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Human neural stem cell transplantation improves cognition in a murine model of Alzheimer's disease.

ABSTRACT: Stem cell transplantation offers a potentially transformative approach to treating neurodegenerative disorders. The safety of cellular therapies is established in multiple clinical trials, including our own in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. To initiate similar trials in Alzheimer's disease, efficacious cell lines must be identified. Here, we completed a preclinical proof-of-concept study in the APP/PS1 murine model of Alzheimer's disease. Human neural stem cell transplantation targeted to the fimbria fornix significantly improved cognition in two hippocampal-dependent memory tasks at 4 and 16 weeks post-transplantation. While levels of synapse-related proteins and cholinergic neurons were unaffected, amyloid plaque load was significantly reduced in stem cell transplanted mice and associated with increased recruitment of activated microglia. In vitro, these same neural stem cells induced microglial activation and amyloid phagocytosis, suggesting an immunomodulatory capacity. Although long-term transplantation resulted in significant functional and pathological improvements in APP/PS1 mice, stem cells were not identified by immunohistochemistry or PCR at the study endpoint. These data suggest integration into native tissue or the idea that transient engraftment may be adequate for therapeutic efficacy, reducing the need for continued immunosuppression. Overall, our results support further preclinical development of human neural stem cells as a safe and effective therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

SUBMITTER: McGinley LM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6170460 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Human neural stem cell transplantation improves cognition in a murine model of Alzheimer's disease.

McGinley Lisa M LM Kashlan Osama N ON Bruno Elizabeth S ES Chen Kevin S KS Hayes John M JM Kashlan Samy R SR Raykin Julia J Johe Karl K Murphy Geoffrey G GG Feldman Eva L EL

Scientific reports 20181003 1

Stem cell transplantation offers a potentially transformative approach to treating neurodegenerative disorders. The safety of cellular therapies is established in multiple clinical trials, including our own in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. To initiate similar trials in Alzheimer's disease, efficacious cell lines must be identified. Here, we completed a preclinical proof-of-concept study in the APP/PS1 murine model of Alzheimer's disease. Human neural stem cell transplantation targeted to the fi ...[more]

PMID: 30283042

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Project description:The impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis at the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is believed to support early cognitive decline. Converging studies sustain the idea that vitamin D might be linked to the pathophysiology of AD and to hippocampal neurogenesis. Nothing being known about the effects of vitamin D on hippocampal neurogenesis in AD, we assessed them in a mouse model of AD. In a previous study, we observed that dietary vitamin D supplementation in female AD-like mice reduced cognitive decline only when delivered during the symptomatic phase. With these data in hand, we wondered whether the consequences of vitamin D administration on hippocampal neurogenesis are stage-dependent. Male wild-type and transgenic AD-like mice (5XFAD model) were fed with a diet containing either no vitamin D (0VD) or a normal dose of vitamin D (NVD) or a high dose of vitamin D (HVD), from month 1 to month 6 (preventive arm) or from month 4 to month 9 (curative arm). Working memory was assessed using the Y-maze, while amyloid burden, astrocytosis, and neurogenesis were quantified using immunohistochemistry. In parallel, the effects of vitamin D on proliferation and differentiation were assayed on primary cultures of murine neural progenitor cells. Improved working memory and neurogenesis were observed when high vitamin D supplementation was administered during the early phases of the disease, while a normal dose of vitamin D increased neurogenesis during the late phases. Conversely, an early hypovitaminosis D increased the number of amyloid plaques in AD mice while a late hypovitaminosis D impaired neurogenesis in AD and WT mice. The observed in vivo vitamin D-associated increased neurogenesis was partially substantiated by an augmented in vitro proliferation but not an increased differentiation of neural progenitors into neurons. Finally, a sexual dimorphism was observed. Vitamin D supplementation improved the working memory of males and females, when delivered during the pre-symptomatic and symptomatic phases, respectively. Our study establishes that (i) neurogenesis is improved by vitamin D in a male mouse model of AD, in a time-dependent manner, and (ii) cognition is enhanced in a gender-associated way. Additional pre-clinical studies are required to further understand the gender- and time-specific mechanisms of action of vitamin D in AD. This may lead to an adaptation of vitamin D supplementation in relation to patient's gender and age as well as to the stage of the disease.

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Human neural stem cell transplantation improves cognition in a murine model of Alzheimer's disease.

Publications

Human neural stem cell transplantation improves cognition in a murine model of Alzheimer's disease.

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