Modelling MND using human induced pluripotent stem cells
About the project
The main focus of the Chandran lab is regenerative neurology: using patient derived iPSCs to investigate the behaviour of neurons and glial cells of the CNS in neurological diseases. We use state-of-the-art technologies, such CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and transcriptomics, to interrogate the molecular mechanisms by which mutations in C9ORF72, the most common cause of familial ALS, and TDP43 genes affect motor neurons and the macro-glial cells of the CNS (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes). In particular, we aim to understand the intricate neuron-glial crosstalk in neurodegenerative diseases.
In addition to discovery-based research, we also undertake a translational approach wherein we use automated high-throughput phenotypic evaluation to screen for therapeutic compounds, to develop neuroprotective therapies that target the neurons, as well as the glial cells.
