Dementias affect a large number of Australians each year with the number of patients expected to triple by 2050. As such, there is need to develop a better model of this debilitating disorder to provide improved treatments. Mesenchymal stem cells, are relatively easy to obtain and grow, and are able to produce the key cell types in the brain. We can use these cells to identify the processes that control the production of brain cells, which will likely provide better treatment of this disease.