Chemically induced senescence in human stem cell-derived neurons promotes phenotypic presentation of neurodegeneration.

Modeling age-related neurodegenerative disorders with human stem cells are difficult due to the embryonic nature of stem cell-derived neurons. We developed a chemical cocktail to induce senescence of iPSC-derived neurons to address this challenge. We first screened small molecules that induce embryonic fibroblasts to exhibit features characteristic of aged fibroblasts.

Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Repair Circuits and Restore Neural Function.

Although cell transplantation can rescue motor defects in Parkinson's disease (PD) models, whether and how grafts functionally repair damaged neural circuitry in the adult brain is not known. We transplanted hESC-derived midbrain dopamine (mDA) or cortical glutamate neurons into the substantia nigra or striatum of a mouse PD model and found extensive graft integration with host circuitry. Axonal pathfinding toward the dorsal striatum was determined by the identity of the grafted neurons, and anatomical presynaptic inputs were largely dependent on graft location, whereas inhibitory versus excitatory input was dictated by the identity of grafted neurons.