Advanced human iPSC-based preclinical model for Parkinson's disease with optogenetic alpha-synuclein aggregation

Cell Stem Cell. 2023 Jul 6;30(7):973-986.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.05.015. Epub 2023 Jun 19.

Abstract

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer advantages for disease modeling and drug discovery. However, recreating innate cellular pathologies, particularly in late-onset neurodegenerative diseases with accumulated protein aggregates including Parkinson's disease (PD), has been challenging. To overcome this barrier, we developed an optogenetics-assisted α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation induction system (OASIS) that rapidly induces α-syn aggregates and toxicity in PD hiPSC-midbrain dopaminergic neurons and midbrain organoids. Our OASIS-based primary compound screening with SH-SY5Y cells identified 5 candidates that were secondarily validated with OASIS PD hiPSC-midbrain dopaminergic neurons and midbrain organoids, leading us to finally select BAG956. Furthermore, BAG956 significantly reverses characteristic PD phenotypes in α-syn preformed fibril models in vitro and in vivo by promoting autophagic clearance of pathological α-syn aggregates. Following the FDA Modernization Act 2.0's emphasis on alternative non-animal testing methods, our OASIS can serve as an animal-free preclinical test model (newly termed "nonclinical test") for the synucleinopathy drug development.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; alpha-synuclein; dopaminergic neurons; human pluripotent stem cell; opto-alpha-synuclein; optogenetics; organoid; protein aggregation; α-syn PFFs; α-synuclein preformed fibrils.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Dopaminergic Neurons / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells* / metabolism
  • Neuroblastoma* / metabolism
  • Neuroblastoma* / pathology
  • Optogenetics
  • Parkinson Disease* / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism

Substances

  • alpha-Synuclein
  • SNCA protein, human