Potassium chloride cotransporter-2 (KCC2) plays a critical role in brain function, and deficiency in KCC2 has been linked to neurological diseases, psychiatric disorders, and central nervous system injuries. In particular, Rett syndrome (RTT), a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the X-linked gene Methyl CpG binding Protein 2 (MECP2), has been linked to deficits in KCC2. The disclosure reports the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology to generate stem cell-derived, genetically defined KCC2 reporter human neurons for large-scale compound screening. This screening platform has been utilized to identify a number of small molecule compounds that are capable of enhancing KCC2 expression in both wild-type and RTT neurons, as well as organotypical brain slices cultured from wild-type mice. These first-in class compounds may be applied as a novel therapeutic approach to restore the impaired balance between excitation and inhibition observed in neurological diseases, psychiatric disorders, and central nervous system injuries.
氯化钾共转运体-2(KCC2)在大脑功能中起着至关重要的作用,KCC2的缺乏与神经系统疾病、精神疾病和中枢神经系统损伤有关。特别是雷特综合征(R
TT),这是一种由 X 连锁
基因甲基 CpG 结合蛋白 2(MECP2)突变引起的严重神经发育障碍,与 KCC2 的缺陷有关。该披露报告了使用 CRI
SPR/Cas9
基因组编辑技术生成干细胞衍生的、
基因定义的 KCC2 报告人神经元,用于大规模化合物筛选。利用这一筛选平台鉴定出了许多
小分子化合物,这些化合物能够增强野生型和 R
TT 神经元以及从野生型小鼠培养的器官型脑片中的 KCC2 表达。这些首创化合物可作为一种新型治疗方法,用于恢复在神经系统疾病、精神疾病和中枢神经系统损伤中观察到的受损的兴奋和抑制之间的平衡。