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Pluripotent stem cells possess a remarkable unlimited self-renewal capacity and offer unparalleled in vitro differentiation potential. This provides a unique model system not only to study early human development but also gives renewed hope in terms of developing cell therapies and regenerative medicine. S. Yamanaka, a medical doctor and researcher, reported the possibility of reprogramming somatic cells to so-called induced pluripotent stem cells via the ectopic expression of four transcription factors, namely Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc. This Nobel Prize winning work has since revolutionized stem cell research and paved the way for countless new avenues within regenerative medicine. This includes disease modeling in a patient-specific context with the ultimate aim of individually tailored pharmaceutical therapy. Additionally, genetic correction studies have rapidly increased in basic science and thus there is hope that these can be effectively and efficiently translated into clinical applications. Addressing the medical community this review gives a broad general overview about the state of the research field and possible clinical applications of pluripotent stem cells.

The dynactin p150glued subunit, encoded by the gene DCTN1 is part of the dynein-dynactin motor protein complex responsible for retrograde axonal transport. This subunit is a candidate modifier for neurodegenerative diseases, in particular motoneuron and extrapyramidal diseases. Based on an extensive screening effort of all 32 exons in more than 2,500 ALS/MND patients, patients suffering from Parkinsonian Syndromes and controls, we investigated 24 sequence variants of p150 in cell-based studies. We used both non-neuronal cell lines and primary rodent spinal motoneurons and report on cell biological abnormalities in five of these sequence alterations and also briefly report on the clinical features. Our results suggest the presence of biological changes caused by some p150 mutants pointing to a potential pathogenetic significance as modifier of the phenotype of the human disease.

The dynactin p150(Glued) subunit, encoded by the gene DCTN1, is part of the dynein-dynactin motor protein complex responsible for retrograde axonal transport in motor neurons. The p150 subunit is a candidate gene for neurodegenerative diseases, in particular motor neuron and extrapyramidal diseases. Tubulin-binding cofactors are believed to be involved in tubulin biogenesis and degradation and therefore to contribute to microtubule functional diversity and regulation. A yeast-two-hybrid screen for putative interacting proteins of dynactin p150(Glued) has revealed tubulin-folding cofactor B (TBCB). We analyzed the interaction of these proteins and investigated the impact of this complex on the microtubule network in cell lines and primary hippocampal neurons in vitro. We especially concentrated on neuronal morphology and synaptogenesis. Overexpression of both proteins or depletion of TBCB alone does not alter the microtubule network and/or neuronal morphology. The demonstration of the interaction of the transport molecule dynactin and the tubulin-regulating factor TBCB is thought to have an impact on several cellular mechanisms. TBCB expression levels have been found to have only a subtle influence on the microtubule network and neuronal morphology. However, overexpression of TBCB leads to the decreased localization of p150 to the microtubule network that might result in a functional modulation of this protein complex.