<p> Sanfilippo syndrome type B (Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB; MPS IIIB) is a lysosomal storage disorder affecting primarily the brain and is characterized by profound intellectual disability, dementia, and a lifespan of about twenty years. The cause is a mutation in the gene encoding α–<i> N</i>-acetylglucosaminidase (<i>NAGLU</i>), a lysosomal enzyme, leading to the deficiency of NAGLU and accumulation of heparan sulfate. I am investigating a stem cell gene therapy approach in a <i>Naglu-/-</i> mouse model. I think that iNSCs overexpressing NAGLU can engraft and reduce neural pathology in the mouse model. Here I report that NAGLU overexpressed in neural stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iNSCs) is capable of being taken up by deficient cells. I used flow cytometry and Lysotracker to demonstrate that NAGLU can reduce deficient cells’ lysosomal volume <i> in vitro</i>, suggesting that NAGLU treatment has a biological effect. iNSCs overexpressing <i>NAGLU</i> were injected into the brains of 1 day old <i>Naglu-/-</i> mice. iNSCs were detected 10 weeks after injection. Brain sections possessed NAGLU activity greater than or equal to heterozygous controls, activity was detected distal to injection sites, and transplanted animals showed reduction in LAMP1, GFAP, and CD68. The results suggest that engineered iNSCs could be used to deliver enzyme and treat MPS IIIB.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10278830 |
| Date | 08 July 2017 |
| Creators | Clarke, Don Lucas |
| Publisher | California State University, Los Angeles |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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