1. Using Human iPSC-Derived Neurons to Model TAU Aggregation.
- Author
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An Verheyen, Annick Diels, Joyce Dijkmans, Tutu Oyelami, Giulia Meneghello, Liesbeth Mertens, Sofie Versweyveld, Marianne Borgers, Arjan Buist, Pieter Peeters, and Miroslav Cik
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia are amongst the most common forms of dementia characterized by the formation and deposition of abnormal TAU in the brain. In order to develop a translational human TAU aggregation model suitable for screening, we transduced TAU harboring the pro-aggregating P301L mutation into control hiPSC-derived neural progenitor cells followed by differentiation into cortical neurons. TAU aggregation and phosphorylation was quantified using AlphaLISA technology. Although no spontaneous aggregation was observed upon expressing TAU-P301L in neurons, seeding with preformed aggregates consisting of the TAU-microtubule binding repeat domain triggered robust TAU aggregation and hyperphosphorylation already after 2 weeks, without affecting general cell health. To validate our model, activity of two autophagy inducers was tested. Both rapamycin and trehalose significantly reduced TAU aggregation levels suggesting that iPSC-derived neurons allow for the generation of a biologically relevant human Tauopathy model, highly suitable to screen for compounds that modulate TAU aggregation.
- Published
- 2015
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