Transforming normal skin cells into brain cells.

In a study published in the American journal Nature Biotechnology on April 14th, a group of American scientists reported that they had successfully transformed ordinary skin cells directly into a type of brain cell that is often destroyed in patients with multiple sclerosis.

According to the research team at Case Western Reserve University, this study has helped realize the creation of myelinated cells, the units responsible for producing the protective sheath around nerve cells, thereby enabling the smooth transmission of commands from the brain to the body and the normal functioning of the body.

Illustrative image.

In experiments conducted on mice, scientists directly transformed fibroblasts—a type of structural cell already present in human skin and organs—into oligodendrocytes, the units that produce the myelin sheath that covers nerve cells in the brain.

Paul Tesar, a genetics and genetics expert at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the lead researcher, calls this process "cellular alchemy," whereby his team used readily available normal cells as a raw material to transform them into a highly valuable cell type for disease treatment.

The research team said they successfully created billions of remodeled oligodendrocytes from fibroblasts and then regenerated the myelin sheath around nerves implanted in mice.

When oligodendrocytes are damaged or malfunction, the myelin sheath covering the nerve cells is lost, causing disruptions in bodily functions.

The treatment for this condition involves regenerating the myelin layer through the replacement of oligodendrocytes, which can only be obtained from neonatal tissues or stem cells in the spinal cord.

This method is quite effective but also has many limitations.

If this new experiment can be successfully applied to human treatment, it will open up hope for treating patients with myelin disorders.

According to (VNA) - VT