Researchers working at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at California’s Stanford University have successfully managed to achieve a direct transformation of ordinary mouse skin cells into neurons; thereby marking a radical upsurge in the field of regenerative medicine. 

The latest experiment underlines the potential for treatment of brain diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, and healing of damaged spinal cords, by merely taking a section of a patient’s skin and turning the cells into a custom-made transplant.

For the experiment, the researchers used only three genes - called transcription factors – to transform skin cells taken from the tails of adult mice into neural (brain) cells. While one transcription factor generated immature neural cells; the other two pushed them to mature cells.

The research team found that nearly 20 percent of the skin cells transformed into neural cells in less than a week; and, at least in a lab dish, these cells also behaved like “functional” neurons, and made connections with their neighboring neurons.

Noting the findings in the January 27 online edition of Nature, the researchers said that the experiment would greatly revolutionize human stem cell therapy, as it circumvents the need for using embryonic stem cells for cellular treatment.

Commenting about the noteworthy findings, Dr. Irving Weissman, the Stanford Institute’s director, said: “To be very honest, I wasn't sure if it would work. It was one of those high-risk, high reward projects. It worked out, actually relatively quickly.”