| 1. |
- Ahlenius, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Adaptor Protein LNK Is a Negative Regulator of Brain Neural Stem Cell Proliferation after Stroke.
- 2012
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Ingår i: The Journal of Neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. - 1529-2401. ; 32:15, s. 5151-5164
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ischemic stroke causes transient increase of neural stem and progenitor cell (NSPC) proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ), and migration of newly formed neuroblasts toward the damaged area where they mature to striatal neurons. The molecular mechanisms regulating this plastic response, probably involved in structural reorganization and functional recovery, are poorly understood. The adaptor protein LNK suppresses hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal, but its presence and role in the brain are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that LNK is expressed in NSPCs in the adult mouse and human SVZ. Lnk(-/-) mice exhibited increased NSPC proliferation after stroke, but not in intact brain or following status epilepticus. Deletion of Lnk caused increased NSPC proliferation while overexpression decreased mitotic activity of these cells in vitro. We found that Lnk expression after stroke increased in SVZ through the transcription factors STAT1/3. LNK attenuated insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling by inhibition of AKT phosphorylation, resulting in reduced NSPC proliferation. Our findings identify LNK as a stroke-specific, endogenous negative regulator of NSPC proliferation, and suggest that LNK signaling is a novel mechanism influencing plastic responses in postischemic brain.
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| 2. |
- Ajmone-Cat, Maria Antonietta, et al.
(författare)
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Increased FUS levels in astrocytes leads to astrocyte and microglia activation and neuronal death
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mutations of Fused in sarcoma (FUS), a ribonucleoprotein involved in RNA metabolism, have been found associated with both familial and sporadic cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Notably, besides mutations in the coding sequence, also mutations into the 3′ untranslated region, leading to increased levels of the wild-type protein, have been associated with neuronal death and ALS pathology, in ALS models and patients. The mechanistic link between altered FUS levels and ALS-related neurodegeneration is far to be elucidated, as well as the consequences of elevated FUS levels in the modulation of the inflammatory response sustained by glial cells, a well-recognized player in ALS progression. Here, we studied the effect of wild-type FUS overexpression on the responsiveness of mouse and human neural progenitor-derived astrocytes to a pro-inflammatory stimulus (IL1β) used to mimic an inflammatory environment. We found that astrocytes with increased FUS levels were more sensitive to IL1β, as shown by their enhanced expression of inflammatory genes, compared with control astrocytes. Moreover, astrocytes overexpressing FUS promoted neuronal cell death and pro-inflammatory microglia activation. We conclude that overexpression of wild-type FUS intrinsically affects astrocyte reactivity and drives their properties toward pro-inflammatory and neurotoxic functions, suggesting that a non-cell autonomous mechanism can support neurodegeneration in FUS-mutated animals and patients.
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| 3. |
- Bsharat, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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MafB-dependent neurotransmitter signaling promotes β cell migration in the developing pancreas
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Development: For advances in developmental biology and stem cells. - : The Company of Biologists. - 0950-1991. ; 150:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hormone secretion from pancreatic islets is essential for glucose homeostasis and loss or dysfunction of islet cells is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Maf transcription factors are critical for establishing and maintaining adult endocrine cell function. However, during pancreas development, MafB is not only expressed in insulin- and glucagon-producing cells, but also Neurog3+ endocrine progenitor cells suggesting additional functions in cell differentiation and islet formation. Here we report that MafB deficiency impairs β cell clustering and islet formation, but also coincides with loss of neurotransmitter and axon guidance receptor gene expression. Moreover, the observed loss of nicotinic receptor gene expression in human and mouse β cells implied that signaling through these receptors contributes to islet cell migration/formation. Inhibition of nicotinic receptor activity resulted in reduced β cell migration towards autonomic nerves and impaired β cell clustering. These findings highlight a novel function of MafB in controlling neuronal-directed signaling events required for islet formation.
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| 4. |
- Canals, Isaac, et al.
(författare)
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Rapid and efficient induction of functional astrocytes from human pluripotent stem cells
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature Methods. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1548-7091 .- 1548-7105. ; 15:9, s. 693-696
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The derivation of astrocytes from human pluripotent stem cells is currently slow and inefficient. We demonstrate that overexpression of the transcription factors SOX9 and NFIB in human pluripotent stem cells rapidly and efficiently yields homogeneous populations of induced astrocytes. In our study these cells exhibited molecular and functional properties resembling those of adult human astrocytes and were deemed suitable for disease modeling. Our method provides new possibilities for the study of human astrocytes in health and disease.
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| 5. |
- Chapman, Katie, et al.
(författare)
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Inflammation without neuronal death triggers striatal neurogenesis comparable to stroke.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Disease. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-9961. ; 83:Aug 20, s. 1-15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ischemic stroke triggers neurogenesis from neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and migration of newly formed neuroblasts towards the damaged striatum where they differentiate to mature neurons. Whether it is the injury per se or the associated inflammation that gives rise to this endogenous neurogenic response is unknown. Here we showed that inflammation without corresponding neuronal loss caused by intrastriatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection leads to striatal neurogenesis in rats comparable to that after a 30min middle cerebral artery occlusion, as characterized by striatal DCX+ neuroblast recruitment and mature NeuN+/BrdU+ neuron formation. Using global gene expression analysis, changes in several factors that could potentially regulate striatal neurogenesis were identified in microglia sorted from SVZ and striatum of LPS-injected and stroke-subjected rats. Among the upregulated factors, one chemokine, CXCL13, was found to promote neuroblast migration from neonatal mouse SVZ explants in vitro. However, neuroblast migration to the striatum was not affected in constitutive CXCL13 receptor CXCR5(-/-) mice subjected to stroke. Infarct volume and pro-inflammatory M1 microglia/macrophage density were increased in CXCR5(-/-) mice, suggesting that microglia-derived CXCL13, acting through CXCR5, might be involved in neuroprotection following stroke. Our findings raise the possibility that the inflammation accompanying an ischemic insult is the major inducer of striatal neurogenesis after stroke.
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| 6. |
- Cusulin, Carlo, et al.
(författare)
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Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Stem Cells Fuse with Microglia and Mature Neurons.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) is a novel strategy to restore function in the diseased brain, acting through multiple mechanisms, e.g., neuronal replacement, neuroprotection and modulation of inflammation. Whether transplanted NSCs can operate by fusing with microglial cells or mature neurons is largely unknown. Here we have studied the interaction of a mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neural stem (NS) cell line with rat and mouse microglia and neurons in vitro and in vivo. We show that NS cells spontaneously fuse with co-cultured cortical neurons, and that this process requires the presence of microglia. Our in vitro data indicate that the NS cells can first fuse with microglia, and then with neurons. The fused NS/microglial cells express markers and retain genetic and functional characteristics of both parental cell types, being able to respond to microglia-specific stimuli (LPS and IL-4/IL-13) and to differentiate to neurons and astrocytes. The NS cells fuse with microglia, at least partly, through interaction between phosphatidylserine (PS) exposed on the surface of NS cells and CD36 receptor on microglia. Transplantation of NS cells into rodent cortex results in fusion with mature pyramidal neurons, which often carry two nuclei, a process probably mediated by microglia. The fusogenic role of microglia could be even more important after NSC transplantation into brains affected by neurodegenerative diseases associated with microglia activation. It remains to be elucidated how the occurrence of the fused cells will influence the functional outcome after NSC transplantation in the diseased brain.
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| 7. |
- Darsalia, Vladimer, et al.
(författare)
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Cell number and timing of transplantation determine survival of human neural stem cell grafts in stroke-damaged rat brain.
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. - : SAGE Publications. - 1559-7016. ; Jul 1, s. 235-242
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from human fetal striatum and transplanted as neurospheres survive in stroke-damaged striatum, migrate from the implantation site, and differentiate into mature neurons. Here, we investigated how various steps of neurogenesis are affected by intrastriatal transplantation of human NSCs at different time points after stroke and with different numbers of cells in each implant. Rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and then received intrastriatal transplants of NSCs. Transplantation shortly after stroke (48 hours) resulted in better cell survival than did transplantation 6 weeks after stroke, but the delayed transplantation did not influence the magnitude of migration, neuronal differentiation, and cell proliferation in the grafts. Transplanting greater numbers of grafted NSCs did not result in a greater number of surviving cells or increased neuronal differentiation. A substantial number of activated microglia was observed at 48 hours after the insult in the injured striatum, but reached maximum levels 1 to 6 weeks after stroke. Our findings show that the best survival of grafted human NSCs in stroke-damaged brain requires optimum numbers of cells to be transplanted in the early poststroke phase, before the inflammatory response is established. These findings, therefore, have direct clinical implications.Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism advance online publication, 9 June 2010; doi:10.1038/jcbfm.2010.81.
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| 8. |
- Estévez-Priego, Estefanía, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term calcium imaging reveals functional development in hiPSC-derived cultures comparable to human but not rat primary cultures
- 2023
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Ingår i: Stem Cell Reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-6711. ; 18:1, s. 205-219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Models for human brain-oriented research are often established on primary cultures from rodents, which fails to recapitulate cellular specificity and molecular cues of the human brain. Here we investigated whether neuronal cultures derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) feature key advantages compared with rodent primary cultures. Using calcium fluorescence imaging, we tracked spontaneous neuronal activity in hiPSC-derived, human, and rat primary cultures and compared their dynamic and functional behavior as they matured. We observed that hiPSC-derived cultures progressively changed upon development, exhibiting gradually richer activity patterns and functional traits. By contrast, rat primary cultures were locked in the same dynamic state since activity onset. Human primary cultures exhibited features in between hiPSC-derived and rat primary cultures, although traits from the former predominated. Our study demonstrates that hiPSC-derived cultures are excellent models to investigate development in neuronal assemblies, a hallmark for applications that monitor alterations caused by damage or neurodegeneration.
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| 9. |
- Fritze, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Loss of Cxcr5 alters neuroblast proliferation and migration in the aged brain
- 2020
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1066-5099 .- 1549-4918. ; 38:9, s. 1175-1187
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neurogenesis, the production of new neurons from neural stem cells, dramatically decreases during aging concomitantly with increased inflammation both systemically and in the brain. However, the precise role of inflammation and whether local or systemic factors drive the neurogenic decline during aging is poorly understood. Here, we identify CXCR5/5/CXCL13 signaling as a novel regulator of neurogenesis in the aged brain. The chemokine Cxcl13 was found to be upregulated in the brain during aging. Loss of its receptor, Cxcr5, led to increased proliferation and decreased numbers of neuroblasts in the aged subventricular zone (SVZ), together with accumulation of neuroblasts in the rostral migratory stream and olfactory bulb (OB), without increasing the amount of new mature neurons in the OB. The effect on proliferation and migration was specific to neuroblasts and likely mediated through increased levels of systemic IL-6 and local Cxcl12 expression in the SVZ. Our study raises the possibility of a new mechanism by which interplay between systemic and local alterations in inflammation regulates neurogenesis during aging.
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| 10. |
- Garza, Raquel, et al.
(författare)
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LINE-1 retrotransposons drive human neuronal transcriptome complexity and functional diversification
- 2023
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - 2375-2548. ; 9:44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The genetic mechanisms underlying the expansion in size and complexity of the human brain remain poorly understood. Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (L1) retrotransposons are a source of divergent genetic information in hominoid genomes, but their importance in physiological functions and their contribution to human brain evolution are largely unknown. Using multiomics profiling, we here demonstrate that L1 promoters are dynamically active in the developing and the adult human brain. L1s generate hundreds of developmentally regulated and cell type-specific transcripts, many that are co-opted as chimeric transcripts or regulatory RNAs. One L1-derived long noncoding RNA, LINC01876, is a human-specific transcript expressed exclusively during brain development. CRISPR interference silencing of LINC01876 results in reduced size of cerebral organoids and premature differentiation of neural progenitors, implicating L1s in human-specific developmental processes. In summary, our results demonstrate that L1-derived transcripts provide a previously undescribed layer of primate- and human-specific transcriptome complexity that contributes to the functional diversification of the human brain.
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| 11. |
- Grønning Hansen, Marita, et al.
(författare)
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Grafted human pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons integrate into adult human cortical neural circuitry
- 2020
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Ingår i: Stem cells translational medicine. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2157-6564 .- 2157-6580. ; 9:11, s. 1365-1377
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several neurodegenerative diseases cause loss of cortical neurons, leading to sensory, motor, and cognitive impairments. Studies in different animal models have raised the possibility that transplantation of human cortical neuronal progenitors, generated from pluripotent stem cells, might be developed into a novel therapeutic strategy for disorders affecting cerebral cortex. For example, we have shown that human long-term neuroepithelial-like stem (lt-NES) cell-derived cortical neurons, produced from induced pluripotent stem cells and transplanted into stroke-injured adult rat cortex, improve neurological deficits and establish both afferent and efferent morphological and functional connections with host cortical neurons. So far, all studies with human pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons have been carried out using xenotransplantation in animal models. Whether these neurons can integrate also into adult human brain circuitry is unknown. Here, we show that cortically fated lt-NES cells, which are able to form functional synaptic networks in cell culture, differentiate to mature, layer-specific cortical neurons when transplanted ex vivo onto organotypic cultures of adult human cortex. The grafted neurons are functional and establish both afferent and efferent synapses with adult human cortical neurons in the slices as evidenced by immuno-electron microscopy, rabies virus retrograde monosynaptic tracing, and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Our findings provide the first evidence that pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons can integrate into adult host neural networks also in a human-to-human grafting situation, thereby supporting their potential future clinical use to promote recovery by neuronal replacement in the patient's diseased brain.
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| 12. |
- Laterza, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Monocyte depletion early after stroke promotes neurogenesis from endogenous neural stem cells in adult brain
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Experimental Neurology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0014-4886. ; 297, s. 129-137
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ischemic stroke, caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion, leads to long-lasting formation of new striatal neurons from neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of adult rodents. Concomitantly with this neurogenic response, SVZ exhibits activation of resident microglia and infiltrating monocytes. Here we show that depletion of circulating monocytes, using the anti-CCR2 antibody MC-21 during the first week after stroke, enhances striatal neurogenesis at one week post-insult, most likely by increasing short-term survival of the newly formed neuroblasts in the SVZ and adjacent striatum. Blocking monocyte recruitment did not alter the volume of the ischemic lesion but gave rise to reduced astrocyte activation in SVZ and adjacent striatum, which could contribute to the improved neuroblast survival. A similar decrease of astrocyte activation was found in and around human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived NSPCs transplanted into striatum at one week after stroke in monocyte-depleted mice. However, there was no effect on neurogenesis in the graft as determined 8 weeks after implantation. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that a specific cellular component of the early inflammatory reaction in SVZ and adjacent striatum following stroke, i.e., infiltrating monocytes, compromises the short-term neurogenic response neurogenesis from endogenous NSPCs.
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| 13. |
- Martinez-Curiel, Raquel, et al.
(författare)
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Oligodendrocytes in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical grafts remyelinate adult rat and human cortical neurons
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Stem Cell Reports. - 2213-6711. ; 18:8, s. 1643-1656
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neuronal loss and axonal demyelination underlie long-term functional impairments in patients affected by brain disorders such as ischemic stroke. Stem cell-based approaches reconstructing and remyelinating brain neural circuitry, leading to recovery, are highly warranted. Here, we demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo production of myelinating oligodendrocytes from a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived long-term neuroepithelial stem (lt-NES) cell line, which also gives rise to neurons with the capacity to integrate into stroke-injured, adult rat cortical networks. Most importantly, the generated oligodendrocytes survive and form myelin-ensheathing human axons in the host tissue after grafting onto adult human cortical organotypic cultures. This lt-NES cell line is the first human stem cell source that, after intracerebral delivery, can repair both injured neural circuitries and demyelinated axons. Our findings provide supportive evidence for the potential future use of human iPSC-derived cell lines to promote effective clinical recovery following brain injuries.
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| 14. |
- Massa, Denise, et al.
(författare)
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Expression analysis of pluripotency-associated genes in human fetal cortical and striatal neural stem cells during differentiation
- 2012
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Ingår i: Translational Neuroscience. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 2081-6936 .- 2081-3856. ; 3:3, s. 242-248
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the field of developmental biology, there is compelling evidence for a network of activity of pluripotency and stem-associated genes comprising of Oct4, Nanog and nestin. During neurogenesis, the choice between enhancement versus suppression of transcriptional modulation of these identified genes determines the balance between self-renewal neural stem cells (NSC) and immature neuronal phenotypes. By using immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR techniques, our study aims to address the question whether and to what extent mRNA and protein profiles are expressed in human fetal neurospheres obtained from cortical and striatal brain regions, both in expansion (undifferentiated cells) and differentiation conditions monitored after 1 and 4 weeks in vitro culturing. Our results clearly demonstrate the sustained presence of opposite signals: strong downregulation of Oct4 and Nanog genes in cortical differentiating cells and significant up-regulation for nestin gene both in cortical and striatal differentiating cells. Notably, by immunostaining techniques, Oct4 and Nanog protein expression have indicated the presence of both nuclear and cytoplasmic content followed by their rapid turnover (immediately after 1 week). Moreover, during the differentiation process, dissociated neurospheres displayed unexpected number of nestin positive cells accompanied by a constant level of staining intensity. In conclusion, the present study provides new insights into brain region related features in terms of Oct4, Nanog and nestin expression both at cellular and molecular level.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Memanishvili, Tamar, et al.
(författare)
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Poly(ester amide) microspheres are efficient vehicles for long-term intracerebral growth factor delivery and improve functional recovery after stroke
- 2020
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Ingår i: Biomedical materials. - 1748-6041. ; 15:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Growth factors promote plasticity in injured brain and improve impaired functions. For clinical application, efficient approaches for growth factor delivery into the brain are necessary. Poly(ester amide) (PEA)-derived microspheres (MS) could serve as vehicles due to their thermal and mechanical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) exerts both vascular and neuronal actions, making it suitable to stimulate post-stroke recovery. Here, PEA (composed of adipic acid, L-phenyl-alanine and 1,4-butanediol) MS were loaded with VEGF and injected intracerebrally in mice subjected to cortical stroke. Loaded MS provided sustained release of VEGF in vitro and, after injection, biologically active VEGF was released long-term, as evidenced by high VEGF immunoreactivity, increased VEGF tissue levels, and higher vessel density and more NG2+ cells in injured hemisphere of animals with VEGF-loaded as compared to non-loaded MS. Loaded MS gave rise to more rapid recovery of neurological score. Both loaded and non-loaded MS induced improvement in neurological score and adhesive removal test, probably due to anti-inflammatory action. In summary, grafted PEA MS can act as efficient vehicles, with anti-inflammatory action, for long-term delivery of growth factors into injured brain. Our data suggest PEA MS as a new tool for neurorestorative approaches with therapeutic potential.
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| 17. |
- Mine, Yutaka, et al.
(författare)
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Grafted human neural stem cells enhance several steps of endogenous neurogenesis and improve behavioral recovery after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Disease. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-9961. ; 52:Dec.,28, s. 191-203
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in subventricular zone (SVZ) produce new striatal neurons during several months after stroke, which may contribute to recovery. Intracerebral grafts of NSPCs can exert beneficial effects after stroke through neuronal replacement, trophic actions, neuroprotection, and modulation of inflammation. Here we have explored whether human fetal striatum-derived NSPC-grafts influence striatal neurogenesis and promote recovery in stroke-damaged brain. T cell-deficient rats were subjected to 1h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Human fetal NSPCs or vehicle were implanted into ipsilateral striatum 48h after MCAO, animals were assessed behaviorally, and perfused at 6 or 14weeks. Grafted human NSPCs survived in all rats, and a subpopulation had differentiated to neuroblasts or mature neurons at 6 and 14weeks. Numbers of proliferating cells in SVZ and new migrating neuroblasts and mature neurons were higher, and numbers of activated microglia/macrophages were lower in the ischemic striatum of NSPC-grafted compared to vehicle-injected group both at 6 and 14weeks. A fraction of grafted NSPCs projected axons from striatum to globus pallidus. The NSPC-grafted rats showed improved functional recovery in stepping and cylinder tests from 6 and 12weeks, respectively. Our data show, for the first time, that intrastriatal implants of human fetal NSPCs exert a long-term enhancement of several steps of striatal neurogensis after stroke. The grafts also suppress striatal inflammation and ameliorate neurological deficits. Our findings support the idea that combination of NSPC transplantation and stimulation of neurogenesis from endogenous NSPCs may become a valuable strategy for functional restoration after stroke.
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| 18. |
- Miskinyte, Giedre, et al.
(författare)
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Direct conversion of human fibroblasts to functional excitatory cortical neurons integrating into human neural networks
- 2017
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Ingår i: Stem Cell Research and Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1757-6512. ; 8:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Human fibroblasts can be directly converted to several subtypes of neurons, but cortical projection neurons have not been generated. Methods: Here we screened for transcription factor combinations that could potentially convert human fibroblasts to functional excitatory cortical neurons. The induced cortical (iCtx) cells were analyzed for cortical neuronal identity using immunocytochemistry, single-cell quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), electrophysiology, and their ability to integrate into human neural networks in vitro and ex vivo using electrophysiology and rabies virus tracing. Results: We show that a combination of three transcription factors, BRN2, MYT1L, and FEZF2, have the ability to directly convert human fibroblasts to functional excitatory cortical neurons. The conversion efficiency was increased to about 16% by treatment with small molecules and microRNAs. The iCtx cells exhibited electrophysiological properties of functional neurons, had pyramidal-like cell morphology, and expressed key cortical projection neuronal markers. Single-cell analysis of iCtx cells revealed a complex gene expression profile, a subpopulation of them displaying a molecular signature closely resembling that of human fetal primary cortical neurons. The iCtx cells received synaptic inputs from co-cultured human fetal primary cortical neurons, contained spines, and expressed the postsynaptic excitatory scaffold protein PSD95. When transplanted ex vivo to organotypic cultures of adult human cerebral cortex, the iCtx cells exhibited morphological and electrophysiological properties of mature neurons, integrated structurally into the cortical tissue, and received synaptic inputs from adult human neurons. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that functional excitatory cortical neurons, generated here for the first time by direct conversion of human somatic cells, have the capacity for synaptic integration into adult human cortex.
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| 19. |
- Miskinyte, Giedre, et al.
(författare)
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Transcription factor programming of human ES cells generates functional neurons expressing both upper and deep layer cortical markers
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 13:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human neurodegenerative disorders affect specific types of cortical neurons. Efficient protocols for the generation of such neurons for cell replacement, disease modeling and drug screening are highly warranted. Current methods for the production of cortical neurons from human embryonic stem (ES) cells are often time-consuming and inefficient, and the functional properties of the generated cells have been incompletely characterized. Here we have used transcription factor (TF) programming with the aim to induce rapid differentiation of human ES cells to layer-specific cortical neurons (hES-iNs). Three different combinations of TFs, NEUROGENIN 2 (NGN2) only, NGN2 plus Forebrain Embryonic Zinc Finger-Like Protein 2 (FEZF2), and NGN2 plus Special AT-Rich Sequence-Binding Protein 2 (SATB2), were delivered to human ES cells by lentiviral vectors. We observed only subtle differences between the TF combinations, which all gave rise to the formation of pyramidal-shaped cells, morphologically resembling adult human cortical neurons expressing cortical projection neuron (PN) markers and with mature electrophysiological properties. Using ex vivo transplantation to human organotypic cultures, we found that the hES-iNs could integrate into adult human cortical networks. We obtained no evidence that the hES-iNs had acquired a distinct cortical layer phenotype. Instead, our single-cell data showed that the hES-iNs, similar to fetal human cortical neurons, expressed both upper and deep layer cortical neuronal markers. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that TF programming can direct human ES cells towards cortical neurons but that the generated cells are transcriptionally profiled to generate both upper and deep layer cortical neurons. Therefore, most likely additional cues will be needed if these cells should adopt a specific cortical layer and area identity.
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| 20. |
- Monni, Emanuela, et al.
(författare)
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Human Fetal Striatum-Derived Neural Stem (NS) Cells Differentiate to Mature Neurons in Vitro and in Vivo.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy. - 2212-3946. ; 9:4, s. 338-346
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Clonogenic neural stem (NS) cell lines grown in adherent cultures have previously been established from embryonic stem cells and fetal and adult CNS in rodents and from human fetal brain and spinal cord. Here we describe the isolation of a new cell line from human fetal striatum (hNS cells). These cells showed properties of NS cells in vitro such as monolayer growth, high proliferation rate and expression of radial glia markers. The hNS cells expressed an early neuronal marker while being in the proliferative state. Under appropriate conditions, the hNS cells were efficiently differentiated to neurons, and after 4 weeks about 50% of the cells were III tubulin positive. They also expressed the mature neuronal marker NeuN and markers of neuronal subtypes, GABA, calbindin, and DARPP32. After intrastriatal implantation into newborn rats, the hNS cells survived and many of them migrated outside the transplant core into the surrounding tissue. A high percentage of cells in the grafts expressed the neuroblast marker DCX, indicating their neurogenic potential, and some of the cells differentiated to NeuN+ mature neurons. The human fetal striatum-derived NS cell line described here should be a useful tool for studies on cell replacement strategies in models of the striatal neuronal loss occurring in Huntington's disease and stroke.
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| 21. |
- Monni, Emanuela, et al.
(författare)
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Human neurospheres: From stained sections to three-dimensional assembly
- 2011
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Ingår i: Translational Neuroscience. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 2081-6936 .- 2081-3856. ; 2:1, s. 43-48
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human neurospheres are free-floating spherical clusters generated from a single neural stem cell and comprising cells at different stages of maturation in the neuronal and glial lineages. Although recent findings have disproved the original idea of clonally derived neurospheres according to the paradigm of one stem cell - one neurosphere, they still represent a valid model for growing neural stem cell cultures in vitro. While the immunocytochemical approach to the identification of stem cells, progenitor cells, and mature cells has been extensively used, scant data are available about the ultrastructural arrangement of different cell types within the neurosphere. This paper provides, by means of scanning electron microscopy, some new insights into the three-dimensional assembly of human neurospheres, trying to correlate some parameters such as cell density, shape and growing strategies with the immunolocalization of some antigens such as nestin, GFAP, alpha-internexin and beta III-tubulin. The major findings from this study are: a) regardless of the stage of in vitro maturation, the growth of the spheres is the result of mitotic divisions producing the aspect of an irregular budding mechanism in the outermost layer look like; b) analysis of the volumetric composition of the inner core has revealed the presence of two alternative shape pattern (pyramidal vs rounded cells) possibly related to both the ongoing maturation stages and GFAP and internexin expression.
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| 22. |
- Monni, Emanuela
(författare)
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Neural Stem Cells - interaction with the brain and prospects for cell replacement therapy for Stroke
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Stroke is an acute neurological condition and the leading cause of disability in adult humans. Treatments for efficient recovery are not available. The most common form of stroke results from the occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, which causes loss of brain parenchyma and many types of neurons as well as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Neural stem cells (NSCs) could potentially be used to develop novel therapies to restore loss of function after stroke. We generated a NSC line derived as monolayer cultures from the human fetal striatum, termed NS, and described the in vitro and in vivo potential of these cells. The derived hNS are very stable during expansion and efficiently generate neurons in vitro and in vivo upon transplantation into the rat neonatal brain. In order to establish successful NSCs-based therapies, factors such as the number of cells and the appropriate time of transplantation play an important role. We found that when transplantation of NSCs into the stroke-damaged striatum was performed at 48 hours after stroke, it resulted in better cell survival than did transplantation at 6 weeks. Increasing the number of grafted NSCs beyond a certain number did not result in a greater number of surviving cells or increased neuronal differentiation. Transplantation at 48 hours exposed the cells to a less hostile environment compared to 6 weeks following stroke. In the present thesis we reported that ES-derived NS cells fuse with microglia and cortical neurons both in vitro and in vivo. We found that microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain are important players in the fusion process. However further investigation is needed to understand the dynamics and the physiological relevance of this phenomenon. In summary, we have reported here previously undescribed characteristics of NS cells, which are relevant to better understanding of NSCs and their interaction with the brain environment after transplantation. Fusion could be of potential interest in the regenerative medicine due to the nuclear reprogramming implications but needs extensive investigation before it can be considered in the clinical setting. A relevant aspect of the cell-based therapy approach is that it could extend the therapeutic time window of intervention for ischemic stroke, which is now limited, thus benefiting a larger number of stroke-patients. Therefore, the findings described in this thesis have direct clinical implications.
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| 23. |
- Niklasson, Camilla U., et al.
(författare)
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Hypoxia inducible factor-2 alpha importance for migration, proliferation, and self-renewal of trunk neural crest cells
- 2021
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Ingår i: Developmental Dynamics. - : Wiley. - 1058-8388 .- 1097-0177. ; 250:2, s. 191-236
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The neural crest is a transient embryonic stem cell population. Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-2 α is associated with neural crest stem cell appearance and aggressiveness in tumors. However, little is known about its role in normal neural crest development.Results: Here, we show that HIF-2 α is expressed in trunk neural crest cells of human, murine, and avian embryos. Knockdown as well as overexpression of HIF-2 α in vivo causes developmental delays, induces proliferation, and self-renewal capacity of neural crest cells while decreasing the proportion of neural crest cells that migrate ventrally to sympathoadrenal sites. Reflecting the in vivo phenotype, transcriptome changes after loss of HIF-2 α reveal enrichment of genes associated with cancer, invasion, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and growth arrest.Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that expression levels of HIF-2 α must be strictly controlled during normal trunk neural crest development and that dysregulated levels affects several important features connected to stemness, migration, and development.
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| 24. |
- Oki, Koichi, et al.
(författare)
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Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells form Functional Neurons and Improve Recovery After Grafting in Stroke-Damaged Brain.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Stem Cells. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-4918 .- 1066-5099. ; 30:6, s. 1120-1133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reprogramming of adult human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is a novel approach to produce patient-specific cells for autologous transplantation. Whether such cells survive long-term, differentiate to functional neurons, and induce recovery in the stroke-injured brain is unclear. We have transplanted long-term self-renewing neuroepithelial-like stem (lt-NES) cells, generated from adult human fibroblast-derived iPSCs, into the stroke-damaged mouse and rat striatum or cortex. Recovery of forepaw movements was observed already at 1 week after transplantation. Improvement was most likely not due to neuronal replacement but was associated with increased vascular endothelial growth factor levels, probably enhancing endogenous plasticity. Transplanted cells stopped proliferating, could survive without forming tumors for at least 4 months, and differentiated to morphologically mature neurons of different subtypes. Neurons in intrastriatal grafts sent axonal projections to the globus pallidus. Grafted cells exhibited electrophysiological properties of mature neurons and received synaptic input from host neurons. Our study provides the first evidence that transplantation of human iPSC-derived cells is a safe and efficient approach to promote recovery after stroke and can be used to supply the injured brain with new neurons for replacement.
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| 25. |
- Palma-Tortosa, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Activity in grafted human iPS cell-derived cortical neurons integrated in stroke-injured rat brain regulates motor behavior
- 2020
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 1091-6490. ; 117:16, s. 9094-9100
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stem cell transplantation can improve behavioral recovery after stroke in animal models but whether stem cell-derived neurons become functionally integrated into stroke-injured brain circuitry is poorly understood. Here we show that intracortically grafted human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived cortical neurons send widespread axonal projections to both hemispheres of rats with ischemic lesions in the cerebral cortex. Using rabies virus-based transsynaptic tracing, we find that at 6 mo after transplantation, host neurons in the contralateral somatosensory cortex receive monosynaptic inputs from grafted neurons. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrates myelination of the graft-derived axons in the corpus callosum and that their terminals form excitatory, glutamatergic synapses on host cortical neurons. We show that the stroke-induced asymmetry in a sensorimotor (cylinder) test is reversed by transplantation. Light-induced inhibition of halorhodopsin-expressing, grafted neurons does not recreate the impairment, indicating that its reversal is not due to neuronal activity in the graft. However, we find bilateral decrease of motor performance in the cylinder test after light-induced inhibition of either grafted or endogenous halorhodopsin-expressing cortical neurons, located in the same area, and after inhibition of endogenous halorhodopsin-expressing cortical neurons by exposure of their axons to light on the contralateral side. Our data indicate that activity in the grafted neurons, probably mediated through transcallosal connections to the contralateral hemisphere, is involved in maintaining normal motor function. This is an example of functional integration of efferent projections from grafted neurons into the stroke-affected brain's neural circuitry, which raises the possibility that such repair might be achievable also in humans affected by stroke.
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| 26. |
- Tatarishvili, Jemal, et al.
(författare)
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Human induced pluripotent stem cells improve recovery in stroke-injured aged rats.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience. - 1878-3627. ; 32:4, s. 547-558
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) improve behavior and form neurons after implantation into the stroke-injured adult rodent brain. How the aged brain responds to grafted iPSCs is unknown. We determined survival and differentiation of grafted human fibroblast-derived iPSCs and their ability to improve recovery in aged rats after stroke. Methods: Twenty-four months old rats were subjected to 30 min distal middle cerebral artery occlusion causing neocortical damage. After 48 h, animals were transplanted intracortically with human iPSC-derived long-term neuroepithelial-like stem (hiPSC-lt-NES) cells. Controls were subjected to stroke and were vehicle-injected. Results: Cell-grafted animals performed better than vehicle-injected recipients in cylinder test at 4 and 7 weeks. At 8 weeks, cell proliferation was low (0.7 %) and number of hiPSC-lt-NES cells corresponded to 49.2% of that of implanted cells. Transplanted cells expressed markers of neuroblasts and mature and GABAergic neurons. Cell-grafted rats exhibited less activated microglia/macrophages in injured cortex and neuronal loss was mitigated. Conclusions: Our study provides the first evidence that grafted human iPSCs survive, differentiate to neurons and ameliorate functional deficits in stroke-injured aged brain.
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| 27. |
- Tornero Prieto, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons integrate in stroke-injured cortex and improve functional recovery.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Brain. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2156 .- 0006-8950. ; 136:12, s. 3561-3577
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stem cell-based approaches to restore function after stroke through replacement of dead neurons require the generation of specific neuronal subtypes. Loss of neurons in the cerebral cortex is a major cause of stroke-induced neurological deficits in adult humans. Reprogramming of adult human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells is a novel approach to produce patient-specific cells for autologous transplantation. Whether such cells can be converted to functional cortical neurons that survive and give rise to behavioural recovery after transplantation in the stroke-injured cerebral cortex is not known. We have generated progenitors in vitro, expressing specific cortical markers and giving rise to functional neurons, from long-term self-renewing neuroepithelial-like stem cells, produced from adult human fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. At 2 months after transplantation into the stroke-damaged rat cortex, the cortically fated cells showed less proliferation and more efficient conversion to mature neurons with morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of a cortical phenotype and higher axonal projection density as compared with non-fated cells. Pyramidal morphology and localization of the cells expressing the cortex-specific marker TBR1 in a certain layered pattern provided further evidence supporting the cortical phenotype of the fated, grafted cells, and electrophysiological recordings demonstrated their functionality. Both fated and non-fated cell-transplanted groups showed bilateral recovery of the impaired function in the stepping test compared with vehicle-injected animals. The behavioural improvement at this early time point was most likely not due to neuronal replacement and reconstruction of circuitry. At 5 months after stroke in immunocompromised rats, there was no tumour formation and the grafted cells exhibited electrophysiological properties of mature neurons with evidence of integration in host circuitry. Our findings show, for the first time, that human skin-derived induced pluripotent stem cells can be differentiated to cortical neuronal progenitors, which survive, differentiate to functional neurons and improve neurological outcome after intracortical implantation in a rat stroke model.
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| 28. |
- Wattananit, Somsak, et al.
(författare)
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Monocyte-derived macrophages contribute to spontaneous long-term functional recovery after stroke in mice
- 2016
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Ingår i: The Journal of Neuroscience. - 0270-6474. ; 36:15, s. 4182-4195
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stroke is a leading cause of disability and currently lacks effective therapy enabling long-term functional recovery. Ischemic brain injury causes local inflammation, which involves both activated resident microglia and infiltrating immune cells, including monocytes. Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) exhibit a high degree of functional plasticity. Here, we determined the role of MDMs in longterm spontaneous functional recovery after middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Analyses by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry revealed that monocytes home to the stroke-injured hemisphere., and that infiltration peaks 3 d after stroke. At day 7, half of the infiltratingMDMsexhibited a bias toward a proinflammatory phenotype and the other half toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype, but during the subsequent 2 weeks, MDMs with an anti-inflammatory phenotype dominated. Blocking monocyte recruitment using the anti-CCR2 antibody MC-21 during the first week after stroke abolished long-term behavioral recovery, as determined in corridor and staircase tests, and drastically decreased tissue expression of anti-inflammatory genes, including TGFβ, CD163, and Ym1. Our results show that spontaneously recruited monocytes to the injured brain early after the insult contribute to long-term functional recovery after stroke.
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