Can induced pluripotent stem cells be used to generate useful Parkinson's disease cell models?

Stem Cells, Cell Implantation Therapy, Therapeutic Development

The demonstration that forced expression of only a handful of genes can 'reprogram' adult human skin cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells (with properties of embryonic stem cells) has drastically altered the landscape of the stem cell field. Recent work showing that such iPS cells can be derived from people exhibiting a variety of diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, provides an opportunity not only for future cell replacement but also to develop ‘disease models in a dish’. However, whether such cell lines for PD will truly reveal disease-related phenotypes has yet to be clearly demonstrated.

Responses:
INTERVIEW: iPS cells as disease models
J William Langston, The PI, et al.
16 Jun 2009 02:36 PM EST
Dr. Bill Langston sat down with  Dr. Michael Rogan and Dr. Holli Kawadler to discuss the future of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), and their use in Parkinson's disease modeling. ... 
Responses: 3
iPS in PD: How much and how soon?
Ernest Arenas, Karolinska
6 Jul 2009 12:48 PM EST
iPS cell technologies hold the promise to change the way we look at regenerative medicine (cell replacement therapy) and drug development (disease modeling) in Parkinson’s disease. iPS cells ... 
Responses: 1
Trading iPS efficiency for tumorigenicity?
Holli Kawadler, MJFF
10 Aug 2009 02:27 PM EST
Five recent publications in Nature show the reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotency is blocked by the p53 pathway and the INK4/ARF locus (encoding the tumor suppressors p16Ink4a, p19Arf, ... 
Olfactory system pathology as a model of Lewy neurodegenerative disease
John E Duda
14 Aug 2009 03:15 PM EST
I would like to elaborate on Dr. Langston's comments about the olfactory bulb as a possible model of PD pathology. I believe that, as a field, we continue to place too much emphasis on understanding ... 
Using iPS cells for disease modeling and drug discovery - Q&A with Dr. Lorenz Studer
Lorenz Studer, Sloan-Kettering, et al.
19 Aug 2009 01:08 PM EST
Dr. Lorenz Studer discusses his recent work using patient-derived iPS cells as models of pathogenesis and treatment of familial dysautonomia, and the issues surrounding using this technology for ... 
Adult vs. embryonic vs. induced pluripotent stem cell approaches in PD
Brian K. Fiske, MJFF
29 Oct 2009 01:35 PM EST
The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) released yesterday a list of its newly funded stem cell research grants. Although none have a clear focus on Parkinson's disease, what is ... 
ESC v. iPSC: The difference is in efficiency
Holli Kawadler, MJFF
18 Feb 2010 12:20 PM EST
There are still a number of questions to consider when looking at using iPS in both regenerative medicine and disease modeling, as outlined previously. How similar are ES and iPS cells, can we ...