Dopamine neurons play a central role in the modulation of several brain functions, and they are associated with major neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. The development of regenerative strategies for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease critically depends on our capacity to identify novel genetic factors implicated in the development and survival of dopaminergic neurons. Human pluripotent cells offer a novel source for the in vitro generation of dopaminergic neurons for cell replacement therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but they also offer an in vitro system for disease modelling at the cellular and network levels of dopamine related psychiatric disorders. Moreover, as many patients suffering of major psychiatric disorders present sleep disturbances, we will also discuss about retinal dopaminergic neurons, which contribute to the synchronization of the external environment with the circadian clock that controls sleep in our bodies.
El Dr. J. Carlos Villaescusa, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry & Biophysics – Karolinska Institute – Stockholm (Sweden).
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