OSCR

TGF-β and IL-4 + IL-13 induce neuroplasticity in an <i>in vitro</i> model of hPSC-derived sensory neurons.

Overview

Authors: Carli S Koster1,2, I Sophie T Bos1,2, Chiara Lavitola1,2, Mihaly Balogh1, Barbro N Melgert1,2, Reinoud Gosens1,2
  1. Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
  2. Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Institutions: University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands); University of Groningen (Netherlands)
Journal: Frontiers in immunology, volume 17, article 1705880
Dates: received 15 September 2025; accepted 12 February 2026; published online 3 March 2026
Type: Research article · Language: English
License: CC BY
Identifiers: DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880 · PMID 41853271 · PMCID PMC12992014 · OpenAlex W7133293258
Open access: gold, a free copy (OpenAlex)
Status: data only
Categories: human (organism), cellular / molecular (subfield)
Methods: Statistics, Single-unit activity, calcium imaging
Keywords: airway inflammation, asthma, cytokine signaling, disease modeling, neuroimmune crosstalk, pluripotent stem cells
MeSH: Interleukin-13*, Interleukin-4*, Neuronal Plasticity*, Pluripotent Stem Cells*, Sensory Receptor Cells*, Transforming Growth Factor beta*, Cell Differentiation, Humans (* major topic)
Topic: Asthma and respiratory diseases (Physiology, Medicine), according to OpenAlex
Citations: not cited yet (Europe PMC); 92 references in the paper

Abstract

Chronic type 2 inflammation is known to drive the neuroplasticity of both afferent and efferent vagal nerves innervating many organs. This results in increased neuronal density and sensitivity, possibly contributing to pathologies such as eczema and asthma. However, the mechanisms driving these neuronal changes, particularly in sensory pathways, remain poorly understood, and appropriate in vitro models for their study are lacking. Here, we describe the differentiation of sensory neurons from human pluripotent stem cells. The generation of sensory neurons was validated by verifying the expression of sensory neuron markers, such as β3-tubulin, PGP9.5, TRPV1, Nav1.8, and Piezo1/2, using immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and RNA sequencing, as well as functional responsiveness to capsaicin using calcium imaging and spontaneous firing using a multi-electrode array. We exposed these hPSC-derived sensory neurons to TGF-β or type 2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13, both of which play important roles in asthmatic airway remodeling. Both treatments induced neuroplasticity-related changes, such as increased network density and neuronal sensitivity in sensory neurons, albeit more strongly with TGF-β than with IL-4 + IL-13. Our results show robust and reproducible generation of functional hPSC-derived sensory neurons and their usability as a model to investigate the mechanisms underlying neuroplasticity. Furthermore, our findings support a role of TGF-β and type 2 cytokines in the development of neuroplasticity.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Code

The paper links to its data, not to its authors' code: see the Data section.

Tracing map

A tracing map links a paper to the code its authors published: this paper has none, so it has no map.

Data

Datasets cited

Other data links

Data availability statement

The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found below: GSE307973 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE307973) (GEO).

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Versions

The history of this record: each version stored by the harvester or made by a correction of its authors or of the maintainers of its code, and what changed in its facts. The texts of the paper (its abstract, its availability statements) are not part of it; versions that changed only those are not listed.

Version 1, 30 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, pages, dates, 6 authors, 6 keywords, 8 MeSH terms, 2 funders, 91 references.

Cite

This paper

Koster, C. S., Bos, I. S. T., Lavitola, C., Balogh, M., Melgert, B. N., & Gosens, R. (2026). TGF-β and IL-4 + IL-13 induce neuroplasticity in an <i>in vitro</i> model of hPSC-derived sensory neurons. Frontiers in immunology, 17, 1705880. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880

BibTeX

@article{koster2026tgf,
author = {Koster, Carli S and Bos, I Sophie T and Lavitola, Chiara and Balogh, Mihaly and Melgert, Barbro N and Gosens, Reinoud},
title = {{TGF-β and IL-4 + IL-13 induce neuroplasticity in an \<i\>in vitro\</i\> model of hPSC-derived sensory neurons}},
journal = {Frontiers in immunology},
year = {2026},
month = mar,
volume = {17},
pages = {1705880},
publisher = {Frontiers Media SA},
issn = {1664-3224},
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880},
pmid = {41853271},
pmcid = {PMC12992014}
}

RIS

TY - JOUR
AU - Koster, Carli S
AU - Bos, I Sophie T
AU - Lavitola, Chiara
AU - Balogh, Mihaly
AU - Melgert, Barbro N
AU - Gosens, Reinoud
TI - TGF-β and IL-4 + IL-13 induce neuroplasticity in an <i>in vitro</i> model of hPSC-derived sensory neurons
T2 - Frontiers in immunology
J2 - Front Immunol
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/03/03
VL - 17
SP - 1705880
SN - 1664-3224
PB - Frontiers Media SA
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880
LA - en
ER -

CSL-JSON

{
"id": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880",
"type": "article-journal",
"title": "TGF-β and IL-4 + IL-13 induce neuroplasticity in an <i>in vitro</i> model of hPSC-derived sensory neurons",
"container-title": "Frontiers in immunology",
"author": [
{
"family": "Koster",
"given": "Carli S"
},
{
"family": "Bos",
"given": "I Sophie T"
},
{
"family": "Lavitola",
"given": "Chiara"
},
{
"family": "Balogh",
"given": "Mihaly"
},
{
"family": "Melgert",
"given": "Barbro N"
},
{
"family": "Gosens",
"given": "Reinoud"
}
],
"container-title-short": "Front Immunol",
"volume": "17",
"page": "1705880",
"DOI": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880",
"PMID": "41853271",
"PMCID": "PMC12992014",
"ISSN": "1664-3224",
"publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
"URL": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1705880",
"language": "en",
"issued": {
"date-parts": [
[
2026,
3,
3
]
]
}
}

Similar papers

The papers with a page that share the most with this one: the tools found in their code, their categories, datasets, cited references and authors, the rarest counting most.

[1] doi:10.1016/j.stemcr.2026.103004
Induction of human pruriceptors from pluripotent stem cells via transcription factors.
Journal: Stem cell reports
In common: cellular / molecular, 4 references
[2] doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10490-y [code]
Lineage and organ signals sequentially build organ intrinsic nervous systems.
Journal: Nature
In common: 3 references
[3] doi:10.3389/fcell.2026.1812038
Human pluripotent stem cell-derived neuroepithelial cells develop into an organizer for optic tectum formation in the chicken diencephalon.
Journal: Frontiers in cell and developmental biology
In common: cellular / molecular, 3 references
[4] doi:10.1016/j.stemcr.2026.102971
A highly efficient method to differentiate CGRP-expressing peptidergic nociceptors from human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Journal: Stem cell reports
In common: cellular / molecular, 2 references
[5] doi:10.26508/lsa.202503551 [code]
Convergent transcriptomic signature in iPSC-dopaminergic neurons of hereditary Parkinson's disease.
Journal: Life science alliance
In common: cellular / molecular, 3 references
[6] doi:10.1126/sciadv.aec2042 [code]
IgLON5 autoimmune antibodies activate Tau via neuronal hyperactivity.
Journal: Science advances
In common: cellular / molecular, 3 references
[7] doi:10.1038/s41467-026-69944-6 [code]
Multi-modal dissection of cell-type specific TDP-43 pathology in the motor cortex.
Journal: Nature communications
In common: 3 references
[8] doi:10.3390/pathophysiology33030043
A Differentiated SH-SY5Y Model of Hypoxic-Ischaemic Injury Reveals Dynamic Transcriptomic Responses During Reoxygenation.
Journal: Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology
In common: cellular / molecular, 2 references
[9] doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102787 [code]
A human iPSC-derived sensory neuron platform for high-throughput discovery of neuroprotectants against chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Journal: Cell reports. Medicine
In common: 2 references
[10] doi:10.1007/s12035-026-06133-y
Systematic Review and Transcriptomic Meta-analysis of Environmental Enrichment Reveal Core Molecular Programs of Brain Plasticity.
Journal: Molecular neurobiology
In common: cellular / molecular, 2 references

Contribute

The authors of this paper can claim it, correct its record and validate its tracing map, and the maintainers of its code (its owner, or a public member of its organization) correct what it says of their repository; anyone signed in can ask for its removal. Every request goes to OSCR's own machine, which answers it; your account page follows them.

Sign in with ORCID to claim this paper as one of its authors, correct its record or validate its tracing map: when the paper's metadata lists your ORCID iD, you are recognized at once. Maintainers of its code: sign in with GitHub, then claim the repository on your account page.

Request its removal

To ask OSCR to remove this record, the copies of its authors' scripts or its tracing map, use the removal request page: signed in, you say who you are, what to remove and why, then review and confirm the request. Published rules decide every request (how).

Discussion, reproductions, activity

Discussion: questions and error reports about this paper and its code, from signed-in readers and its authors. It opens with sign-in.

Reproductions: reports from readers who ran the authors' code: what they reproduced, with which environment, commit and data. It opens with sign-in.

Activity: what happens around this paper: new versions of its record, its map's validation, discussions and reproductions. It opens with sign-in.