Human Skin Cells Transformed Directly into Motor Neurons (IMAGE)

Washington University School of Medicine

Human Skin Cells Transformed Directly into Motor Neurons

Caption

Scientists have discovered a new way to convert human skin cells directly into motor neurons (above). The technique, developed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, could help researchers better understand diseases of motor neurons, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Human motor neurons are difficult to study since they can't be taken from living patients. The motor neurons pictured were converted from skin cells sampled from a healthy 42-year-old woman.

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Daniel Abernathy

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