Ependymal cell lineage reprogramming as a potential therapeutic intervention for hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus is a common neurological condition, characterized by the excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebral ventricles. Primary treatments for hydrocephalus mainly involve neurosurgical cerebrospinal fluid diversion, which hold high morbidity and failure rates, highlighting the necessity for the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches. Although the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus is highly multifactorial, impaired function of the brain ependymal cells plays a fundamental role in hydrocephalus.

Three-Dimensional Models for Studying Neurodegenerative and Neurodevelopmental Diseases.

Human brain possesses a unique anatomy and physiology. For centuries, methodological barriers and ethical challenges in accessing human brain tissues have restricted researchers into using 2-D cell culture systems and model organisms as a tool for investigating the mechanisms underlying neurological disorders in humans. However, our understanding regarding the human brain development and diseases has been recently extended due to the generation of 3D brain organoids, grown from human stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

GemC1 is a critical switch for neural stem cell generation in the postnatal brain.

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is one of two main niches where neurogenesis persists during adulthood, as it retains neural stem cells (NSCs) with self-renewal capacity and multi-lineage potency. Another critical cellular component of the niche is the population of postmitotic multiciliated ependymal cells. Both cell types are derived from radial glial cells that become specified to each lineage during embryogenesis.