Harnessing the potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells, functional assays and machine learning for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Journal: Frontiers in neuroscience
Published Date:

Abstract

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) affect 4.7% of the global population and are associated with delays in brain development and a spectrum of impairments that can lead to lifelong disability and even mortality. Identification of biomarkers for accurate diagnosis and medications for effective treatment are lacking, in part due to the historical use of preclinical model systems that do not translate well to the clinic for neurological disorders, such as rodents and heterologous cell lines. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are a promising system for modeling NDDs, providing opportunities to understand mechanisms driving NDDs in human neurons. Functional assays, including patch clamping, multielectrode array, and imaging-based assays, are popular tools employed with hiPSC disease models for disease investigation. Recent progress in machine learning (ML) algorithms also presents unprecedented opportunities to advance the NDD research process. In this review, we compare two-dimensional and three-dimensional hiPSC formats for disease modeling, discuss the applications of functional assays, and offer insights on incorporating ML into hiPSC-based NDD research and drug screening.

Authors

  • Ziqin Yang
    Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
  • Nicole A Teaney
    Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
  • Elizabeth D Buttermore
    Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
  • Mustafa Sahin
    Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
  • Wardiya Afshar-Saber
    Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

Keywords

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