title: Induction of Nestin-expressing Spheroids from Human Dermal Fibroblasts in a bFGF-dependent Manner.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neural stem/precursor cells are found in relatively inaccessible neurogenic regions of the adult brain, making them difficult to harvest for therapeutic purposes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, nestin-expressing spheroids were induced from primary cultures of newborn and adult foreskin-derived dermal fibroblasts using a novel, two-step induction method. Approximately 80% of dermal fibroblasts became nestin-expressing cells within 12 days. Nestin expression and spheroid-forming capacity were both blocked by removal of bFGF from the induction medium. The bFGF-induced, nestin-expressing spheroids possessed most of the features distinctive of skin-derived precursor cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the possibility of inducing nestin-expressing spheroids from purified human dermal fibroblasts in a bFGF dependent manner. This is important because it may be impossible to induce spheroids from the small pool of residual neural crest-related precursor cells found in adults.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin and.
authors.forename: Youngsook
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tissue Engineering, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Sun
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tissue Engineering, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin and.
authors.forename: Guangfan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chi
keywords: cell transdifferentiation; dermal fibroblast; nestin; neural crest stem cells; skin-derived precursors; spheroids