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How to turn stem cells into sensory interneurons: scientists have developed a scheme
Tatiana Matveeva, "Scientific Russia" (https://scientificrussia.ru /)
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (USA) have developed a first-of—its-kind roadmap that details how stem cells become sensory interneurons - cells that provide sensations such as touch, pain and itching. The discovery will help in the future to develop cell therapy to restore sensitivity in people with spinal cord injuries, the press service of the university reports. The results of the work are published in the journal Cell Reports (Gupta et al., In vitro atlas of dorsal spinal interneurons reveals Wnt signaling as a critical regulator of progenitor expansion).
Sensory interneurons are a class of neurons in the spinal cord that are responsible for transmitting sensory information from the entire body to the central nervous system. In 2018, the laboratory of Samantha Butler, professor of neuroscience and senior author of this study, became the first group to create sensory interneurons from embryonic and induced pluripotent human stem cells. Then scientists figured out how to produce only some subtypes of these important cells.
The new work reveals how stem cells – so far only mouse cells – can be transformed into any of the six subtypes of sensory interneurons. Each subtype conveys information about different sensations, such as touch, pressure, stretching, pain, itching and warmth. The study showed that the cells created using the published scheme are genetically and molecularly indistinguishable from their real counterparts in the body – which means that, most likely, they will have the same sensory functions.
Sensory interneurons (with red nuclei) derived from mouse stem cells. A drawing from the Scientists develop blueprint press release for turning stem cells into sensory interneurons.
The team also identified unique markers on the cell surface of each of the six subtypes, which will allow scientists to isolate pure populations of these different sensory interneurons derived from stem cells or derived from the body. By making changes to these protocols, scientists can successfully generate a large number of sensory interneurons that will be required for clinical applications.
Currently, the team is trying to replicate the results of the work on human cells. According to scientists, if they can identify all subtypes of human sensory interneurons, this will open up an important new path for studying sensory processing disorders. And then it will be possible to develop and test new drugs, and, moreover, to create a therapy based on stem cells that restores sensitivity in people with spinal cord injury.
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