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Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a self-renewable pool of cells derived from an organism’s somatic cells. These can then be programmed to other cell types, including neurons. Use of iPSCs in research has been two-fold as they have been used for human disease modelling as well as for the possibility to generate new therapies. Particularly in complex human diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, iPSCs can give advantages over traditional animal models in that they more accurately represent the human genome. Additionally, patient-derived cells can be modified using gene editing technology and further transplanted to the brain. Glial cells have recently become important avenues of research in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, for example, in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This review focuses on using glial cells (astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) derived from human iPSCs in order to give a better understanding of how these cells contribute to neurodegenerative disease pathology. Using glia iPSCs in in vitro cell culture, cerebral organoids, and intracranial transplantation may give us future insight into both more accurate models and disease-modifying therapies.
Highlights
Only relegated to the support cells of the central nervous system, glial cells—astroglia, microglia, and oligodendrocytes—often took a back seat to neurons in terms of relative importance in neuroscience
Using Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to understand glial cell involvement in human neurodegenerative diseases, including AD and PD where they are heavily implicated in mechanism, will continue to be crucial for future research
The advent of 3D brain organoids derived from iPSCs has become a major area of research in recent years, since modelling the brain microenvironment is necessary to understand the complexities of human disease
Summary
Only relegated to the support cells of the central nervous system, glial cells—astroglia, microglia, and oligodendrocytes—often took a back seat to neurons in terms of relative importance in neuroscience. Researchers are discovering the central role they play in the brain, when it comes to complex human disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases. With the ability to produce human glia in vitro, we have been able to study how these cells might contribute to disease aetiology and gain further insight into future therapy. This review discusses how glial cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are being used to better model the most common human neurodegenerative diseases, as well as a look towards how transplantation of iPSCs can work as both a model and a therapeutic strategy
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