Use of Blood Stem Cells to Regenerate Neurons via the Transcription Factor hMEF2C
Recently, scientists at our Institute reported that stem cells derived from blood/bone
marrow have the ability to be transformed into nerve cells in the brain. Research in this
proposal will take advantage of this finding to generate large numbers of nerve cells from
a donor’s own blood. We will use a transcription factor (termed hMEF2C) that was first
cloned in the Lipton laboratory and recently shown to foster the development of nerve
cells from embryonic stem cells. Additionally, this transcription factor averts cell death
(apoptosis) of the stem cells during nerve cell development (neurogenesis). This
transcription factor will be introduced (or “transduced”) into human blood stem cells in an
attempt to produce nerve cells for transplantation. Initially, transplantation to replace lost
or damaged nerve cells will be performed in the rodent brain, but hopefully the principles
derived here will eventually be adapted for use in the human brain during various
degenerative/aging states.
