What neurons are not made of today...
Biologists have learned how to get neurons from urine
The work of Wang et al. “Generation of integration-free neural progenitor cells from cells in human urine” is published in the journal Nature Methods, and its summary (Brain cells made from urine) is cited by Nature.
The method involves reprogramming the renal epithelium by introducing several genes, the work of which determines the fate of cells. Similarly, not only epithelium, but also fibroblasts, blood cells and many other types of cells can be transformed into stem cells (iPS). The authors' use of exfoliated renal epithelium as a starting material makes their method the least invasive of all existing ones.
The genetic construct was introduced on temporary carriers (plasmids) and removed from cells as needed. The process of converting epithelial cells into iPS took only 12 days, which is much less than usual. By placing the resulting induced stem cells in a neurogenesis-stimulating environment, the scientists observed how the cells turned into precursors of neurons.
Precursor cells of neurons, colored with antibodies against markers:
nestina (green) and Pax6 (red)
Photo by Lihui Wang, Guangjin Pan and Duanqing Pei.
In a series of experiments on rats, the authors showed that cells injected into the brain become normal neurons and do not cause the formation of tumors. So far, the method has primarily research value, since it makes it relatively easy to obtain a large number of induced brain stem cells.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru10.12.2012