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Impact of α-synuclein pathology on transplanted hESC-derived dopaminergic neurons in a humanized α-synuclein rat model of PD

Hoban, Deirdre B LU ; Shrigley, Shelby LU orcid ; Mattsson, Bengt LU ; Breger, Ludivine S LU ; Jarl, Ulla LU ; Cardoso, Tiago LU ; Nelander Wahlestedt, Jenny LU orcid ; Luk, Kelvin C ; Björklund, Anders LU orcid and Parmar, Malin LU orcid (2020) In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 117(26). p.15209-15220
Abstract

Preclinical assessment of the therapeutic potential of dopamine (DA) neuron replacement in Parkinson's disease (PD) has primarily been performed in the 6-hydroxydopamine toxin model. While this is a good model to assess graft function, it does not reflect the pathological features or progressive nature of the disease. In this study, we establish a humanized transplantation model of PD that better recapitulates the main disease features, obtained by coinjection of preformed human α-synuclein (α-syn) fibrils and adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing human wild-type α-syn unilaterally into the rat substantia nigra (SN). This model gives rise to DA neuron dysfunction and progressive loss of DA neurons from the SN and terminals in the... (More)

Preclinical assessment of the therapeutic potential of dopamine (DA) neuron replacement in Parkinson's disease (PD) has primarily been performed in the 6-hydroxydopamine toxin model. While this is a good model to assess graft function, it does not reflect the pathological features or progressive nature of the disease. In this study, we establish a humanized transplantation model of PD that better recapitulates the main disease features, obtained by coinjection of preformed human α-synuclein (α-syn) fibrils and adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing human wild-type α-syn unilaterally into the rat substantia nigra (SN). This model gives rise to DA neuron dysfunction and progressive loss of DA neurons from the SN and terminals in the striatum, accompanied by extensive α-syn pathology and a prominent inflammatory response, making it an interesting and relevant model in which to examine long-term function and integrity of transplanted neurons in a PD-like brain. We transplanted DA neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into the striatum and assessed their survival, growth, and function over 6 to 18 wk. We show that the transplanted cells, even in the presence of ongoing pathology, are capable of innervating the DA-depleted striatum. However, on closer examination of the grafts, we found evidence of α-syn pathology in the form of inclusions of phosphorylated α-syn in a small fraction of the grafted DA neurons, indicating host-to-graft transfer of α-syn pathology, a phenomenon that has previously been observed in PD patients receiving fetal tissue grafts but has not been possible to demonstrate and study in toxin-based animal models.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
volume
117
issue
26
pages
15209 - 15220
publisher
National Academy of Sciences
external identifiers
  • scopus:85087468680
  • pmid:32541058
ISSN
1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.2001305117
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Copyright © 2020 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.
id
55037b63-2db7-4ce1-9e7c-a5390af19d1c
date added to LUP
2020-06-17 13:23:39
date last changed
2024-04-17 10:23:14
@article{55037b63-2db7-4ce1-9e7c-a5390af19d1c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Preclinical assessment of the therapeutic potential of dopamine (DA) neuron replacement in Parkinson's disease (PD) has primarily been performed in the 6-hydroxydopamine toxin model. While this is a good model to assess graft function, it does not reflect the pathological features or progressive nature of the disease. In this study, we establish a humanized transplantation model of PD that better recapitulates the main disease features, obtained by coinjection of preformed human α-synuclein (α-syn) fibrils and adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing human wild-type α-syn unilaterally into the rat substantia nigra (SN). This model gives rise to DA neuron dysfunction and progressive loss of DA neurons from the SN and terminals in the striatum, accompanied by extensive α-syn pathology and a prominent inflammatory response, making it an interesting and relevant model in which to examine long-term function and integrity of transplanted neurons in a PD-like brain. We transplanted DA neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into the striatum and assessed their survival, growth, and function over 6 to 18 wk. We show that the transplanted cells, even in the presence of ongoing pathology, are capable of innervating the DA-depleted striatum. However, on closer examination of the grafts, we found evidence of α-syn pathology in the form of inclusions of phosphorylated α-syn in a small fraction of the grafted DA neurons, indicating host-to-graft transfer of α-syn pathology, a phenomenon that has previously been observed in PD patients receiving fetal tissue grafts but has not been possible to demonstrate and study in toxin-based animal models.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hoban, Deirdre B and Shrigley, Shelby and Mattsson, Bengt and Breger, Ludivine S and Jarl, Ulla and Cardoso, Tiago and Nelander Wahlestedt, Jenny and Luk, Kelvin C and Björklund, Anders and Parmar, Malin}},
  issn         = {{1091-6490}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{26}},
  pages        = {{15209--15220}},
  publisher    = {{National Academy of Sciences}},
  series       = {{Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}},
  title        = {{Impact of α-synuclein pathology on transplanted hESC-derived dopaminergic neurons in a humanized α-synuclein rat model of PD}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/100828213/Hoban_pdf_publication_in_pnas.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1073/pnas.2001305117}},
  volume       = {{117}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}