PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New genetic technique converts skin cells into brain cells

2011-06-10
(Press-News.org) A research breakthrough has proven that it is possible to reprogram mature cells from human skin directly into brain cells, without passing through the stem cell stage. The unexpectedly simple technique involves activating three genes in the skin cells; genes which are already known to be active in the formation of brain cells at the foetal stage.

The new technique avoids many of the ethical dilemmas that stem cell research has faced.

For the first time, a research group at Lund University in Sweden has succeeded in creating specific types of nerve cells from human skin. By reprogramming connective tissue cells, called fibroblasts, directly into nerve cells, a new field has been opened up with the potential to take research on cell transplants to the next level. The discovery represents a fundamental change in the view of the function and capacity of mature cells. By taking mature cells as their starting point instead of stem cells, the Lund researchers also avoid the ethical issues linked to research on embryonic stem cells.

Head of the research group Malin Parmar was surprised at how receptive the fibroblasts were to new instructions.

"We didn't really believe this would work, to begin with it was mostly just an interesting experiment to try. However, we soon saw that the cells were surprisingly receptive to instructions." The study, which was published in the latest issue of the scientific journal PNAS, also shows that the skin cells can be directed to become certain types of nerve cells.

In experiments where a further two genes were activated, the researchers have been able to produce dopamine brain cells, the type of cell which dies in Parkinson's disease. The research findings are therefore an important step towards the goal of producing nerve cells for transplant which originate from the patients themselves. The cells could also be used as disease models in research on various neurodegenerative diseases.

Unlike older reprogramming methods, where skin cells are turned into pluripotent stem cells, known as IPS cells, direct reprogramming means that the skin cells do not pass through the stem cell stage when they are converted into nerve cells. Skipping the stem cell stage probably eliminates the risk of tumours forming when the cells are transplanted. Stem cell research has long been hampered by the propensity of certain stem cells to continue to divide and form tumours after being transplanted.

Before the direct conversion technique can be used in clinical practice, more research is needed on how the new nerve cells survive and function in the brain. The vision for the future is that doctors will be able to produce the brain cells that a patient needs from a simple skin or hair sample. In addition, it is presumed that specifically designed cells originating from the patient would be accepted better by the body's immune system than transplanted cells from donor tissue.

"This is the big idea in the long run. We hope to be able to do a biopsy on a patient, make dopamine cells, for example, and then transplant them as a treatment for Parkinson's disease", says Malin Parmar, who is now continuing the research to develop more types of brain cells using the new technique.

### Article: 'Direct conversion of human fibroblasts to dopaminergic neurons', publ. PNAS 2011; 6 June 2011: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/06/02/1105135108.abstract?sid=a15dfa57-9b1d-45cf-ae06-f4a0be8a39cf

Contact: Malin Parmar, Reader in Neurobiology at Lund University, Sweden, tel.: +46 46 222 0620, work mobile: +46 709 823901 malin.parmar@med.lu.se.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Feds Crack Down on Wrongful Foreclosures by Banks and Mortgage Firms

2011-06-10
During the financial turmoil of the past several years, no issue has troubled American families more than the possibility of losing their homes. Many have turned to debt relief attorneys for advice about how to stop foreclosure by pursuing a loan modification, short sale or other strategy. One important related issue -- wrongful foreclosures -- received little attention until late last year. Suddenly, cases from around the country began to reveal that employees of lenders and loan servicers were signing legal documents that attested to personal knowledge of a mortgage ...

Integrating agriculture and forestry in the landscape is key to REDD

2011-06-10
Bonn 8 June Evidence from benchmark sites across the tropics is proving that an integrated, multifunctional approach that allows for land-use sharing in agriculture, forests and other functions can achieve good results in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and raising food production levels. It provides more realistic solutions than the popular view on sparing land for forests through agricultural intensification. Agricultural intensification, also known as the Borlaug hypothesis, means increasing yields per unit area of land regardless of the emissions caused, expecting ...

Simple test could hold key to early diagnosis of cancers

2011-06-10
Cancers of the gut, stomach and pancreas could be detected much sooner with a simple urine test, research suggests. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have identified key proteins in the urine of patients with advanced cancers. The findings could help the detection of these cancers in people who have not yet started to show symptoms of the disease. This would enable patients to be diagnosed much earlier, leading to improved survival rates. Only around 10 per cent of patients with these cancers – known as cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract – are ...

New parallelization technique boosts our ability to model biological systems

2011-06-10
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for using multi-core chips more efficiently, significantly enhancing a computer's ability to build computer models of biological systems. The technique improved the efficiency of algorithms used to build models of biological systems more than seven-fold, creating more realistic models that can account for uncertainty and biological variation. This could impact research areas ranging from drug development to the engineering of biofuels. Computer models of biological systems have many uses, from ...

Brain imaging study of preschoolers with ADHD detects brain differences linked to symptoms

2011-06-10
(Baltimore, MD) – In a study published today in the Clinical Neuropsychologist (e-publication ahead of print), researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute found differences in the brain development of preschool children with symptoms of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Results showed the region of the brain important for cognitive and motor control was smaller in these children than in typically developing children. Novel for its use of neuroimaging in very young, preschool age children with early symptoms of ADHD, this study's examination of brain differences ...

Federal Tax Evasion Investigation Targets Kabbalah Centre in Los Angeles

2011-06-10
The Kabbalah Centre, a Los-Angeles based, not-for-profit spiritual organization that studies Jewish mysticism, is under investigation for federal tax evasion by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS' investigation comes on the heels of a couple lawsuits accusing the Kabbalah Centre of committing financial fraud. The Kabbalah Centre, well-known for its A-list celebrity adherents and supporters, including Madonna, has been led by the Berg family for the past 40 years. A story in the Los Angeles Times noted that, while applying ...

Is Professionalism Lacking In Professional Sports?

2011-06-10
Whether it is a deterioration of civility in the culture of sports, or even a reflection of society at large, in recent years there have been a number of high-profile confrontations between players and fans, and fights between fans. These clashes have resulted in a rash of sports fan injuries. In 2004, Frank Francisco, then a member of the Texas Rangers baseball team, reacted to a disturbance in the Rangers bullpen between a player and a fan by throwing a folding chair into the stands. The chair struck the wife of the Oakland A's fan, breaking her nose. An investigation ...

B vitamins in mother's diet reduce colorectal cancer risk in offspring

2011-06-10
BOSTON (June 9, 2011) − Mice born to mothers who are fed a diet supplemented with B vitamins are less likely to develop intestinal tumors, report scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University. Previous research in humans and mice suggests that B vitamins, particularly folate, play a role in the prevention of colorectal cancer. Using a mouse model of naturally occurring colorectal cancer, the USDA HNRCA scientists examined whether a mothers' B vitamin intake impacts her offspring's cancer risk. Mothers ...

Controlling starch in sugar factories

2011-06-10
This release is available in Spanish. Factory trials conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have led to recommendations for controlling or preventing starch buildup in processed raw sugars and products made with those sugars. The study was led by chemist Gillian Eggleston with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Commodity Utilization Research Unit in New Orleans, La. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency. Eggleston has been studying sugarcane that comes into factories containing too much field leafy residue called trash. ...

Molton Brown Launches Re-Charge Black Pepper Antiperspirant Stick

2011-06-10
Molton Brown has announced the launch of the new re-charge black pepper antiperspirant stick, a welcome addition to the brand's most popular men's collection. Madagascan black pepper mixed with the fusion of essential oils - ranging from Egyptian Basil and Haitian Vetiver to Russian Coriander, Italian Bergamot and Lemon - creates the distinctive warm and richly spiced aroma. Specially designed to guarantee long-lasting protection, eliminating both odours and moisture, the men's deodorant ensures all day freshness. The added andriboa oil extract, a rare ingredient ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

[Press-News.org] New genetic technique converts skin cells into brain cells