Project description:Direct conversion from fibroblasts to neurons is a potential cell replacement therapy for neurological disorders, and a variety of combinations of transcription factors have been tried. We notice that the efficiency of conversion from aging fibroblasts was much lower than in early stage cells, which is consistent with the notion that cellular senescence impairs conversion of fibroblasts to neurons. Here, we found that the transient knockdown of the p16Ink4a/p19Arf locus was sufficient to convert human fibroblasts to neurons. Futhermore, expression of hTERT alone, another mechanism behind immortalization, also induced neuron conversion. Our results show that the acquisition of immortality is a crucial step for the conversion of human fibroblasts into induced neurons. Transient knockdown of p16/p19 or p53 expression or exogenous overexpression of hTERT can induce primary fibroblasts to immortality. In the following, treated cells were cultured in neuron-induction medium. We can observe the morphology change and detect the neuronal markers. Also, some of the induced neurons could generate action potentials and neurotransmitter-induced currents in optimal conditions.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of human mesenchymal stem cells comparing normoxic MSCs cells with hypoxic MSCs cells. Hypoxia may inhibit senescence of MSCs during expansion. Goal was to determine the effects of hypoxia on global MSCs gene expression.
Project description:Direct conversion from fibroblasts to neurons is a potential cell replacement therapy for neurological disorders, and a variety of combinations of transcription factors have been tried. We notice that the efficiency of conversion from aging fibroblasts was much lower than in early stage cells, which is consistent with the notion that cellular senescence impairs conversion of fibroblasts to neurons. Here, we found that the transient knockdown of the p16Ink4a/p19Arf locus was sufficient to convert human fibroblasts to neurons. Futhermore, expression of hTERT alone, another mechanism behind immortalization, also induced neuron conversion. Our results show that the acquisition of immortality is a crucial step for the conversion of human fibroblasts into induced neurons.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of human mesenchymal stem cells comparing normoxic MSCs cells with hypoxic MSCs cells. Hypoxia may inhibit senescence of MSCs during expansion. Goal was to determine the effects of hypoxia on global MSCs gene expression. Two-condition experiment, Normoxic MSCs vs. Hypoxic MSCs.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Gene methylation profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells comparing HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs cells with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)- and HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs. hTERT may increase gene methylation in MSCs. Goal was to determine the effects of different transfected genes on global gene methylation in MSCs.