aav-systems-mouse-models-for-investigating-ectopic-expression-neurod1

AAV Systems and Mouse Models for Investigating Ectopic Expression of Neurod1 in Transduced Cells at Subacute and Chronic Times Post-Ischemic Stroke

Ectopic expression of neurogenic factors in vivo has emerged as a promising approach for replacing lost neurons in disease models. The use of neural basic ...

University of Toronto

Therapeutic delivery to the brain is limited by the blood-brain barrier and is exacerbated by off-target effects associated with systemic delivery, thereby precluding many potential therapies from even being tested. Given the systemic side effects of cyclosporine and erythropoietin, systemic administration would be precluded in the context of stroke, leaving only the possibility of local delivery. We wondered if direct delivery to the brain would allow new reparative therapeutics, such as these, to be identified for stroke. Using a rodent model of stroke, we employed an injectable drug delivery hydrogel strategy to circumvent the blood-brain barrier and thereby achieved, for the first time, local and sustained co-release to the brain of cyclosporine and erythropoietin. Both drugs diffused to the sub-cortical neural stem and progenitor cell (NSPC) niche and were present in the brain for at least 32 days post-stroke. Each drug had a different outcome on brain tissue: cyclosporine increased plasticity in the striatum while erythropoietin stimulated endogenous NSPCs. Only their co-delivery, but not either drug alone, accelerated functional recovery and improved tissue repair. This platform opens avenues for hitherto untested therapeutic combinations to promote regeneration and repair after stroke.

Injectable hydrogel enables local and sustained co-delivery to the brain: Two clinically approved biomolecules, cyclosporine and erythropoietin, accelerate functional recovery in rat model of stroke.

Neural stem and progenitor cells (collectively termed neural precursor cells [NPCs]) are found along the ventricular neuraxis extending from the spinal cord to the forebrain in regionally distinct niches comprised of different cell types, architecture, and cell-cell interactions. An understanding of the factors that regulate NPC behavior is critical for developing therapeutics to repair the injured central nervous system. Herein, we demonstrate that myelin basic protein (MBP), the major cytoplasmic protein constituent of the myelin sheath in oligodendrocytes, can regulate NPC behavior. Under physiological conditions, NPCs are not in contact with intracellular MBP; however, upon injury, MBP is released into the neural parenchyma. We reveal that MBP presented in a spinal cord niche is inhibitory to NPC proliferation. This inhibitory effect is regionally distinct as spinal cord NPCs, but not forebrain-derived NPCs, are inhibited by MBP. We performed coculture and conditioned media experiments that reveal the stem cell niche is a key regulator of MBP's inhibitory actions on NPCs. The inhibition is mediated by a heat-labile protein released by spinal cord niche cells, but not forebrain niche cells. However, forebrain NPCs are also inhibited by the spinal cord derived factor as revealed following in vivo infusion of the spinal cord niche-derived conditioned media. Moreover, we show that MBP inhibits oligodendrogenesis from NPCs. Together, these findings highlight the role of MBP and the regionally distinct microenvironment in regulating NPC behavior which has important implications for stem cell-based regenerative strategies.

Niche-dependent inhibition of neural stem cell proliferation and oligodendrogenesis is mediated by the presence of myelin basic protein.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide. Current therapeutic options are limited in terms of their time for implementation and efficacy in promoting recovery. Cell transplantation has been shown to have promise in several animal models however significant challenges remain, including the optimal source of cells to promote neural repair. Here, we report on the use of a population of human ESC derived, cortically specified, neuroepithelial precursor cells (cNEPs) that are neurally restricted in their lineage potential. CNEPs have the potential to give rise to mature neural cell types following transplantation, including neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. With a view towards translation, we sought to determine whether this human cell source was effective in promoting improved functional outcomes following stroke. Undifferentiated cNEPs were transplanted in a pre-clinical endothelin-1 (ET-1) model of ischemic motor cortical stroke in immunocompromised SCID-beige mice and cellular and functional outcomes were assessed. We demonstrate that cNEP transplantation in the acute phase (4 days post-stroke) improves motor function as early as 20 days post-stroke, compared to stroke-injured, non-transplanted mice. At the time of recovery, a small fraction (<6%) of the transplanted cNEPs are observed within the stroke injury site. The surviving cells expressed the immature neuronal marker, doublecortin, with no differentiation into mature neural phenotypes. At longer survival times (40 days), the majority of recovered, transplanted mice had a complete absence of surviving cNEPS. Hence, human cNEPs grafted at early times post-stroke support the observed functional recovery following ET-1 stroke but their persistence is not required, thereby supporting a by-stander effect rather than cell replacement.

Transplantation of Human Cortically-Specified Neuroepithelial Progenitor Cells Leads to Improved Functional Outcomes in a Mouse Model of Stroke.

Stroke results in neuronal cell death, which causes long-term disabilities in adults. Treatment options are limited and rely on a narrow window of opportunity. Apoptosis inhibitors demonstrate efficacy in improving neuronal cell survival in animal models of stroke. However, many inhibitors non-specifically target apoptosis pathways and high doses are needed for treatment. We explored the use of a novel caspase-3/7 inhibitor, New World Laboratories (NWL) 283, with a lower IC50 than current caspase-3/7 inhibitors. We performed in vitro and in vivo assays to determine the efficacy of NWL283 in modulating cell death in a preclinical model of stroke. In vitro and in vivo assays show that NWL283 enhances cell survival of neural precursor cells. Delivery of NWL283 following stroke enhances endogenous NPC migration and leads to increased neurogenesis in the stroke-injured cortex. Furthermore, acute NWL283 administration is neuroprotective at the stroke injury site, decreasing neuronal cell death and reducing microglia activation. Coincident with NWL283 delivery for 8 days, stroke-injured mice exhibited improved functional outcomes that persisted following cessation of the drug. Therefore, we propose that NWL283 is a promising therapeutic warranting further investigation to enhance stroke recovery.

Inhibition of Apoptosis in a Model of Ischemic Stroke Leads to Enhanced Cell Survival, Endogenous Neural Precursor Cell Activation and Improved Functional Outcomes.

Activation of neural stem cells (NSCs) correlates with improved functional outcomes in mouse models of injury. In the murine brain, NSCs have been extensively characterized and comprise (1) primitive NSCs (pNSCs) and (2) definitive NSCs (dNSCs). pNSCs are the earliest cells in the NSC lineage giving rise to dNSCs in the embryonic and adult mouse brain. pNSCs are quiescent under baseline conditions and can be activated upon injury. Herein, we asked whether human pNSCs and dNSCs can be isolated during the maturation of human cerebral organoids (COs) and activated by drugs known to regulate mouse NSC behavior. We demonstrate that self-renewing, multipotent pNSC and dNSC populations are present in human COs and express genes previously characterized in mouse NSCs. The drug NWL283, an inhibitor of apoptosis, reduced cell death in COs but did not improve NSC survival. Metformin, a drug used to treat type II diabetes that is known to promote NSC activation in mice, was found to expand human NSC pools. Together, these findings are the first to identify and characterize human pNSCs, advancing our understanding of the human NSC lineage and highlighting drugs that enhance their activity.

Primitive and Definitive Neural Precursor Cells Are Present in Human Cerebral Organoids.

Injuries to the central nervous system, such as stroke and traumatic spinal cord injury, result in an aggregate scar that both limits tissue degeneration and inhibits tissue regeneration. The aggregate scar includes chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), which impede cell migration and axonal outgrowth. Chondroitinase ABC (ChASE) is a potent yet fragile enzyme that degrades CSPGs, and thus may enable tissue regeneration. ChASE37, with 37-point mutations to the native enzyme, has been shown to be more stable than ChASE, but its efficacy has never been tested. To answer this question, we investigated the efficacy of ChASE37 first in vitro using human cell-based assays and then in vivo in a rodent model of stroke. We demonstrated ChASE37 degradation of CSPGs in vitro and the consequent cell adhesion and axonal sprouting now possible using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons. To enable prolonged release of ChASE37 to injured tissue, we expressed it as a fusion protein with a Src homology 3 (SH3) domain and modified an injectable, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) hydrogel with SH3-binding peptides (CMC-bp) using inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder chemistry. We injected this affinity release CMC-bp/SH3-ChASE37 hydrogel epicortically to endothelin-1 stroke-injured rats and confirmed bioactivity via degradation of CSPGs and axonal sprouting in and around the lesion. With CSPG degradation shown both in vitro by greater cell interaction and in vivo with local delivery from a sustained release formulation, we lay the foundation to test the potential of ChASE37 and its delivery by local affinity release for tissue regeneration after stroke.

Article	Year
Injectable hydrogel enables local and sustained co-delivery to the brain: Two clinically approved biomolecules, cyclosporine and erythropoietin, accelerate functional recovery in rat model o... Biomaterials\| PubMed ID: 31981761	2020
Niche-dependent inhibition of neural stem cell proliferation and oligodendrogenesis is mediated by the presence of myelin basic protein. Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio)\| PubMed ID: 33529418	2021
Transplantation of Human Cortically-Specified Neuroepithelial Progenitor Cells Leads to Improved Functional Outcomes in a Mouse Model of Stroke. Frontiers in cellular neuroscience\| PubMed ID: 33994947	2021
Inhibition of Apoptosis in a Model of Ischemic Stroke Leads to Enhanced Cell Survival, Endogenous Neural Precursor Cell Activation and Improved Functional Outcomes. International journal of molecular sciences\| PubMed ID: 38339065	2024
Primitive and Definitive Neural Precursor Cells Are Present in Human Cerebral Organoids. International journal of molecular sciences\| PubMed ID: 38928255	2024
Redesigned chondroitinase ABC degrades inhibitory chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in vitro and in vivo in the stroke-injured rat brain. Biomaterials\| PubMed ID: 39260032	2025

Ricky Siu

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