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Bipotent progenitor cell lines from the human CNS

Nature Biotechnology volume 15, pages 574–580 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Human central nervous system (CNS) cell lines would substantially facilitate drug discovery and basic research by providing a readily renewable source of human neurons. We isolated clonal human CNS cell lines that had been immortalized with a tetracycline (Tc)-responsive v-myc oncogene; addition of Tc to the growth medium suppressed the oncoprotein rapidly and virtually completely, allowing differentiation to proceed. Two classes of bipotent precursor cells were immortalized: the first class had a default differentiation pathway of neurons only, and the second class had a default differentiation pathway of neurons and astrocytes. We found that after exposure to different external signals in vitro, the environment is capable of redirecting the fate of a particular cell, even in the case of the bipotent precursor cell whose default differentiation pathway was neurons only. These data suggest that extrinsic cues can prevail over intrinsic determinants in directing cell fate in the human CNS.

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Author notes

  1. Dinah W.Y. San: Corresponding author (e-mail: dsah@signalpharm.com).

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Signal Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, 5555 Oberlin Dr., Suite 100, San Diego, CA, 92121

    Dinah W.Y. San

  2. Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA, 92037

    Jasodhara Ray & Fred H. Gage

Authors
  1. Dinah W.Y. San
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  2. Jasodhara Ray
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  3. Fred H. Gage
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San, D., Ray, J. & Gage, F. Bipotent progenitor cell lines from the human CNS. Nat Biotechnol 15, 574–580 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0697-574

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