Direct Conversion Factors

Creative Biolabs is your dependable service provider combining our advanced platforms together with the knowledge and experience of our experts. Our specialized scientist team provides high-quality and customized neuroscience research tools such as direct conversion factors to facilitate your neuroscience research.

Direct Conversion for Generation of Neural Cells

In a process known as direct conversion, the expression of specific conversion factors directly converts neural cells from one cell lineage into other cell types. In the last few years, the number of neuronal subtype-specific direct conversion approaches exploded, generating various neuronal subtypes.

Through this process, mature somatic cells can be converted to cells of the target lineage in a reasonable period, which is critical for time-sensitive pathologies. Direct conversion offers a valuable addition to iPSCs-based cell models to study the fundamentals of cell identity, investigate human neuronal function, model neurological diseases, and as a new strategy for in vivo cell replacement therapies.

Neural Direct Conversion Using Specific Factors

Specific subtypes of functional neurons can be produced from somatic cells by expressing many neural direct conversion factors. It activates a neuronal transcriptional program and permits the changes of different cell types quickly. The conversion of astrocytes into other neural cells can be achieved by the forced expression of the factors, including Pax6, Ascl1, Ngn2, and Dlx2.

• In the conversion of fibroblast into some induced neurons, Ascl1 exerts its function after induction and acts as a transcriptional activator inducing neuronal-related gene expression. Ascl1 is responsible for chromatin changes occurring during the process, leading to an upregulation of functional genes involved in neuronal network formation, neuronal processes, and neuronal maturation.
• Expression of conversion factor Ngn2 is shown to convert non-neuronal cells into induced neurons in the striatum following stab wound injury. Sox2 expression is also reported to convert astrocytes into induced neuroblasts following the differentiation into mature neuron cell types.
• Various direct conversion factor combinations can generate subtype-specific neurons from fibroblasts, and factor screening studies for neuron conversion lead to identifying many additional pro-neuronal factors, such as Brn3a/b/c, Brn4s, and Ezh2. These transcription factors promote specific conversion with distinct phenotypes.

Fig. 1 Direct conversion of hESC-derived hGPCs. (Nolbrant, 2020)

Services at Creative Biolabs

Direct conversion is an approach to generate lineage-specific terminal cells using a set of cell-lineage-specific conversion factors. The process converts and commits matured and differentiated cells to specific terminal cell types without pluripotency. This technology is a promising tool to harness specific cells for many applications, including basic human biology research, disease modeling, and drug development and screening. Focused on basic neuroscience research, Creative Biolabs uses our skills for the discovery and production of direct conversion factors to meet your specific requirement of cell models development. Our dedicated staff and advanced platforms enable us to identify the direct conversion factors that are the most suitable for your development.

Creative Biolabs is dedicated to delivering our customers high-quality direct conversion factor production service that supports neuroscience research. Please directly contact us for more information. We look forward to discussing your inquiry and finding the best solution for your needs.

Reference

1. Nolbrant, S.; et al. Direct reprogramming of human fetal-and stem cell-derived glial progenitor cells into midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Stem cell reports. 2020, 15(4), 869-882.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.