Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Kee-Pyo Kim, Cui Li, Daria Bunina, Hyun-Woo Jeong, Julia Ghelman, Juyong Yoon, Borami Shin, Hongryeol Park, Dong Wook Han, Judith B. Zaugg, Johnny Kim, Tanja Kuhlmann, Ralf H. Adams, Kyung-Min Noh, Steven A. Goldman, Hans R. Schoeler
Summary: By transducing an optimized transcription factor combination into a permissive donor phenotype, pericyte-derived iOPCs (PC-iOPCs) can overcome the limitations of inefficient generation and limited expansion and differentiation competence. PC-iOPCs are stably expandable and functionally myelinogenic with high differentiation competence.
Review
Neurosciences
Minxi Fang, Lixia Chen, Tao Tang, Mengsheng Qiu, Xiaofeng Xu
Summary: In the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes (OLs) play a crucial role in myelination and promote axonal conduction. Differentiation committed OPCs (COPs) serve as an intermediate population between OPCs and newly-formed OLs (NFOs), characterized by the expression of G-protein coupled receptor 17 (GPR17). Dysregulation of COPs can lead to remyelination failure and impaired myelin replacement, highlighting the importance of understanding COPs for developing strategies to promote myelin repair in demyelinating diseases.
Review
Cell Biology
Maria Veatriki Christodoulou, Ermioni Petkou, Natalia Atzemoglou, Eleni Gkorla, Aikaterini Karamitrou, Yannis V. Simos, Stefanos Bellos, Chryssa Bekiari, Panos Kouklis, Spyridon Konitsiotis, Patra Vezyraki, Dimitrios Peschos, Konstantinos I. Tsamis
Summary: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. Stem cell replacement therapy shows promise in overcoming cell loss and failure of remyelination. The mechanisms behind the beneficial effects of stem cell transplantation are not fully understood, but neurotrophic support, immunomodulation, and cell replacement appear to play a role.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Katarzyna Pieczonka, Hiroaki Nakashima, Narihito Nagoshi, Kazuya Yokota, James Hong, Anna Badner, Jonathon C. T. Chio, Shinsuke Shibata, Mohamad Khazaei, Michael G. Fehlings
Summary: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes the loss of neurons and glial cells. Current interventions for SCI lack regenerative solutions. Neural stem/progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation is a promising strategy for regeneration but inconsistent differentiation hinders functional recovery. This study generated oligodendrogenically biased NPCs (oNPCs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and demonstrated their effectiveness in a rodent model of cervical SCI, showing enhanced tissue preservation, remyelination, and functional recovery without adverse effects. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of oNPCs in cervical SCI and call for further investigation to optimize this approach.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Lucile Ben Haim, Lucas Schirmer, Amel Zulji, Khalida Sabeur, Brice Tiret, Matthieu Ribon, Sandra Chang, Wouter H. Lamers, Severine Boillee, Myriam M. Chaumeil, David H. Rowitch
Summary: The study suggests that GS is expressed in myelinating oligodendrocytes in the ventral spinal cord of mice and humans, but not in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.
Review
Neurosciences
Haitao Fu, Die Hu, Jinli Chen, Qizun Wang, Yingze Zhang, Chao Qi, Tengbo Yu
Summary: Spinal cord injury can result in sensorimotor impairments or disability. Studies of the cellular response to SCI have increased our understanding of nerve regenerative failure following spinal cord trauma. Biological, engineering, and rehabilitation strategies for repairing the injured spinal cord have shown impressive results in both rodent and non-human primate models. Cell transplantation, particularly using Schwann cells, has shown promise in promoting functional recovery in animal models and is safe for use in humans with subacute SCI. However, more research is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms behind the reparative effect of transplanted Schwann cells.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Shuo Liu, Hui Yang, Dong Chen, Yuanyuan Xie, ChenXu Tai, Liudi Wang, Peng Wang, Bin Wang
Summary: Accumulating research has shown that transplantation of combined stem cells and scaffolds is an effective treatment for spinal cord injury. The development of 3D bioprinting technology allows for more accurate and effective combination of cells with 3D scaffolds. In this study, a 3D bioprinting scaffold loaded with neural stem cells and oligodendrocytes was transplanted into completely transected rat spinal cords, resulting in improved motor function and nerve regeneration.
REGENERATIVE BIOMATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Katarzyna Pieczonka, Michael G. Fehlings
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) has a significant impact on quality of life and finances. Neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) transplantation shows promise for spinal cord regeneration, but the integration of transplanted cells remains a challenge. This review proposes various techniques, including molecular cues and alternative methods, to guide the integration of grafted cells towards specific circuits. Future research in these areas may improve outcomes for SCI patients.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Laura Ghezzi, Bryan Bollman, Luca De Feo, Laura Piccio, Bruce D. Trapp, Robert E. Schmidt, Anne H. Cross
Summary: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a CNS demyelinating disease that often leads to unsuccessful remyelination and neuronal/axonal damage. While oligodendroglial cells are responsible for myelin production, remyelination by Schwann cells (SchC) has been observed in spinal cord demyelination. This study investigated the extent of SchC remyelination in the brain and spinal cords of autopsied MS specimens.
LABORATORY INVESTIGATION
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Lauryn E. New, Yuchio Yanagawa, Glenn A. McConkey, Jim Deuchars, Susan A. Deuchars
Summary: Manipulation of GABA levels in the spinal cord can affect neural stem cell proliferation, providing a potential therapeutic approach for conditions such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. Controlling GABA levels may promote repair while preventing excessive cell proliferation and tumour formation.
Article
Cell Biology
Robert Chevreau, Hussein Ghazale, Chantal Ripoll, Chaima Chalfouh, Quentin Delarue, Anne Laure Hemonnot-Girard, Daria Mamaeva, Helene Hirbec, Bernard Rothhut, Shalaka Wahane, Florence Evelyne Perrin, Harun Najib Noristani, Nicolas Guerout, Jean Philippe Hugnot
Summary: Ependymal cells in the adult spinal cord activate multiple signaling pathways after injury, downregulate cilia-associated genes, upregulate various genes including Osmr, and the Osmr receptor Oncostatin may regulate the fate of ependymal cells towards astrocytic differentiation by affecting cell proliferation and differentiation.
Article
Neurosciences
Sabah Mozafari, Cyrille Deboux, Cecilia Laterza, Marc Ehrlich, Tanja Kuhlmann, Gianvito Martino, Anne Baron-Van Evercooren
Summary: Oligodendrocytes and astrocytes are closely connected in the brain, and disruption of communication between them can lead to demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis. Research has shown that while the disruption of intercellular communication is significant after demyelination, it can be repaired during remyelination and accelerated by the transplantation of neural progenitors. This suggests that targeting panglial elements may be a potential strategy to improve remyelination in myelin disorders.
Review
Cell Biology
Yu Li, Ping-Ping Shen, Bin Wang
Summary: Spinal cord injury presents a significant challenge in trauma repair due to its difficulty and increasing morbidity. Stem cell therapy, particularly induced pluripotent stem cells, holds great potential in treating spinal cord injury by differentiating into precursor cells of various neural cell types at the injury site.
NEURAL REGENERATION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Elena Schaberg, Ursula Theocharidis, Marcus May, Katrin Lessmann, Timm Schroeder, Andreas Faissner
Summary: Neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) in the developing spinal cord are influenced by extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, with chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) DSD-1-PG and sulfation playing important roles. Inhibition of sulfation can interfere with the cell cycle progression of spinal cord NSPCs.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Pavan S. Upadhyayula, Joel R. Martin, Robert C. Rennert, Joseph D. Ciacci
Summary: Stem cell transplantation for SCI is a new technique that shows potential for functional recovery, with key factors including method of delivery, timing of treatment, and number of treatments. Phase III clinical trials are lacking, but early treatment and multiple stem cell injections appear to increase the chances of functional recovery.
WORLD JOURNAL OF STEM CELLS
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Munenari Itoh, Shiho Kawagoe, Hidemi Nakagawa, Akihiko Asahina, Hirotaka James Okano
Summary: This study utilized induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as an unlimited cell source to re-differentiate specific T cells into cytotoxic T cells, providing a new solution for immunotherapy of melanoma.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Sho Yoshimatsu, Mayutaka Nakajima, Iki Sonn, Rie Natsume, Kenji Sakimura, Ena Nakatsukasa, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Mari Nakamura, Takashi Serizawa, Tsukika Sato, Erika Sasaki, Hongkui Deng, Hideyuki Okano
Summary: This study compared the gene expression profiles of mouse, human, and common marmoset EPSCs using transcriptomic approaches. The marmoset EPSC-like cells displayed a distinct morphology but exhibited a pluripotent state similar to embryonic stem cells. They also showed interspecies chimeric contribution to mouse embryos. Furthermore, the gene expression of the marmoset EPSC-like cells resembled that of human EPSCs. Overall, this study evaluated the efficacy of the method for deriving marmoset EPSCs.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Yuji Okano, Yoshitaka Kase, Hideyuki Okano
Summary: The emergence of single-cell RNA sequencing has revolutionized the study of cellular diversity. Conventional methods for annotating RNA-seq data have limitations in capturing universal characteristics of a cell type. This study presents a new framework for managing cellular identities based on set theory, allowing for comparisons across datasets while preserving biological semantics.
Article
Neurosciences
Tomoko Sakai, Junichi Hata, Yuta Shintaku, Hiroki Ohta, Kazumi Sogabe, Susumu Mori, Takako Miyabe-Nishiwaki, Hirotaka James Okano, Yuzuru Hamada, Toshiyuki Hirabayashi, Takafumi Minamimoto, Norihiro Sadato, Hideyuki Okano, Kenichi Oishi
Summary: Comparing the neuroanatomical features of the brain in humans, our evolutionary relatives, and nonhuman primates is crucial for understanding the human brain system and the neural basis of mental and neurological disorders. Research on various species of nonhuman primates is necessary to elucidate the diversity of neuroanatomy features among humans and nonhuman primates. A data-repository of anatomical images obtained using MRI of postmortem brain samples has been developed, and T2-weighted and diffusion tensor images of nine species have been released, contributing to scientific discoveries and promoting animal ethics, animal welfare, and conservation efforts.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Shota Okura, Honoka Ishii, Ayano Suzuki, Chika Saegusa, Ko Fujiki, Kenshi Sugano, Noriomi Suzuki, Tsubasa Saeki, Saeko Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki Ozawa, Masato Fujioka, Makoto Hosoya, Hideyuki Okano
Summary: We have established two human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from individuals without auditory disorders and confirmed normal hearing through extensive audiometry tests. These iPSC lines express pluripotency genes and are capable of differentiating into the three germ layers. They will be used as controls for pathological analysis and drug screening for ear disorders.
STEM CELL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Ryotaro Imai, Ryota Tamura, Masahiro Yo, Mizuto Sato, Mariko Fukumura, Kento Takahara, Yoshitaka Kase, Hideyuki Okano, Masahiro Toda
Summary: Despite limited treatment options for traumatic brain injury (TBI), neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) expressing yCD-UPRT showed promising results in functional recovery. The transplanted iPSC-derived NS/PCs displayed stable expression of the therapeutic gene and concentrated around the damaged cortex, leading to improved behavioral performance and prevention of secondary brain injury in a TBI mouse model. In addition, selective elimination of undifferentiated NS/PCs using 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) demonstrated the safety of this regenerative medicine approach.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Teppei Komatsu, Hiroki Ohta, Naoki Takakura, Junichi Hata, Tomomichi Kitagawa, Yuta Kurashina, Hiroaki Onoe, Hirotaka James Okano, Yasuyuki Iguchi
Summary: This study developed a stem cell-implantable radiopaque hydrogel microfiber that can survive in vivo for a long time, aiming to establish a novel stroke model and determine the efficacy of cell transplantation in treating stroke.
TRANSLATIONAL STROKE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Mayu Tahara, Norimichi Higurashi, Junichi Hata, Masako Nishikawa, Ken Ito, Shinichi Hirose, Takehito Kaneko, Tomoji Mashimo, Tetsushi Sakuma, Takashi Yamamoto, Hirotaka James Okano
Summary: This study used MEMRI to examine the brain activity of Scn1a knockout rats at different developmental stages. The results showed that neural activity in Scn1a knockout rats increased during the third postnatal week, which may be related to the onset of seizures in Dravet syndrome during this stage. Additionally, the application of the diuretic bumetanide reduced hyperactivity and seizure susceptibility in rats. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of Dravet syndrome.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Junichi Hata, Ken Nakae, Hiromichi Tsukada, Alexander Woodward, Yawara Haga, Mayu Iida, Akiko Uematsu, Fumiko Seki, Noritaka Ichinohe, Rui Gong, Takaaki Kaneko, Daisuke Yoshimaru, Akiya Watakabe, Hiroshi Abe, Toshiki Tani, Hiro Taiyo Hamda, Carlos Enrique Gutierrez, Henrik Skibbe, Masahide Maeda, Frederic Papazian, Kei Hagiya, Noriyuki Kishi, Shin Ishii, Kenji Doya, Tomomi Shimogori, Tetsuo Yamamori, Keiji Tanaka, Hirotaka James Okano, Hideyuki Okano
Summary: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique used for studying normal development and aging, and for sharing data. The marmoset model is effective in aging research due to its shorter life expectancy and faster growth and aging rate. This study investigated the aging process of the marmoset brain and provided a comprehensive MRI database, making it the largest public dataset in the world. The database includes multi-contrast MRI images and can contribute to the understanding of various factors' effects on the brain and accelerate global brain science studies.
Article
Biology
Miho Isoda, Tsukasa Sanosaka, Ryo Tomooka, Yo Mabuchi, Munehisa Shinozaki, Tomoko Andoh-Noda, Satoe Banno, Noriko Mizota, Ryo Yamaguchi, Hideyuki Okano, Jun Kohyama
Summary: A single-cell approach identified cellular properties of neural and mesenchymal origins in human induced pluripotent stem cells, shedding light on the causes of undesired grafts after transplantation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Emi Qian, Masahiro Uemura, Hiroya Kobayashi, Shiho Nakamura, Fumiko Ozawa, Sho Yoshimatsu, Mitsuru Ishikawa, Osamu Onodera, Satoru Morimoto, Hideyuki Okano
Summary: CARASIL is a inherited small vessel disease caused by mutations in the HTRA1 gene. Heterozygous mutations in HTRA1 have been found to cause clinical features of the disease. Researchers have successfully established a hiPSC line from a patient with heterozygous HTRA1-related CSVD, which has normal morphology and karyotype. The hiPSCs expressed pluripotency-related markers and had the ability to differentiate into all three germ layers in vitro, providing a valuable tool for studying the cellular mechanisms of HTRA1 mutation.
INFLAMMATION AND REGENERATION
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shuhei Takatsuka, Takeshi Kubota, Yuta Kurashina, Sho Kurihara, Motoki Hirabayashi, Masato Fujioka, Hirotaka James Okano, Hiroaki Onoe
Summary: An ultrasound-triggered on-demand AAV release system using alginate hydrogel microbeads (AHMs) with a release enhancer is proposed to control the timing of AAV release and avoid an immune response to AAV.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tomotaka Shiraishi, Daisuke Yoshimaru, Tadashi Umehara, Masakazu Ozawa, Shusaku Omoto, Motohiro Okumura, Tatsushi Kokubu, Junichiro Takahashi, Takeo Sato, Asako Onda, Teppei Komatsu, Kenichiro Sakai, Hidetaka Mitsumura, Hidetomo Murakami, Hirotaka James Okano, Yasuyuki Iguchi
Summary: Orthostatic hypotension (OH), hyposmia and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) are potential risk factors for cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study investigated how interactions between OH, hyposmia and RBD contribute to gray matter atrophy and cognitive dysfunction in early PD.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Asako Onda-Ohto, Minami Hasegawa-Ogawa, Hiromasa Matsuno, Tomotaka Shiraishi, Keiko Bono, Hiromi Hiraki, Yumi Kanegae, Yasuyuki Iguchi, Hirotaka James Okano
Summary: This study introduced TDP-43 mutations into healthy human iPSCs, differentiated them into motor and sensory neurons, and analyzed factors associated with ALS. The results showed that motor neurons with TDP-43 mutation were more vulnerable to oxidative stress, which is crucial for understanding the pathogenesis of ALS and developing treatments for the disease.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Takahiro Shibata, Syoichi Tashiro, Masaya Nakamura, Hideyuki Okano, Narihito Nagoshi
Summary: Cell transplantation therapy using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cells has shown efficacy in treating the subacute phase of spinal cord injury. However, there is a lack of focus on treatment in the chronic phase, which poses challenges in overcoming factors specific to chronic SCI. Combining different therapies and addressing issues in severe injury models and functional recovery are important for regenerative therapy in chronic SCI.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2023)
