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Research Theme Beyond the Neuron Lifelong Brain Development and Brain Ageing Neurons, Circuits and Networks
Research Focus

Keywords

  • Human Organoids
  • Stem Cells & Development
  • Glia
  • Astrocytes
  • Synapse
  • Neurodegeneration & Injury

    • Clinical Conditions

  • Motor neurone disease
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury

    • Equipment & Techniques

  • Cell culture
  • Computational modelling

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    Dr Andras Lakatos

    University Position
    Associate Professor
    Dr Andras Lakatos is pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students.

    Interests

    My laboratory develops and uses human organoid and other stem cell-based models to explore mechanisms underlying glia-neuron-synapse interactions in development, injury and neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS and Frontotemporal Dementia. We investigate how genetic mutations and other risk factors contribute to initial protein homeostasis, signalling and transcriptional disturbances at single cell resolution. In particular, we focus on pathways underpinning the early and specific involvement of diverse astrocyte populations in pathology and its consequences on neuronal network function. The combined use of our unique human biological platforms and computational approaches help reveal more precise drug targets for preventive strategies. We also run collaborative projects with groups in PDN, MRC LMB, WT-MRC Stem Cell Institute, Sanger Institute. Currently, our student thesis projects are offered via the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge Neuroscience.

    Associated News Items

    Key Publications

    Inhibition of PHLDA3 expression in human superoxide dismutase 1-mutant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis astrocytes protects against neurotoxicity.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcae244
    Journal: Brain Commun
    E-pub date: 1 Aug 2024
    Authors: K Szebényi, I Vargová, V Petrova, J Turečková, GM Gibbons, M Řehořová, M Abdelgawad, A Sándor, D Marekova, JCF Kwok, P Jendelová, JW Fawcett, A Lakatos

    A human proteogenomic-cellular framework identifies KIF5A as a modulator of astrocyte process integrity with relevance to ALS.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05041-4
    Journal: Commun Biol
    E-pub date: 29 Jun 2023
    Authors: K Szebényi, I Barrio-Hernandez, GM Gibbons, L Biasetti, C Troakes, P Beltrao, A Lakatos

    Human ALS/FTD brain organoid slice cultures display distinct early astrocyte and targetable neuronal pathology.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-021-00923-4
    Journal: Nat Neurosci
    E-pub date: 1 Nov 2021
    Authors: K Szebényi, LMD Wenger, Y Sun, AWE Dunn, CA Limegrover, GM Gibbons, E Conci, O Paulsen, SB Mierau, G Balmus, A Lakatos

    Reactive astrocyte nomenclature, definitions, and future directions.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-020-00783-4
    Journal: Nat Neurosci
    E-pub date: 1 Mar 2021
    Authors: C Escartin, E Galea, A Lakatos, JP O'Callaghan, GC Petzold, A Serrano-Pozo, C Steinhäuser, A Volterra, G Carmignoto, A Agarwal, NJ Allen, A Araque, L Barbeito, A Barzilai, DE Bergles, G Bonvento, AM Butt, W-T Chen, M Cohen-Salmon, C Cunningham, B Deneen, B De Strooper, B Díaz-Castro, C Farina, M Freeman, V Gallo, JE Goldman, SA Goldman, M Götz, A Gutiérrez, PG Haydon, DH Heiland, EM Hol, MG Holt, M Iino, KV Kastanenka, H Kettenmann, BS Khakh, S Koizumi, CJ Lee, SA Liddelow, BA MacVicar, P Magistretti, A Messing, A Mishra, AV Molofsky, KK Murai, CM Norris, S Okada, SHR Oliet, JF Oliveira, A Panatier, V Parpura, M Pekna, M Pekny, L Pellerin, G Perea, BG Pérez-Nievas, FW Pfrieger, KE Poskanzer, FJ Quintana, RM Ransohoff, M Riquelme-Perez, S Robel, CR Rose, JD Rothstein, N Rouach, DH Rowitch, A Semyanov, S Sirko, H Sontheimer, RA Swanson, J Vitorica, I-B Wanner, LB Wood, J Wu, B Zheng, ER Zimmer, R Zorec, MV Sofroniew, A Verkhratsky

    Cerebral organoids at the air-liquid interface generate diverse nerve tracts with functional output.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0350-2
    Journal: Nat Neurosci
    E-pub date: 1 Apr 2019
    Authors: SL Giandomenico, SB Mierau, GM Gibbons, LMD Wenger, L Masullo, T Sit, M Sutcliffe, J Boulanger, M Tripodi, E Derivery, O Paulsen, A Lakatos, MA Lancaster

    Kir4.1-Dependent Astrocyte-Fast Motor Neuron Interactions Are Required for Peak Strength.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.03.010
    Journal: Neuron
    E-pub date: 8 Mar 2018
    Authors: KW Kelley, L Ben Haim, L Schirmer, GE Tyzack, M Tolman, JG Miller, H-H Tsai, SM Chang, AV Molofsky, Y Yang, R Patani, A Lakatos, EM Ullian, DH Rowitch

    A neuroprotective astrocyte state is induced by neuronal signal EphB1 but fails in ALS models.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01283-z
    Journal: Nat Commun
    E-pub date: 27 Oct 2017
    Authors: GE Tyzack, CE Hall, CR Sibley, T Cymes, S Forostyak, G Carlino, IF Meyer, G Schiavo, S-C Zhang, GM Gibbons, J Newcombe, R Patani, A Lakatos

    Astrocyte response to motor neuron injury promotes structural synaptic plasticity via STAT3-regulated TSP-1 expression.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5294
    Journal: Nat Commun
    E-pub date: 11 Jul 2014
    Authors: GE Tyzack, S Sitnikov, D Barson, KL Adams-Carr, NK Lau, JC Kwok, C Zhao, RJM Franklin, RT Karadottir, JW Fawcett, A Lakatos

    Publications