With an advanced scientific platform and a dedicated research team, Creative Bioarray has successfully developed strategies to reprogram skin cells into brain cells including oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, neurons and astrocytes, which play critical roles in the central nervous system. Our professional scientific services will help customers deeply explore the mechanism and treatment of neurological disorders.
Introduction
In 2012, for the first time, scientists transformed skin cells with a single genetic factor into cells that can develop into a functional and interconnected network of brain cells. This research provides new hope for the fight against many neurological diseases. In a new study, researchers have developed a technique that can directly transform skin cells into brain cells that are damaged in patients suffering from cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and other myelin diseases. These studies suggest that cell reprogramming techniques can be used as powerful new tools for understanding neurological diseases and lead to better models for screening drugs.
Microglia are critical to the study of Alzheimer's disease and perform a variety of functions in the development and maintenance of the central nervous system, including synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, homeostatic function, tissue repair and response to toxic and infectious agents. However, studying human microglia is challenging due to the rarity and difficulty of obtaining primary cells from human fetal or adult CNS tissue. The development of cell reprogramming techniques has opened up renewable sources of human microglia such as from iPSCs.
Fig.1 Differentiation of human iPSC-derived microglia-like cells. (Abud, 2017)
Our Services
Researchers at Creative Bioarray have developed multiple strategies to reprogram skin cells into different types of brain cells. We offer services including but not limited to:
- Reprogramming Fibroblasts into Neuron
- Reprogramming Fibroblasts into Astrocytes
- Reprogramming Fibroblasts into Oligodendrocyte-like Cells
Our Technical Support
- Transforming skin cells into iPSCs through genetic reprogramming and then exposing the cells to a series of differentiation factors that mimic the developmental origin of microglia to guide these pluripotent cells into a new state, resulting in human microglia-like cells.
- Reprogramming mouse skin cells into induced oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) with morphological and gene expression characteristics similar to primary OPCs by forced expression of important TFs. This direct lineage conversion could be a viable alternative to generate functional brain cells.
Applications
- Study on microglial function
- Providing new insight into human neurological disease
- Drug testing for devastating neurodegenerative conditions
- Development of therapies for myelin disorders and spinal cord injury
Advantages
- Efficient custom solutions
- Extensive experience in reprogramming
- Multiple reprogramming services
Creative Bioarray focuses on cutting-edge scientific advances in the field of cell reprogramming and provides services to reprogram skin cells into brain cells for customers around the world by continuously expanding reprogramming strategies. If you need related technical support, please feel free to contact us.
Reference
- Abud, E.M.; et al. iPSC-derived human microglia-like cells to study neurological diseases. Neuron. 2017, 94(2): 278-293.