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iPSC toolbox for understanding and repairing disrupted brain circuits in autism

Molecular Psychiatry volume 27, pages 249–258 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Over the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in defining autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a disorder of brain connectivity. Indeed, whole-brain imaging studies revealed altered connectivity in the brains of individuals with ASD, and genetic studies identified rare ASD-associated mutations in genes that regulate synaptic development and function. However, it remains unclear how specific mutations alter the development of neuronal connections in different brain regions and whether altered connections can be restored therapeutically. The main challenge is the lack of preclinical models that recapitulate important aspects of human development for studying connectivity. Through recent technological innovations, it is now possible to generate patient- or mutation-specific human neurons or organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and to study altered connectivity in vitro or in vivo upon xenotransplantation into an intact rodent brain. Here, we discuss how deficits in neurodevelopmental processes may lead to abnormal brain connectivity and how iPSC-based models can be used to identify abnormal connections and to gain insights into underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms to develop novel therapeutics.

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Fig. 1: How ASD-associated connectivity deficits may arise during brain development.
Fig. 2: Application of iPSC-derived neurons and organoids to study connectivity deficits in ASD.

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  1. Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Simone Chiola, Nicolas U. Edgar & Aleksandr Shcheglovitov

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Chiola, S., Edgar, N.U. & Shcheglovitov, A. iPSC toolbox for understanding and repairing disrupted brain circuits in autism. Mol Psychiatry 27, 249–258 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01288-7

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