Chronic cortisol differentially impacts Major Depression-patient stem cell derived astrocytes in vitro

Major Depression (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder and exposure to stress is robust risk factor for MDD. Clinical data and rodent models have indicated the negative impact of chronic stress induced hormones like cortisol on brain volume, memory, and cell metabolism. However, the cellular and transcriptomic changes that occur in the brain after prolonged exposure to cortisol are less understood. Furthermore, astrocyte-specific contribution to cortisol-induced neuropathology remains understudied. Here, we have developed an in vitro model of “chronic stress” using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes treated with cortisol for 7 days. Whole transcriptome sequencing reveals differentially expressed genes (DEGs) uniquely regulated in chronic cortisol compared to acute cortisol treatment. Utilizing this paradigm, we examined the stress response transcriptome of astrocytes generated from MDD patient iPSCs. MDD-specific DEGs related to GPCR ligand binding, synaptic signaling, and ion homeostasis. Together, these data highlight the unique role astrocytes play in the central nervous system and present interesting genes for future study into the relationship between chronic stress and MDD. RNA-Seq on patient-derived astrocytes under various stimulation and disease states.