Induced pluripotent stem cell technology and direct conversion: new possibilities to study and treat Parkinson's
Reinhard Roessler1, Erik Boddeke, Sjef Copray
1Department of Neuroscience, Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, A.Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Recent developments in in vitro disease modeling and regenerative medicine have placed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in the center of attention as a unique source to study Parkinson's disease. After only 5 years of intensive research, human iPSCs can be generated without viral integration and under xeno-free conditions. This, combined with increasingly sophisticated methods to differentiate iPSCs into functional dopaminergic (DA) neurons, led us to recapitulate the most important findings concerning the use of iPSC technology as a prospective tool to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease as well as to obtain insight in disease related cell pathogenesis. Moreover, we touch upon some of the latest discoveries in which patient-derived autologous DA neurons come into even more direct reach thanks to a method that allows transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into DA neurons.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
EPS and iPS Cells in Disease Research
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Somatic cells are...
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
iPS Cell Differentiation


