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:We report RNA-sequencing from ventral mid brain and striatum from paraquat, pyridaben and paraquat+maneb mice models of Parkinson's disease. We observed several differentially expressed genes upon pesticide exposure which we analyzed by pathway analysis. We examined 3 replicates each for ventral mid brain and striatum per pesticide for RNA-Seq
Project description:Kilian2024 - Immune cell dynamics in Cue-Induced Extended Human Colitis Model
Single-cell technologies such as scRNA-seq and flow cytometry provide critical insights into immune cell behavior in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, integrating these datasets into computational models for dynamic analysis remains challenging. Here, Kilian et al., (2024) developed a deterministic ODE-based model that incorporates these technologies to study immune cell population changes in murine colitis. The model parameters were optimized to fit experimental data, ensuring an accurate representation of immune cell behavior over time. It was then validated by comparing simulations with experimental data using Pearson’s correlation and further tested on independent datasets to confirm its robustness. Additionally, the model was applied to clinical bulk RNA-seq data from human IBD patients, providing valuable insights into immune system dynamics and potential therapeutic strategies.
Figure 4c, obtained from the simulation of human colitis model is highlighted here.
This model is described in the article:
Kilian, C., Ulrich, H., Zouboulis, V.A. et al. Longitudinal single-cell data informs deterministic modelling of inflammatory bowel disease. npj Syst Biol Appl 10, 69 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41540-024-00395-9
Abstract:
Single-cell-based methods such as flow cytometry or single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) allow deep molecular and cellular profiling of immunological processes. Despite their high throughput, however, these measurements represent only a snapshot in time. Here, we explore how longitudinal single-cell-based datasets can be used for deterministic ordinary differential equation (ODE)-based modelling to mechanistically describe immune dynamics. We derived longitudinal changes in cell numbers of colonic cell types during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from flow cytometry and scRNA-seq data of murine colitis using ODE-based models. Our mathematical model generalised well across different protocols and experimental techniques, and we hypothesised that the estimated model parameters reflect biological processes. We validated this prediction of cellular turnover rates with KI-67 staining and with gene expression information from the scRNA-seq data not used for model fitting. Finally, we tested the translational relevance of the mathematical model by deconvolution of longitudinal bulk mRNA-sequencing data from a cohort of human IBD patients treated with olamkicept. We found that neutrophil depletion may contribute to IBD patients entering remission. The predictive power of IBD deterministic modelling highlights its potential to advance our understanding of immune dynamics in health and disease.
This model was curated during the Hackathon hosted by BioMed X GmbH in 2024.
Project description:Bulk RNA-Seq of littermate controls and Parkinson's disease (PD) transgenic mice models (n=3) The goals of this study are to compare transcriptome profiling (RNA-Seq) in the specific brain region of littermate control and our PD transgenic mice model and look for differential expression genes of interest
Project description:Current treatments for Parkinson's disease include drug therapy with L-DOPA and MAO-A inhibitors, as well as surgical methods like deep brain stimulation, which can delay disease progression but are not curative. Numerous clinical trials are underway for the development of new drugs, but no approved drugs exist yet. In this study, a list of drugs that included efavirenz and fexofenadine was provided through deep learning. Using these drugs, it was found that they can alleviate the propagation of alpha-synuclein and reduce neuroinflammation in vitro models, in vivo mice, and C.elegans models. RNA-seq and IPA analyses revealed that efavirenz has an effect through the activation of CYP46A1 and the regulation of cholesterol metabolism. also, fexofenadine has an effect inflammation via regulating infiltrated peripheral immune cells. This study not only sheds light on the mechanism of propagation in Parkinson's disease but also suggests the potential use of efavirenz and fexofenadine as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease through drug repurposing.