Neonatal treatment with cyclosporine A restores neurogenesis and spinogenesis in the Ts65Dn model of Down syndrome

Down syndrome (DS), a genetic condition due to triplication of chromosome 21, is characterized by reduced proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) starting from early life stages. This defect is worsened by a reduction of neuronogenesis (accompanied by an increase in astrogliogenesis) and dendritic spine atrophy. Since this triad of defects underlies intellectual disability, it seems important to establish whether it is possible to pharmacologically correct these alterations. In this study, we exploited the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS in order to obtain an answer to this question. In the framework of an in vitro drug-screening campaign of FDA/EMA-approved drugs, we found that the immunosuppressant cyclosporine A (CSA) restored proliferation, acquisition of a neuronal phenotype, and maturation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle of Ts65Dn mice. Based on these findings, we treated Ts65Dn mice with CSA in the postnatal period P3-P15. We found that treatment fully restored NPC proliferation in the SVZ and in the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and total number of hippocampal granule cells. Moreover, CSA enhanced development of dendritic spines on the dendritic arbor of the granule cells whose density even surpassed that of euploid mice. In hippocampal homogenates from Ts65Dn mice, we found that CSA normalized the excessive levels of p21, a key determinant of proliferation impairment. Results show that neonatal treatment with CSA restores the whole triad of defects of the trisomic brain. In DS CSA treatment may pose caveats because it is an immunosuppressant that may cause adverse effects. However, CSA analogues that mimic its effect without eliciting immunosuppression may represent practicable tools for ameliorating brain development in individuals with DS. •No therapies exist for intellectual disability in Down syndrome.•Neurogenesis and spinogenesis alterations underlie intellectual disability in Down syndrome.•Cyclosporine A restores neurogenesis and spinogenesis in a model of Down syndrome•Therapy with cyclosporine A may improve brain development in Down syndrome.