Jongpil Kim, a Professor of Chemistry at Dongguk University, together with colleagues, has developed a novel cell therapy for Alzheimer's disease by analyzing the single-cell transcriptome profile.

Jongpil Kim, Professor of Chemistry, Dongguk University

The research team discovered a core subset of stem cells that can be used to treat Alzheimer's disease and contribute to the development of personalized cell therapy for these patients.

The findings were published online in Nature Communication, a sister journal to Nature, the world's top academic journal.

○ A team of scientists, led by Professor Jongpil Kim of Dongguk University, has identified rare oligodendrocytes in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and mouse models using single-cell-level transcriptome profiling, which may offer the possibility of a new cell therapy for the control and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The results were reported in the February issue of Nature communication (IF:17.6).

* Oligodendrocytes: Cells responsible for supporting neurons in the central nervous system of vertebrates.

○ Using single-cell transcriptome profiling analysis, a state-of-the-art system biochemistry technique, the research team identified rare oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells that are specific to Alzheimer's disease. They have named these specific cells, “disease-associated oligodendrocytes (DAOs)”.

  * Single-cell transcriptome profiling analysis: the latest bioinformatics technique for isolating a “single" cell and analyzing its genomic features.

○ In particular, by using pseudo-time analysis to analyze the single-cell data extracted from single-cell transcriptome profiling, the team identified an altered developmental lineage from oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to adult oligodendrocytes that are specific to the progression of dementia.

○ Moreover, the team found that the Erk signaling pathway is abnormally activated during dementia progression. Treatment of mice with dementia with a drug that targets the Erk signaling pathway improved their overall cognitive performance on behavioral tests.

○ Notably, Professor Jongpil Kim identified the role of similar cell populations in the brain, not only in mouse models, but also in patients with Alzheimer's disease, by applying correlation analysis to data on rare cortical dendritic cells obtained from patients with dementia.

○ "This study is significant as it not only confirms the strong therapeutic effect of rare oligodendrocytes in Alzheimer’s disease but also sheds new light on the role and potential of oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocytes progenitor stem cells in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases," said study leader, Professor Jongpil Kim. "It is also significant that we have secured a new means for stem cell therapy that can be used to treat dementia, a disease for which there is currently no cure."

○ The research was supported by the University Focused Research Center Program, the Interdepartmental Regenerative Medical Technology Development Project, and the Samsung Future Technology Development Program.

○ The study findings were published in the online edition of Nature Communication (IF=17.9), a sister journal of Nature, the world's top academic journal.

* Paper title

Single-cell RNA-sequencing identifies disease-associated oligodendrocytes in male APP NL-G-F and 5XFAD mice