Abnormal Neural Progenitor Cells Differentiated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Partially Mimicked Development of TSC2 Neurological Abnormalities

Abstract

Summary: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a disease featuring devastating and therapeutically challenging neurological abnormalities. However, there is a lack of specific neural progenitor cell models for TSC. Here, the pathology of TSC was studied using primitive neural stem cells (pNSCs) from a patient presenting a c.1444-2A>C mutation in TSC2. We found that TSC2 pNSCs had higher proliferative activity and increased PAX6 expression compared with those of control pNSCs. Neurons differentiated from TSC2 pNSCs showed enlargement of the soma, perturbed neurite outgrowth, and abnormal connections among cells. TSC2 astrocytes had increased saturation density and higher proliferative activity. Moreover, the activity of the mTOR pathway was enhanced in pNSCs and induced in neurons and astrocytes. Thus, our results suggested that TSC2 heterozygosity caused neurological malformations in pNSCs, indicating that its heterozygosity might be sufficient for the development of neurological abnormalities in patients. : In this article, Cheng and colleagues isolated primitive neural stem cells from a patient presenting a c.1444-2A>C mutation in TSC2. These iPSC-derived neural cells recapitulated the pathophysiology of TSC2-deficient patients and could be used for screening appropriate drugs for personalized therapies. Keywords: induced pluripotent stem cells, mTOR, neural differentiation, neurological abnormalities, primitive neural stem cells, tuberous sclerosis complex