Nature Neuroscience5, 1271 - 1278 (2002)
Published online: 11 November 2002; | doi:10.1038/nn974
Region-specific generation of cholinergic neurons from fetal human neural stem cells grafted in adult rat
Ping Wu1, 2, Yevgeniya I. Tarasenko1, Yanping Gu1, Li-Yen M. Huang2, 3, Richard E. Coggeshall1, 2
& Yongjia Yu4
1
Departments of Anatomy & Neurosciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
2
Marine Biomedical Institute, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
3
Departments of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
4
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
Correspondence should be addressed to Ping Wu piwu@utmb.edu
Pluripotent or multipotent stem cells isolated from human embryos or adult central nervous system (CNS) may provide new neurons to ameliorate neural disorders. A major obstacle, however, is that the majority of such cells do not differentiate into neurons when grafted into non-neurogenic areas of the adult CNS. Here we report a new in vitro priming procedure that generates a nearly pure population of neurons from fetal human neural stem cells (hNSCs) transplanted into adult rat CNS. Furthermore, the grafted cells differentiated by acquiring a cholinergic phenotype in a region-specific manner. This technology may advance stem cell−based therapy to replace lost neurons in neural injury or neurodegenerative disorders.
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