Generation and characterization of an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a patient with clozapine-resistant Schizophrenia

Abstract

Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) were collected from a patient with clozapine-resistant (also known as "super-refractory") Schizophrenia. iPSCs were established with a non-integrating Sendai virus-based reprogramming system. A footprint-free hiPSC line was characterized to express the main endogenous pluripotency markers and to retain a normal karyotype. Cells showed pluripotency competency by giving rise to progeny of differentiated cells belonging to the three germ layers. This hiPSC line represents a valuable tool to obtain mature, pathology-relevant neuronal populations in vitro that are suitable to investigate the molecular background of the schizophrenic disorder and the resultant patients' response to treatments.