Title: Cell Reprogramming and Gene editing technology for Neurodegenerative disease therapy

Speaker: Professor Jongpil Kim, Ph.D. (Dept of Biomedical Engineering, Dongguk University)

Date & Time: March 14 (Wed), 4:30PM~5:45PM

Venue: YBS Bldg. (E16-1), Rm#207

Abstract:

The discovery of reprogramming by ectopic expression of a defined set of transcription factors, known as direct reprogramming, provided a tractable platform to uncover molecular characteristics of cellular specification and differentiation, and pluripotency. We will discuss the control and maintenance of cellular identity during direct reprogramming with an emphasis on the applications for neurological disease therapy. Recently, we report that in vivo reprogramming by nanoelectronics efficiently and non-invasively alleviated symptoms in mouse Parkinson’s disease models. This study provides a proof of principle for in vivo conversion as a potentially viable and safe therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. We also discuss the strategies used to generate such disease models using either patient-specific reprogrammed cells, creating new possibilities for the establishment of neurological models for their use in drug screening.