title: In vitro differentiation of multipotent human neural progenitors in serum-free medium.
abstract: Stem cells are exciting candidates for therapeutic strategies in neurodegenerative diseases, due to their multipotency and migratory capabilities. We show that stem cell-like embryonic normal human neural progenitors (HNPs) are capable of proliferating in response to mitogenic growth factors and differentiate into diverse CNS cell types in vitro. We present evidence that HNPs differentiate to beta III-tubulin-, glial fibrillary acidic protein- and O4-immuno-positive cells, in both a fetal bovine serum-containing and a non-supplemented, serum-free basal medium. From these findings, we propose that HNPs may differentiate not only in response to exogenous differentiation factor(s) contained in the serum, but also in response to some endogenous factor(s) released from the HNPs, which may regulate the differentiation pathway of these cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, VA West Side Medical Center, University of Illinois at Chicago 60612, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Brannen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugaya
mesh_terms: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016380:Brain Tissue Transplantation; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005333:Fetus; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D001798:Blood Proteins; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D014404:Tubulin