Human iPSC-derived pericyte-like cells carrying APP Swedish mutation overproduce beta-amyloid and induce cerebral amyloid angiopathy-like changes.

Background: Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) frequently present with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), characterized by the accumulation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) within the cerebral blood vessels, leading to cerebrovascular dysfunction. Pericytes, which wrap around vascular capillaries, are crucial for regulating cerebral blood flow, angiogenesis, and vessel stability. Despite the known impact of vascular dysfunction on the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, the specific role of pericytes in AD pathology remains to be elucidated.

Improved method of producing human neural progenitor cells of high purity and in large quantities from pluripotent stem cells for transplantation studies.

Transplantation of human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) is a promising therapeutic approach for various diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Reliable testing of hNPC transplantation in animal models of neurological diseases requires that these cells can be produced in sufficient amounts, show consistent homogeneity as a neural cell population, and be reliably labeled for in vivo tracking. In addition, the cells should be characterized as being at the optimal state of differentiation favoring successful engraftment.

Multiple cellular and molecular mechanisms are involved in human Aβ clearance by transplanted adult astrocytes.

Astrocytes and microglia are able to degrade potentially neurotoxic β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits typical for Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Contrary to microglia, astrocytes degrade human Aβ from tissue sections in vitro without any additional stimulation, but it has remained unclear whether transplanted astrocytes are able to clear deposited human Aβ in vivo. We transplanted adult mouse astrocytes into the hippocampi of transgenic mice mimicking AD and observed their fate, effects on microglial responses, and Aβ clearance.