New method may serve as platform for creating cell therapies for ALS

Process to turn skin cells into motor neurons detailed in 2 papers

Scientists have developed a novel method to efficiently grow motor neurons from skin cells, which may serve as a platform for creating cell therapies to treat diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The new method was described in two papers — one titled “Compact transcription factor cassettes generate functional, engraftable motor neurons by direct conversion” and the other “Proliferation history and transcription factor levels drive direct conversion to motor neurons” — concurrently published in the journal Cell Systems.

“Our optimized, direct conversion process generates functional motor neurons at scales relevant for cell therapies,” the researchers wrote in one of the papers.

Motor neurons are the specialized nerve cells that control voluntary movement in the body. In ALS, these cells sicken and die, ultimately impairing communication between the brain and muscles, and driving disease symptoms.