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Advances in application of small-molecule compounds in neuronal reprogramming

DAI Zi-Wei¹, LIU Hong¹, YUAN Yi-Min^1,2, ZHANG Jing-Yi¹, QIN Shang-Yao¹, SU Zhi-Da^1,*

¹Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology of Ministry of Education, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China；²Department of Pain Medicine, School of Anesthesiology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China

Abstract

Neuronal reprogramming is an innovative technique for converting non-neuronal somatic cells into neurons that can be used to replace lost or damaged neurons, providing a potential effective therapeutic strategy for central nervous system (CNS) injuries or diseases. Transcription factors have been used to induce neuronal reprogramming, while their reprogramming efficiency is relatively low, and the introduction of exogenous genes may result in host gene instability or induce gene mutation. Therefore, their future clinical application may be hindered by these safety concerns. Compared with transcription factors, small-molecule compounds have unique advantages in the field of neuronal reprogramming, which can overcome many limitations of traditional transcription factor-induced neuronal reprogramming. Here, we review the recent progress in the research of small-molecule compound-mediated neuronal reprogramming and its application in CNS regeneration and repair.

Key words: small-molecule compounds; neuronal reprogramming; central nervous system; neural regeneration and repair

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 苏志达　　E-mail:

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2025.0011

Citing This Article：

DAI Zi-Wei, LIU Hong, YUAN Yi-Min, ZHANG Jing-Yi, QIN Shang-Yao, SU Zhi-Da. Advances in application of small-molecule compounds in neuronal reprogramming. Acta Physiol Sin 2025; 77 (1): 181-193 (in Chinese with English abstract).