The paper benchmarks dopaminergic stem cell models and cell therapy candidates using a human brain atlas to identify off-target populations and lineage plasticity.

bioRxiv · Jun 22, 2026 · PreprintDevelopmental Biology

Enhanced yield and subtype identity of hPSC-derived midbrain dopamine neuron by modulation of WNT and FGF18 signaling

Tae Wan Kim, Jinghua Piao, Vittoria Dickinson Bocchi, So Yeon Koo, Se Joon Choi, Fayzan F. Chaudhry, Donghe Yang, Hyunwoo Cho, Emiliano Hergenreder, Lucia Ruiz Perera, Subhashini Joshi, Zaki Abou-Mrad, Nidia Claros, Shkurte Ademi Donohue, Anika K. Frank, , Lorenz Studer

This study improves the yield and subtype identity of hPSC-derived midbrain dopamine neurons through optimized WNT and FGF18 signaling modulation, enhancing their functional and transcriptional similarity to primary neurons.

bioRxiv · Jan 6, 2025 · PreprintCell Biology

Cortical assembloids support the development of fast-spiking human PVALB+ cortical interneurons and uncover schizophrenia-associated defects

Ryan M. Walsh, Gregg W. Crabtree, Kriti Kalpana, Luz Jubierre, So Yeon Koo, Gabriele Ciceri, Joseph A. Gogos, Ilya Kruglikov, Lorenz Studer

The paper develops a cortical assembloid system to study human PVALB+ interneuron development and identifies schizophrenia-associated defects in their migration and molecular profiles.

bioRxiv · Nov 26, 2024 · PreprintNeuroscience

TNF-NFkB-p53 axis restricts in vivo survival of hPSC-derived dopamine neuron

Tae Wan Kim, So Yeon Koo, Markus Rießland, Fayzan F. Chaudhry, Benjamin Kolisnyk, Hyunwoo Cho, Marco Vincenzo Russo, Nathalie G. Saurat, Sanjoy Mehta, Ralph J. Garippa, Doron Betel, Lorenz Studer

The paper identifies p53-mediated apoptosis and TNF-NFkB signaling as key factors limiting survival of grafted dopamine neurons and shows that adalimumab treatment improves their engraftment and function in a PD mouse model.

Cell · Jun 11, 2024Peer-reviewedNeuroscience

An epigenetic barrier sets the timing of human neuronal maturation

Gabriele Ciceri, Arianna Baggiolini, Hyunwoo Cho, Meghana Kshirsagar, Silvia K. Benito-Kwiecinski, Ryan M. Walsh, Kelly A. Aromolaran, Alberto J. Gonzalez-Hernandez, Hermany Munguba, So Yeon Koo, Nan Xu, Kaylin J. Sevilla, Peter A. Goldstein, Joshua Levitz, Christina S. Leslie, , Lorenz Studer

Chromatin regulators including EZH2, EHMT1/2, and DOT1L establish an epigenetic barrier in human neural progenitors that poises maturation genes and sets the protracted pace of cortical neuron maturation.

Nature · Jan 31, 2024Peer-reviewedDevelopmental Biology✦ In-depth digest

ZCCHC17 modulates neuronal RNA splicing and supports cognitive resilience in Alzheimer's disease

Anne Marie W. Bartosch, Elliot H. H. Youth, Shania Hansen, Yiyang Wu, Heather M. Buchanan, Maria E. Kaufman, Harrison Xiao, So Yeon Koo, Archana Ashok, Sharanya Sivakumar, Rajesh Kumar Soni, Logan C. Dumitrescu, Tiffany G. Lam, Ali S. Ropri, Annie Lee, , Andrew F. Teich

This study shows ZCCHC17 regulates RNA splicing in neurons and its dysfunction contributes to splicing abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease, with potential therapeutic implications.

Journal of Neuroscience · Nov 22, 2023Peer-reviewedNeuroscience

Aβ42 oligomers trigger synaptic loss through CAMKK2-AMPK-dependent effectors coordinating mitochondrial fission and mitophagy

Annie Lee, Chandana Kondapalli, Daniel M. Virga, Tommy L. Lewis, So Yeon Koo, Archana Ashok, Georges Mairet‐Coello, Sébastien Herzig, Marc Foretz, Benoı̂t Viollet, Reuben J. Shaw, Andrew A. Sproul, Franck Polleux

This study shows Aβ42 oligomers cause synaptic loss by activating CAMKK2-AMPK, which coordinates mitochondrial fission and mitophagy in neurons.

Nature Communications · Aug 1, 2022Peer-reviewedNeuroscience