The Meyer Lab, led by Jason Meyer, PhD, focuses on mechanisms of neural development and neurodegeneration using human pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. Fundamentally, the research emphasizes the in vitro three dimensional organization and differentiation of these stem cells into organoids which serve as a model of the temporal and spatial organization of neural tissue. From these organoids, different individual cell types are isolated and utilized for studies of neurodegeneration.
Meyer Lab
Research Updates
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Genetic determinants of neurodegenerative diseases are created through either the derivation of stem cells directly from patient samples, or through the introduction of the mutation with gene editing approaches. Once harboring these mutations and differentiated into the affected cell types, these cells serve as a powerful in vitro model of neurodegenerative mechanisms in a human cell model.
Currently, major emphases in the lab focus upon both the intrinsic mechanisms of disease leading to the loss of neurons, as well as those extrinsic mechanisms resulting from adversely affected interactions between neurons and glia.
Current Research Funding
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Derivation and disease modeling of human stem cell-derived retinal ganglion cells
NIH/NEI 1R01EY024984, Meyer (PI), 12/1/2014-11/30/2019
Major goals: To identify mechanisms underlying RGC differentiation from iPS cells and to explore their use for disease modeling of glaucoma.
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Targeting the diversity of retinal ganglion cells for replacement therapyNIH/NEI 1R21EY031120, Meyer (PI), Fortune (Co-PI), 8/1/2019-7/31/2020
Major goals: To test the ability of different subtypes of retinal ganglion cells to preferentially integrate into the non-human primate macaque glaucoma retina.
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Stem cell-mediated repair of the optic nerve following traumatic brain injuryIndiana Department of Health Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund, Meyer (PI), 07/01/2018-06/30/2020
Major goals: To test the ability of hPSC-derived RGCs to functionally integrate into the retinal circuitry.
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CRMP2 Mitochondria and Huntingtons DiseaseNINDS/NIH R01NS098772, Brustovetsky (PI), Meyer (Co-I), 04/01/2017-02/28/2022
Major goals: To establish CRMP2-mediated mechanisms contributing to defects of mitochondrial dynamics and cell death in human iPSC-derived neurons expressing mHtt.
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National Cell Repository for Alzheimers DiseaseNIA/NIH, U24AG021886, Foroud (PI), Meyer (Co-I), 06/01/2018-05/31/2021
Major goals: To establish a centralized repository for the banking and distribution of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Recent Publications
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2019
VanderWall KB, Vij R, Ohlemacher SK, Sridhar A, Fligor CM, Feder EM, Edler MC, Baucum AJ, Cummins TR, Meyer JS (2019), Astrocytes Regulate the Development and Maturation of Retinal Ganglion Cells Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells, Stem Cell Reports, 12(2), 201-212. PMID 30639213.
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2018Langer KB, Ohlemacher SK, Phillips MJ, Fligor CM, Jiang P, Gamm DM, Meyer JS (2018) Retinal Ganglion Cell Diversity and Subtype Specification from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells, Stem Cell Reports 10(4), 1282-1293. PMID 29576537.
Fligor CM, Langer KB, Sridhar A, Ren Y, Shields PK, Edler MC, Ohlemacher SK, Sluch VM, Zack DJ, Zhang C, Suter DM, Meyer JS (2018) Three-Dimensional Retinal Organoids Facilitate the Investigation of Retinal Ganglion Cell Development, Organization, and Neurite Outgrowth from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells, Scientific Reports, 8(1), 14520. PMID 30266927.
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2016Ohlemacher SK, Sridhar A, Xiao Y, Hochstetler AE, Sarfarazi M, Cummins TR, and Meyer JS (2016) Stepwise Differentiation of Retinal Ganglion Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Enables Analysis of Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration. Stem Cells 34(6), 1553-62.
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2011Meyer JS, Howden SE, Wallace KA, Verhoeven AD, Wright LS, Capowski EE, Pinilla I, Martin JM, Tian S, Stewart R, Pattnaik B, Thomson JA, and Gamm DM (2011), Optic Vesicle-Like Structures Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Facilitate a Customized Approach to Retinal Disease Treatment. Stem Cells 29(8), 1206-18. PMID 21678528.
Research Team
Catia Gomes, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Kirstin VanderWall
PhD Student
Clarisse Fligor
PhD Student
Sailee Lavekar
PhD Student
Kang-Chieh Huang
PhD Student