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Image Credit: Cell Image Library | |
For the first time, researchers have created functional neurons directly from skin cells. Through a process termed direct reprogramming, skin cells from patients with Alzheimer's disease have been reprogrammed and prompted into becoming neurons without first having to be converted to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). The direct reprogramming process produces forebrain neurons that seem to be the same as ordinary neurons in both gene expression and the ability to send and receive electrical impulses.
According to Columbia University Medical Center researcher Dr. Asa Abeliovich, "Direct reprogramming is fundamentally different from making neurons with iPS technologies. Using direct reprogramming, you could, in theory, take someone's skin cells and in a couple of weeks have fully functional neurons ready for replacement cell therapy." The researchers caution however, that while this method of creating neurons shows great potential as a means for producing replacement cells, clinical applications are not imminent. The research is still in the preliminary stages.
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Comments
Since I’m a victim of brain damage, and after going through the aftermath of this problem, and upon seeing how bad this is on a lot of people, especially the after math of this, you would think this would be a major area of study and research. Having just seen the possibilities of this type of research just contact me and I would be glad to help in this so other people may have a better recovery overall, and with the hope that the government would get behind this more than it is right now. But especially for the people with this problem, least it would provide more hope than what occurs now, in my case 1/4-1/2 of brain removed, can’t even get the data. VA said 1/2, but I fairly sure I wouldn’t be able to do this right now. Originally said 1/4 was how much, this is another issue. But, the research needs to be done, and as far as I’m concerned sooner the better.
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