In summary, our study represents the first report of characterizing iPS cell lines and iPSC-derived neurons derived from a genetic isolate, the Old Order Amish. Having applied a robust differentiation protocol, we were able to assess molecular mechanisms associated with BPD by microarray analysis on neurons derived from the Amish pedigree. The differentially expressed gene expression data lead us to hypothesize that the alterations in RNA metabolic processes, protein trafficking and receptor-mediated signaling contribute to BPD biology. The 4 BPD and 4 control lines from the Amish pedigree now offers us the opportunity to test these hypotheses in order to gain further insights into the biology associated with this devastating disease.
