Undine Haferkamp, Carla Hartmann, Chaudhry Luqman Abid, Andreas Brachner, Alevtina Höchner, Anna Gerhartl, Bernadette Harwardt, Selin Leckzik, Jennifer Leu, Marco Metzger, Marina Nastainczyk-Wulf, Winfried Neuhaus, Sabrina Oerter, Ole Pless, Dan Rujescu, Matthias Jung, Antje Appelt-Menzel
BACKGROUND: The function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is impaired in late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD), but the associated molecular mechanisms, particularly with respect to the high-risk APOE4/4 genotype, are not well understood. For this purpose, we developed a multicellular isogenic model of the neurovascular unit (NVU) based on human induced pluripotent stem cells. METHODS: The human NVU was modeled in vitro using isogenic co-cultures of astrocytes, brain capillary endothelial-like cells (BCECs), microglia-like cells, neural stem cells (NSCs), and pericytes...
October 31, 2023: Fluids and Barriers of the CNS