Creation of a library of induced pluritent stem cell models from Parkinsonian patients

Stem cells made from the skin of patients with neurodegenerative disorders provide a way to understand disease mechanisms and find new drugs. A team led by Laurent Roybon from Lund University, Sweden, and Jari Koistinaho from the University of Eastern Finland took fibroblasts from people with familial Parkinson’s disease or another neurodegenerative disorder called multiple system atrophy. They introduced viruses that express four ‘reprogramming’ factors to turn the developmental clock back on the skin cells and create what are known as induced pluripotent stem cells. The resulting cell lines could differentiate into various types of brain cells. The team’s stem-cell library is the first to be generated from people who carry various mutations in genes associated with Parkinson’s disease. It can now be used to further explore disease pathways and to test for drug candidates.