Evaluating cell reprogramming, differentiation and conversion technologies in neuroscience

Nat Rev Neurosci. 2016 Jul;17(7):424-37. doi: 10.1038/nrn.2016.46. Epub 2016 May 19.

Abstract

The scarcity of live human brain cells for experimental access has for a long time limited our ability to study complex human neurological disorders and elucidate basic neuroscientific mechanisms. A decade ago, the development of methods to reprogramme somatic human cells into induced pluripotent stem cells enabled the in vitro generation of a wide range of neural cells from virtually any human individual. The growth of methods to generate more robust and defined neural cell types through reprogramming and direct conversion into induced neurons has led to the establishment of various human reprogramming-based neural disease models.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology*
  • Cellular Reprogramming / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Neural Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Neurons / cytology*
  • Neurosciences* / methods