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Friday, April 11 • 11:35am - 11:50am
Inducing Subtype-Specific Neuron Differentiation through Direct Protein Transduction

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Genetics play a large role in neurological disorders, and the most up-to-date method of creating cellular models of genetic causes of disease is through the induction of pluripotence in patient fibroblasts. Currently, differentiation of these induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into neurons is achieved through lentiviral transfection, a method that provides swift output and high efficiency, but carries several intrinsic risks and disadvantages. We sought to show that by the direct delivery of transcription factor proteins using the macromolecule polyethylenimine (PEI), induced neurons (iNs) can effectively be derived from iPSCs, circumventing viral agents altogether. Our data, although preliminary, show that mature excitatory iNs can be successfully produced with the delivery of the recombinant protein human Neurogenin 2 (hNgn2). With further investigation and technique optimization, direct recombinant transcription factor delivery could provide a safer, more accessible, and more malleable process of producing neurons for use in disease modeling and cell therapy.


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Friday April 11, 2014 11:35am - 11:50am EDT
MBH 338

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