TY - JOUR
T1 - Induced neural stem cells
T2 - Methods of reprogramming and potential therapeutic applications
AU - Ruggieri, Margherita
AU - Riboldi, Giulietta
AU - Brajkovic, Simona
AU - Bucchia, Monica
AU - Bresolin, Nereo
AU - Comi, Giacomo P.
AU - Corti, Stefania
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Developmental studies and experimental data have enabled us to assert that the terminal cell differentiation state is reversible, and that altering the balance of specific transcription factors could be a powerful strategy for inducing pluripotency. Due to the risks related to using induced pluripotent cells in clinical applications, biologists are now striving to develop methods to induce a committed differentiated cell type by direct conversion of another cell line. Several reprogramming factors have been discovered, and some cellular phenotypes have been obtained by novel transdifferentiation processes. It has been recently demonstrated that induced neural stem cells (iNSCs) can be obtained from rodent and human somatic cells, like fibroblasts, through the forced expression of defined transcription factors. To date, two different approaches have been successfully used to obtain iNSCs: a direct method and an indirect method that involves an intermediate destabilized state. The possibility to induce characterized iNSCs from human cells, e.g. fibroblasts, has opened new horizons for research in human disease modelling and cellular therapeutic applications in the neurological field.This review focuses on reported reprogramming techniques and innovative techniques that can be further explored in this area, as well as on the criteria for the phenotypic characterization of iNSCs and their use in developing novel therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases.
AB - Developmental studies and experimental data have enabled us to assert that the terminal cell differentiation state is reversible, and that altering the balance of specific transcription factors could be a powerful strategy for inducing pluripotency. Due to the risks related to using induced pluripotent cells in clinical applications, biologists are now striving to develop methods to induce a committed differentiated cell type by direct conversion of another cell line. Several reprogramming factors have been discovered, and some cellular phenotypes have been obtained by novel transdifferentiation processes. It has been recently demonstrated that induced neural stem cells (iNSCs) can be obtained from rodent and human somatic cells, like fibroblasts, through the forced expression of defined transcription factors. To date, two different approaches have been successfully used to obtain iNSCs: a direct method and an indirect method that involves an intermediate destabilized state. The possibility to induce characterized iNSCs from human cells, e.g. fibroblasts, has opened new horizons for research in human disease modelling and cellular therapeutic applications in the neurological field.This review focuses on reported reprogramming techniques and innovative techniques that can be further explored in this area, as well as on the criteria for the phenotypic characterization of iNSCs and their use in developing novel therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases.
KW - Clinical application
KW - Induced neural stem cells
KW - Multipotency
KW - Reprogramming
KW - Self-renewal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896396125&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84896396125&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.11.001
DO - 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.11.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 24246715
AN - SCOPUS:84896396125
VL - 114
SP - 15
EP - 24
JO - Progress in Neurobiology
JF - Progress in Neurobiology
SN - 0301-0082
ER -