Understanding Parkinson’s Disease and the Role of BrainSTEM Technology
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in Singapore, affecting about three out of every 1,000 individuals over the age of 50. This disease results in the damage of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain, which release dopamine to regulate movement and learning. Restoring these neurons may alleviate symptoms such as tremors and difficulty in movement.
Understanding the Formation of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Laboratory
To understand how dopaminergic neurons form in laboratory environments, a team of researchers developed a two-step mapping approach known as BrainSTEM. In collaboration with partners like the University of Sydney, they studied approximately 680,000 cells from the embryonic brain to create a complete cellular map.
In the second step, the midbrain is precisely targeted to identify dopaminergic neurons. This comprehensive reference map is now a global standard for assessing the accuracy of midbrain models compared to actual human biology.
Challenges in Producing Midbrain Cells
The study, published in the journal Science Advances, showed that several methods used to culture midbrain cells also produced unwanted cells originating from other brain regions. These findings highlight the need to improve experimental protocols and develop data analysis pathways to detect and remove these unintended cell groups.
Dr. John Ouyang, the principal research scientist at the Centre for Computational Biology at Duke-NUS, explained that the BrainSTEM technique provides precision in identifying even the non-targeted cell groups accurately.
The Impact of BrainSTEM on Parkinson’s Research
Assistant Professor Alfred Sun from the Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program at Duke-NUS described BrainSTEM as a significant advancement in brain modeling. By offering a data-driven rigorous approach, it will accelerate the development of reliable cell therapies for Parkinson’s disease.
The brain maps will be made available as an open-source reference, allowing laboratories worldwide to use them to deepen understanding and accelerate discovery in the field of neuroscience.
Conclusion
The study emphasizes the importance of BrainSTEM technology in understanding human brain development and providing new treatments for Parkinson’s disease. By offering a comprehensive reference map of dopaminergic neurons, this research opens new avenues for improving cell therapy and offers new hope for patients. Supported by institutions like the USyd-NUS Ignition Grant and the Ida C. Morris Falk Foundation, Duke-NUS continues to lead in medical research and education, committed to enhancing patient care through scientific innovation.