MaxWell Webinar with Prof. Dr. Nael Nadif Kasri

Due to the unpublished data presented by our speaker, Prof. Dr. Nael Nadif Kasri, we are unable to provide a recording of the webinar at this time. Stay tuned for future webinars, and make sure not to miss them!

 This webinar covered:

Established neuronal networks from human-iPSCs derived from patients with different neurodevelopmental disorder gene mutations

Combined RNA-sequencing and MEA recordings to analyze functional diversity in neuronal activity

Identified specific activity phenotypes and clusters associated with particular neurodevelopmental disorders, revealing potential molecular underpinnings

Speaker

Prof. Dr. Nael Nadif Kasri
Radboud University Medical Centre
Netherlands

Host

Dr. Marie Obien
MaxWell Biosystems
Switzerland

Host

Dr. Malin Kele
BioLamina
Sweden

Title

Neurons are talking… are you listening?

Abstract

Advancements in human genetics have enabled the identification of numerous genes linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Despite progress in understanding the genetic underpinnings of NDDs, a significant disparity remains between genetic discoveries and understanding the underlying pathophysiology. I will discuss a recent study in which we established human derived neuronal networks using neurons derived from patients carrying mutations in 15 distinct NDD genes. By integrating RNA-sequencing and microelectrode array (MEA) recordings in neurons derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) with NDD-related mutations, we aimed to elucidate the functional diversity in neuronal activity associated with NDDs and uncover its molecular basis. Analysis of more than 1000 recordings from 43 NDD-related cell lines revealed distinct activity phenotypes, with specific clusters associated with particular disorders. RNA-sequencing and network activity recording identified co-regulated gene modules potentially influencing activity patterns. We will further describe how our framework offers a platform to bridge the gap between molecular and functional aspects of neurodevelopment, with potential implications for NDD treatment development.

Speaker Bio

Nael Nadif Kasri completed his PhD in molecular biology at KU Leuven. After his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in neurobiology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), New York. In 2010, he started his independent research group at Radboudumc, where he is part of the Donders Institute. His research focuses on understanding the synaptic basis of neurodevelopmental disorders. In particular, his expertise in generating patient-derived neural lineages and their neurophysiological analysis at the single-cell and network levels (MEA) is pioneering this novel research field.