Generation of eight hiPSCs lines from two pathogenic variants in CACNA1A using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology.

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are rare severe neurodevelopmental disorders with a cumulative incidence of 1:6.000 live births. Many epileptic conditions arise from single nucleotide variants in CACNA1A (calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 A), encoding the CaV2.1 calcium channel subunit. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are an optimal choice for modeling DEEs, as they can be differentiated in vitro into diverse neuronal subpopulations. Here, we report the generation of hiPSC lines with two pathogenic CACNA1A variants c.1767C > T, p. (Arg589Cys), referred to as R589C and c. 2139G > A, p.(Ala713Thr), referred to as A713T, previously associated with epilepsy. The variants were introduced into a hiPSC line from a healthy individual via CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology.

Cell Type Specific Expression of Toll-Like Receptors in Human Brains and Implications in Alzheimer's Disease.

Toll-like receptors mediate important cellular immune responses upon activation via various pathogenic stimuli such as bacterial or viral components. The activation and subsequent secretion of cytokines and proinflammatory factors occurs in the whole body including the brain. The subsequent inflammatory response is crucial for the immune system to clear the pathogen(s) from the body via the innate and adaptive immune response. Within the brain, astrocytes, neurons, microglia, and oligodendrocytes all bear unique compositions of Toll-like receptors. Besides pathogens, cellular damage and abnormally folded protein aggregates, such as tau and Amyloid beta peptides, have been shown to activate Toll-like receptors in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. This review provides an overview of the different cell type-specific Toll-like receptors of the human brain, their activation mode, and subsequent cellular response, as well as their activation in Alzheimer's disease. Finally, we critically evaluate the therapeutic potential of targeting Toll-like receptors for treatment of Alzheimer's disease as well as discussing the limitation of mouse models in understanding Toll-like receptor function in general and in Alzheimer's disease.

Generation of two isogenic iPSC lines with either a heterozygous or a homozygous E280A mutation in the PSEN1 gene.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Mutations in the gene PSEN1 encoding Presenilin1 are known to cause familial forms of AD with early age of onset. The most common mutation in the PSEN1 gene is the E280A mutation. iPSCs are an optimal choice for modeling AD, as they can be differentiated in vitro into neural cells. Here, we report the generation of two isogenic iPSC lines with either a homozygous or a heterozygous E280A mutation in the PSEN1 gene. The mutation was introduced into an iPSC line from a healthy individual using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Resource table.

Generation of two iPSC lines with either a heterozygous V717I or a heterozygous KM670/671NL mutation in the APP gene.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide. Mutations in the genes PSEN1, PSEN2 or APP are known to cause familial forms of AD with an early age of onset. In this study, specific pathogenic mutations in the APP gene were introduced into an iPSC line from a healthy individual by the use of CRISPR-Cas9. The study resulted in the generation of two new cell lines, one carrying the V717I APP mutation and one with the KM670/671NL APP mutation.