Modeling late-onset Alzheimer's disease neuropathology via direct neuronal reprogramming.

ABSTRACT

Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) is the most common form of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, modeling sporadic LOAD that endogenously captures hallmark neuronal pathologies such as amyloid-ß (Aß) deposition, tau tangles, and neuronal loss remains an unmet need. We demonstrate that neurons generated by microRNA (miRNA)-based direct reprogramming of fibroblasts from individuals affected by autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) and LOAD in a three-dimensional environment effectively recapitulate key neuropathological features of AD. Reprogrammed LOAD neurons exhibit Aß-dependent neurodegeneration, and treatment with ß- or γ-secretase inhibitors before (but not subsequent to) Aß deposit formation mitigated neuronal death. Moreover inhibiting age-associated retrotransposable elements in LOAD neurons reduced both Aß deposition and neurodegeneration. Our study underscores the efficacy of modeling late-onset neuropathology of LOAD through high-efficiency miRNA-based neuronal reprogramming.