The discovery that skin cells from an adult human can be reprogrammed back to their embryonic stage and then differentiated to produce neuron-like cells in culture opens an opportunity to study disease pathogenesis and screen potential therapeutic drugs. A new study provides an example of this approach for the neuropsychiatric disorder Timothy syndrome (pages 1657–1662).
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Huttner, A., Rakic, P. Diagnosis in a dish: your skin can help your brain. Nat Med 17, 1558–1559 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.2599
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.2599
