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- Valderhaug, Vibeke D., et al.
(författare)
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Early functional changes associated with alpha-synuclein proteinopathy in engineered human neural networks
- 2021
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Ingår i: American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0363-6143 .- 1522-1563. ; 320:6, s. C1141-C1152
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A patterned spread of proteinopathy represents a common characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson's disease (PD), misfolded forms of α-synuclein proteins accumulate in hallmark pathological inclusions termed Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. Such protein aggregates seem to affect selectively vulnerable neuronal populations in the substantia nigra and to propagate within interconnected neuronal networks. Research findings suggest that these proteinopathic inclusions are present at very early time points in disease development, even before clear behavioral symptoms of dysfunction arise. In this study, we investigate the early pathophysiology developing after induced formation of such PD-related α-synuclein inclusions in a physiologically relevant in vitro setup using engineered human neural networks. We monitor the neural network activity using multielectrode arrays (MEAs) for a period of 3 wk following proteinopathy induction to identify associated changes in network function, with a special emphasis on the measure of network criticality. Self-organized criticality represents the critical point between resilience against perturbation and adaptational flexibility, which appears to be a functional trait in self-organizing neural networks, both in vitro and in vivo. We show that although developing pathology at early onset is not clearly manifest in standard measurements of network function, it may be discerned by investigating differences in network criticality states.
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| 2. |
- Valderhaug, Vibeke Devold, et al.
(författare)
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Micro-and mesoscale aspects of neurodegeneration in engineered human neural networks carrying the LRRK2 G2019S mutation
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1662-5102. ; 18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene have been widely linked to Parkinson’s disease, where the G2019S variant has been shown to contribute uniquely to both familial and sporadic forms of the disease. LRRK2-related mutations have been extensively studied, yet the wide variety of cellular and network events related to these mutations remain poorly understood. The advancement and availability of tools for neural engineering now enable modeling of selected pathological aspects of neurodegenerative disease in human neural networks in vitro. Our study revealed distinct pathology associated dynamics in engineered human cortical neural networks carrying the LRRK2 G2019S mutation compared to healthy isogenic control neural networks. The neurons carrying the LRRK2 G2019S mutation self-organized into networks with aberrant morphology and mitochondrial dynamics, affecting emerging structure–function relationships both at the micro-and mesoscale. Taken together, the findings of our study points toward an overall heightened metabolic demand in networks carrying the LRRK2 G2019S mutation, as well as a resilience to change in response to perturbation, compared to healthy isogenic controls.
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