Human stem cells harboring a suicide gene improve the safety and standardisation of neural transplants in Parkinsonian rats

Isabelle R. Luzy, Kevin C. L. Law, Niamh Moriarty, Cameron P. J. Hunt, Jennifer C. Durnall, Lachlan H. Thompson, Andras Nagy and Clare L. Parish ()
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Isabelle R. Luzy: The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne
Kevin C. L. Law: The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne
Niamh Moriarty: The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne
Cameron P. J. Hunt: The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne
Jennifer C. Durnall: The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne
Lachlan H. Thompson: The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne
Andras Nagy: Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University
Clare L. Parish: The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Despite advancements in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) differentiation protocols to generate appropriate neuronal progenitors suitable for transplantation in Parkinson’s disease, resultant grafts contain low proportions of dopamine neurons. Added to this is the tumorigenic risk associated with the potential presence of incompletely patterned, proliferative cells within grafts. Here, we utilised a hPSC line carrying a FailSafeTM suicide gene (thymidine kinase linked to cyclinD1) to selectively ablate proliferative cells in order to improve safety and purity of neural transplantation in a Parkinsonian model. The engineered FailSafeTM hPSCs demonstrated robust ventral midbrain specification in vitro, capable of forming neural grafts upon transplantation. Activation of the suicide gene within weeks after transplantation, by ganciclovir administration, resulted in significantly smaller grafts without affecting the total yield of dopamine neurons, their capacity to innervate the host brain or reverse motor deficits at six months in a rat Parkinsonian model. Within ganciclovir-treated grafts, other neuronal, glial and non-neural populations (including proliferative cells), were significantly reduced—cell types that may pose adverse or unknown influences on graft and host function. These findings demonstrate the capacity of a suicide gene-based system to improve both the standardisation and safety of hPSC-derived grafts in a rat model of Parkinsonism.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23125-9

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