jana; Esser, Karl-Heinz; Lenarz, Thomas; Scheper, Verena

2016-08-01

Sensorineural deafness is mainly caused by damage to hair cells and degeneration of the spiral ganglion neurons (SGN). Cochlear implants can functionally replace lost hair cells and stimulate the SGN electrically. The benefit from cochlear implantation depends on the number and excitability of these neurons. To identify potential therapies for SGN protection, in vitro tests are carried out on spiral ganglion cells (SGC). A glial cell-reduced and neuron-enhanced culture of neonatal rat SGC under mitotic inhibition (cytarabine (AraC)) for up to seven days is presented. Serum containing and neurotrophin-enriched cultures with and without AraC-addition were analyzed after 4 and 7 days. The total number of cells was significantly reduced, while the proportion of neurons was greatly increased by AraC-treatment. Cell type-specific labeling demonstrated that nearly all fibroblasts and most of the glial cells were removed. Neither the neuronal survival, nor the neurite outgrowth or soma diameter were negatively affected. Additionally neurites remain partly free of surrounding non-neuronal cells. Recent culture conditions allow only for short-term cultivation of neonatal SGC and lack information on the influence of non-neuronal cells on SGN and of direct contact of neurites with test-materials. AraC-addition reduces the number of non-neuronal cells and increases the ratio of SGN in culture, without negative impact on neuronal viability. This treatment allows longer-term cultivation of SGC and provides deeper insight into SGN-glial cell interaction and the attachment of neurites on test-material surfaces. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Cellular Composition and Glia-Neuron Ratio in the Spinal Cord of a Human and a Nonhuman Primate: Comparison With Other Species and Brain Regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahney, Jami; von Bartheld, Christopher S

2018-04-01

The cellular composition of brains shows largely conserved, gradual evolutionary trends between species. In the primate spinal cord, however, the glia-neuron ratio was reported to be greatly increased over that in the rodent spinal cord. Here, we re-examined the cellular composition of the spinal cord of one human and one nonhuman primate species by employing two different counting methods, the isotropic fractionator and stereology. We also determined whether segmental differences in cellular composition, possibly reflecting increased fine motor control of the upper extremities, may explain a sharply increased glia-neuron ratio in primates. In the cynomolgus monkey spinal cord, the isotropic fractionator and stereology yielded 206-275 million cells, of which 13.3-25.1% were neurons (28-69 million). Stereological estimates yielded 21.1% endothelial cells and 65.5% glial cells (glia-neuron ratio of 4.9-5.6). In human spinal cords, the isotropic fractionator and stereology generated estimates of 1.5-1.7 billion cells and 197-222 million neurons (13.4% neurons, 12.2% endothelial cells, 74.8% glial cells), and a glia-neuron ratio of 5.6-7.1, with estimates of neuron numbers in the human spinal cord based on morphological criteria. The non-neuronal to neuron ratios in human and cynomolgus monkey spinal cords were 6.5 and 3.2, respectively, suggesting that previous reports overestimated this ratio. We did not find significant segmental differences in the cellular composition between cervical, thoracic and lumbar levels. When compared with brain regions, the spinal cord showed gradual increases of the glia-neuron ratio with increasing brain mass, similar to the cerebral cortex and the brainstem. Anat Rec, 301:697-710, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neuron-mediated generation of regulatory T cells from encephalitogenic T cells suppresses EAE

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yawei; Teige, Ingrid; Birnir, Bryndis

2006-01-01

Neurons have been neglected as cells with a major immune-regulatory function because they do not express major histocompatibility complex class II. Our data show that neurons are highly immune regulatory, having a crucial role in governing T-cell response and central nervous system (CNS) inflamma......Neurons have been neglected as cells with a major immune-regulatory function because they do not express major histocompatibility complex class II. Our data show that neurons are highly immune regulatory, having a crucial role in governing T-cell response and central nervous system (CNS......) inflammation. Neurons induce the proliferation of activated CD4+ T cells through B7-CD28 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1-TGF-beta receptor signaling pathways, resulting in amplification of T-cell receptor signaling through phosphorylated ZAP-70, interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-9. The interaction between...... neurons and T cells results in the conversion of encephalitogenic T cells to CD25+ TGF-beta1+ CTLA-4+ FoxP3+ T regulatory (Treg) cells that suppress encephalitogenic T cells and inhibit experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Suppression is dependent on cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen (CTLA)-4...

Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecule-A1 (CORM-A1) Improves Neurogenesis: Increase of Neuronal Differentiation Yield by Preventing Cell Death.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Ana S; Soares, Nuno L; Vieira, Melissa; Gramsbergen, Jan Bert; Vieira, Helena L A

2016-01-01

Cerebral ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases lead to impairment or death of neurons in the central nervous system. Stem cell based therapies are promising strategies currently under investigation. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an endogenous product of heme degradation by heme oxygenase (HO) activity. Administration of CO at low concentrations produces several beneficial effects in distinct tissues, namely anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory. Herein the CO role on modulation of neuronal differentiation was assessed. Three different models with increasing complexity were used: human neuroblastoma SH-S5Y5 cell line, human teratocarcinoma NT2 cell line and organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC). Cell lines were differentiated into post-mitotic neurons by treatment with retinoic acid (RA) supplemented with CO-releasing molecule A1 (CORM-A1). CORM-A1 positively modulated neuronal differentiation, since it increased final neuronal production and enhanced the expression of specific neuronal genes: Nestin, Tuj1 and MAP2. Furthermore, during neuronal differentiation process, there was an increase in proliferative cell number (ki67 mRNA expressing cells) and a decrease in cell death (lower propidium iodide (PI) uptake, limitation of caspase-3 activation and higher Bcl-2 expressing cells). CO supplementation did not increase the expression of RA receptors. In the case of SH-S5Y5 model, small amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation emerges as important signaling molecules during CO-promoted neuronal differentiation. CO's improvement of neuronal differentiation yield was validated using OHSC as ex vivo model. CORM-A1 treatment of OHSC promoted higher levels of cells expressing the neuronal marker Tuj1. Still, CORM-A1 increased cell proliferation assessed by ki67 expression and also prevented cell death, which was followed by increased Bcl-2 expression, decreased levels of active caspase-3 and PI uptake. Likewise, ROS signaling emerged as key factors in CO

The role of glial cells in neuronal acetylcholine synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasa, P.

1986-01-01

This paper presents data on the role of glial cells in neuronal ACh synthesis. It is noted that central neurons fare better in cultures when in contact with non-neuronal cells, and especially glial cells. Since neither the fate of the Ch released from the glial cells nor the role of the contact between glial cells and neurons has yet been elucidated, the author investigates these phenomena. Glial cells from 14-day-old chickbrain were cultured for 14 days. ( 14 C) - choline incorporated into lipids, phosphocholine, betaine and ACh, as well as the free ( 14 C) -choline, were determined in the pure glial cell cultures after 24 h, and in the combined cultures after 7 days. The ( 14 C) - choline influx into the incubation medium and the uptake by the neurons were measured. Results are presented

Neuroprotective Properties of Endocannabinoids N-Arachidonoyl Dopamine and N-Docosahexaenoyl Dopamine Examined in Neuronal Precursors Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Novosadova, E V; Arsenyeva, E L; Manuilova, E S; Khaspekov, L G; Bobrov, M Yu; Bezuglov, V V; Illarioshkin, S N; Grivennikov, I A

2017-11-01

Neuroprotective properties of endocannabinoids N-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) and N-docosahexaenoyl dopamine (DHDA) were examined in neuronal precursor cells differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells and subjected to oxidative stress. Both compounds exerted neuroprotective activity, which was enhanced by elevating the concentration of the endocannabinoids within the 0.1-10 µM range. However, both agents at 10 µM concentration showed a marked toxic effect resulting in death of ~30% of the cells. Finally, antagonists of cannabinoid receptors as well as the receptor of the TRPV1 endovanilloid system did not hamper the neuroprotective effects of these endocannabinoids.

Electrophysiological properties of neurosensory progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karina Needham

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In severe cases of sensorineural hearing loss where the numbers of auditory neurons are significantly depleted, stem cell-derived neurons may provide a potential source of replacement cells. The success of such a therapy relies upon producing a population of functional neurons from stem cells, to enable precise encoding of sound information to the brainstem. Using our established differentiation assay to produce sensory neurons from human stem cells, patch-clamp recordings indicated that all neurons examined generated action potentials and displayed both transient sodium and sustained potassium currents. Stem cell-derived neurons reliably entrained to stimuli up to 20 pulses per second (pps, with 50% entrainment at 50 pps. A comparison with cultured primary auditory neurons indicated similar firing precision during low-frequency stimuli, but significant differences after 50 pps due to differences in action potential latency and width. The firing properties of stem cell-derived neurons were also considered relative to time in culture (31–56 days and revealed no change in resting membrane potential, threshold or firing latency over time. Thus, while stem cell-derived neurons did not entrain to high frequency stimulation as effectively as mammalian auditory neurons, their electrical phenotype was stable in culture and consistent with that reported for embryonic auditory neurons.

NKX6.1 induced pluripotent stem cell reporter lines for isolation and analysis of functionally relevant neuronal and pancreas populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shailesh Kumar Gupta

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have reported significant advances in the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to clinically relevant cell types such as the insulin producing beta-like cells and motor neurons. However, many of the current differentiation protocols lead to heterogeneous cell cultures containing cell types other than the targeted cell fate. Genetically modified human pluripotent stem cells reporting the expression of specific genes are of great value for differentiation protocol optimization and for the purification of relevant cell populations from heterogeneous cell cultures. Here we present the generation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC lines with a GFP reporter inserted in the endogenous NKX6.1 locus. Characterization of the reporter lines demonstrated faithful GFP labelling of NKX6.1 expression during pancreas and motor neuron differentiation. Cell sorting and gene expression profiling by RNA sequencing revealed that NKX6.1-positive cells from pancreatic differentiations closely resemble human beta cells. Furthermore, functional characterization of the isolated cells demonstrated that glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is mainly confined to the NKX6.1-positive cells. We expect that the NKX6.1-GFP iPSC lines and the results presented here will contribute to the further refinement of differentiation protocols and characterization of hPSC-derived beta cells and motor neurons for disease modelling and cell replacement therapies. Keywords: Human induced pluripotent stem cells, NKX6.1, Reporter cell line, Directed differentiation, hiPSC-derived beta cells

BC-Box Motif-Mediated Neuronal Differentiation of Somatic Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroshi Kanno

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL functions to induce neuronal differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs and skin-derived precursors (SKPs. Here we identified a neuronal differentiation domain (NDD in pVHL. Neuronal differentiation of SKPs was induced by intracellular delivery of a peptide composed of the amino-acid sequences encoded by the NDD. Neuronal differentiation mediated by the NDD was caused by the binding between it and elongin C followed by Janus kinase-2 (JAK2 ubiquitination of JAK2 and inhibition of the JAK2/the signal transducer and activator of transcription-3(STAT3 pathway. The NDD in pVHL contained the BC-box motif ((A,P,S,TLXXX (A,C XXX(A,I,L,V corresponding to the binding site of elongin C. Therefore, we proposed that other BC-box proteins might also contain an NDD; and subsequently also identified in them an NDD containing the amino-acid sequence encoded by the BC-box motif in BC-box proteins. Furthermore, we showed that different NDD peptide-delivered cells differentiated into different kinds of neuron-like cells. That is, dopaminergic neuron-like cells, cholinergic neuron-like cells, GABAnergic neuron-like cells or rhodopsin-positive neuron-like cells were induced by different NDD peptides. These novel findings might contribute to the development of a new method for promoting neuronal differentiation and shed further light on the mechanism of neuronal differentiation of somatic stem cells.

Protection against RAGE-mediated neuronal cell death by sRAGE-secreting human mesenchymal stem cells in 5xFAD transgenic mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Myeongjoo; Oh, Seyeon; Park, Hyunjin; Ahn, Hyosang; Choi, Junwon; Kim, Hyungho; Lee, Hye Sun; Lee, Sojung; Park, Hye-Jeong; Kim, Seung U; Lee, Bonghee; Byun, Kyunghee

2017-11-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is the most commonly encountered neurodegenerative disease, causes synaptic dysfunction and neuronal loss due to various pathological processes that include tau abnormality and amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation. Aβ stimulates the secretion and the synthesis of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE) ligand by activating microglial cells, and has been reported to cause neuronal cell death in Aβ 1-42 treated rats and in mice with neurotoxin-induced Parkinson's disease. The soluble form of RAGE (sRAGE) is known to reduce inflammation, and to decrease microglial cell activation and Aβ deposition, and thus, it protects from neuronal cell death in AD. However, sRAGE protein has too a short half-life for therapeutic purposes. We developed sRAGE-secreting umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells (sRAGE-MSCs) to enhance the inhibitory effects of sRAGE on Aβ deposition and to reduce the secretion and synthesis of RAGE ligands in 5xFAD mice. In addition, these cells improved the viability of injected MSCs, and enhanced the protective effects of sRAGE by inhibiting the binding of RAGE and RAGE ligands in 5xFAD mice. These findings suggest sRAGE protein from sRAGE-MSCs has better protection against neuronal cell death than sRAGE protein or single MSC treatment by inhibiting the RAGE cell death cascade and RAGE-induce inflammation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Am80 induces neuronal differentiation via increased tropomyosin-related kinase B expression in a human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiohira, Hideo; Kitaoka, Akira; Enjoji, Munechika; Uno, Tsukasa; Nakashima, Manabu

2012-01-01

Am80, a synthetic retinoid, has been used in differentiation therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) as one of natural retinoid has been also used to treat APL. ATRA treatment causes neuronal differentiation by inducing tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) expression and increasing the sensitivity to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a TrkB ligand. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Am80 on neuronal differentiation, BDNF sensitivity and TrkB expression in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Treatment with Am80 induced morphological differentiation of neurite outgrowth and increased the expression of GAP43 mRNA, a neuronal differentiation marker. Additionally, TrkB protein was also increased, and exogenous BDNF stimulation after treatment with Am80 induced greater neurite outgrowth than without BDNF treatment. These results suggest that Am80 induced neuronal differentiation by increasing TrkB expression and BDNF sensitivity.

Non-Neuronal Cells in the Hypothalamic Adaptation to Metabolic Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Freire-Regatillo, Alejandra; Argente-Arizón, Pilar; Argente, Jesús; García-Segura, Luis Miguel; Chowen, Julie A.

2017-01-01

Although the brain is composed of numerous cell types, neurons have received the vast majority of attention in the attempt to understand how this organ functions. Neurons are indeed fundamental but, in order for them to function correctly, they rely on the surrounding “non-neuronal” cells. These different cell types, which include glia, epithelial cells, pericytes, and endothelia, supply essential substances to neurons, in addition to protecting them from dangerous substances and situations. Moreover, it is now clear that non-neuronal cells can also actively participate in determining neuronal signaling outcomes. Due to the increasing problem of obesity in industrialized countries, investigation of the central control of energy balance has greatly increased in attempts to identify new therapeutic targets. This has led to interesting advances in our understanding of how appetite and systemic metabolism are modulated by non-neuronal cells. For example, not only are nutrients and hormones transported into the brain by non-neuronal cells, but these cells can also metabolize these metabolic factors, thus modifying the signals reaching the neurons. The hypothalamus is the main integrating center of incoming metabolic and hormonal signals and interprets this information in order to control appetite and systemic metabolism. Hence, the factors transported and released from surrounding non-neuronal cells will undoubtedly influence metabolic homeostasis. This review focuses on what is known to date regarding the involvement of different cell types in the transport and metabolism of nutrients and hormones in the hypothalamus. The possible involvement of non-neuronal cells, in particular glial cells, in physiopathological outcomes of poor dietary habits and excess weight gain are also discussed. PMID:28377744

Leptomeninges-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Directly Converted Neurons From Autopsy Cases With Varying Neuropathologic Backgrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Shannon E; Frankowski, Harald; Knupp, Allison; Berry, Bonnie J; Martinez, Refugio; Dinh, Stephanie Q; Bruner, Lauren T; Willis, Sherry L; Crane, Paul K; Larson, Eric B; Grabowski, Thomas; Darvas, Martin; Keene, C Dirk; Young, Jessica E

2018-05-01

Patient-specific stem cell technology from skin and other biopsy sources has transformed in vitro models of neurodegenerative disease, permitting interrogation of the effects of complex human genetics on neurotoxicity. However, the neuropathologic changes that underlie cognitive and behavioral phenotypes can only be determined at autopsy. To better correlate the biology of derived neurons with age-related and neurodegenerative changes, we generated leptomeningeal cell lines from well-characterized research subjects that have undergone comprehensive postmortem neuropathologic examinations. In a series of proof of principle experiments, we reprogrammed autopsy leptomeningeal cell lines to human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and differentiated these into neurons. We show that leptomeningeal-derived hiPSC lines can be generated from fresh and frozen leptomeninges, are pluripotent, and retain the karyotype of the starting cell population. Additionally, neurons differentiated from these hiPSCs are functional and produce measurable Alzheimer disease-relevant analytes (Aβ and Tau). Finally, we used direct conversion protocols to transdifferentiate leptomeningeal cells to neurons. These resources allow the generation of in vitro models to test mechanistic hypotheses as well as diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in association with neuropathology, clinical and cognitive data, and biomarker studies, aiding in the study of late-onset Alzheimer disease and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Biomedical and Clinical Promises of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Neurological Disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nopporn Jongkamonwiwat

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Neurological disorders are characterized by the chronic and progressive loss of neuronal structures and functions. There is a variability of the onsets and causes of clinical manifestations. Cell therapy has brought a new concept to overcome brain diseases, but the advancement of this therapy is limited by the demands of specialized neurons. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs have been promised as a renewable resource for generating human neurons for both laboratory and clinical purposes. By the modulations of appropriate signalling pathways, desired neuron subtypes can be obtained, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs provide genetically matched neurons for treating patients. These hPSC-derived neurons can also be used for disease modeling and drug screening. Since the most urgent problem today in transplantation is the lack of suitable donor organs and tissues, the derivation of neural progenitor cells from hPSCs has opened a new avenue for regenerative medicine. In this review, we summarize the recent reports that show how to generate neural derivatives from hPSCs, and discuss the current evidence of using these cells in animal studies. We also highlight the possibilities and concerns of translating these hPSC-derived neurons for biomedical and clinical uses in order to fight against neurological disorders.

Modeling Human Neurological and Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Neuronal Differentiation and Its Applications in Neurotrauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahmad, Hisham; Hadadeh, Ola; Chamaa, Farah; Cheaito, Katia; Darwish, Batoul; Makkawi, Ahmad-Kareem; Abou-Kheir, Wassim

2017-01-01

With the help of several inducing factors, somatic cells can be reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) lines. The success is in obtaining iPSCs almost identical to embryonic stem cells (ESCs), therefore various approaches have been tested and ultimately several ones have succeeded. The importance of these cells is in how they serve as models to unveil the molecular pathways and mechanisms underlying several human diseases, and also in its potential roles in the development of regenerative medicine. They further aid in the development of regenerative medicine, autologous cell therapy and drug or toxicity screening. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the recent development in the field of iPSCs research, specifically for modeling human neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, and its applications in neurotrauma. These are mainly characterized by progressive functional or structural neuronal loss rendering them extremely challenging to manage. Many of these diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been explored in vitro . The main purpose is to generate patient-specific iPS cell lines from the somatic cells that carry mutations or genetic instabilities for the aim of studying their differentiation potential and behavior. This new technology will pave the way for future development in the field of stem cell research anticipating its use in clinical settings and in regenerative medicine in order to treat various human diseases, including neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Insulin and leptin induce Glut4 plasma membrane translocation and glucose uptake in a human neuronal cell line by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- dependent mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Benomar, Yacir; Naour, Nadia; Aubourg, Alain; Bailleux, Virginie; Gertler, Arieh; Djiane, Jean; Guerre-Millo, Michèle; Taouis, Mohammed

2006-05-01

The insulin-sensitive glucose transporter Glut4 is expressed in brain areas that regulate energy homeostasis and body adiposity. In contrast with peripheral tissues, however, the impact of insulin on Glut4 plasma membrane (PM) translocation in neurons is not known. In this study, we examined the role of two anorexic hormones (leptin and insulin) on Glut4 translocation in a human neuronal cell line that express endogenous insulin and leptin receptors. We show that insulin and leptin both induce Glut4 translocation to the PM of neuronal cells and activate glucose uptake. Wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, totally abolished insulin- and leptin-dependent Glut4 translocation and stimulation of glucose uptake. Thus, Glut4 translocation is a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent mechanism in neuronal cells. Next, we investigated the impact of chronic insulin and leptin treatments on Glut4 expression and translocation. Chronic exposure of neuronal cells to insulin or leptin down-regulates Glut4 proteins and mRNA levels and abolishes the acute stimulation of glucose uptake in response to acute insulin or leptin. In addition, chronic treatment with either insulin or leptin impaired Glut4 translocation. A cross-desensitization between insulin and leptin was apparent, where exposure to insulin affects leptin-dependent Glut4 translocation and vice versa. This cross-desensitization could be attributed to the increase in suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 expression, which was demonstrated in response to each hormone. These results provide evidence to suggest that Glut4 translocation to neuronal PM is regulated by both insulin and leptin signaling pathways. These pathways might contribute to an in vivo glucoregulatory reflex involving a neuronal network and to the anorectic effect of insulin and leptin.

Dehydroepiandrosterone protects male and female hippocampal neurons and neuroblastoma cells from glucose deprivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira-Marques, Claudia; Arbo, Bruno Dutra; Ruiz-Palmero, Isabel; Ortiz-Rodriguez, Ana; Ghorbanpoor, Samar; Kucharski, Luiz Carlos; Arevalo, Maria A; Garcia-Segura, Luis Miguel; Ribeiro, Maria Flávia M

2016-08-01

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) modulates neurogenesis, neuronal function, neuronal survival and metabolism, enhancing mitochondrial oxidative capacity. Glucose deprivation and hypometabolism have been implicated in the mechanisms that mediate neuronal damage in neurological disorders, and some studies have shown that these mechanisms are sexually dimorphic. It was also demonstrated that DHEA is able to attenuate the hypometabolism that is related to some neurodegenerative diseases, eliciting neuroprotective effects in different experimental models of neurodegeneration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of DHEA on the viability of male and female hippocampal neurons and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells exposed to glucose deprivation. It was observed that after 12h of pre-treatment, DHEA was able to protect SH-SY5Y cells from glucose deprivation for 6h (DHEA 10(-12), 10(-8) and 10(-6)M) and 8h (DHEA 10(-8)M). In contrast, DHEA was not neuroprotective against glucose deprivation for 12 or 24h. DHEA (10(-8)M) also protected SH-SY5Y cells when added together or even 1h after the beginning of glucose deprivation (6h). Furthermore, DHEA (10(-8)M) also protected primary neurons from both sexes against glucose deprivation. In summary, our findings indicate that DHEA is neuroprotective against glucose deprivation in human neuroblastoma cells and in male and female mouse hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that DHEA could be a promising candidate to be used in clinical studies aiming to reduce neuronal damage in people from both sexes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of morphometry, myelinization and synaptic current strength on spike conduction in human and cat spiral ganglion neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Rattay

Full Text Available Our knowledge about the neural code in the auditory nerve is based to a large extent on experiments on cats. Several anatomical differences between auditory neurons in human and cat are expected to lead to functional differences in speed and safety of spike conduction.Confocal microscopy was used to systematically evaluate peripheral and central process diameters, commonness of myelination and morphology of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs along the cochlea of three human and three cats. Based on these morphometric data, model analysis reveales that spike conduction in SGNs is characterized by four phases: a postsynaptic delay, constant velocity in the peripheral process, a presomatic delay and constant velocity in the central process. The majority of SGNs are type I, connecting the inner hair cells with the brainstem. In contrast to those of humans, type I neurons of the cat are entirely myelinated. Biophysical model evaluation showed delayed and weak spikes in the human soma region as a consequence of a lack of myelin. The simulated spike conduction times are in accordance with normal interwave latencies from auditory brainstem response recordings from man and cat. Simulated 400 pA postsynaptic currents from inner hair cell ribbon synapses were 15 times above threshold. They enforced quick and synchronous spiking. Both of these properties were not present in type II cells as they receive fewer and much weaker (∼26 pA synaptic stimuli.Wasting synaptic energy boosts spike initiation, which guarantees the rapid transmission of temporal fine structure of auditory signals. However, a lack of myelin in the soma regions of human type I neurons causes a large delay in spike conduction in comparison with cat neurons. The absent myelin, in combination with a longer peripheral process, causes quantitative differences of temporal parameters in the electrically stimulated human cochlea compared to the cat cochlea.

Impact of Morphometry, Myelinization and Synaptic Current Strength on Spike Conduction in Human and Cat Spiral Ganglion Neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Rattay, Frank; Potrusil, Thomas; Wenger, Cornelia; Wise, Andrew K.; Glueckert, Rudolf; Schrott-Fischer, Anneliese

2013-01-01

Background Our knowledge about the neural code in the auditory nerve is based to a large extent on experiments on cats. Several anatomical differences between auditory neurons in human and cat are expected to lead to functional differences in speed and safety of spike conduction. Methodology/Principal Findings Confocal microscopy was used to systematically evaluate peripheral and central process diameters, commonness of myelination and morphology of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) along the cochlea of three human and three cats. Based on these morphometric data, model analysis reveales that spike conduction in SGNs is characterized by four phases: a postsynaptic delay, constant velocity in the peripheral process, a presomatic delay and constant velocity in the central process. The majority of SGNs are type I, connecting the inner hair cells with the brainstem. In contrast to those of humans, type I neurons of the cat are entirely myelinated. Biophysical model evaluation showed delayed and weak spikes in the human soma region as a consequence of a lack of myelin. The simulated spike conduction times are in accordance with normal interwave latencies from auditory brainstem response recordings from man and cat. Simulated 400 pA postsynaptic currents from inner hair cell ribbon synapses were 15 times above threshold. They enforced quick and synchronous spiking. Both of these properties were not present in type II cells as they receive fewer and much weaker (∼26 pA) synaptic stimuli. Conclusions/Significance Wasting synaptic energy boosts spike initiation, which guarantees the rapid transmission of temporal fine structure of auditory signals. However, a lack of myelin in the soma regions of human type I neurons causes a large delay in spike conduction in comparison with cat neurons. The absent myelin, in combination with a longer peripheral process, causes quantitative differences of temporal parameters in the electrically stimulated human cochlea compared to the cat

Cell-type Dependent Alzheimer's Disease Phenotypes: Probing the Biology of Selective Neuronal Vulnerability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina R. Muratore

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Summary: Alzheimer's disease (AD induces memory and cognitive impairment in the absence of motor and sensory deficits during its early and middle course. A major unresolved question is the basis for this selective neuronal vulnerability. Aβ, which plays a central role in AD pathogenesis, is generated throughout the brain, yet some regions outside of the limbic and cerebral cortices are relatively spared from Aβ plaque deposition and synapse loss. Here, we examine neurons derived from iPSCs of patients harboring an amyloid precursor protein mutation to quantify AD-relevant phenotypes following directed differentiation to rostral fates of the brain (vulnerable and caudal fates (relatively spared in AD. We find that both the generation of Aβ and the responsiveness of TAU to Aβ are affected by neuronal cell type, with rostral neurons being more sensitive than caudal neurons. Thus, cell-autonomous factors may in part dictate the pattern of selective regional vulnerability in human neurons in AD. : In this article, Muratore et al. examine differential vulnerability of neuronal subtypes in AD by directing iPSC lines from control and familial AD subjects to different regional neuronal fates. APP processing and TAU proteostasis are differentially affected between regional fates, such that neuronal cell type dictates generation of and responsiveness to Aβ. Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, disease modeling, iPSCs, neural stem cells, Abeta, Tau, selective vulnerability, amyloid, familial AD, differential susceptibility

BDNF Increases Survival and Neuronal Differentiation of Human Neural Precursor Cells Cotransplanted with a Nanofiber Gel to the Auditory Nerve in a Rat Model of Neuronal Damage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Jiao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To study possible nerve regeneration of a damaged auditory nerve by the use of stem cell transplantation. Methods. We transplanted HNPCs to the rat AN trunk by the internal auditory meatus (IAM. Furthermore, we studied if addition of BDNF affects survival and phenotypic differentiation of the grafted HNPCs. A bioactive nanofiber gel (PA gel, in selected groups mixed with BDNF, was applied close to the implanted cells. Before transplantation, all rats had been deafened by a round window niche application of β-bungarotoxin. This neurotoxin causes a selective toxic destruction of the AN while keeping the hair cells intact. Results. Overall, HNPCs survived well for up to six weeks in all groups. However, transplants receiving the BDNF-containing PA gel demonstrated significantly higher numbers of HNPCs and neuronal differentiation. At six weeks, a majority of the HNPCs had migrated into the brain stem and differentiated. Differentiated human cells as well as neurites were observed in the vicinity of the cochlear nucleus. Conclusion. Our results indicate that human neural precursor cells (HNPC integration with host tissue benefits from additional brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF treatment and that these cells appear to be good candidates for further regenerative studies on the auditory nerve (AN.

Differentiation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells into Neuron-Like Cells in Serum-Free Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahrul Hisham Zainal Ariffin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Dental pulp tissue contains dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs. Dental pulp cells (also known as dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells are capable of differentiating into multilineage cells including neuron-like cells. The aim of this study was to examine the capability of DPSCs to differentiate into neuron-like cells without using any reagents or growth factors. DPSCs were isolated from teeth extracted from 6- to 8-week-old mice and maintained in complete medium. The cells from the fourth passage were induced to differentiate by culturing in medium without serum or growth factors. RT-PCR molecular analysis showed characteristics of Cd146+, Cd166+, and Cd31− in DPSCs, indicating that these cells are mesenchymal stem cells rather than hematopoietic stem cells. After 5 days of neuronal differentiation, the cells showed neuron-like morphological changes and expressed MAP2 protein. The activation of Nestin was observed at low level prior to differentiation and increased after 5 days of culture in differentiation medium, whereas Tub3 was activated only after 5 days of neuronal differentiation. The proliferation of the differentiated cells decreased in comparison to that of the control cells. Dental pulp stem cells are induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells when cultured in serum- and growth factor-free medium.

Expression of Sirtuins in the Retinal Neurons of Mice, Rats, and Humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongdou Luo

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Sirtuins are a class of histone deacetylases (HDACs that have been shown to regulate a range of pathophysiological processes such as cellular aging, inflammation, metabolism, and cell proliferation. There are seven mammalian Sirtuins (SIRT1-7 that play important roles in stress response, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the location and function of Sirtuins in neurons are not well defined. This study assessed the retinal expression of Sirtuins in mice, rats, and humans and measured the expression of Sirtuins in aged and injured retinas. Expression of all 7 Sirtuins was confirmed by Western blot and Real-Time PCR analysis in all three species. SIRT1 is highly expressed in mouse, rat, and human retinas, whereas SIRT2-7 expression was relatively lower in human retinas. Immunofluorescence was also used to examine the expression and localization of Sirtuins in rat retinal neurons. Importantly, we demonstrate a marked reduction of SIRT1 expression in aged retinal neurons as well as retinas injured by acute ischemia-reperfusion. On the other hand, none of the other Sirtuins exhibit any significant age-related changes in expression except for SIRT5, which was significantly higher in the retinas of adults compared to both young and aged rats. Our work presents the first composite analysis of Sirtuins in the retinal neurons of mice, rats, and humans, and suggests that increasing the expression and activity of SIRT1 may be beneficial for the treatment of glaucoma and other age-related eye dysfunction.

[Effects of naloxone on the expression of stem cell factor and C-kit receptor in combined oxygen-glucose deprivation of primary cultured human embryonic neuron in vitro].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Bo; Li, Lan-ying; Lü, Guo-yi; Xue, Yu-liang; Ye, Tie-hu

2010-04-01

To explore the effects of naloxone on the expression of c-kit receptor (c-kit R) and its ligand stem cell factor (SCF) in human embryo neuronal hypoxic injury. Serum-free cerebral cortical cultures prepared from embryonic human brains were deprived of both oxygen and glucose which would set up an environment more likely with that of in vivo ischemic injury. Neurons in 24-well culture plates were randomly divided into four groups: control group, hypoxia group, naloxone 0.5 microg/ml group and naloxone 10 microg/ml group. MTT assay and biological analysis were performed to study the cell death and the changes of extracellular concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) after combined oxygen-glucose deprivation. Neurons in 25 ml culture flasks were also randomly allocated into four groups as previously described. Intracellular total RNA were extracted at different time points: pre-hypoxia, immediately after hypoxia, and 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after reoxygenation. The changes of SCF/c-kit R mRNA expression in hypoxic neurons treated with different concentrations of naloxone pre and post oxygen-glucose deprivation were determined with RT-PCR. The cell vitality detected by MTT assay decreased significantly in hypoxia group and naloxone 0.5 microg/ml group when compared with control group (Pcontrol group. Extracellular concentration of LDH significantly increased in hypoxia group (Pcontrol group, between naloxone 0.5 microg/ml and hypoxia group, or between naloxone 10 microg/ml and control group (all P>0.05). Immediately after oxygen-glucose deprivation, the expression of SCF/c-kit R mRNA increased significantly (Pcontrol group (Pglucose deprivation. Naloxone 0.5 microg/ml can attenuate cell injuries and regulate the expression of SCF/c-kit R. Naloxone may protect neurons by modulating the expressions of some cytokines.

Diet and cognition: interplay between cell metabolism and neuronal plasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez-Pinilla, Fernando; Tyagi, Ethika

2013-11-01

To discuss studies in humans and animals revealing the ability of foods to benefit the brain: new information with regards to mechanisms of action and the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Dietary factors exert their effects on the brain by affecting molecular events related to the management of energy metabolism and synaptic plasticity. Energy metabolism influences neuronal function, neuronal signaling, and synaptic plasticity, ultimately affecting mental health. Epigenetic regulation of neuronal plasticity appears as an important mechanism by which foods can prolong their effects on long-term neuronal plasticity. The prime focus of the discussion is to emphasize the role of cell metabolism as a mediator for the action of foods on the brain. Oxidative stress promotes damage to phospholipids present in the plasma membrane such as the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexenoic acid, disrupting neuronal signaling. Thus, dietary docosahexenoic acid seems crucial for supporting plasma membrane function, interneuronal signaling, and cognition. The dual action of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in neuronal metabolism and synaptic plasticity is crucial for activating signaling cascades under the action of diet and other environmental factors, using mechanisms of epigenetic regulation.

Quantitative high-throughput gene expression profiling of human striatal development to screen stem cell–derived medium spiny neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Straccia

Full Text Available A systematic characterization of the spatio-temporal gene expression during human neurodevelopment is essential to understand brain function in both physiological and pathological conditions. In recent years, stem cell technology has provided an in vitro tool to recapitulate human development, permitting also the generation of human models for many diseases. The correct differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC into specific cell types should be evaluated by comparison with specific cells/tissue profiles from the equivalent adult in vivo organ. Here, we define by a quantitative high-throughput gene expression analysis the subset of specific genes of the whole ganglionic eminence (WGE and adult human striatum. Our results demonstrate that not only the number of specific genes is crucial but also their relative expression levels between brain areas. We next used these gene profiles to characterize the differentiation of hPSCs. Our findings demonstrate a temporal progression of gene expression during striatal differentiation of hPSCs from a WGE toward an adult striatum identity. Present results establish a gene expression profile to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the telencephalic hPSC-derived progenitors eventually used for transplantation and mature striatal neurons for disease modeling and drug-screening.

A comparative study of the effect of oxidative stress on the cytoskeleton in human cortical neurons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allani, Pramod K.; Sum, Tak; Bhansali, Suraj G.; Mukherjee, Suman K.; Sonee, Manisha

2004-01-01

Cytoskeleton disruption is a process by which oxidative stress disrupts cellular function. This study compares and contrasts the effect of oxidative stress on the three major cytoskeleton filaments, microfilaments (MFs), microtubule (MT), and vimentin in human cortical neuronal cell line (HCN2). HCN2 cells were treated with 100 μM tertiary butylhydroperoxide (t-BuOOH), a free radical generating neurotoxin for 1, 3, or 6 h. Cell viability studies demonstrated significant cell death although the morphology studies showed that there was a substantial loss in neurites of neurons treated with t-BuOOH for 6 h. Because the cytoskeleton plays a role in neurite outgrowth, the effect of oxidative stress on the cytoskeletal was studied. In neurons subjected to oxidative stress for 30 min or 1 h, there were no major changes in microfilament distribution though there was altered distribution of microtubule and vimentin filaments as compared to controls. However, loss and disruption of all the three cytoskeletal filaments was observed at later times (3 and 6 h), which was confirmed by Western Blot analysis. Further studies were done to measure the gene expression levels of actin, tubulin, and vimentin. Results indicated that the overall loss of the cytoskeletal proteins in neurons treated with free radical generating toxin might not be a direct result of the downregulation of the cytoskeletal genes. This study shows that free radical generation in human neurons leads to the disruption of the cytoskeleton, though there may be a difference in the susceptibility to oxidative stress among the individual components of the cytoskeletal filaments

Electrical responses and spontaneous activity of human iPS-derived neuronal networks characterized for three-month culture with 4096-electrode arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hayder eAmin

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The recent availability of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs holds great promise as a novel source of human-derived neurons for cell and tissue therapies as well as for in vitro drug screenings that might replace the use of animal models. However, there is still a considerable lack of knowledge on the functional properties of hiPSC-derived neuronal networks, thus limiting their application. Here, upon optimization of cell culture protocols, we demonstrate that both spontaneous and evoked electrical spiking activities of these networks can be characterized on-chip by taking advantage of the resolution provided by CMOS multielectrode arrays (CMOS-MEAs. These devices feature a large and closely-spaced array of 4096 simultaneously recording electrodes and multi-site on-chip electrical stimulation. Our results show that networks of human-derived neurons can respond to electrical stimulation with a physiological repertoire of spike waveforms after three months of cell culture, a period of time during which the network undergoes the expression of developing patterns of spontaneous spiking activity. To achieve this, we have investigated the impact on the network formation and on the emerging network-wide functional properties induced by different biochemical substrates, i.e. poly-dl-ornithine (PDLO, poly-l-ornithine (PLO, and polyethylenimine (PEI, that were used as adhesion promoters for the cell culture. Interestingly, we found that neuronal networks grown on PDLO coated substrates show significantly higher spontaneous firing activity, reliable responses to low-frequency electrical stimuli, and an appropriate level of PSD-95 that may denote a physiological neuronal maturation profile and synapse stabilization. However, our results also suggest that even three-month culture might not be sufficient for human-derived neuronal network maturation. Taken together, our results highlight the tight relationship existing between substrate coatings

Communication between corneal epithelial cells and trigeminal neurons is facilitated by purinergic (P2) and glutamatergic receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Oswald, Duane J; Lee, Albert; Trinidad, Monique; Chi, Cheryl; Ren, Ruiyi; Rich, Celeste B; Trinkaus-Randall, Vickery

2012-01-01

Previously, we demonstrated that nucleotides released upon mechanical injury to corneal epithelium activate purinergic (P2) receptors resulting in mobilization of a Ca(2+) wave. However, the tissue is extensively innervated and communication between epithelium and neurons is critical and not well understood. Therefore, we developed a co-culture of primary trigeminal neurons and human corneal limbal epithelial cells. We demonstrated that trigeminal neurons expressed a repertoire of P2Yand P2X receptor transcripts and responded to P2 agonists in a concentration-dependent manner. Mechanical injuries to epithelia in the co-cultures elicited a Ca(2+) wave that mobilized to neurons and was attenuated by Apyrase, an ectonucleotidase. To elucidate the role of factors released from each cell type, epithelial and neuronal cells were cultured, injured, and the wound media from one cell type was collected and added to the other cell type. Epithelial wound media generated a rapid Ca(2+) mobilization in neuronal cells that was abrogated in the presence of Apyrase, while neuronal wound media elicited a complex response in epithelial cells. The rapid Ca(2+) mobilization was detected, which was abrogated with Apyrase, but it was followed by Ca(2+) waves that occurred in cell clusters. When neuronal wound media was preincubated with a cocktail of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor inhibitors, the secondary response in epithelia was diminished. Glutamate was detected in the neuronal wound media and epithelial expression of NMDA receptor subunit transcripts was demonstrated. Our results indicate that corneal epithelia and neurons communicate via purinergic and NMDA receptors that mediate the wound response in a highly orchestrated manner.

Communication between corneal epithelial cells and trigeminal neurons is facilitated by purinergic (P2 and glutamatergic receptors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duane J Oswald

Full Text Available Previously, we demonstrated that nucleotides released upon mechanical injury to corneal epithelium activate purinergic (P2 receptors resulting in mobilization of a Ca(2+ wave. However, the tissue is extensively innervated and communication between epithelium and neurons is critical and not well understood. Therefore, we developed a co-culture of primary trigeminal neurons and human corneal limbal epithelial cells. We demonstrated that trigeminal neurons expressed a repertoire of P2Yand P2X receptor transcripts and responded to P2 agonists in a concentration-dependent manner. Mechanical injuries to epithelia in the co-cultures elicited a Ca(2+ wave that mobilized to neurons and was attenuated by Apyrase, an ectonucleotidase. To elucidate the role of factors released from each cell type, epithelial and neuronal cells were cultured, injured, and the wound media from one cell type was collected and added to the other cell type. Epithelial wound media generated a rapid Ca(2+ mobilization in neuronal cells that was abrogated in the presence of Apyrase, while neuronal wound media elicited a complex response in epithelial cells. The rapid Ca(2+ mobilization was detected, which was abrogated with Apyrase, but it was followed by Ca(2+ waves that occurred in cell clusters. When neuronal wound media was preincubated with a cocktail of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA receptor inhibitors, the secondary response in epithelia was diminished. Glutamate was detected in the neuronal wound media and epithelial expression of NMDA receptor subunit transcripts was demonstrated. Our results indicate that corneal epithelia and neurons communicate via purinergic and NMDA receptors that mediate the wound response in a highly orchestrated manner.

Calcium Imaging of Nerve-Mast Cell Signaling in the Human Intestine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabine Buhner

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: It is suggested that an altered microenvironment in the gut wall alters communication along a mast cell nerve axis. We aimed to record for the first time signaling between mast cells and neurons in intact human submucous preparations.Methods: We used the Ca2+ sensitive dye Fluo-4 AM to simultaneously image changes in intracellular calcium [Ca+2]i (%ΔF/F in neurons and mast cells. Data are presented as median with interquartile ranges (25/75%.Results: We recorded nerve responses in 29 samples upon selective activation of 223 mast cells by IgE receptor cross linking with the antibody mAb22E7. Mast cells responded to mAb22E7 with a median [Ca+2]i increase of 20% (11/39 peaking 90 s (64/144 after the application. Only very few neurons responded and the median percentage of responding neuronal area was 0% (0/5.9. Mast cell activation remained in the presence of the fast sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin. Specific neuronal activation by transmural electrical field stimulation (EFS in 34 samples evoked instantaneously [Ca+2]i signals in submucous neurons. This was followed by a [Ca+2]i peak response of 8%ΔF/F (4/15 in 33% of 168 mast cells in the field of view. The mast cell response was abolished by the nerve blocker tetrododoxin, reduced by the Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide receptor 1 antagonist BIBN-4096 and the Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide receptor antagonist PG97-269, but not by blockade of the neurokinin receptors 1–3.Conclusion: The findings revealed bidirectional signaling between mast cells and submucous neurons in human gut. In our macroscopically normal preparations a nerve to mast cell signaling was very prominent whereas a mast cell to nerve signaling was rather rare.

Kalopanacis Cortex extract-capped gold nanoparticles activate NRF2 signaling and ameliorate damage in human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells exposed to oxygen–glucose deprivation and reoxygenation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Park SY

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Sun Young Park,1 Seon Yeong Chae,1,2 Jin Oh Park,2 Kyu Jin Lee,2 Geuntae Park1,2 1Bio-IT Fusion Technology Research Institute, 2Department of Nanofusion Technology, Graduate School, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea Abstract: Recently, environment-friendly synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs has been extensively explored by biologists and chemists. However, significant research is still required to determine whether “eco-friendly” GNPs are beneficial to human health and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of their effects on human cells. We used human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells to show that treatment with Kalopanacis Cortex extract-capped GNPs (KC-GNs, prepared via an eco-friendly, fast, one-pot synthetic route, protected neuronal cells against oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R-induced damage. To prepare GNPs, Kalopanacis Cortex was used without any chemical reducing and stabilizing agents. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy showed maximum absorbance at 526 nm owing to KC-GN surface plasmon resonance. Hydrodynamic size (54.02±2.19 nm and zeta potential (-20.3±0.04 mV were determined by dynamic light scattering. The average diameter (41.07±3.05 nm was determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of assembled GNPs. Fourier transform infrared analysis suggested that functional groups such as O–H, C–C, and C–N participated in KC-GN formation. Cell viability assays indicated that KC-GNs restored the viability of OGD/R-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Flow cytometry demonstrated that KC-GNs inhibited the OGD/R-induced reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial membrane potential disruption. KC-GNs also inhibited the apoptosis of OGD/R-exposed cells. Western blot analysis indicated that the OGD/R-induced cellular apoptosis and simultaneous increases in the expression of cleaved caspase-3, p

Cell Cycle Deregulation in the Neurons of Alzheimer’s Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Moh, Calvin; Kubiak, Jacek Z.; Bajic, Vladan P.; Zhu, Xiongwei; Smith, Mark A.

2018-01-01

The cell cycle consists of four main phases: G1, S, G2, and M. Most cells undergo these cycles up to 40–60 times in their life. However, neurons remain in a nondividing, nonreplicating phase, G0. Neurons initiate but do not complete cell division, eventually entering apoptosis. Research has suggested that like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves dysfunction in neuronal cell cycle reentry, leading to the development of the two-hit hypothesis of AD. The first hit is abnormal cell cycle reentry, which typically results in neuronal apoptosis and prevention of AD. However, with the second hit of chronic oxidative damage preventing apoptosis, neurons gain “immortality” analogous to tumor cells. Once both of these hits are activated, AD can develop and produce senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles throughout brain tissue. In this review, we propose a mechanism for neuronal cell cycle reentry and the development of AD. PMID:21630160

Directly Converted Human Fibroblasts Mature to Neurons and Show Long-Term Survival in Adult Rodent Hippocampus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Avaliani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Direct conversion of human somatic cells to induced neurons (iNs, using lineage-specific transcription factors has opened new opportunities for cell therapy in a number of neurological diseases, including epilepsy. In most severe cases of epilepsy, seizures often originate in the hippocampus, where populations of inhibitory interneurons degenerate. Thus, iNs could be of potential use to replace these lost interneurons. It is not known, however, if iNs survive and maintain functional neuronal properties for prolonged time periods in in vivo. We transplanted human fibroblast-derived iNs into the adult rat hippocampus and observed a progressive morphological differentiation, with more developed dendritic arborisation at six months as compared to one month. This was accompanied by mature electrophysiological properties and fast high amplitude action potentials at six months after transplantation. This proof-of-principle study suggests that human iNs can be developed as a candidate source for cell replacement therapy in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS Accumulates in Neocortical Neurons of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD Brain and Impairs Transcription in Human Neuronal-Glial Primary Co-cultures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuhai Zhao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Several independent laboratories have recently reported the detection of bacterial nucleic acid sequences or bacterial-derived neurotoxins, such as highly inflammatory lipopolysaccharide (LPS, within Alzheimer’s disease (AD affected brain tissues. Whether these bacterial neurotoxins originate from the gastrointestinal (GI tract microbiome, a possible brain microbiome or some dormant pathological microbiome is currently not well understood. Previous studies indicate that the co-localization of pro-inflammatory LPS with AD-affected brain cell nuclei suggests that there may be a contribution of this neurotoxin to genotoxic events that support inflammatory neurodegeneration and failure in homeostatic gene expression. In this report we provide evidence that in sporadic AD, LPS progressively accumulates in neuronal parenchyma and appears to preferentially associate with the periphery of neuronal nuclei. Run-on transcription studies utilizing [α-32P]-uridine triphosphate incorporation into newly synthesized total RNA further indicates that human neuronal-glial (HNG cells in primary co-culture incubated with LPS exhibit significantly reduced output of DNA transcription products. These studies suggest that in AD LPS may impair the efficient readout of neuronal genetic information normally required for the homeostatic operation of brain cell function and may contribute to a progressive disruption in the read-out of genetic information.

Induced dopaminergic neurons: A new promise for Parkinson’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhimin Xu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Motor symptoms that define Parkinson’s disease (PD are caused by the selective loss of nigral dopaminergic (DA neurons. Cell replacement therapy for PD has been focused on midbrain DA neurons derived from human fetal mesencephalic tissue, human embryonic stem cells (hESC or human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC. Recent development in the direct conversion of human fibroblasts to induced dopaminergic (iDA neurons offers new opportunities for transplantation study and disease modeling in PD. The iDA neurons are generated directly from human fibroblasts in a short period of time, bypassing lengthy differentiation process from human pluripotent stem cells and the concern for potentially tumorigenic mitotic cells. They exhibit functional dopaminergic neurotransmission and relieve locomotor symptoms in animal models of Parkinson’s disease. In this review, we will discuss this recent development and its implications to Parkinson’s disease research and therapy.

Angiotensinergic and noradrenergic neurons in the rat and human heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Jaspal; Stucki, Silvan; Nussberger, Juerg; Schaffner, Thomas; Gygax, Susanne; Bohlender, Juergen; Imboden, Hans

2011-02-25

Although the physiological and pharmacological evidences suggest a role for angiotensin II (Ang II) with the mammalian heart, the source and precise location of Ang II are unknown. To visualize and quantitate Ang II in atria, ventricular walls and interventricular septum of the rat and human heart and to explore the feasibility of local Ang II production and function, we investigated by different methods the expression of proteins involved in the generation and function of Ang II. We found mRNA of angiotensinogen (Ang-N), of angiotensin converting enzyme, of the angiotensin type receptors AT(1A) and AT₂ (AT(1B) not detected) as well as of cathepsin D in any part of the hearts. No renin mRNA was traceable. Ang-N mRNA was visualized by in situ hybridization in atrial ganglial neurons. Ang II and dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH) were either colocalized inside the same neuronal cell or the neurons were specialized for Ang II or DβH. Within these neurons, the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) was neither colocalized with Ang II nor DβH, but VAChT-staining was found with synapses en passant encircle these neuronal cells. The fibers containing Ang II exhibited with blood vessels and with cardiomyocytes supposedly angiotensinergic synapses en passant. In rat heart, right atrial median Ang II concentration appeared higher than septal and ventricular Ang II. The distinct colocalization of neuronal Ang II with DβH in the heart may indicate that Ang II participates together with norepinephrine in the regulation of cardiac functions: produced as a cardiac neurotransmitter Ang II may have inotropic, chronotropic or dromotropic effects in atria and ventricles and contributes to blood pressure regulation. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into neurons and glial cells and differential protein expression in a two-compartment bone marrow stromal cell/neuron co-culture system.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Xu; Shao, Ming; Peng, Haisheng; Bi, Zhenggang; Su, Zhiqiang; Li, Hulun

2010-07-01

This study was performed to establish a bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC)/neuron two-compartment co-culture model in which differentiation of BMSCs into neurons could occur without direct contact between the two cell types, and to investigate protein expression changes during differentiation of this entirely BMSC-derived population. Cultured BMSCs isolated from Wistar rats were divided into three groups: BMSC culture, BMSC/neuron co-culture and BMSC/neuron two-compartment co-culture. Cells were examined for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression. The electrophysiological behavior of the BMSCs was examined using patch clamping. Proteins that had significantly different expression levels in BMSCs cultured alone and co-cultured with neurons were studied using a protein chip-mass spectroscopy technique. Expression of NSE and GFAP were significantly higher in co-culture cells than in two-compartment co-culture cells, and significantly higher in both co-culture groups than in BMSCs cultured alone. Five proteins showed significant changes in expression during differentiation: TIP39_RAT and CALC_RAT underwent increases, and INSL6_RAT, PNOC_RAT and PCSK1_RAT underwent decreases in expression. We conclude that BMSCs can differentiate into neurons during both contact co-culture with neurons and two-compartment co-culture with neurons. The rate at which BMSCs differentiated into neurons was higher in contact co-culture than in non-contact co-culture.

IAP-Based Cell Sorting Results in Homogeneous Transplantable Dopaminergic Precursor Cells Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Lehnen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC-derived mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA neurons can relieve motor deficits in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD. Clinical translation of differentiation protocols requires standardization of production procedures, and surface-marker-based cell sorting is considered instrumental for reproducible generation of defined cell products. Here, we demonstrate that integrin-associated protein (IAP is a cell surface marker suitable for enrichment of hPSC-derived mesDA progenitor cells. Immunomagnetically sorted IAP+ mesDA progenitors showed increased expression of ventral midbrain floor plate markers, lacked expression of pluripotency markers, and differentiated into mature dopaminergic (DA neurons in vitro. Intrastriatal transplantation of IAP+ cells sorted at day 16 of differentiation in a rat model of PD resulted in functional recovery. Grafts from sorted IAP+ mesDA progenitors were more homogeneous in size and DA neuron density. Thus, we suggest IAP-based sorting for reproducible prospective enrichment of mesDA progenitor cells in clinical cell replacement strategies.

PKA-GSK3β and β-Catenin Signaling Play a Critical Role in Trans-Resveratrol Mediated Neuronal Differentiation in Human Cord Blood Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahan, S; Singh, S; Srivastava, A; Kumar, V; Kumar, D; Pandey, A; Rajpurohit, C S; Purohit, A R; Khanna, V K; Pant, A B

2018-04-01

The role of resveratrol (RV), a natural polyphenol, is well documented, although its role on neurogenesis is still controversial and poorly understood. Therefore, to decipher the cellular insights of RV on neurogenesis, we investigated the potential effects of the compound on the survival, proliferation, and neuronal differentiation of human cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hCBMSCs). For neuronal differentiation, purified and characterized hCBMSCs were exposed to biological safe doses of RV (10 μM) alone and in combination with nerve growth factor (NGF-50 ng). The cells exposed only to NGF (50 ng/mL) served as positive control for neuronal differentiation. The genes showing significant involvement in the process of neuronal differentiation were further funneled down at transcriptional and translational level. It was observed that RV promotes PKA-mediated neuronal differentiation in hCBMSCs by inducing canonical pathway. The studies with pharmacological inhibitors also confirmed that PKA significantly induces β-catenin expression via GSK3β induction and stimulates CREB phosphorylation and pERK1/2 induction. Besides that, the studies also revealed that RV additionally possesses the binding sites for molecules other than PKA and GSK3β, with which it interacts. The present study therefore highlights the positive impact of RV over the survival, proliferation, and neuronal differentiation in hCBMSCs via PKA-mediated induction of GSK3β, β catenin, CREB, and ERK1/2.

Assessing neurodevelopmental effects of arsenolipids in pre-differentiated human neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Barbara; Ebert, Franziska; Meyer, Sören; Francesconi, Kevin A; Schwerdtle, Tanja

2017-11-01

In the general population exposure to arsenic occurs mainly via diet. Highest arsenic concentrations are found in seafood, where arsenic is present predominantly in its organic forms including arsenolipids. Since recent studies have provided evidence that arsenolipids could reach the brain of an organism and exert toxicity in fully differentiated human neurons, this work aims to assess the neurodevelopmental toxicity of arsenolipids. Neurodevelopmental effects of three arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHC), two arsenic-containing fatty acids (AsFA), arsenite and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ) were characterized in pre-differentiated human neurons. AsHCs and arsenite caused substantial cytotoxicity in a similar, low concentration range, whereas AsFAs and DMA V were less toxic. AsHCs were highly accessible for cells and exerted pronounced neurodevelopmental effects, with neurite outgrowth and the mitochondrial membrane potential being sensitive endpoints; arsenite did not substantially decrease those two endpoints. In fully differentiated neurons, arsenite and AsHCs caused neurite toxicity. These results indicate for a neurodevelopmental potential of AsHCs. Taken into account the possibility that AsHCs might easily reach the developing brain when exposed during early life, neurotoxicity and neurodevelopmental toxicity cannot be excluded. Further studies are needed in order to progress the urgently needed risk assessment. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Transfection in Primary Cultured Neuronal Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Marwick, Katie F M; Hardingham, Giles E

2017-01-01

Transfection allows the introduction of foreign nucleic acid into eukaryotic cells. It is an important tool in understanding the roles of NMDARs in neurons. Here, we describe using lipofection-mediated transfection to introduce cDNA encoding NMDAR subunits into postmitotic rodent primary cortical neurons maintained in culture.

Genetically-directed, cell type-specific sparse labeling for the analysis of neuronal morphology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Rotolo

Full Text Available In mammals, genetically-directed cell labeling technologies have not yet been applied to the morphologic analysis of neurons with very large and complex arbors, an application that requires extremely sparse labeling and that is only rendered practical by limiting the labeled population to one or a few predetermined neuronal subtypes.In the present study we have addressed this application by using CreER technology to non-invasively label very small numbers of neurons so that their morphologies can be fully visualized. Four lines of IRES-CreER knock-in mice were constructed to permit labeling selectively in cholinergic or catecholaminergic neurons [choline acetyltransferase (ChAT-IRES-CreER or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH-IRES-CreER], predominantly in projection neurons [neurofilament light chain (NFL-IRES-CreER], or broadly in neurons and some glia [vesicle-associated membrane protein2 (VAMP2-IRES-CreER]. When crossed to the Z/AP reporter and exposed to 4-hydroxytamoxifen in the early postnatal period, the number of neurons expressing the human placental alkaline phosphatase reporter can be reproducibly lowered to fewer than 50 per brain. Sparse Cre-mediated recombination in ChAT-IRES-CreER;Z/AP mice shows the full axonal and dendritic arbors of individual forebrain cholinergic neurons, the first time that the complete morphologies of these very large neurons have been revealed in any species.Sparse genetically-directed, cell type-specific neuronal labeling with IRES-creER lines should prove useful for studying a wide variety of questions in neuronal development and disease.

Information maximization explains the emergence of complex cell-like neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takuma eTanaka

2013-11-01

Full Text Available We propose models and a method to qualitatively explain the receptive field properties of complex cells in the primary visual cortex. We apply a learning method based on the information maximization principle in a feedforward network, which comprises an input layer of image patches, simple cell-like first-output-layer neurons, and second-output-layer neurons (Model 1. The information maximization results in the emergence of the complex cell-like receptive field properties in the second-output-layer neurons. After learning, second-output-layer neurons receive connection weights having the same size from two first-output-layer neurons with sign-inverted receptive fields. The second-output-layer neurons replicate the phase invariance and iso-orientation suppression. Furthermore, on the basis of these results, we examine a simplified model showing the emergence of complex cell-like receptive fields (Model 2. We show that after learning, the output neurons of this model exhibit iso-orientation suppression, cross-orientation facilitation, and end stopping, which are similar to those found in complex cells. These properties of model neurons suggest that complex cells in the primary visual cortex become selective to features composed of edges to increase the variability of the output.

Imaging and quantifying ganglion cells and other transparent neurons in the living human retina.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhuolin; Kurokawa, Kazuhiro; Zhang, Furu; Lee, John J; Miller, Donald T

2017-11-28

Ganglion cells (GCs) are fundamental to retinal neural circuitry, processing photoreceptor signals for transmission to the brain via their axons. However, much remains unknown about their role in vision and their vulnerability to disease leading to blindness. A major bottleneck has been our inability to observe GCs and their degeneration in the living human eye. Despite two decades of development of optical technologies to image cells in the living human retina, GCs remain elusive due to their high optical translucency. Failure of conventional imaging-using predominately singly scattered light-to reveal GCs has led to a focus on multiply-scattered, fluorescence, two-photon, and phase imaging techniques to enhance GC contrast. Here, we show that singly scattered light actually carries substantial information that reveals GC somas, axons, and other retinal neurons and permits their quantitative analysis. We perform morphometry on GC layer somas, including projection of GCs onto photoreceptors and identification of the primary GC subtypes, even beneath nerve fibers. We obtained singly scattered images by: ( i ) marrying adaptive optics to optical coherence tomography to avoid optical blurring of the eye; ( ii ) performing 3D subcellular image registration to avoid motion blur; and ( iii ) using organelle motility inside somas as an intrinsic contrast agent. Moreover, through-focus imaging offers the potential to spatially map individual GCs to underlying amacrine, bipolar, horizontal, photoreceptor, and retinal pigment epithelium cells, thus exposing the anatomical substrate for neural processing of visual information. This imaging modality is also a tool for improving clinical diagnosis and assessing treatment of retinal disease. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

A simple and efficient method for generating Nurr1-positive neuronal stem cells from human wisdom teeth (tNSC) and the potential of tNSC for stroke therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Kuo-Liang; Chen, Mei-Fang; Liao, Chia-Hsin; Pang, Cheng-Yoong; Lin, Py-Yu

2009-01-01

We have isolated human neuronal stem cells from exfoliated third molars (wisdom teeth) using a simple and efficient method. The cultured neuronal stem cells (designated tNSC) expressed embryonic and adult stem cell markers, markers for chemotatic factor and its corresponding ligand, as well as neuron proteins. The tNSC expressed genes of Nurr1, NF-M and nestin. They were used to treat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery-inflicted Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to assess their therapeutic potential for stroke therapy. For each tNSC cell line, a normal human impacted wisdom tooth was collected from a donor with consent. The tooth was cleaned thoroughly with normal saline. The molar was vigorously shaken or vortexed for 30 min in a 50-mL conical tube with 15-20mL normal saline. The mixture of dental pulp was collected by centrifugation and cultured in a 25-cm(2) tissue culture flask with 4-5mL Medium 199 supplemented with 5-10% fetal calf serum. The tNSC harvested from tissue culture, at a concentration of 1-2x10(5), were suspended in 3 microL saline solution and injected into the right dorsolateral striatum of experimental animals inflicted with MCAO. Behavioral measurements of the tNSC-treated SD rats showed a significant recovery from neurologic dysfunction after MCAO treatment. In contrast, a sham group of SD rats failed to recover from the surgery. Immunohistochemistry analysis of brain sections of the tNSC-treated SD rats showed survival of the transplanted cells. These results suggest that adult neuronal stem cells may be procured from third molars, and tNSC thus cultivated have potential for treatment of stroke-inflicted rats.

Neuron-NG2 Cell Synapses: Novel Functions for Regulating NG2 Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian-Kun Yang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available NG2 cells are a population of CNS cells that are distinct from neurons, mature oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia. These cells can be identified by their NG2 proteoglycan expression. NG2 cells have a highly branched morphology, with abundant processes radiating from the cell body, and express a complex set of voltage-gated channels, AMPA/kainate, and GABA receptors. Neurons notably form classical and nonclassical synapses with NG2 cells, which have varied characteristics and functions. Neuron-NG2 cell synapses could fine-tune NG2 cell activities, including the NG2 cell cycle, differentiation, migration, and myelination, and may be a novel potential therapeutic target for NG2 cell-related diseases, such as hypoxia-ischemia injury and periventricular leukomalacia. Furthermore, neuron-NG2 cell synapses may be correlated with the plasticity of CNS in adulthood with the synaptic contacts passing onto their progenies during proliferation, and synaptic contacts decrease rapidly upon NG2 cell differentiation. In this review, we highlight the characteristics of classical and nonclassical neuron-NG2 cell synapses, the potential functions, and the fate of synaptic contacts during proliferation and differentiation, with the emphasis on the regulation of the NG2 cell cycle by neuron-NG2 cell synapses and their potential underlying mechanisms.

Effect of DHA and CoenzymeQ10 Against Aβ- and Zinc-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Human Neuronal Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Sadli

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Beta-amyloid (Aβ protein is a key factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD and it has been reported that mitochondria is involved in the biochemical pathway by which Aβ can lead to neuronal dysfunction. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 is an essential cofactor involved in the mitochondrial electron transport chain and has been suggested as a potential therapeutic agent in AD. Zinc toxicity also affects cellular energy production by decreasing oxygen consumption rate (OCR and ATP turnover in human neuronal cells, which can be restored by the neuroprotective effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA. Method: In the present study, using Seahorse XF-24 Metabolic Flux Analysis we investigated the effect of DHA and CoQ10 alone and in combination against Aβ- and zinc-mediated changes in the mitochondrial function of M17 neuroblastoma cell line. Results: Here, we observed that DHA is specifically neuroprotective against zinc-triggered mitochondrial dysfunction, but does not directly affect Aβ neurotoxicity. CoQ10 has shown to be protective against both Aβ- and zinc-induced alterations in mitochondrial function. Conclusion: Our results indicate that DHA and CoQ10 may be useful for the prevention, treatment and management of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD.

Novel human neuronal tau model exhibiting neurofibrillary tangles and transcellular propagation.

Science.gov (United States)

Reilly, Patrick; Winston, Charisse N; Baron, Kelsey R; Trejo, Margarita; Rockenstein, Edward M; Akers, Johnny C; Kfoury, Najla; Diamond, Marc; Masliah, Eliezer; Rissman, Robert A; Yuan, Shauna H

2017-10-01

Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and progressive supranuclear palsy, which are associated with the pathological aggregation of tau protein into neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Studies have characterized tau as a "prion-like" protein given its ability to form distinct, stable amyloid conformations capable of transcellular and multigenerational propagation in clonal fashion. It has been proposed that progression of tauopathy could be due to the prion-like propagation of tau, suggesting the possibility that end-stage pathologies, like NFT formation, may require an instigating event such as tau seeding. To investigate this, we applied a novel human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) system we have developed to serve as a human neuronal model. We introduced the tau repeat domain (tau-RD) with P301L and V337M (tau-RD-LM) mutations into hiPSC-derived neurons and observed expression of tau-RD at levels similar to total tau in postmortem AD brains. Tau aggregation occurred without the addition of recombinant tau fibrils. The conditioned media from tau-RD cultures contained tau-RD seeds, which were capable of inducing aggregate formation in homotypic mode in non-transduced recipient neuronal cultures. The resultant NFTs were thioflavin-positive, silver stain-positive, and assumed fibrillary appearance on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with immunogold, which revealed paired helical filament 1 (PHF1)-positive NFTs, representing possible recruitment of endogenous tau in the aggregates. Functionally, expression of tau-RD caused neurotoxicity that manifested as axon retraction, synaptic density reduction, and enlargement of lysosomes. The results of our hiPSC study were reinforced by the observation that Tau-RD-LM is excreted in exosomes, which mediated the transfer of human tau to wild-type mouse neurons in vivo. Our hiPSC human neuronal system provides a model for further studies of tau

Mitosis in neurons: Roughex and APC/C maintain cell cycle exit to prevent cytokinetic and axonal defects in Drosophila photoreceptor neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Ruggiero

Full Text Available The mechanisms of cell cycle exit by neurons remain poorly understood. Through genetic and developmental analysis of Drosophila eye development, we found that the cyclin-dependent kinase-inhibitor Roughex maintains G1 cell cycle exit during differentiation of the R8 class of photoreceptor neurons. The roughex mutant neurons re-enter the mitotic cell cycle and progress without executing cytokinesis, unlike non-neuronal cells in the roughex mutant that perform complete cell divisions. After mitosis, the binucleated R8 neurons usually transport one daughter nucleus away from the cell body into the developing axon towards the brain in a kinesin-dependent manner resembling anterograde axonal trafficking. Similar cell cycle and photoreceptor neuron defects occurred in mutants for components of the Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome. These findings indicate a neuron-specific defect in cytokinesis and demonstrate a critical role for mitotic cyclin downregulation both to maintain cell cycle exit during neuronal differentiation and to prevent axonal defects following failed cytokinesis.

Differential radiosensitivity of mouse embryonic neurons and glia in cell culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dambergs, R.; Kidson, C.

1977-01-01

The responses of neurons and glial cells to ultraviolet and γ-radiation were studied in cell cultures of embryonic mouse brains. A decrease in the ratio of glia to neurons occurred after both forms of irradiation. [ 3 H]thymidine labelling followed by autoradiography revealed that all glia were capable of replication, whereas 70 percent of neurons were non-replicating under the conditions of the study. Ultraviolet radiation caused a decrease in the proportion of replicating neurons but did not affect the proportion of replicating glia, whereas γ-radiation caused a decrease in DNA replication in both cell types. Levels of ultraviolet radiation-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis were lower in neurons than in glia. It is concluded that sensitivity to both ionizing and ultraviolet radiation of neurons and glial cells in embryonic brain cultures is determined primarily by the capacity for and state of DNA replication. Neurons which have already reached the stage of terminal differentiation are more resistant than replicating neurons of glial cells

Cell surface estrogen receptor alpha is upregulated during subchronic metabolic stress and inhibits neuronal cell degeneration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiana Barbati

Full Text Available In addition to the classical nuclear estrogen receptor, the expression of non-nuclear estrogen receptors localized to the cell surface membrane (mER has recently been demonstrated. Estrogen and its receptors have been implicated in the development or progression of numerous neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, the pathogenesis of these diseases has been associated with disturbances of two key cellular programs: apoptosis and autophagy. An excess of apoptosis or a defect in autophagy has been implicated in neurodegeneration. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of ER in determining neuronal cell fate and the possible implication of these receptors in regulating either apoptosis or autophagy. The human neuronal cell line SH-SY5Y and mouse neuronal cells in primary culture were thus exposed to chronic minimal peroxide treatment (CMP, a form of subcytotoxic minimal chronic stress previously that mimics multiple aspects of long-term cell stress and represents a limited molecular proxy for neurodegenerative processes. We actually found that either E2 or E2-bovine serum albumin construct (E2BSA, i.e. a non-permeant form of E2 was capable of modulating intracellular cell signals and regulating cell survival and death. In particular, under CMP, the up-regulation of mERα, but not mERβ, was associated with functional signals (ERK phosphorylation and p38 dephosphorylation compatible with autophagic cytoprotection triggering and leading to cell survival. The mERα trafficking appeared to be independent of the microfilament system cytoskeletal network but was seemingly associated with microtubular apparatus network, i.e., to MAP2 molecular chaperone. Importantly, antioxidant treatments, administration of siRNA to ERα, or the presence of antagonist of ERα hindered these events. These results support that the surface expression of mERα plays a pivotal role in determining cell fate, and that ligand-induced activation of mER signalling exerts a

Direct reprogramming of somatic cells into neural stem cells or neurons for neurological disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Shaoping; Lu, Paul

2016-01-01

Direct reprogramming of somatic cells into neurons or neural stem cells is one of the most important frontier fields in current neuroscience research. Without undergoing the pluripotency stage, induced neurons or induced neural stem cells are a safer and timelier manner resource in comparison to those derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. In this prospective, we review the recent advances in generation of induced neurons and induced neural stem cells in vitro and in vivo and their potential treatments of neurological disorders.

Deleterious effect of Usutu virus on human neural cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Salinas

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In the last decade, the number of emerging Flaviviruses described worldwide has increased considerably. Among them Zika virus (ZIKV and Usutu virus (USUV are African mosquito-borne viruses that recently emerged. Recently, ZIKV has been intensely studied due to major outbreaks associated with neonatal death and birth defects, as well as neurological symptoms. USUV pathogenesis remains largely unexplored, despite significant human and veterinary associated disorders. Circulation of USUV in Africa was documented more than 50 years ago, and it emerged in Europe two decades ago, causing massive bird mortality. More recently, USUV has been described to be associated with neurological disorders in humans such as encephalitis and meningoencephalitis, highlighting USUV as a potential health threat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of USUV to infect neuronal cells. Our results indicate that USUV efficiently infects neurons, astrocytes, microglia and IPSc-derived human neuronal stem cells. When compared to ZIKV, USUV led to a higher infection rate, viral production, as well as stronger cell death and anti-viral response. Our results highlight the need to better characterize the physiopathology related to USUV infection in order to anticipate the potential threat of USUV emergence.

Dental pulp stem cells promote regeneration of damaged neuron cells on the cellular model of Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feixiang; Jia, Yali; Liu, Jiajing; Zhai, Jinglei; Cao, Ning; Yue, Wen; He, Huixia; Pei, Xuetao

2017-06-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease and many types of stem cells have been used in AD therapy with some favorable effects. In this study, we investigated the potential therapeutical effects of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) on AD cellular model which established by okadaic acid (OA)-induced damage to human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, in vitro for 24 h. After confirmed the AD cellular model, the cells were co-culture with hDPSCs by transwell co-culture system till 24 h for treatment. Then the cytomorphology of the hDPSCs-treated cells were found to restore gradually with re-elongation of retracted dendrites. Meanwhile, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and Hoechst 33258 staining showed that hDPSCs caused significant increase in the viability and decrease in apoptosis of the model cells, respectively. Observation of DiI labeling also exhibited the prolongation dendrites in hDPSCs-treated cells which were obviously different from the retraction dendrites in AD model cells. Furthermore, specific staining of α-tubulin and F-actin demonstrated that the hDPSCs-treated cells had the morphology of restored neurons, with elongated dendrites, densely arranged microfilaments, and thickened microtubular fibrils. In addition, results from western blotting revealed that phosphorylation at Ser 396 of Tau protein was significantly suppressed by adding of hDPSCs. These results indicate that hDPSCs may promote regeneration of damaged neuron cells in vitro model of AD and may serve as a useful cell source for treatment of AD. © 2017 International Federation for Cell Biology.

Differentiated Human SH-SY5Y Cells Provide a Reductionist Model of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Neurotropism.

Science.gov (United States)

Shipley, Mackenzie M; Mangold, Colleen A; Kuny, Chad V; Szpara, Moriah L

2017-12-01

Neuron-virus interactions that occur during herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection are not fully understood. Neurons are the site of lifelong latency and are a crucial target for long-term suppressive therapy or viral clearance. A reproducible neuronal model of human origin would facilitate studies of HSV and other neurotropic viruses. Current neuronal models in the herpesvirus field vary widely and have caveats, including incomplete differentiation, nonhuman origins, or the use of dividing cells that have neuropotential but lack neuronal morphology. In this study, we used a robust approach to differentiate human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells over 2.5 weeks, producing a uniform population of mature human neuronal cells. We demonstrate that terminally differentiated SH-SY5Y cells have neuronal morphology and express proteins with subcellular localization indicative of mature neurons. These neuronal cells are able to support a productive HSV-1 infection, with kinetics and overall titers similar to those seen in undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells and the related SK-N-SH cell line. However, terminally differentiated, neuronal SH-SY5Y cells release significantly less extracellular HSV-1 by 24 h postinfection (hpi), suggesting a unique neuronal response to viral infection. With this model, we are able to distinguish differences in neuronal spread between two strains of HSV-1. We also show expression of the antiviral protein cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) in neuronal SH-SY5Y cells, which is the first demonstration of the presence of this protein in nonepithelial cells. These data provide a model for studying neuron-virus interactions at the single-cell level as well as via bulk biochemistry and will be advantageous for the study of neurotropic viruses in vitro IMPORTANCE Herpes simplex virus (HSV) affects millions of people worldwide, causing painful oral and genital lesions, in addition to a multitude of more severe symptoms such as eye disease, neonatal infection, and, in rare

Levetiracetam differentially alters CD95 expression of neuronal cells and the mitochondrial membrane potential of immune and neuronal cells in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susannah K Rogers