Technique Could Convert Patient Cells for Personalized Treatment

Through a new technique, cells derived from a patient might be directly transplantable into the same patient for treatment purposes, providing an alternative strategy for modeling neurological diseases and for regenerative medicine.

The process of converting one cell into another type for possible treatment applications can be very challenging as it generally implies the use of genetic manipulation technology. A group of scientists has recently optimized a new approach to convert human fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) derived from both healthy donors and Alzheimer's disease patients into neuronal cells, allowing them to avoid the challenging gene insertion process. By using a specific mix of seven small molecules, these researchers have been able to switch off the genes expressed in fibroblasts and turn on genes normally active in neurons. Within a few weeks in culture, fibroblasts were able to transform into mature, functional neurons.