©The Author(s) 2016. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Feb 26, 2016; 8(2): 32-46
Published online Feb 26, 2016. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v8.i2.32
Published online Feb 26, 2016. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v8.i2.32
Generation of diverse neural cell types through direct conversion
Gayle F Petersen, Padraig M Strappe, School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Author contributions: Petersen GF prepared the manuscript; Strappe PM critically evaluated the manuscript.
Supported by The Charles Sturt University Writing Up Award.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Correspondence to: Padraig M Strappe, PhD, School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Boorooma Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia. pstrappe@csu.edu.au
Telephone: +61-2-69332968 Fax: +61-2-69332958
Received: July 3, 2015
Peer-review started: August 1, 2015
First decision: November 3, 2015
Revised: November 18, 2015
Accepted: December 29, 2015
Article in press: January 4, 2016
Published online: February 26, 2016
Processing time: 208 Days and 1.8 Hours
Peer-review started: August 1, 2015
First decision: November 3, 2015
Revised: November 18, 2015
Accepted: December 29, 2015
Article in press: January 4, 2016
Published online: February 26, 2016
Processing time: 208 Days and 1.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The process of neural direct conversion, in which cells of one lineage are converted into cells of a neural lineage without first inducing pluripotency, shows great potential for the generation of a range of neural cell types, providing an attractive alternative to neural cells derived from embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells. In this review, we describe the generation of diverse neural cell types via direct conversion of somatic cells, with comparison against stem cell-based approaches, as well as discussion of their potential research and clinical applications.