Human Skin Cells Reprogrammed Directly into Brain Cells

In a recent study published in the journal Neuron, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, found a way to convert human skin cells directly into a specific type of brain cell affected by Hungtington’s disease; an inherited genetic, neurodegenerative disorder that is ultimately fatal. Unlike other techniques that turn one cell type into another, this new process does not pass through a stem cell phase avoiding the production of multiple cell types. The researchers produced a specific type of brain cell, called medium spiny neurons, which are important for controlling movement. They are the primary cells affected in Huntington’s disease. The ability to convert adult human cells presents the possibility of using a patient’s own skin cells, which are easily accessible and won’t be rejected by the immune system, providing the potential for future therapies. To study the cellular properties associated with the disease, the investigators also took skin cells from patients with Huntington’s disease and reprogrammed them into medium spiny neurons using a new approach. Researchers also plan to inject healthy reprogrammed human cells into mice with a model of Huntington’s disease to find out if it has any effect on the symptoms. To read more about this study, click here.