News Release

New techniques for reprogramming stem cells target neurological disease models

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

<I>Stem Cells and Development</I>

image: Stem Cells and Development is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year in print and online. The journal is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system. A complete table of contents and free sample issue may be viewed on the Stem Cells and Development website. view more 

Credit: ©Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, May 19, 2015-- As scientists overcome the technical challenges in reprogramming stem cells to produce biologically precise models of human neurons, these emerging model systems will accelerate research on understanding neuronal activity, brain development, and neurological diseases, and will drive the discovery of new patient-specific, reprogramming-based therapies. Recent technological advances, current challenges, and future clinical applications are discussed in the Comprehensive Review article "Advances in Reprogramming-Based Study of Neurologic Disorders" published in Stem Cells and Development, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Stem Cells and Development website until June 20, 2015.

Anjana Nityanandam and Kristin K. Baldwin, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, describe the limitations of currently available reprogramming-based methods to reproduce accurate models of neurological diseases. The authors review the latest advances in reprogramming-based technologies, particularly those related to human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and approaches to produce specific subtypes of neurons with high specificity and efficiency. Among the goals of future research discussed in this article are the development of methods to generate and combine multiple neural subtypes to create three-dimensional models of entire brain regions in the laboratory, to generate tissue structures that mimic the developing brain, to optimize gene editing techniques for correcting disease mutations, and to accelerate aging of hiPSC-derived neurons for use in the discovery of novel therapies targeting age-related neurologic diseases.

"Neurologists and stem cell biologists alike should look to this excellent, truly comprehensive review as a tour de force of critical examination" says Editor-in-Chief Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.

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Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders under Award Number DC012592 and the National Institute of Mental Health under Award Number MH102698. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

About the Journal

Stem Cells and Development is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year in print and online. The Journal is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system. A complete table of contents and free sample issue may be viewed on the Stem Cells and Development website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Cellular Reprogramming, Tissue Engineering, and Human Gene Therapy. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.


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