Induced pluripotent stem cells as a neurogenetic tool for treatment of neurological diseases

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSC) technology is considered to be a revolution in the field of stem cells,which has provided the context for Genetic Reprogramming (GR) of somatic cells to diverse types ofdifferentiatedcells. In recent years, the technology has contributed in understanding the causes of diseases,discovering effective drugs, and cell replacement therapy. It has also provided new insights into RegenerativeMedicine (RM) and Personalized Medicine (PM). With their ability to convert into differentiated cells, IPSCs area source for disease modeling and treatment of many neurological diseases such as, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’sdiseases and also spinal cord injury. The self-renewal ability of iPSCs resulting from GR has made them suitablefor modeling neurological diseases. On the other hand, application ofiPSCs is effective for treatment ofneurological disease due to proliferation ability and differentiation to desired neurons. GR technology and RMpractices have been frequently applied so far in treating neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s,and Multiple Sclerosis. Although scientific communityexpects a promising future for treating neurologicaldiseases by these technology, they are faced with serious challenges in this path including the low efficiency ofiPSCsproduction and integrating the newly generated cells into complex brain neural networks. In this review,we will discuss a brief history of IPSCs production using GR method as well as their application in PM and RMand treating neurological diseases. Finally, we will investigate current and future challenges facing thistechnology.

Keywords:

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSC) , Neurological Diseases , Genetic Reprogramming (GR) , Personalized Medicine (PM) , Regenerative Medicine (RM)