The Atwood Laboratory
Faculty > Craig S. Atwood
Craig S. Atwood
Associate Professor of Medicine, Research Director of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute
csa@medicine.wisc.edu
Organ System/Disease Focus
Embryonic development , Alzheimer’s disease
Aligned Research Focus
Basic Stem Cell Science
Research Description
We have been examining the physiological signals that direct the division and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) into a blastocyst (blastulation) and neural tube (neurulation). We have found that trophoblastic secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) promotes the division of epiblast-derived inner mass cells (hESC), and their differentiation during blastulation and neurulation (Gallego et al., 2008; 2010). This paracrine/juxtacrine signaling by extraembryonic tissues is the commencement of trophic support by placental tissues in the growth and development of the human embryo (Atwood et al., 2011). This hormonal induced differentiation appears to involve the amyloid-ß precursor protein since amyloid-ß promotes hESC proliferation, while non-amyloidogneic processing of AßPP induces the differentiation of hESC into neural precursor cells (Porayette et al., 2007 and 2009)..
Selected References
Gallego, M.J., Porayette, P. Kaltcheva, M.M., Vadakkadath Meethal, S. and Atwood, C.S. (2009). Opioid and progesterone signaling is obligatory for early human embryogenesis. Stem Cells and Development, 18(5), 737-740.
Porayette, P., Gallego, M.J., Kaltcheva, M.M., Bowen, R.L., Vadakkadath Meethal, S. and Atwood, C.S. (2009). Differential processing of amyloid-beta precursor protein directs human embryonic stem cell proliferation and differentiation into neuronal precursor cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284(35), 23806-23817.
Gallego, M.J., Porayette, P., Kaltcheva, M.M., Bowen, R.L., Vadakkadath Meethal, S. and Atwood, C. S. (2010). The pregnancy hormones human chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone induce human embryonic stem cell proliferation and differentiation into neuroectodermal rosettes. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 1:28.
Atwood, C.S. and Vadakkadath Meethal, S. (2011). Gonadotropins and Progestogens: Obligatory Developmental Functions during Early Embryogenesis and their Role in Adult Neurogenesis, Neuroregeneration, and Neurodegeneration. In: Hormones in Neurodegeneration, Neuroprotection and Neurogenesis, Eds. Achille Gravanis and Synthia Mellon, WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KgaA, Weinheim, Germany. Chapter 18, pp 305-319. ISBN: 978-3-527-31920-6
Atwood, C.S. and Vadakkadath Meethal, S. (2011). Human Embryonic Stem Cells as a Model System for Understanding Early Human Embryogenesis and Age-related Diseases. In: Embryonic Stem Cells. Ed. Craig S. Atwood. InTech, Rijeka, Croatia. Chapter 14, 251-270. ISBN: 978-953-307-196-1.