Functional analysis of neurons derived from Alzheimer patient iPSCs

Alzheimer's disease research has traditionally involved the use of rodents genetically engineered to develop symptoms of the disease. Yet rodent models can never perfectly replicate the pathologies of human Alzheimer's. In recent years, some investigators have tried to overcome this limitation by engineering human brain cells in the laboratory. This process involves taking human fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) and genetically reprogramming them into 'induced pluripotent stem cells' (iPSCs). Such stem cells can, in turn, be induced to develop into neurons. The use of iPSC-derived neurons has the potential to reveal more precise information about how Alzheimer's disease develops and progresses in humans.