title: Telomerase immortalization of human neural progenitor cells.
abstract: It is necessary to expand human neural progenitor cells in vitro to obtain large numbers for research purposes and cell transplantation. A potential obstacle to in vitro expansion, however, is that neural progenitor cells have a limited replication life-span and gradually lose their differentiation potential. We report here that ectopic expression of the catalytic subunit of human telomerase (hTERT) gene in neural progenitor cells could induce telomerase activity, stabilize telomeres and extend their replicative life-spans. The telomerase-immortalized cells (hNPC-TERT) maintained the normal diploid karyotype, expressed the markers of human neural progenitor cells and meanwhile held the differentiation potential in vitro for up to 120 population doublings. This study provides a new approach for obtaining unlimited quantities of normal phenotypic and homogeneous human neural progenitor cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Peking University Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Cell Biology, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing 100083, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Qikuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Changsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Linsong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D020134:Catalytic Domain / Q000235:genetics; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000235:genetics; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007621:Karyotyping; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D010641:Phenotype; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics; D014161:Transduction, Genetic / Q000379:methods*; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D019098:Telomerase