
Leaders
Group description
Our research group aims to develop more physiologically relevant human-based models for studies of neurological diseases’ cellular and molecular mechanisms and the prediction of drug transport into the brain. We utilize patient-derived brain cells in 2D and 3D culture systems, including organoids, to more accurately mimic the diseased brain’s pathological conditions. We are especially interested in the glial non-cell-autonomous mechanisms and their contribution to neurodegeneration. We use breakthrough single-cell and imaging technologies combined with cutting-edge models to reveal the mechanisms and identify key therapeutic targets and pathways responsible for pathological glial phenotype. For drug transport studies, we employ custom-designed chips by Finnadvance. The system uses microfluidics and 3D cell culture and simulate thus the in vivo microenvironment with blood flow. Apart from using this model for testing novel drugs, we are also interested in using these models to uncover the molecular and transport mechanisms that regulate BBB permeability in physiological and pathological conditions.
Cooperation
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AIVI Stem Cell Center
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Cell and Tissue Imaging Unit
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Neuroinflammation research group
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Neurobiology of schizophrenia 01.01.2022 -
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Biomedical Informatics
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2022
- Valtteri Syvänen continues to work in our group as a project researcher from July
- Katrina Räty received a grant from the YUFE Postdoctoral Programme
- Eugenio Gallucio from Italy joined our group as an intern
- Katrina Räty received the postdoctoral funding from the Finnish Cultural Foundation
- Patryk Krupa from Poland joined our group as a research trainee to work with midbrain organoids
- PhD student Tuuli-Maria Sonninen and PI Sarka Lehtonen received research grants from Päiviki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation to model BBB with human iPSC-derived cells and to reveal metabolic profile of human microglia obtained from PD patients
2021
- Lab “pikkujoulu” in escape rooms and dinner at Blocco
- PhD student Jonna Niskanen received a three and half years salaried position from DPMM starting from January 2022
- Katrina Räty (Albert) joined our group after her postdoc in Spillantini group at the University of Cambridge
- Valtteri Syvänen started his Master`s thesis project in our group
- Sanni Peltonen and Sara Kälvälä joined our group as research assistants
- Group retreat in Puijo Disc Golf Park in June
- Vili Hakosalo joined our group as a project researcher in May
- Jonna Niskanen started as an early-stage researcher in January
2020
- Sarka Lehtonen received a three years Senior research fellowship from Sigrid Juselius Foundation in December
- PhD student Tuuli-Maria Sonninen was granted a three years position from the Doctoral Programme of Molecular Medicine in September
- Sarka Lehtonen obtained a three years research grant from Janne and Aatos Erkko Foundation in September
- Sarka Lehtonen got a funding for young group leaders from Sigrid Juselius Foundation in March
Keywords
Leaders
Post-doctoral Researchers
Doctoral Researchers
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Jonna Niskanen
Doctoral ResearcherFaculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences -
Tuuli-Maria Sonninen
Doctoral ResearcherFaculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences -
Sara Kälvälä
Doctoral Researcher-
Supporting Staff
Publications
21 items-
Blood-Brain Barrier and Neurodegenerative Diseases-Modeling with iPSC-Derived Brain Cells
Wu, Ying-Chieh; Sonninen, Tuuli-Maria; Peltonen, Sanni; Koistinaho, Jari; Lehtonen, Sarka. International journal of molecular sciences 22 14: 7710. 2021 -
Microglia-like Cells Promote Neuronal Functions in Cerebral Organoids
Fagerlund, Ilkka; Dougalis, Antonios; Shakirzyanova, Anastasia; Gómez-Budia, Mireia; Pelkonen, Anssi; Konttinen, Henna; Ohtonen, Sohvi; Fazaludeen, Mohammad Feroze; Koskuvi, Marja; Kuusisto, Johanna; Hernández, Damián; Pebay, Alice; Koistinaho, Jari; Rauramaa, Tuomas; Lehtonen, Šárka; Korhonen, Paula; Malm, Tarja. Cells 2022; 11 1: 124. 2021 -
Molecular signaling pathways underlying schizophrenia
Tiihonen, Jari; Koskuvi, Marja; Lähteenvuo, Markku; Trontti, Kalevi; Ojansuu, Ilkka; Vaurio, Olli; Cannon, Tyrone D; Lönnqvist, Jouko; Therman, Sebastian; Suvisaari, Jaana; Cheng, Lesley; Tanskanen, Antti; Taipale, Heidi; Lehtonen, Šárka; Koistinaho, Jari. Schizophrenia research 232: 33-41. 2021 -
Studying non-cell-autonomous neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease with induced pluripotent stem cells
Sonninen, Tuuli-Maria; Plotnikova, Lidiia; Laham-Karam, Nihay; Goldsteins, Gundars; Koistinaho, Jari; Lehtonen, Šárka / iPSCs for Modeling Central Nervous System Disorders. 2021. 2021 -
Utilising Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Neurodegenerative Disease Research: Focus on Glia
Albert, Katrina; Niskanen, Jonna; Kälvälä, Sara; Lehtonen, Šárka. International journal of molecular sciences 22 9: 4334. 2021 -
A CX3CR1 Reporter hESC Line Facilitates Integrative Analysis of In-Vitro-Derived Microglia and Improved Microglia Identity upon Neuron-Glia Co-culture
Grubman, Alexandra; Vandekolk, Teresa H; Schröder, Jan; Sun, Guizhi; Hatwell-Humble, Jessica; Chan, Jonathan; Oksanen, Minna; Lehtonen, Sarka; Hunt, Cameron; Koistinaho, Jari; Nilsson, Susan; Haynes, John; Pouton, Colin; Polo, Jose. Stem cell reports 14: 1-15. 2020 -
Altered Brain Endothelial Cell Phenotype from a Familial Alzheimer Mutation and Its Potential Implications for Amyloid Clearance and Drug Delivery
Oikari, Lotta; Pandit, Rucha; Stewart, Romal; Cuní-López, Carla; Quek, Hazel; Sutharsan, Ratneswary; Rantanen, Laura; Oksanen, Minna; Lehtonen, Sarka; de Boer, Carmela Maria; Polo, Jose; Götz, Jürgen; Koistinaho, Jari; White, Anthony. Stem cell reports 14: 1-16. 2020 -
Generation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell line (UEFi003-A) carrying heterozygous A673T variant in amyloid precursor protein associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease
Rolova, Taisia; Wu, Ying-Chieh; Koskuvi, Marja; Voutilainen, Jenni; Sonninen, Tuuli-Maria; Kuusisto, Johanna; Laakso, Markku; Hämäläinen, Riikka H; Koistinaho, Jari; Lehtonen, Sárka. Stem cell research 48: 101968. 2020 -
Metabolic alterations in Parkinson's disease astrocytes
Sonninen, Tuuli-Maria; Hämäläinen, Riikka H; Koskuvi, Marja; Oksanen, Minna; Shakirzyanova, Anastasia; Wojciechowski, Sara; Puttonen, Katja; Naumenko, Nikolay; Goldsteins, Gundars; Laham-Karam, Nihay; Lehtonen, Marko; Tavi, Pasi; Koistinaho, Jari; Lehtonen, Šárka. Scientific reports 10 1: 14474. 2020 -
Metabolic and immune dysfunction of glia in neurodegenerative disorders: focus on iPSC models
Rolova, Taisia; Lehtonen, Sárka; Goldsteins, Gundars; Kettunen, Pinja; Koistinaho, Jari. Stem cells 2021; 39 3: 256-265. 2020