Functional Connectivity Analysis of Stem Cell Cultures with Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

We studied the activity and functional network characteristics of neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) grown in culture. The cells were obtained from healthy and Parkinson’s–affected patients. Using a network perspective, different magnitudes were analyzed to demonstrate connectivity and activity differences between healthy controls, diseased Parkinson’s cultures, and genetically cured ones. We unveiled an excess of integration and a loss of both modularity and small–worldness for Parkinson’s diseased cultures. The study may help the medical society to better understand the disease and develop efficient therapies