Mesenchymal stem cell-derived neural progenitors attenuate proinflammatory microglial activation via paracrine mechanisms.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived neural progenitor cell (MSC-NP) therapy is an experimental approach to treat multiple sclerosis. The influence of MSC-NPs on microglial activation was investigated. Microglia were stimulated in the presence of MSC-NP-conditioned media, and proinflammatory or proregenerative marker expression was assessed by quantitative PCR and ELISA.

Cerebral organoids in primary progressive multiple sclerosis reveal stem cell and oligodendrocyte differentiation defect.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an auto-immune inflammatory disorder affecting the central nervous system. The cause of the disease is unknown but both genetic and environmental factors are implicated in the pathogenesis. We derived cerebral organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) of healthy control subjects as well as from primary progressive MS (PPMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) patients to better understand the pathologic basis of the varied clinical phenotypic expressions of MS.

Distinct Vulnerability and Resilience of Human Neuroprogenitor Subtypes in Cerebral Organoid Model of Prenatal Hypoxic Injury.

Prenatal hypoxic injury (HI) is a leading cause of neurological disability. The immediate and long-term effects of hypoxia on progenitor homeostasis and developmental progression during early human brain development remain unclear. This gap is due to difficulty to access human fetal brain tissues and inadequate animal models to study human corticogenesis.

Gene signatures of quiescent glioblastoma cells reveal mesenchymal shift and interactions with niche microenvironment.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM), a highly malignant brain tumor, invariably recurs after therapy. Quiescent GBM cells represent a potential source of tumor recurrence, but little is known about their molecular underpinnings.

Methods: Patient-derived GBM cells were engineered by CRISPR/Cas9-assisted knock-in of an inducible histone2B-GFP (iH2B-GFP) reporter to track cell division history.

Vascularization and Engraftment of Transplanted Human Cerebral Organoids in Mouse Cortex.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) hold great promise for neural repair in cases of CNS injury and neurodegeneration; however, conventional cell-based transplant methods face the challenges of poor survival and inadequate neuronal differentiation. Here, we report an alternative, tissue-based transplantation strategy whereby cerebral organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) were grafted into lesioned mouse cortex. Cerebral organoid transplants exhibited enhanced survival and robust vascularization from host brain as compared to transplants of dissociated neural progenitor cells (NPCs).