Direct conversion of human fibroblasts into neuronal restricted progenitors.

ABSTRACT: Neuronal restricted progenitors (NRPs) represent a type of transitional intermediate cells that lie between multipotent neural progenitors and terminal differentiated neurons during neurogenesis. These NRPs have the ability to self-renew and differentiate into neurons, but not into glial cells, which is considered an advantage for cellular therapy of human neurodegenerative diseases. However, difficulty in the extraction of highly purified NRPs from normal nervous tissue prevents further studies and applications. In this study, we report the conversion of human fetal fibroblasts into human induced NRPs (hiNRPs) in 11 days by using just three defined factors: Sox2, c-Myc, and either Brn2 or Brn4. The hiNRPs exhibited distinct neuronal characteristics, including cell morphology, multiple neu

SUBMITTER: Zou Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3931081 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature