Olfactory cells via nasal biopsy reflect the developing brain in gene expression profiles: Utility and limitation of the surrogate tissues in research for brain disorders

Abstract

Human olfactory cells obtained by rapid nasal biopsy have been suggested to be a good surrogate system to address brain disease-associated molecular changes. Nonetheless, whether use of this experimental strategy is justified remains unclear. Here we compared expression profiles of olfactory cells systematically with those from the brain tissues and other cells. Principal component analysis indicated that the expression profiles of olfactory cells are very different from those of blood cells, but are closer to those of stem cells, in particular mesenchymal stem cells, that can be differentiated into the cells of the central nervous system.

The Olfactory Neural Epithelium As a Tool in Neuroscience

“…Cultured OE cells have revealed similar gene expression profiles than stem cells and brain tissues, but not blood cells [7]. OE can also be sectioned, fixed and used for histochemistry purposes; indeed, similar histochemical signatures have been reported between olfactory neurons from biopsied OE and autopsied cerebral tissues from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients [8].…”

“…However, molecular profiles of olfactory cells have been shown to be similar to those of mesenchymal stem cells, which can be induced into neuron-like cells or astrocyte-like cells [7]. Human olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells can induce neurogenesis and contribute to the restoration of hippocampal neural networks in mice [14].…”

Application of olfactory tissue and its neural progenitors to schizophrenia and psychiatric research

“…One protocol for dissociated cultures can purify homogenous, ß-tubulin III-positive cell populations through re-plating process to remove possible contamination by unwanted cell types. Such olfactory cells have shown similar gene expression profiles to stem cells and brain tissues, but not blood cells [42]. …”

Enhanced conversion of induced neuronal cells (iN cells) from human fibroblasts: Utility in uncovering cellular deficits in mental illness-associated chromosomal abnormalities

“…Various techniques have been developed in an attempt to overcome this limitation, however induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells require months to prepare, while olfactory cells are not central nervous system cells (Brennand and Gage, 2011; Brennand et al, 2013; Gamo and Sawa, 2014; Horiuchi et al, 2013). The novel technology of induced neuronal cells (iN cells), which directly converts human peripheral cells into cells with postmitotic neuronal traits, is particularly promising for translational neuroscience (Kano et al, 2015; Vierbuchen et al, 2010; Yang et al, 2011).…”