Skin Cells Morph into Brain Cells: New Technique to Treat Genetic Disorders

There could be a way to engineer brains cells. Researchers have discovered a technique that can directly convert skin cells to the type of brain cells destroyed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy (CP) and other so-called myelin disorders.

The findings, which are published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, detail a new technique which involves directly converting fibroblasts--an abundant structural cell present in the skin and most organs--into oligodendrocytes. These cells are responsible for myelinating the neurons in the brain, which means that they provide a vital sheath of insulation that protects neurons and enables the delivery of brain impulses to the rest of the body.

The myelinating cells in patients that suffer from MS, CP and other rare genetic disorders called leukodystrophies are destroyed. Unfortunately, these cells cannot be replaced, and a patient's condition can deteriorate relatively rapidly. This new finding, though, could potentially provide a way to replace these cells in the future.

"It's cellular alchemy," said Paul Tesar, senior author of the study, in a press release. "We are taking a readily accessible and abundant cell and completely switching its identity to become a highly valuable cell for therapy."

In order to convert the cells, the researchers used a process called "cellular reprogramming." They manipulated the levels of three naturally occurring proteins to induce fibroblast cells to become precursors to oligodenrocytes (OPCs). In fact, they were able to rapidly generate billions of these induced OPCs (iOPCs) and could show that they could regenerate new myelin coatings around nerves after being transplanted to mice.

Before now, OPCs and oligodendrocytes could only be obtained from fetal tissue, or pluripotent stem cells. This latest discovery, though, could open up a whole new wave a research that could help treat rare genetic diseases.

Currently, the scientists are working on demonstrating the feasibility and safety of this technique by using human cells in a lab setting rather than mouse cells. If successful, the technique could be used to treat human myelin disorders.