Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism now have new research tool: Mature brain cells derived from skin cells
Friday, June 7, 2013 - 16:30
in Biology & Nature
Difficult-to-study diseases such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and autism now can be probed more safely and effectively thanks to an innovative new method for obtaining mature brain cells called neurons from reprogrammed skin cells. The research offers the promise of direct disease modeling, allowing for the creation, in a Petri dish, of mature human neurons that behave a lot like neurons that grow naturally in the human brain.