Researchers predict cell conversion factors
Thanks to a newly developed computational method, Luxembourg researchers can accurately predict how one subpopulation of cells can be converted into another. "The method has great potential for regenerative medicine when it comes to replacing cell subpopulations that have been lost in the course of disease, for example," explains Prof. Dr. Antonio del Sol, head of the Computational Biology group of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg. In collaboration with Parkinson's disease researchers at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, the scientists showed that, based on computational predictions, neural stem cells can be reprogrammed and ultimately converted into a desired subtype of neurons. The researchers presented their results in the journal Nature Communications.