title: Neural stem cell engineering: directed differentiation of adult and embryonic stem cells into neurons.
abstract: Both adult neural stem cells and embryonic stem cells have shown the capacity to differentiation into multiple cell types of the adult nervous system. They will therefore serve as valuable systems for basic investigations of cell fate choice mechanisms, as well as play important future roles in applications ranging from regenerative medicine to drug screening. However, there are significant challenges remaining, including the identification of signaling factors that specify cell fate in the stem cell niche, the analysis of intracellular targets and mechanisms of these extracellular signals, and the development of ex vivo culture systems that can exert efficient control over cell function. This review will discuss progress in the identification of signaling mechanisms and culture systems that regulate neural differentiation, neuronal differentiation, and neuronal subtype specification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Phung
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gip
authors.forename: David V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Schaffer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*