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BDNF gene transfer to the mammalian brain using CNS-derived neural precursors

Gene Therapy volume 6, pages 1851–1866 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

Neural stem cell lines represent a homogeneous source of cells for genetic, developmental, and gene transfer and repair studies in the nervous system. Since both gene transfer of neurotrophic factors and cell replacement strategies are of immediate interest for therapeutical purposes, we have generated BDNF-secreting neural stem cell lines and investigated to what extent different endogenous levels of BDNF expression affect in vitro survival, proliferation and differentiation of these cells. Also, we have investigated the in vivo effects of such BDNF gene transfer procedure in the rat neostriatum. Hippocampus- and cerebellum-derived cell lines reacted differently to manipulations aimed at varying their levels of BDNF production. Over-expression of BDNF enhanced survival of both cell types, in a serum-deprivation assay. Conversely, and ruling out unspecific effects, expression of an antisense version of BDNF resulted in compromised survival of cerebellum-derived cells, and in a lethal phenotype in hippocampal progenitors. These data indicate that endogenous BDNF level strongly influences the in vitro survival of these cells. These effects are more pronounced for hippocampus- than for cerebellum-derived progenitors. Hippocampus-derived BDNF overproducers showed no major change in their capacity to differentiate towards a neuronal phenotype in vitro. In contrast, cerebellar progenitors overproducing BDNF did not differentiate into neurons, whereas cells expressing the antisense BDNF construct generated cells with morphological features of neurons and expressing immunological neuronal markers. Taken together, these results provide evidence that BDNF controls both the in vitro survival and differentiation of neural stem cells. After in vivo transplantation of BDNF-overproducing cells to the rat neostriatum, these survived better than the control ones, and induced the expected neurotrophic effects on cholinergic neurons. However, long-term (3 months) administration of BDNF resulted in detrimental effects, at this location. These findings may be of importance for the understanding of brain development, for the design of therapeutic neuro-regenerative strategies, and for cell replacement and gene therapy studies.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the excellent technical assistance of B Sesé. This work was supported by grants from Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología and Boehringer-Ingelheim SA (JS), NeuroSearch (AMS), Swedish Medical Research Council, Segerfalk, Kock and Wiberg Foundations (OL), National Institutes of Health (NS34247) (EYS). The institutional grant from Ramón Areces Foundation to the CBMSO is also gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa, Autonomous University of Madrid, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

    F J Rubio, A del Arco, M I García-Simón, J Satrústegui & A Martínez-Serrano

  2. Section of Restorative Neurology, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund, Sweden

    Z Kokaia & O Lindvall

  3. Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    E Y Snyder

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Rubio, F., Kokaia, Z., del Arco, A. et al. BDNF gene transfer to the mammalian brain using CNS-derived neural precursors. Gene Ther 6, 1851–1866 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gt.3301028

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