Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

About half of patients who develop early-onset frontotemporal dementia have a mutation in the gene expressing progranulin (GRN) which functions in “Wnt” signal transduction pathway. (“Wnt” derived from fruit fly genetics meaning wingless-related integration site in embryonic development.) Cell scientists at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium have used induced pluripotent stem cells from the skin of GRN deficient patients and grown up defective frontotemporal neurons which now can be used in the search for a drug treatment.   MORE

Image Credit: Susanna Raitano/Stem Cell Reports 2014