Functional Neurons Generated From Somatic Cells

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Functional Neurons Generated From Somatic Cells

25 Feb 2009

In a new study, researchers were able to generate functionally mature

motor neurons from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are

engineered from adult somatic cells and can differentiate into most

other cell types. A potential new source of motor neurons that does

not require human eggs or embryos could be an enormous boon to

research into conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

and spinal cord injury and could open the door to eventual

treatments. The study is published in Stem Cells.

This study is the first to use human iPS cells to generate

electrically active motor neurons, a key hallmark of functional

maturation that is essential for any future application of iPS

cells. " To our knowledge, our results present the first demonstration

of the electrical activity of iPS-derived neurons and further suggest

the feasibility of using these cells to explore how changes in motor

neuron activity contributes to the degeneration of these cells

underlying these disorders, " the authors state.

Led by Lowry, and in collaboration with Novitch,

Harley Kornblum, and a Wiedau-Pazos of the University of

California Los Angeles, researchers compared the ability of different

human cell lines to generate motor neuron progenitors and fully

differentiated motor neurons. " These findings support the possibility

that reprogrammed somatic cells might prove to be a viable

alternative to embryo-derived cells in regenerative medicine, " the

authors note.

When measuring the electrophysical properties of the iPS-derived

neurons, the researchers found that the iPS cells followed a normal

developmental progression to mature, electrically active neurons.

" It seems possible that disease-specific somatic cells may be

reprogrammed and utilized to model, and ultimately to treat a variety

of human neurological disorders, " says Miodrag Stojkoviæ, co-editor

of the journal.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

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This study is published in Stem Cells.

To view the abstract for this article, please click here.

Lowry is an Assistant Professor at the University of

California Los Angeles.

Stem Cells, a peer reviewed journal published monthly, provides a

forum for prompt publication of original investigative papers and

concise reviews. The journal covers all aspects of stem cells:

embryonic stem cells/induced pluripotent stem cells; tissue-specific

stem cells; cancer stem cells; the stem cell niche; stem cell

epigenetics, genomics and proteomics; and translational and clinical

research. For more information, please visit

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121607285/grouphome/home.ht

ml.

Source: Wagner

Wiley-Blackwell

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Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/140232.php