Stem cells are present in all stages of human life, from early stages to adulthood. In the adult brain, neurogenic niches remain active, although with limited regenerative capacity. On the other hand, the development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) technology and transdifferentiating protocols revolutionized the neuroscience field by giving access to the human brain.
Through lifetime one can suffer from different cerebral conditions, including tumors, acute brain injuries, stroke (acute conditions) as well as neurodegenerative disorders (chronic conditions). In fact, aging alters brain circuity and physico-chemical properties. Despite all the progress, there have been few advances in terms of novel therapeutic strategies for cerebral disorders. The complexity of the pathologies associated with the challenge of overcoming the blood-brain barrier for effective drug delivery makes it timely to not only unveil novel convergent mechanisms but also to develop novel and more complex models that better represent the human pathology. This will not only improve our understanding of the disorder but will also be more translatable into the human, allowing for more efficient and successful drug screening platforms.
Usage of stem cells facilitated the creation of more translatable models, which rapidly evolved from less complex monocultures (2D) to more complex systems (3D, brain organoids) that are still being optimized to better resemble the human brain or even to connect different organs (organs-on-chip strategies).
In this Research Topic, we aim to bring light into the potentialities of the stem cell field in terms of understanding the genotypes, phenotypes, and mechanism of action behind the aging brain and the diseased brain. We further ambition to shed light on the onset and progression of neurological disorders including acute (e.g. stroke, tumors, traumatic brain injuries, etc.) and chronic disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.), as well as to highlight the variety of stem cell-based therapeutic strategies as potentially effective treatments for these pathologies.
To do this we encourage the submission of original and review manuscripts. The suggested themes are:
- Development of stem cell-based in vivo or in vitro models, both 2D and 3D, originated from embryonic stem cells (ESC), iPSCs, neural stem cells (NSC), to name a few examples;
- Usage of stem cell-based models to better understand human brain disorders and aging. Diseases include neurodegenerative disorders, acute disorders such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, among others. Models should be used to unveil differences and/or alterations in terms of genome, epigenetics as well as cellular and molecular phenotypes and mechanistics.;
- Use of stem cells as therapeutic agents. Potential therapeutic strategies can be related, but are not limited to the use of:
o stem cells per se, with or without genetic modifications;
o stem cell secretome and/or derivatives (e.g. exosomes);
o stem cells as drug vehicles;
o biomaterials, drugs and/or genetic material for targeting stem cell niches and/or in combination with stem cells.
- Establishment of novel pipelines for high-throughput screening of novel therapeutics for neurodegeneration and brain injury using stem cell-based models.
Stem cells are present in all stages of human life, from early stages to adulthood. In the adult brain, neurogenic niches remain active, although with limited regenerative capacity. On the other hand, the development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) technology and transdifferentiating protocols revolutionized the neuroscience field by giving access to the human brain.
Through lifetime one can suffer from different cerebral conditions, including tumors, acute brain injuries, stroke (acute conditions) as well as neurodegenerative disorders (chronic conditions). In fact, aging alters brain circuity and physico-chemical properties. Despite all the progress, there have been few advances in terms of novel therapeutic strategies for cerebral disorders. The complexity of the pathologies associated with the challenge of overcoming the blood-brain barrier for effective drug delivery makes it timely to not only unveil novel convergent mechanisms but also to develop novel and more complex models that better represent the human pathology. This will not only improve our understanding of the disorder but will also be more translatable into the human, allowing for more efficient and successful drug screening platforms.
Usage of stem cells facilitated the creation of more translatable models, which rapidly evolved from less complex monocultures (2D) to more complex systems (3D, brain organoids) that are still being optimized to better resemble the human brain or even to connect different organs (organs-on-chip strategies).
In this Research Topic, we aim to bring light into the potentialities of the stem cell field in terms of understanding the genotypes, phenotypes, and mechanism of action behind the aging brain and the diseased brain. We further ambition to shed light on the onset and progression of neurological disorders including acute (e.g. stroke, tumors, traumatic brain injuries, etc.) and chronic disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.), as well as to highlight the variety of stem cell-based therapeutic strategies as potentially effective treatments for these pathologies.
To do this we encourage the submission of original and review manuscripts. The suggested themes are:
- Development of stem cell-based in vivo or in vitro models, both 2D and 3D, originated from embryonic stem cells (ESC), iPSCs, neural stem cells (NSC), to name a few examples;
- Usage of stem cell-based models to better understand human brain disorders and aging. Diseases include neurodegenerative disorders, acute disorders such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, among others. Models should be used to unveil differences and/or alterations in terms of genome, epigenetics as well as cellular and molecular phenotypes and mechanistics.;
- Use of stem cells as therapeutic agents. Potential therapeutic strategies can be related, but are not limited to the use of:
o stem cells per se, with or without genetic modifications;
o stem cell secretome and/or derivatives (e.g. exosomes);
o stem cells as drug vehicles;
o biomaterials, drugs and/or genetic material for targeting stem cell niches and/or in combination with stem cells.
- Establishment of novel pipelines for high-throughput screening of novel therapeutics for neurodegeneration and brain injury using stem cell-based models.
