"MIT Engineers Innovate Method to Fine-Tune Synthetic Gene Expression"

MIT engineers have innovated a method to precisely control gene expression in skin cells, facilitating the conversion to motor neurons, which holds promise for regenerative medicine.

• The MIT research team developed a technique to manipulate gene expression levels in skin cells, allowing them to be set to off, low, or high.
• Using promoter (genetics) editing, they demonstrated that increased levels of a cocktail containing an organic compound can enhance the conversion of skin cells into motor neurons.
• The study employed transcription factors to boost the production of protein levels, leading to a significant increase in the number of motor neurons generated from skin cells.