scholarly journals Modelling glioblastoma tumour-host cell interactions using adult brain organotypic slice co-culture

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Angeles Marques-Torrejon ◽  
Ester Gangoso ◽  
Steven M. Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
The Brain

AbstractGlioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive incurable brain cancer. The cells that fuel the growth of tumours resemble neural stem cells found in the developing and adult mammalian forebrain. These are referred to as GBM stem cells (GSCs). Similar to neural stem cells, GSCs exhibit a variety of phenotypic states: dormant, quiescent, proliferative and differentiating. How environmental cues within the brain influence these distinct states is not well understood. Laboratory models of GBM tumours can be generated using either genetically engineered mouse models, or via intracranial transplantation of cultured tumour initiating cells (mouse or human). Unfortunately, these approaches are expensive, time-consuming, low-throughput and ill-suited for monitoring of live cell behaviours. Here we explored whole adult brain coronal organotypic slices as a complementary strategy to remove the experimental bottleneck. Mouse adult brain slices remain viable in a neural stem cell serum-free basal media for several weeks. GSCs can therefore be easily microinjected into specific anatomical sites ex vivo. We demonstrated distinct responses of engrafted GSCs to different microenvironments in the brain. Within the subependymal zone – one of the adult neural stem cell niches – a subset of injected tumour cells could effectively engraft and respond to endothelial niche signals. GSCs transplanted slices were treated with the anti-mitotic drug temozolomide as proof-of-principle of the utility in modelling responses to existing treatments. Thus, engraftment of mouse or human GSCs onto whole brain coronal organotypic brain slices provides a convenient experimental model for studies of GSC-host interactions and preclinical testing of candidate therapeutic agents.

scholarly journals Neural Stem Cells Therapy to Treat Neurodegenerative Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 271 ◽  
pp. 03076
Author(s):  
Weibai Chen
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Stem Cell Transplantation ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Cell Transplantation ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
The Body ◽  
Brain Diseases ◽  
The Brain

Neural stem cells have the ability to proliferation, differentiate and renew, which plays an important role in the growth, maturation and senescence of the human brain. But according to researches, neural stem cells in the brain do not remain active throughout an organism's lifetime. Many neural stem cells become dormant when the brain matures, and may be activated when the body is sick to selectively heal the disease. In recent years, there are many studies on neural stem cells. Joshua[1] and Ting Zhang[2] show that neurodegenerative diseases such as ischemic stroke, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease can be improved by the transplantation of neural stem cells, however the specific mechanism is not clear. This paper investigates three main questions: Why neural stem cell transplantation is chosen as a treatment? Where does NSCs derive from in clinical transplantation? How does neural stem cell transplantation treat brain diseases? And we also figure out the answers to these three questions. Firstly, transplantation of hypothalamic NSCs can delay the process of aging in the host, and Chemokines and EVs which secreted by neural stem cells can delay aging and defend neurodegenerative diseases. Secondly, the sources of NSCs can be divided into three types. The first is to isolate NSCs from primary tissue and cultivate them in vitro. The second is to produce the required cells by inducing pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells. The third way to get NCS is through transdifferentiation of somatic cells. Thirdly, in brain diseases, transplanted NSCs can migrate from the aggregation site to the site of the disease, reducing damage to the blood-brain barrier, repairing learning and memory abilities that depend on the hippocampus and secreting neurotrophic factors.

scholarly journals Adult Neurogenesis and the Promise of Adult Neural Stem Cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 117906951985687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiyaa S Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Adult Neurogenesis ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Precursor Cells ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Adult Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Dividing Cells

The adult brain, even though largely postmitotic, is now known to have dividing cells that can make both glia and neurons. Of these, the precursor cells that have the potential to make new neurons in the adult brain have attracted great attention from researchers, anticipating their therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative conditions. In this review, I will focus on adult neurogenesis, from the perspective of the overall neurogenic potential in the adult brain, current understanding of the ‘adult neural stem cell’, and the importance of niche as a decisive factor for neurogenesis under homeostasis and pathologic conditions.

scholarly journals Effects of Radiation Therapy on Neural Stem Cells

Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Michaelidesová ◽  
Jana Konířová ◽  
Petr Bartůněk ◽  
Martina Zíková
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Brain Radiotherapy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

Brain and nervous system cancers in children represent the second most common neoplasia after leukemia. Radiotherapy plays a significant role in cancer treatment; however, the use of such therapy is not without devastating side effects. The impact of radiation-induced damage to the brain is multifactorial, but the damage to neural stem cell populations seems to play a key role. The brain contains pools of regenerative neural stem cells that reside in specialized neurogenic niches and can generate new neurons. In this review, we describe the advances in radiotherapy techniques that protect neural stem cell compartments, and subsequently limit and prevent the occurrence and development of side effects. We also summarize the current knowledge about neural stem cells and the molecular mechanisms underlying changes in neural stem cell niches after brain radiotherapy. Strategies used to minimize radiation-related damages, as well as new challenges in the treatment of brain tumors are also discussed.

scholarly journals Early life stress decreases the proliferation and numbers of adult hypothalamic neural stem cells

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Bielefeld ◽  
Maralinde R. Abbink ◽  
Anna R. Davidson ◽  
Paul J. Lucassen ◽  
Aniko Korosi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractEarly life stress (ELS) is a potent environmental factor that can confer enduring effects on brain structure and function. Exposure to stress during early life has been linked to a wide range of physiopathological consequences later in life. In particular, ELS has been shown to have lasting effects on neurogenesis in the adult brain, suggesting that ELS is a significant regulator of adult neural stem cell function. Here, we investigated the effect of ELS on the numbers and proliferation of neural stem cells in the hypothalamus of adult mice. We show that ELS has long term negative effects on hypothalamic neural stem cell numbers and on their proliferation. Specifically, ELS reduced the total numbers of PCNA+ cells present in hypothalamic areas surrounding the 3rd ventricle; the numbers of PCNA+/Sox2+/Nestin-GFP+ cells present in the medial eminence at the base of the 3rd ventricle; and the number of β-tanycytes around the ventral 3rd ventricle, without affecting the numbers of α-tanycytes in more dorsal areas. These results suggest that a reduction of proliferation and tanycyte numbers contributes to the effects of ELS on the hypothalamus and its consequent physiological alterations.

scholarly journals Imp/IGF2BP levels modulate individual neural stem cell growth and division through myc mRNA stability

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamsin J. Samuels ◽  
Aino I. Järvelin ◽  
David Ish-Horowicz ◽  
Ilan Davis
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Mrna Stability ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Stem Cell Proliferation ◽  
Neural Stem Cell Proliferation ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTThe numerous neurons and glia that form the brain originate from tightly controlled growth and division of neural stem cells, regulated systemically by known extrinsic signals. However, the intrinsic mechanisms that control the characteristic proliferation rates of individual neural stem cells are unknown. Here, we show that the size and division rates of Drosophila neural stem cells (neuroblasts) are controlled by the highly conserved RNA binding protein Imp (IGF2BP), via one of its top binding targets in the brain, myc mRNA. We show that Imp stabilises myc mRNA leading to increased Myc protein levels, larger neuroblasts, and faster division rates. Declining Imp levels throughout development limit myc mRNA stability to restrain neuroblast growth and division, while heterogeneous Imp expression correlates with myc mRNA stability between individual neuroblasts in the brain. We propose that Imp-dependent regulation of myc mRNA stability fine-tunes individual neural stem cell proliferation rates.Abstract Figure

scholarly journals Imp/IGF2BP levels modulate individual neural stem cell growth and division through myc mRNA stability

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamsin J Samuels ◽  
Aino I Järvelin ◽  
David Ish-Horowicz ◽  
Ilan Davis
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Mrna Stability ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Stem Cell Proliferation ◽  
Neural Stem Cell Proliferation ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
The Brain

The numerous neurons and glia that form the brain originate from tightly controlled growth and division of neural stem cells, regulated systemically by important known stem cell-extrinsic signals. However, the cell-intrinsic mechanisms that control the distinctive proliferation rates of individual neural stem cells are unknown. Here, we show that the size and division rates of Drosophila neural stem cells (neuroblasts) are controlled by the highly conserved RNA binding protein Imp (IGF2BP), via one of its top binding targets in the brain, myc mRNA. We show that Imp stabilises myc mRNA leading to increased Myc protein levels, larger neuroblasts, and faster division rates. Declining Imp levels throughout development limit myc mRNA stability to restrain neuroblast growth and division, and heterogeneous Imp expression correlates with myc mRNA stability between individual neuroblasts in the brain. We propose that Imp-dependent regulation of myc mRNA stability fine-tunes individual neural stem cell proliferation rates.

Stem cell application in neurorehabilitation

2020 ◽  
pp. 169-184
Author(s):  
Sebastian Jessberger ◽  
Armin Curt ◽  
Roger A. Barker
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Proper Function ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Diseases ◽  
Brain And Spinal Cord ◽  
The Brain

A number of diseases of the brain and spinal cord are associated with substantial neural cell death and/or disruption of correct and functional neural networks. In the past, a variety of therapeutic strategies to rescue these systems have been proposed along with agents to induce functional plasticity within the remaining central nervous system (CNS) structures. In the case of injury or neurodegenerative disease these approaches have only met with limited success, indicating the need for novel approaches to treat diseases of the adult CNS. Recently, the idea of recruiting endogenous or transplanting stem cells to replace lost structures within the adult brain or spinal cord has gained significant attention, along with in situ reprogramming, and opened up novel therapeutic avenues in the context of regenerative medicine. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of how endogenous stem cells may be a part of pathological processes in certain neuropsychiatric diseases and summarize recent clinical and preclinical data suggesting that stem cell-based therapies hold great promise as a future treatment option in a number of diseases disrupting the proper function of the adult CNS.

scholarly journals Do Neural Stem Cells Have a Choice? Heterogenic Outcome of Cell Fate Acquisition in Different Injury Models

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Beyer ◽  
Iria Samper Agrelo ◽  
Patrick Küry
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Repair Capacity ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Limiting Parameters

The adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is generally considered as repair restricted organ with limited capacities to regenerate lost cells and to successfully integrate them into damaged nerve tracts. Despite the presence of endogenous immature cell types that can be activated upon injury or in disease cell replacement generally remains insufficient, undirected, or lost cell types are not properly generated. This limitation also accounts for the myelin repair capacity that still constitutes the default regenerative activity at least in inflammatory demyelinating conditions. Ever since the discovery of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) residing within specific niches of the adult brain, as well as the description of procedures to either isolate and propagate or artificially induce NSCs from various origins ex vivo, the field has been rejuvenated. Various sources of NSCs have been investigated and applied in current neuropathological paradigms aiming at the replacement of lost cells and the restoration of functionality based on successful integration. Whereas directing and supporting stem cells residing in brain niches constitutes one possible approach many investigations addressed their potential upon transplantation. Given the heterogeneity of these studies related to the nature of grafted cells, the local CNS environment, and applied implantation procedures we here set out to review and compare their applied protocols in order to evaluate rate-limiting parameters. Based on our compilation, we conclude that in healthy CNS tissue region specific cues dominate cell fate decisions. However, although increasing evidence points to the capacity of transplanted NSCs to reflect the regenerative need of an injury environment, a still heterogenic picture emerges when analyzing transplantation outcomes in injury or disease models. These are likely due to methodological differences despite preserved injury environments. Based on this meta-analysis, we suggest future NSC transplantation experiments to be conducted in a more comparable way to previous studies and that subsequent analyses must emphasize regional heterogeneity such as accounting for differences in gray versus white matter.

scholarly journals Loss of postnatal quiescence of neural stem cells through mTOR activation upon genetic removal of cysteine string protein-α

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (16) ◽  
pp. 8000-8009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose L. Nieto-González ◽  
Leonardo Gómez-Sánchez ◽  
Fabiola Mavillard ◽  
Pedro Linares-Clemente ◽  
María C. Rivero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Radial Glia ◽  
Brain Dysfunction ◽  
Mtor Signaling ◽  
Cysteine String Protein ◽  
Newborn Neurons

Neural stem cells continuously generate newborn neurons that integrate into and modify neural circuitry in the adult hippocampus. The molecular mechanisms that regulate or perturb neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we have found that mouse hippocampal radial glia-like (RGL) neural stem cells express the synaptic cochaperone cysteine string protein-α (CSP-α). Remarkably, in CSP-α knockout mice, RGL stem cells lose quiescence postnatally and enter into a high-proliferation regime that increases the production of neural intermediate progenitor cells, thereby exhausting the hippocampal neural stem cell pool. In cell culture, stem cells in hippocampal neurospheres display alterations in proliferation for which hyperactivation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is the primary cause of neurogenesis deregulation in the absence of CSP-α. In addition, RGL cells lose quiescence upon specific conditional targeting of CSP-α in adult neural stem cells. Our findings demonstrate an unanticipated cell-autonomic and circuit-independent disruption of postnatal neurogenesis in the absence of CSP-α and highlight a direct or indirect CSP-α/mTOR signaling interaction that may underlie molecular mechanisms of brain dysfunction and neurodegeneration.

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