Scientists have discovered a new technique of directly reprogramming stem cells into motor neurones.  Details of this ground breaking discovery were published in the journal Cell Stem Cell in December.

Motor neurones are nerve cells that pass impulses from the brain or spinal cord to a muscle or gland.  They facilitate muscle contraction and pass sensations back into the nervous system.

Unfortunately, a number of diseases can cause mutations within motor neurone cells.  The most common conditions that can cause neurone mutations include spinal muscular atrophy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).  If motor neurones are mutated, they cannot successfully carry signals between the brain and muscles. 

The scientists used stem cells to create healthy motor neurones that can be transplanted into a patient’s body.  This form of cellular reprogramming is not a new technique but it is the first time that scientists have directly reprogrammed cells in this way.

They discovered a new pathway for cell reprogramming by analysing gene transcriptions in mice.  Gene transcriptions are the first step of gene expression — when a particular segment of DNA is copied into RNA.  Adding new transcription factors allowed the scientists to prompt many of the available stem cells into creating motor neurones. 

There are four main types of motor neurone disease, themes common being ALS.  It is a devastating illness that impairs a person’s ability to control their own body.  

One of the researchers, Dr. Shaun Mahony, describes the importance of the findings, saying: “Our study not only informs the study of motor neuron development and its associated diseases, but also informs our understanding of the direct programming process and may help with the development of techniques to generate other cell types.”

Source: Reprogramming Stem Cells Could Soon Lead Us to a World Without Paralysis

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