Abstract

Exploiting Human Stem Cells to Assess Risk of Developmental Neurotoxicity from Psychotropic Drugs

Robert Halliwell, Professor in the School of Pharmacy and the School of Dentistry, University of The Pacific

The developing human nervous system is highly susceptible to damage from environmental agents including heavy metals, organophosphate pesticides and pharmaceutical agents including psychotropic drugs. Determining the risk of neurotoxicity in humans using animal models is not very reliable. Our lab has been pioneering the study of human stem cells as a model of neurogenesis to address development neurotoxicity from psychotropic agents in vitro. This presentation will describe the experiments we are conducting investigating a variety of human stem cells, including tissue (adult) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to derive functional neurons. I will present the morphological, immunocytochemical, electrophysiological and neuropharmacological properties of neurons derived from human stem cells. I will also describe the impact of a range of psychotropic agents, including a number of antiepileptic medicines on the differentiation and maturation of human stem cells into functional neurons in vitro. Finally, I will present data on the value of human stem cell-derived neurons in the study of neuroprotection.