TY - JOUR AU - Heger, Leonie AU - Kertess, Leonie AU - Kaufhold, Clara Margarete AU - Gubinelli, Francesco AU - Cardona-Alberich, Aida AU - Özata, Gamze AU - Müller, Stephan A AU - Tschirner, Sarah K AU - Stehling, Oliver AU - Schifferer, Martina AU - Peron, Camille AU - Tiranti, Valeria AU - Lill, Roland AU - Iuso, Arcangela AU - Zecca, Luigi AU - Strupp, Michael AU - Oertel, Wolfgang AU - Lichtenthaler, Stefan F AU - Burbulla, Lena F. TI - Patient-Derived Neurons Exhibit α-Synuclein Pathology and Previously Unrecognized Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Elevation in Mitochondrial Membrane Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration. JO - Movement disorders VL - 40 IS - 12 SN - 0885-3185 CY - New York, NY PB - Wiley M1 - DZNE-2025-01377 SP - 2811 - 2818 PY - 2025 AB - Mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration (MPAN) from the neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) family is a rare neurodegenerative disease marked by α-synuclein aggregation, brain iron accumulation, and midbrain dopaminergic neuron degeneration.The mechanisms driving neuron vulnerability remain unclear. Our study aimed to develop a patient-derived disease model replicating key pathologies of patient brains.We generated induced pluripotent stem cell-derived midbrain dopaminergic neurons from MPAN patients and examined ultrastructural and biochemical markers of pathology.MPAN patient neurons displayed α-synuclein aggregation, axonal swellings, iron accumulation, and severe membrane destruction. In addition, levels of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), linked to cellular stress and neurodegenerative processes, were elevated in patient neurons. Treatment with acetyl-leucine, a potentially neuroprotective compound, decreased MHC-I.This first patient-derived neuronal model of MPAN provides a useful tool for further research aimed at unraveling the complexities of this disease and developing potential therapeutic interventions. © 2025 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. KW - MPAN (Other) KW - NBIA (Other) KW - dopaminergic neurons (Other) KW - iPSC disease modeling (Other) KW - α‐synuclein (Other) LB - PUB:(DE-HGF)16 C6 - pmid:40948186 DO - DOI:10.1002/mds.70029 UR - https://pub.dzne.de/record/282916 ER -