UC Berkeley

Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited, progressive neurological disorder characterized by degenerating striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). One promising approach for treating HD is cell replacement therapy, where lost cells are replaced by MSN progenitors derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). While there has been remarkable progress in generating hPSC-derived MSNs, current production methods rely on two-dimensional culture systems that can include poorly defined components, limit scalability, and yield differing preclinical results. To facilitate clinical translation, here, we generated striatal progenitors from hPSCs within a fully defined and scalable PNIPAAm-PEG three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel. Transplantation of 3D-derived striatal progenitors into a transgenic mouse model of HD slowed disease progression, improved motor coordination, and increased survival. In addition, the transplanted cells developed an MSN-like phenotype and formed synaptic connections with host cells. Our results illustrate the potential of scalable 3D biomaterials for generating striatal progenitors for HD cell therapy.