Direct reprogramming of somatic cells has tremendous potential to advance applications in disease modeling, drug discovery, and gene and cell therapies. A study conducted by Duke University which depicts the plasticity of cells and their ability to “reprogram” for differing functions.
Researchers in this study leveraged a multiplexing technique to induce this cellular differentiation through targeted activation of endogenous genes. This was accomplished by utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 system as a programmable, locus-specific transcriptional regulator for activation of the endogenous Brn2, Ascl1, and Myt1l genes (BAM factors). These findings are significant because it demonstrates the feasibility of leveraging human tissue for converting cell types rather than driving synthetic creation.
At BioIVT, we understand the importance of emerging research related to genetic biomarkers. In effort to support current efforts in the scientific community, our Services research services have established expertise in both ViewRNA® and RNAscope® branched chain in situ hybridization. Thorough assay development and optimization approaches allow us to effectively use these techniques to deliver high quality, biologically relevant supporting human tissue-based target and biomarker validation projects and diagnostic assay development.