title: Hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease in Stem-Cell-Derived Human Neurons Transplanted into Mouse Brain.
abstract: Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) provide a unique entry to study species-specific aspects of human disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, in vitro culture of neurons deprives them of their natural environment. Here we transplanted human PSC-derived cortical neuronal precursors into the brain of a murine AD model. Human neurons differentiate and integrate into the brain, express 3R/4R Tau splice forms, show abnormal phosphorylation and conformational Tau changes, and undergo neurodegeneration. Remarkably, cell death was dissociated from tangle formation in this natural 3D model of AD. Using genome-wide expression analysis, we observed upregulation of genes involved in myelination and downregulation of genes related to memory and cognition, synaptic transmission, and neuron projection. This novel chimeric model for AD displays human-specific pathological features and allows the analysis of different genetic backgrounds and mutations during the course of the disease.
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Espuny-Camacho
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: amaia.arranz@kuleuven.vib.be.
authors.forename: Amaia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arranz
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiers
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Snellinx
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kunie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; VIB Bio Imaging Core, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munck
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IRIBHM), and ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bonnefont
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurophysiology and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lambot
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; VIB Bio Imaging Core, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nikky
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Corthout
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Omodho
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vanden Eynden
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Radaelli
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tesseur
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology and Dementia Research Institute, University College London, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG London, UK.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wray
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Department, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebneth
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology and Dementia Research Institute, University College London, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG London, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Karelle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Brion
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IRIBHM), and ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; WELBIO, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: pvdhaegh@ulb.ac.be.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanderhaeghen
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB-Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Institute of Neurology and Dementia Research Institute, University College London, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG London, UK. Electronic address: bart.destrooper@vib.be.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Strooper
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016875:tau Proteins
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; cell death; chimeric mouse; dystrophic neurites; expression analysis; human neurons; modeling; neurodegeneration; pluripotent stem cells