Peering into the Patient Brain: Autism Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Research

SIG Leader: Karen Litwa Induced pluripotent stem cells are revolutionizing Autism research by allowing for insights into patient-specific disease mechanisms and potential therapies.  By using IPSCs, researchers can peer into the developing patient brain and uncover how specific genetic and environmental risk factors affect brain development.  Ultimately, this model will advance personalized medication by allowing clinicians to assess whether a patient’s brain cells will respond to a given therapy.  This SIG will bring together Autism researchers and clinicians to discuss recent advances in patient-derived stem cell models and their potential to transform autism drug therapies.