Year 3

Our studies have led us to define a new and independent way that skin cells can be converted to human neurons, which are the cells of the brain that are the basis of human thought and neurologic diseases. We have found that the types of neurons produced by this means are very diverse and include neurons that are the targets of major human neurologic disease. These results have lead us to conclude that new models of human disease can be produced by converting the skin cells of individuals with neurologic diseases to specific types of neurons that are affected in specific disease.