In vitro propagation and inducible differentiation of multipotential progenitor cells from human fetal brain

Central nervous system neurons and glia arise from undifferentiated embryonic neuroepithelial cells. Such progenitor cells from the human fetal forebrain can be propagated in vitro for extended periods, when grown on non-adhesive substrates in medium containing epidermal growth factor and insulin-li...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience 1997, Vol.76 (4), p.1121-1128
Main Authors: Chalmers-Redman, R.M.E, Priestley, T, Kemp, J.A, Fine, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - cytology
Brain - embryology
Cell Differentiation - physiology
Cell Division - physiology
Cell Survival - physiology
Cells, Cultured
Development. Senescence. Regeneration. Transplantation
DNA - biosynthesis
Electrophysiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Myelin Sheath - physiology
neural transplantation
Neuroglia - physiology
Oligodendroglia - physiology
Rats
stem cells
Stem Cells - metabolism
Stem Cells - physiology
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
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Summary:Central nervous system neurons and glia arise from undifferentiated embryonic neuroepithelial cells. Such progenitor cells from the human fetal forebrain can be propagated in vitro for extended periods, when grown on non-adhesive substrates in medium containing epidermal growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-I. These actively-dividing cells can be induced to differentiate into a variety of histochemically-characterized neurons and glia consistent with their forebrain origin. Electrophysiological recording indicates that differentiated neurons derived from these progenitors mature slowly, and display a range of glutamate- and GABA-mediated conductances characteristic of normal mammalian forebrain neurons. Our observations support a role for these trophic factors in normal development of the human brain. The methods described here may provide abundant normal, untransformed human forebrain neurons and glia for research and therapeutic applications.
ISSN:0306-4522
1873-7544
DOI:10.1016/S0306-4522(96)00386-7