血清素 z-bo 2020-09-19 403

　　Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and mental state, and is related to many nervous system and mental diseases including depression. However, most research on fibrin is conducted in laboratory animals, because living human serotonin neurons cannot be obtained to study these diseases.

　　Recently, researchers from Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Buffalo State University (UB) in New York State prepared human serotonin neurons from human fibroblasts (cells that produce connective tissue in the human body). The researchers say that their findings will benefit medical research and drug discovery because they can also be used to prepare many other human cell types that were previously unavailable.

　　and related research results will be published in the Nature (Nature) sub-journal "Molecular Psychiatry" (Molecular Psychiatry) on July 28, and will become the cover story of future issues. Dr. Jian Feng, the first author of the article and professor of physiology and biophysics at the UB Institute of Medicine, said: Chen Shengdi, professor of neurology at King Kong Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, said: “Our research enables the cultivation of skin It is possible to prepare precious serotonin neurons in a dish." Co-author. Previous studies have shown that human fibroblasts can be transformed into neurons. Based on this, this task uses special transcription factors to bind genes and turn them on or off.

　　"Generation of 5-HT Neurons UB This study shows for the first time that human fibroblasts can be directly converted into 5-HT neurons. Fen explained: "The behavior of these induced serotonin neurons is very similar to that of serotonin neurons in the human brain." Serotonin protein is only found in neurons that produce serotonin. They have electrophysiological activity and show controlled release and selective absorption of serotonin. "

　　Researchers discovered that they have introduced four regulatory serotonin neurons. Developmental genes can use fibroblasts to produce inducible serotonin neurons. Professor Fen said. "These genes have changed the way the human genome is read. The human genome is like the hard drive of a computer. In this way, cells can be transformed from lung cells into serotonin neurons. "Scientists can produce serotonin neurons from patients with serotonin-related mental illness.

　　The focus of this article is to convert lung fibroblasts into serotonin neurons, but Professor Feng's research team has also been working hard to produce serotonin neurons from human skin cells. Yes, this will be a simpler and less invasive process.

　　common technology

　　This induced serotonin neuron is very beneficial because it can be produced by patients with neurotransmitter related diseases. Professor Feng said: These patients' specific fiber neuron neurons are very helpful in developing new drugs for specific diseases (from depression and anxiety to obsessive-compulsive disorder and many other diseases). You can research why you have this disease and find a cure. "This study can convert one type of cell into another type of cell that is difficult to find (such as neurons and heart cells). It shows that this is possible. All you need to do is find the desired transcription and combine multiple Factors, sooner or later you will discover what these combinations are, and regenerate the cells and final tissues in the body. Allows you to simulate the real cells and tissues in it."