NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellow Publishes Study on Stem Cell Models of Rare Disease in Nature
Fabien Lafaille, PhD, 2012 NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellow, was lead author on a recent study in Nature that employed stem cells to model herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). This rare viral disease infects the central nervous system, resulting in neurological damage and, possibly, death. Lafaille and his team derived induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with a genetic trait to assess predisposition to the development of HSE. The study reveals the underlying cellular pathway that leads to primary herpes simplex infection.