# Generation and molecular characterization of multiple human neural cell types

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2021 · $299,832

## Abstract

SUMMARY – Scientific Core
 Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer a remarkable opportunity to study human tissue and
organ development and to discover the molecular and cellular basis of human diseases. Capable of being
differentiated into nearly any cell type in the human body, iPSCs have proven to be invaluable for studying
previously inaccessible cell populations such as neural cells of the developing and mature brain. These
populations are among the most relevant cell types in the study of neurotropic viruses such as Zika virus
(ZIKV) and West Nile virus (WNV).
 ZIKV, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is currently reported to be circulating in 26 countries and territories in
Latin America and the Caribbean. While ZIKV infection has been linked to microcephaly in newborns and other
brain abnormalities such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, how ZIKV impairs brain development and function is
unknown. WNV, another member of flavivirus genus, can also lead to serious neurologic illnesses such as
encephalitis or meningitis, with the underlying mechanism remains elusive and there is no reported studies
using human cellular models. Since access to human brain tissue is very limited, generating new cellular
models using human iPSCs can facilitate biological discovery and drug development. Recently developed
technology to generate 3D cerebral organoids from iPSCs holds the promise of allowing for more accurate
models that recapitulate key processes and features of human brain development. To model ZIKV and WNV
infections of the central nervous system, the Scientific Core will optimize and standardize protocols for
differentiation of disease-relevant specific cell types (Specific Aims 1 and 2), generate genetically-modified
iPSC lines for functional studies (Specific Aim 1), supply cells and provide on-site training for all projects
(Specific Aim 2), and perform bioinformatics analyses for transcriptomic profiling (Specific Aim 3). The
Scientific Core plays an essential role in setting standards for reproducible conditions for cell culture through
cross-training of personnel in Projects 2 & 3, which is a critical component of robust platform development. The
Scientific Core will work closely with Project 1 on technology development and protocol optimization and the
Administrative Core for documentation and dissemination of validated protocols.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10134220
- **Project number:** 5U19AI131130-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Zhexing Wen
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $299,832
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10134220

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10134220, Generation and molecular characterization of multiple human neural cell types (5U19AI131130-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10134220. Licensed CC0.

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