Direct conversion of fibroblasts to neurons by a new mechanism – p53 regulation

Direct conversion from fibroblast to neuron has recently been successfully induced bypassing the pluripotent state. However, the conversion takes a few months with low percentages of success. Here we found that depletion of p53, which can converted fibroblasts into three major neural lineages: neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, our method provided a high efficiency of conversion in aging fibroblasts, where published methods failed. This finding may help developing a prototype for neuron replacement therapy, including foraging people vulnerable to neurological disorders. p53 has been shown to inhibit reprogramming of fibroblasts to iPS cells, by depletion of p53 in human fibroblasts, we study the function of p53 in induced neuron process. By induction of p53 knockdown fibroblasts with special neuron medium, we can get mature neurons directly. In the induction process, many neurogenic transcription factors were up-regulated, and we prove that p21 is not involved in this process.