Project description:Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by the selective loss of midbrain dopamine (DA)-producing neurons and the formation of α-synuclein (α-syn)-containing inclusions named Lewy bodies (LBs). Here, we report that the loss of glucocerebrosidase (GCase), coupled with α-syn overexpression, result in substantial accumulation of detergent-resistant α-syn aggregates and Lewy body-like inclusions (LBLIs) in human midbrain-like organoids (hMLOs). These LBLIs exhibit a highly similar structure to PD-associated LBs, by displaying a spherically symmetric morphology with an eosinophilic core, and containing α-syn and ubiquitin. Importantly, hMLOs generated from PD patient-derived inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) harboring SNCA triplication also exhibit subsequent degeneration of DA neurons and LBLI formation upon chronic GCase inhibitor treatment. Taken together, our hMLOs harbouring two major PD risk factors (GCase deficiency and overproduced α-syn) successfully recapitulate major pathophysiological signatures of the disease, and highlight the broad utility of brain organoid technology in modeling human neurodegenerative diseases.
Project description:Recent advances in generating 3 dimensional (3D) organoid systems from stem cells offer new possibilities for disease modeling. In this study, we generate isogenic 3D midbrain organoids with or without a Parkinson’s disease-associated LRRK2 G2019S mutation. LRRK2-G2019S midbrain organoids derived from LRRK2 targeted human iPSCs in vitro have LRRK2-associated sporadic Parkinson's disease phenotypes. Midbrain-like 3D organoids expressing LRRK2-G2019S showed dynamic changes in globle gene expression.
Project description:Midbrain organoid derived from human induced pluriopotent stem cells a new model of Parkinson's Disease. Organ specific organoids can be used to model many diseases, however little is know about these models. We created a flow cytometry workflow to identify cell types in midbrain organoids. We then selected four populations and sorted these populations: Neurons1(CD24++), Neurons2(CD56++), Astrocytes and Radial Glia, using FACS and the antibody intensity gates defined by our workflow. We then performed scRNAseq on the sorted population and identified cell types within the sorted populations.
Project description:Midbrain organoids are 3D in vitro models, which represent the human midbrain and can be used as Parkinson's disease (PD) models. In the current study, we used single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to investigate the effect of a novel mutation in the RhoT1 gene (Miro1 R272Q) in the PD pathology, and how it affect the dopaminergic neuron population present in the model.
Project description:Parkinson’s disease, one of the most common aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders, is characterised by nigrostriatal pathway dysfunction, caused by the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta of the midbrain and the dopamine depletion in the striatum. State of the art, human in vitro models are enabling the study of the dopaminergic neurons’ loss, but not the dysregulation of the dopaminergic network in the nigrostriatal pathway. Additionally, these models do not incorporate aging characteristics necessary for the development of PD. Therefore, it is conceivable that research conducted using these models overlooked numerous processes that contribute to disease’s phenotypes. Here we present a method for the generation of a midbrain-striatum assembloid model with inducible aging. Aging is induced by expression of progerin. We show that these assembloids are capable of developing characteristics of the nigrostriatal connectivity, with dopamine release from the midbrain to striatum and synapses formation between midbrain and striatal neurons. Moreover, progerin-overexpressing assembloids acquire aging phenotypes that lead to early phenotypes of Parkinson’s disease. This new model shall help to reveal the contribution of aging as well as nigrostriatal connectivity to the onset and progression of PD.
Project description:Directed differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has galvanized much interest into their potential application in human Parkinson’s disease (PD). We conducted genome-wide, exon-specific expression analyses at three temporally and phenotypically distinct stages of lineage restriction (pluripotent hESCs, multipotent neural precursor cells and terminally differentiated midbrain dopaminergic neurons). We compare these to expression data generated on the same platform from samples isolated from human fetal brain and from human control postmortem samples isolated from the substantia nigra. This comparison highlights the commonalities and differences between neural cells derived from hESCs and their counterparts in the human brain. This gene expression microarray study was carried out to i) identify changes in gene expression and splicing during neural differentiation to dopaminergic neurons, and ii) determine the maturational state of hESC-derived neuronal samples particularly with regard to genes and pathways relevant to Parkinson's disease.