Scientists develop blueprint for turning stem cells into sensory interneurons

Key takeaways:Just like the real thing.The stem cell –derived interneurons, which play a role in sensations like touch and pain, are indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts in the body.Tomorrow ’s therapies. In addition to potential treatments for injury-related sensation loss, the discovery could lead to new methods for screening drugs for chronic pain.Moving forward. While stem cells from mice were used in the research, scientists are now working to replicate the findings with human cells.Researchers at the  Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have developed a first-of-its-kind roadmap detailing how stem cells become sensory interneurons — the cells that enable sensations like touch, pain and itch.The study, conducted using embryonic stem cells from mice, also identified a method for producing all types of sensory interneurons in the laboratory. If this work can be replicated using human stem cells, the researchers said, it could be a key step toward the development of stem cell –based therapies that restore sensation in people who have lost feeling in parts of their body due to spinal cord injuries.“For many years, my lab’s research has focused on helping people who have experienced spinal cord injuries feel again,” said the study’s senior author, Samantha Butler, a professor of neurobiology and member of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center. “This work brings us closer to that goal b y outlinin...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news