Help Comes from Unexpected Places: How a Tiny Fairy and a Tropical Fish may help us Model Mucopolysaccharidoses

When it comes to disease modeling, countless models are available for Lysosomal Storage Diseases (LSD). Historically, two major approaches are well-established: in vitro assessments are performed in patient fibroblasts, while in vivo pre-clinical studies are performed in mouse models. Still, both platforms have a series of drawbacks. Thus, we implemented two alternative and innovative protocols to mimic a particular sub-group of LSDs, the Mucopolysaccharidoses both in vitro and in vivo.

The first one relies on a non-invasive approach using dental pulp stem cells from deciduous teeth (SHEDs). SHEDs are multipotent neuronal precursors that can easily be collected. The second uses a state-of-the-art gene editing technology (CRISPR/Cas9) to generate zebrafish disease models.

Even though this is an ongoing project, we have already established and characterized two MPS II and one MPS VI SHED cell models. These cells self-maintain through several passages and can give rise to a variety of cells including neurons. Furthermore, all MPS-associated sub-cellular phenotypes we have assessed so far are easily observable in these cells. Regarding our zebrafish models, we have successfully knocked down both naglu and hgsnat and the first results we got from the behavioral analysis are promising ones, as we can observe altered activity and sleep patterns in the genetically modified fish. For this particular approach we chose MPS III forms as our target disorders, since their neurological features (hyperactivity, seizures and motor impairment) and lifespan decrease would be easily recognizable in zebrafish.

Now that these methods are well-established in our lab, their potential is immense. On one hand, the newly developed models will be of ultimate value to understand the mechanisms underlying MPS sub-cellular pathology, which have to be further elucidated. On the other hand, they will constitute an optimal platform for drug testing in house. Also noteworthy, our models will be published as lab resources and made available for the whole LSD community.