Targeting brain-resident cells for direct lineage-reprogramming offers new perspectives for brain repair. Here we describe a protocol of how to prepare cultures enriched for brain-resident pericytes from the adult human cerebral cortex and convert these into induced neurons by retrovirus-mediated expression of the transcription factors Sox2 and Ascl1.
Karow, M., Schichor, C., Beckervordersandforth, R., Berninger, B. Lineage-reprogramming of Pericyte-derived Cells of the Adult Human Brain into Induced Neurons. J. Vis. Exp. (87), e51433, doi:10.3791/51433 (2014).