Modeling neurodegenerative diseases with patient-derived induced pluripotent cells: Possibilities and challenges

TY - JOUR

T1 - Modeling neurodegenerative diseases with patient-derived induced pluripotent cells

T2 - Possibilities and challenges

AU - Poon, Anna

AU - Zhang, Yu

AU - Chandrasekaran, Abinaya

AU - Phanthong, Phetcharat

AU - Schmid, Benjamin

AU - Nielsen, Troels T

AU - Freude, Kristine K

N1 - Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/10/25

Y1 - 2017/10/25

N2 - The rising prevalence of progressive neurodegenerative diseases coupled with increasing longevity poses an economic burden at individual and societal levels. There is currently no effective cure for the majority of neurodegenerative diseases and disease-affected tissues from patients have been difficult to obtain for research and drug discovery in pre-clinical settings. While the use of animal models has contributed invaluable mechanistic insights and potential therapeutic targets, the translational value of animal models could be further enhanced when combined with in vitro models derived from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and isogenic controls generated using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated genome editing. The iPSCs are self-renewable and capable of being differentiated into the cell types affected by the diseases. These in vitro models based on patient-derived iPSCs provide the opportunity to model disease development, uncover novel mechanisms and test potential therapeutics. Here we review findings from iPSC-based modeling of selected neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and spinocerebellar ataxia. Furthermore, we discuss the possibilities of generating three-dimensional (3D) models using the iPSCs-derived cells and compare their advantages and disadvantages to conventional two-dimensional (2D) models.

AB - The rising prevalence of progressive neurodegenerative diseases coupled with increasing longevity poses an economic burden at individual and societal levels. There is currently no effective cure for the majority of neurodegenerative diseases and disease-affected tissues from patients have been difficult to obtain for research and drug discovery in pre-clinical settings. While the use of animal models has contributed invaluable mechanistic insights and potential therapeutic targets, the translational value of animal models could be further enhanced when combined with in vitro models derived from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and isogenic controls generated using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated genome editing. The iPSCs are self-renewable and capable of being differentiated into the cell types affected by the diseases. These in vitro models based on patient-derived iPSCs provide the opportunity to model disease development, uncover novel mechanisms and test potential therapeutics. Here we review findings from iPSC-based modeling of selected neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and spinocerebellar ataxia. Furthermore, we discuss the possibilities of generating three-dimensional (3D) models using the iPSCs-derived cells and compare their advantages and disadvantages to conventional two-dimensional (2D) models.

KW - Journal Article

KW - Review

U2 - 10.1016/j.nbt.2017.05.009

DO - 10.1016/j.nbt.2017.05.009

M3 - Review

C2 - 28579476

SN - 1871-6784

VL - 39

SP - 190

EP - 198

JO - New Biotechnology

JF - New Biotechnology

IS - Part B

ER -