The prospect of using cell replacement therapies has raised the key issue of whether elucidation of developmental pathways can facilitate the generation of therapeutically important cell types from stem cells. Here we show that the homeodomain proteins Lmx1a and Msx1 function as determinants of midbrain dopamine neurons, cells that degenerate in patients with Parkinson's disease. Lmx1a is sufficient and required to trigger dopamine cell differentiation. An early activity of Lmx1a is to induce the expression of Msx1, which complements Lmx1a by inducing the proneural protein Ngn2 and neuronal differentiation. Importantly, expression of Lmx1a in embryonic stem cells results in a robust generation of dopamine neurons with a “correct” midbrain identity. These data establish that Lmx1a and Msx1 are critical intrinsic dopamine-neuron determinants in vivo and suggest that they may be essential tools in cell replacement strategies in Parkinson's disease.
Most classes of neurons that constitute the central nervous system (CNS) are generated during embryonic development in response to local inductive cues. Such signals regulate gene expression in responding neural progenitors, which results in the generation of specific neuronal subtypes at defined positions of the developing CNS (Jessell, 2000). Mesencephalic dopamine (DA) neurons, which degenerate in patients with Parkinson's disease, are...
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Hello frnds
This is my fst website and currently Im checking what else I can do from it
So
Here I will write my weblogs as well as funny parts of my life..which will be less as I write only the rondooo stuffs
So lets this first post be dedicated to my friends and family
I love you all
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