iPSC and optogenetics technologies for interrogating functional synaptic connections in vitro
Eunice
W.
Chin1, 2, 3,
Guillaume
Marcy1, 2,
Su-In
Yoon4,
Dongliang
Ma1, 2,
George
J.
Augustine4 and
Eyleen
L.
Goh1, 2, 5, 6*
-
1
Duke-NUS Medical School, Neuroscience Academic Clinical Programme, Singapore
-
2
National Neuroscience Institute, Department of Research, Singapore
-
3
National University of Singapore, NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Singapore
-
4
Nanyang Technological University, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore
-
5
National University of Singapore, Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore
-
6
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, KK Research Center, Singapore
Neurological disorders are amongst the most widely studied human aliments. Yet, the mechanisms by which multiple genes and their genomic variations influence the phenotypes of the disorders remain to be understood. Conventional disease modeling, such as gene knockout in cells or in animals, to attain the desired disease genotype may not be the most suitable platform for tackling most neurological disorders. With the advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, there presents a revolutionizing method for modeling complex human disorders. This technology is especially crucial for neuroscience research, where brain cells from human patients are not easily obtainable. Thus, human iPSC-derived neurons make an ideal model system for the study of neurological disorders and the development of neural functionality and plasticity. We have established in vitro assays using primary neuronal cultures, stem cell and iPS cells to recapitulate neurological disorders in vitro and to understand the underlying mechanisms. It is then possible to assess the ability of iPSC-derived neurons to physically interact with or synaptically connect to the other cell types in the system, and if these synapses are functional. Here, we will describe an integrated approach combining iPSC and optogenetics technologies for interrogating functional synaptic connections in vitro.
Keywords:
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells,
neurodegeneration,
optogenetics,
neuronal networks,
IPSC
Conference:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 27 Aug - 30 Aug, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Symposium 11: Generating New Neurons: From Development to Cell-Based Therapy
Topic:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry
Citation:
Chin
EW,
Marcy
G,
Yoon
S,
Ma
D,
Augustine
GJ and
Goh
EL
(2016). iPSC and optogenetics technologies for interrogating functional synaptic connections in vitro.
Conference Abstract:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fncel.2016.36.00047
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Received:
26 Jul 2016;
Published Online:
11 Aug 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Eyleen L Goh, Duke-NUS Medical School, Neuroscience Academic Clinical Programme, Singapore, Singapore, eyleen.gohlk@ntu.edu.sg