| 1. |
- Aguila, JC, et al.
(författare)
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Cellular programming and reprogramming: sculpting cell fate for the production of dopamine neurons for cell therapy
- 2012
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Ingår i: Stem cells international. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-9678 .- 1687-966X. ; 2012, s. 412040-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 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 appliedin vitroto induce, select, and reprogram cells to the mesostriatal dopamine fate.
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| 2. |
- Bergström, Tomas F.
(författare)
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Assessment of Hereditary Retinal Degeneration in the English Springer Spaniel Dog and Disease Relationship to an RPGRIP1 Mutation
- 2012
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Ingår i: Stem Cells International. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-966X .- 1687-9678.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Intensive breeding and selection on desired traits have produced high rates of inherited diseases in dogs. Hereditary retinal degeneration, often called progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), is prevalent in dogs with disease entities comparable to human retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA). Recent molecular studies in the English Springer Spaniel (ESS) dog have shown that PRA cases are often homozygous for a mutation in the RPGRIP1 gene, the defect also causing human RP, LCA, and cone rod dystrophies. The present study characterizes the disease in a group of affected ESS in USA, using clinical, functional, and morphological studies. An objective evaluation of retinal function using electroretinography (ERG) is further performed in a masked fashion in a group of American ESS dogs, with the examiner masked to the genetic status of the dogs. Only 4 of 6 homozygous animals showed clinical signs of disease, emphasizing the need and importance for more precise studies on the clinical expression of molecular defects before utilizing animal models for translational research, such as when using stem cells for therapeutic intervention.
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| 3. |
- Dottori, Mirella, et al.
(författare)
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Stem Cells as In Vitro Models of Disease
- 2012
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Ingår i: Stem Cells International. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-966X .- 1687-9678. ; 2012
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 4. |
- Klassen, H., et al.
(författare)
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Photoreceptor Differentiation following Transplantation of Allogeneic Retinal Progenitor Cells to the Dystrophic Rhodopsin Pro347Leu Transgenic Pig
- 2012
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Ingår i: Stem Cells International. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-966X .- 1687-9678.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose. Transplantation of stem, progenitor, or precursor cells has resulted in photoreceptor replacement and evidence of functional efficacy in rodent models of retinal degeneration. Ongoing work has been directed toward the replication of these results in a large animal model, namely, the pig. Methods. Retinal progenitor cells were derived from the neural retina of GFP-transgenic pigs and transplanted to the subretinal space of rhodopsin Pro347Leu-transgenic allorecipients, in the early stage of the degeneration and the absence of immune suppression. Results. Results confirm the survival of allogeneic porcine RPCs without immune suppression in the setting of photoreceptor dystrophy. The expression of multiple photoreceptor markers by grafted cells included the rod outer segment-specific marker ROM-1. Further evidence of photoreceptor differentiation included the presence of numerous photoreceptor rosettes within GFP-positive grafts, indicative of the development of cellular polarity and self-assembly into rudiments of outer retinal tissue. Conclusion. Together, these data support the tolerance of RPCs as allografts and demonstrate the high level of rod photoreceptor development that can be obtained from cultured RPCs following transplantation. Strategies for further progress in this area, together with possible functional implications, are discussed.
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