Chau Lily author Columbia University. Medicine Columbia University. Neurobiology and Behavior Abeliovich Asa thesis advisor Columbia University. Pathology and Cell Biology Columbia University. Neurology Columbia University. Medicine originator text Dissertations 2012 English Two cellular reprogramming technologies have emerged that demonstrate that cell-fate can be converted by ectopic expression of defined transcription factors: induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology and induced neuronal (iN) cell technology. These recent advances in cell reprogramming strategies have great potential utility for patient-specific disease modeling and for applications in regenerative medicine. Current models of neurodegenerative diseases are limited in their representation of disease phenotypes and there is an essential need for human cellular models of neurodegenerative disorders. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology offers a two-step approach to disease modeling, in which patient somatic cells are first reprogrammed to a pluripotent state and subsequently differentiated in neurons. In contrast, induced neuronal (iN) cell technology allows for the direct conversion of somatic cells to neurons. Here I demonstrate the modeling of Alzheimer's disease (AD) using both iPS and iN cellular reprogramming technologies. These bioengineered human cell-based models of AD provide unique and invaluable tools for elucidating the mechanism of AD pathogenesis. Ph.D., Columbia University. Neurosciences http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:14975 NNC NNC 2012-10-17 10:31:39 -0400 2012-10-17 10:37:54 -0400 8979 eng