Correlates between hematopoiesis and neuropoiesis: neural stem cells.
There are many parallels between the neuropoietic and lymphohematopoietic systems. The lymphohematopoietic stem/progenitor cell system has been extensively characterized, but there are still major questions relating to the definitive stem cell assay, the structure of the system (i.e., hierarchical versus cell cycle-based), and the nature of differentiation (i.e., stochastic versus deterministic). Recent data have established the existence of an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-responsive neural stem cell in adult mice. We have studied these neural progenitor/stem cells in fetal (day 15) and 2-day postnatal mice and established a single-cell progenitor assay and a variety of putative uni-, bi-, and tripotential stem cells that form in response to EGF. Neurospheres are the EGF-responsive neural units that grow in liquid culture, and we have found that cells derived from these neurospheres express a wide array of cytokines and their receptors. This will provide a window on the hemopoietic progenitor system analogous to that created by the description of in vitro growth of clonal hematopoietic progenitors.
Quesenberry
P J
PJ
University of Massachusetts Cancer Center, Worcester 01605, USA.
Hulspas
R
R
Joly
M
M
Benoit
B
B
Engstrom
C
C
Rielly
J
J
Savarese
T
T
Pang
L
L
Recht
L
L
Ross
A
A
Stein
G
G
Stewart
M
M
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*