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Converting ES Cell into Neurons

  • Conference paper
Stem Cells in the Nervous System: Functional and Clinical Implications

Part of the book series: Research and Perspectives in Neurosciences ((NEUROSCIENCE))

Abstract

Our laboratory is studying determination of neuroectoderm from pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells. We have shown that, in defined medium, ES cells can enter directly into the neural lineage, bypassing the requirement for multicellular aggregation or treatment with retinoic acid. The process by which pluripotent ES cells acquire neural identity in adherent culture can be visualised and recorded at the level of individual colonies. Commitment to neuroectoderm is promoted by fibroblast growth factor-4 and is suppressed by serum, Wnts, bone morphogenetic proteins and extracellular matrix. The cellular and molecular dissection of ES cell lineage choice may yield insights into the mechanism underlying neural determination in the mammalian embryo. This simple culture system is also a step towards the “directed,” homogeneous differentiation of ES cells required for biopharmaceutical and clinical applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JQ, Scotland

    A. Smith

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  1. A. Smith
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA

    Fred H. Gage Ph.D.

  2. Wallenberg Neurosciences Center Department of Physiological Sciences, Lund University, BMC A11, 22184, Lund, Sweden

    Anders Björklund M.D.

  3. Ecole Normale Supérieure and CNRS UMP8542, 46 rue d’Ulm, 75005, Paris, France

    Alain Prochiantz Ph.D.

  4. Fondation IPSEn Pour la Recherche Thérapeutique, 24, rue Erlanger, 75781, Paris Cedex 16, France

    Yves Christen Ph.D.

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© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Smith, A. (2004). Converting ES Cell into Neurons. In: Gage, F.H., Björklund, A., Prochiantz, A., Christen, Y. (eds) Stem Cells in the Nervous System: Functional and Clinical Implications. Research and Perspectives in Neurosciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18883-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18883-1_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-62339-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18883-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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