Olfactory Neuroepithelial Neural Progenitor Cells from Subjects with Bipolar I Disorder
Yonglin Gao1, Welby Winstead2, Zhenmin Lei3
1Mood Disorders Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA.
Insights
Researchers safely obtained olfactory neural progenitor (ONP) cells from bipolar disorder patients. These cells offer a novel way to study bipolar disorder pathophysiology without genetic manipulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Studying bipolar disorder (BD) pathophysiology is challenging due to the inability to directly examine brain cellular processes in patients.
- Existing research methods for BD cellular studies often require genetic manipulation, which can introduce confounding factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and characterize olfactory neural progenitor (ONP) cell lines from individuals with bipolar I disorder.
- To assess the safety and feasibility of obtaining ONP cells via outpatient endoscopic biopsy.
- To explore the potential of ONP cells for investigating the cellular mechanisms underlying bipolar disorder.
Main Methods:
- Outpatient endoscopic biopsy was performed on subjects diagnosed with bipolar I disorder.
- Olfactory function was evaluated before and after the biopsy using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT).
- Obtained cells were characterized to confirm their neural progenitor lineage and identify specific protein markers.
Main Results:
- The biopsy procedure was safe, with no significant complications reported, including effects on olfactory function.
- Olfactory neural progenitor (ONP) cells were successfully isolated in 23.1% of biopsy attempts (3 out of 13).
- Characterization confirmed ONPs expressed both neuron-specific (e.g., β-tubulin III, nestin) and glia-specific (e.g., GFAP, MBP) proteins.
Conclusions:
- Olfactory neural progenitor (ONP) cells can be safely acquired from awake outpatients with bipolar disorder.
- These ONP cells represent a valuable tool for studying the pathophysiology of bipolar illness and potentially other neuropsychiatric conditions.
- Using patient-derived ONP cells allows for the investigation of cellular pathology without the need for genetic manipulation, unlike induced pluripotent stem cells.
Background:
Research into the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD) is limited by the inability to examine brain cellular processes in subjects with the illness.
Methods:
Endoscopic biopsy was performed in subjects with bipolar I disorder to establish olfactory neural progenitor (ONP) cell lines. Olfactory function was assessed prebiopsy and postbiopsy using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). Cells were characterized to determine their lineage.
Results:
There were no significant complications associated with the biopsy procedure, including olfaction. Outpatient olfactory neuroepithelial biopsy yielded ONP cells in three out of 13 biopsy attempts (23.1%). ONPs were positive for neuron-specific proteins (β-tubulin III, nestin, hexaribonucleotide binding protein-3, and peripherin) and glia-specific proteins (glial fibrillary acidic protein and myelin basic protein).
Conclusions:
ONP cells can be obtained safely from awake outpatients and are potentially useful for pathophysiological studies of bipolar illness and perhaps other neuropsychiatric conditions. Such cells allow for the investigation of potential pathological cellular processes without the confounding factors of genetic manipulation, which is required for induced pluripotent cells.
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