Our mitochondrial stem cell research group is located at the Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), University of Bergen.

We are using stem cells transformed from a patient's own fibroblasts to study mitochondrial diseases caused by POLG mutations. The goal of our research group is to conduct iPSC-based in vitro model system studies to increase the understanding of mitochondrial diseases, identify the underlying mechanisms of this common mitochondrial diseases and develop an iPSC-based platform to test therapeutic agents.

We have established the capabilities and facilities required for the reprogramming and differentiation of iPSCs, enabling the study of neuronal cells from patients and healthy controls. Validated iPSCs can differentiate into neural stem cells (NSCs) and compartmentalized neuronal subtypes, as well as astrocyte/glial cell populations. We have also recently developed 3D brain organoids to study disease mechanisms and test treatments.

Our broad research aim is to determine the biological and pathological basis of neurodegenerative diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, and we aim to develop this and conduct more in-depth molecular phenotyping studies. Since the group is also part of the Neuro-SysMed Center, we will use our model and stem cell approach to study other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

See also our group website: Mitochondrial Stem Cell Research | Mitochondrial Medicine & Neurogenetics (MMN) | UiB

2022 - current: Course manager for the Neuro-SysMed Junior Symposium (NEUROSYSM910), Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), University of Bergen

2022 - current: Course coordinator for the Neuro-SysMed Seminars and symposium (NEUROSYSM920), Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), University of Bergen

2021 - 2022: Course assistance for Human Physiology (OD2FYS, FARM280), Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen

2024

• Wang, Heling; Siow, Richard; Schmauck-Medina, Tomás Alejandro et al. (2024). Meeting Summary of The NYO3 5th NO-Age/AD Meeting and the 1st Norway-UK Joint Meeting on Aging and Dementia: Recent Progress on the Mechanisms and Interventional Strategies. (external link)
• Chen, Anbin; Yangzom, Tsering; Hong, Yu et al. (2024). Hallmark Molecular and Pathological Features of POLG Disease are Recapitulated in Cerebral Organoids. (external link)
• Liang, Xiao; Chen, Anbin; Kianian, Atefeh et al. (2024). Activation of Neurotoxic Astrocytes Due to Mitochondrial Dysfunction Triggered by POLG Mutation. (external link)
• Liang, Xiao (2024). Interplay of mitochondria and diabetes: Unveiling novel therapeutic strategies. (external link)
• Hong, Yu; Zhang, Zhuoyuan; Yangzom, Tsering et al. (2024). The NAD+ Precursor Nicotinamide Riboside Rescues Mitochondrial Defects and Neuronal Loss in iPSC derived Cortical Organoid of Alpers' Disease. (external link)
• Liang, Xiao (2024). The application of brain organoid for drug discovery in mitochondrial diseases. (external link)

2023

• Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin; Furriol, Jessica; Chen, Anbin et al. (2023). Deoxyribonucleoside treatment rescues EtBr-induced mtDNA depletion in iPSC-derived neural stem cells with POLG mutations. (external link)
• Marjan, Sharika; Yangzom, Tsering; Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin et al. (2023). Application of Flow Cytometric Analysis for Measuring Multiple Mitochondrial Parameters in 3D Brain Organoids. (external link)
• Hong, Yu; Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin; Chen, Anbin et al. (2023). POLG genotype influences degree of mitochondrial dysfunction in iPSC derived neural progenitors, but not the parent iPSC or derived glia. (external link)

2022

• Chen, Anbin; Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin; Høyland, Lena Elise et al. (2022). POLG mutations lead to abnormal mitochondrial remodeling during neural differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells via SIRT3/AMPK pathway inhibition. (external link)
• Zhao, Lin; Wang, Han; Liu, Sijia et al. (2022). Inhibition of autophagy reduces the rate of fluoride-induced LS8 apoptosis via regulating ATG5 and ATG7. (external link)
• Li, Shaoming; Gao, Ling; Zhang, Weidong et al. (2022). MiR-152-5p suppresses osteogenic differentiation of mandible mesenchymal stem cells by regulating ATG14-mediated autophagy. (external link)
• Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin; Chen, Anbin; Høyland, Lena Elise et al. (2022). Comparing the mitochondrial signatures in ESCs and iPSCs and their neural derivations. (external link)

2021

• Zhi, Yuan; Gao, Ling; Wang, Baisheng et al. (2021). Ferroptosis Holds Novel Promise in Treatment of Cancer Mediated by Non-coding RNAs. (external link)
• Liang, Xiao; Chen, Anbin; Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin et al. (2021). Flow cytometric analysis of multiple mitochondrial parameters in human induced pluripotent stem cells and their neural and glial derivatives. (external link)
• Chen, Anbin; Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin; Hong, Yu et al. (2021). Nicotinamide riboside and metformin ameliorate mitophagy defect in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes with POLG mutations. (external link)
• Zhao, Lin; Su, Jiali; Liu, Sijia et al. (2021). MAP kinase phosphatase MKP-1 regulates p-ERK1/2 signaling pathway with fluoride treatment. (external link)

2020

• Liang, Xiao; Vatne, Guro Helén; Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin et al. (2020). N-acetylcysteine amide ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and reduces oxidative stress in hiPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons with POLG mutation. (external link)
• Gao, Ling; Wang, Qibo; Ren, Wen-Hao et al. (2020). The RBP1–CKAP4 axis activates oncogenic autophagy and promotes cancer progression in oral squamous cell carcinoma. (external link)
• Balafkan, Novin; Mostafavi, Sepideh; Schubert, Manja et al. (2020). A method for differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells toward functional cardiomyocytes in 96‐well microplates. (external link)
• Hong, Yu; Liang, Kristina Xiao; Gilhus, Nils Erik (2020). AChR antibodies show a complex interaction with human skeletal muscle cells in a transcriptomic study. (external link)
• Liang, Xiao; Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin; Mostafavi, Sepideh et al. (2020). Disease-specific phenotypes in iPSC-derived neural stem cells with POLG mutations. (external link)
• Liang, Xiao; Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin; Vatne, Guro Helén et al. (2020). Patient-specific neural progenitor cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells offer a promise of good models for mitochondrial disease. (external link)

2019

• Zhuoyuan, Zhang; Gao, Zhenjie; Rajthala, Saroj et al. (2019). Metabolic reprogramming of normal oral fibroblasts correlated with increased glycolytic metabolism of oral squamous cell carcinoma and precedes their activation into carcinoma associated fibroblasts. (external link)

2018

• Kristiansen, Cecilie Katrin; Bindoff, Laurence; Liang, Xiao (2018). W748S POLG mutation induced mitochondrial changes in hiPSC-differentiated NSCs. (external link)
• Kitajima, Kayoko; Das, Ridhima; Liang, Xiao et al. (2018). Isolation and characterization of cells derived from human epithelial rests of Malassez. (external link)

2017

• Liang, Xiao; Wei, Zhiyuan; Hu, Deyu et al. (2017). Prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity among the residents of Xi'an city, China. (external link)

2016

• Biddle, Adrian; Gammon, Luke; Liang, Xiao et al. (2016). Phenotypic plasticity determines cancer stem cell therapeutic resistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

  Multiple iPSC-based in vitro model systems.

• 2D: neural stem cells, DA neurons, motor neurons, generic neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and cardiomyocytes.
• 3D: mini-brain organoid system
• Co-culture systems

  Modeling diseases using neural stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, and astrocyte-neurons interactions.

  Developing a high-throughput iPSC-based platform for screening the therapeutic agents.

  Investigating metabolic reprogramming between the neurons and glial cells

  Using single-cell transcriptomics for multidimensional phenotyping.