Human Skin Cells Converted Directly To Neurons 39
Dr. Eggman writes "Stanford's School of Medicine brings us an update in the latest achievements towards in-vitro neuron generation via redifferentiation of specialized cells (skin cells in this case.) This important progress follows on last year's success in inducing this change with mice skin cells. The importance of this line of research lies in that the process does not need to first de-differentiate the skin cells into a kind of stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells. By skipping this phase, the process avoids potential problems in the body's rejection of the iPS cells. Amazingly, the transformation occurs with the added presence of 4 proteins (one more protein than need to induce the effect in mice) over several weeks (compared to a few days in mice.) Research continues as the study highlights the significant differences in mice and human neural cells as well as the success rate of transformation (2-4% for human cells, 20% for mice.) The resultant cells aren't yet as capable as naturally derived neurons; generating less-robust electrical signals."
Think again (Score:2)
Every time you cut yourself you're prone to forgetting an important date.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Way too much trouble. (Score:1)
MAKE.PENIS.FAST! (Score:1)
Woody Allen was right (Score:3)
In the Woody Allen movie, "The Sleeper", the "fearless leader" is recreated from cells cloned from his nose.... it's beginning to look like he was right.
Next thing we know, we'll find out that nuts are bad for us.
One drawback if you turn your skin to brains. (Score:2)
Zombies
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You're not kidding. Teratomas [wikipedia.org] are strange and creepy [photobucket.com], particularly the fetiform ones.
you know who could REALLY use this? (Score:1)
skinheads
Re: (Score:2)
Well, I don't know if they'd want it, after all they seemed to be working on the perfection of the reverse, converting brain to skin.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm pretty sure every scientist in the field would gladly trade embryotic stem cells for this "artificial" kind, given they are so much less trouble. Nobody picketing their lab because they're "killing babies" (I'd guess not even the most fanatic religious zealot would go to those lengths for skin flakes), no personal "ethic" troubles for doing it, no huge paperworks (I'm pretty sure you get skin cells easier than embryos, hell, if everything fails, just forgo that anti-dandruff shampoo for a while and you'
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Now I'm scared.
Not of the atheists...
I'm scared of those christians: is that level of... "reduced intelligence", so to speak, infectuous? I hear it can be transferred verbally..
Re: (Score:1)
Re:But... (Score:4, Insightful)
Admit? At best I could not deny it, lacking data. Generally my view would be that God is not required to explain the universe. Combined with Occam's Razor, the conclusion would be that from a lack of need stems a lack of existence. If he exists, a condition we cannot test as far as I know, he is superfluous concerning our existence. So worship him if you feel like it, but it's proven that it is not a requirement for existence. Huh? Yes, it's proven. A lot of people existed before the first time God was worshiped and a lot of people exist who never heard of him, so it's pretty much established that you can exist without him.
And Zombies in (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I want to convert all of my skin directly into a brain.
Do not sit on the neural network.
could they use more natural help from glial cells? (Score:2)
I was reading yesterday that there's a lot of cross signaling of growth factors between neurons and their surrounding glial cells such as myelin sheath Schwann cells.
I wouldn't expect very normal neuron development without the surrounding glial infrastructure they both induce and are influenced by.
But this is great progress, especially being able to avoid a step where bodily rejection takes place.
Re: (Score:2)
There was an article in Nature a while back in which they showed that you can create microglial cells from stem cells (at least for mice). I know that's not the same as the macroglial cells you're referring to, and it's not as effective as transition directly from skin cells to the desired cells, but it is a step in the right direction.
Re: (Score:2)
yeah, sounds like it. Thanks for the info.
Re: (Score:3)
Normally the growth factors would cause a signal at the cell surface that eventually changed the amount of various neuronal genes being expressed.They skipped that step here by using viruses to insert extra copies of the neuronal genes into the skin cells. I should note that the neuronal genes are still present in the skin cells but are being suppressed. What this process does is insert extra, non-suppressed copies of those genes.
Re: (Score:2)
The summary only mentioning adding four proteins is really misleading then.
Unless they mean the extra unsuppressed genes from I take it real neuron cells expresses for among other things those additional proteins.
Re: (Score:2)
They used viruses to add four extra genes in as DNA. This DNA encoded the four proteins they mention. While these genes were already present in the skin cells, they were not active (ie not being used to make Proteins). One way to make the already present versions of the genes active could be adding the right mix of growth factors. Your body really doesnt want this to happen easily though, since it would easily lead to cancer.
Instead of that, they added in new copies of the genes designed so that they will b
What about other cells? (Score:2)
What about regular fat cells? "This isn't a spare tire, it's a Beowulf cluster of Brain power!"
Perhaps it would be a smart replacement for silicone/saline in breast enlargement augmentation?
It may even give new meaning to: "The sexiest part of you is your Mind."
Re: (Score:2)
Of course, the motorboating concussions are less fun...
Paper Abstract and Link (Score:2)
Nature. 2011 May 26. [Epub ahead of print]
Induction of human neuronal cells by defined transcription factors.
Pang ZP, Yang N, Vierbuchen T, Ostermeier A, Fuentes DR, Yang TQ, Citri A, Sebastiano V, Marro S, Südhof TC, Wernig M.
Source
1] Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, California 94305, USA [2].
Abstract
Somatic cell nuclear transfer, cell fusion, or expression of lineage-specific factors have been shown to induce cell-fat
HONESTLY!! (Score:2)
The NERVE of some people! This really gets under my skin!
Relevant Discussion (Score:2)