Biography
Biography: Jianfeng Lu
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are derived from somatic cells, such as skin fibroblasts, which keep the whole set of disease genome and could mimic the genetic environment. Without high efficiency of motor neuron differentiation from human iPSCs, it is hard to model motor neuron diseases in a dish using human iPSCs. By the development of a method for efficient conversion human iPSCs into motor neurons, we have successfully modeled motor neuron diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in vitro. This will help us understand motor neuron diseases deeply and help the development of effective treatment for the diseases.