Small-Molecule-Based Lineage Reprogramming Creates Functional Astrocytes.

ABSTRACT: Growing evidence indicates important roles for astrocytes in neurodevelopment and diseases. However, astrocytes and their roles in these processes remain poorly understood. Despite recent progress in reprogramming somatic cells into different types of neural cells, reprogramming to astrocytes has lagged. Here, we show that functional astrocytes can be generated from mammalian fibroblasts using only small molecules. Induced mouse astrocytes resemble primary astrocytes in astrocytic gene expression and epigenomic status and exhibit functional properties in promoting neuronal maturation, glutamate uptake, and calcium signaling. Moreover, these cells can recapitulate the Alexander disease phenotype of protein aggregation when expressing Gfap with a disease-causing mutation. The same compounds

SUBMITTER: Tian E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9228989 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature