Tapping astrocytes to replace lost neurons in Parkinson’s

In the latest example of a regenerative medicine approach that involves transforming one cell type in the body into another, a University of California San Diego team has shown it can replace lost dopamine neurons in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease by reprogramming astrocytes. The mice showed substantial motor improvements.

The method -- dubbed transdifferentiation -- has yet to score a major clinical win but it has been gaining steam preclinically. ...