Novel Factors in Neural Stem Cell Differentiation

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的长期目标旨在表征目前未知的信号传导机制，这些机制用于介导发育中的中枢神经系统（CNS）内神经干细胞（NSC）的神经源性至胶质源性命运转换。我们已经开发了一种体外培养系统，概括了在体内观察到的事件：NSC首先进入神经发生阶段，后来切换到星形胶质细胞生成阶段。我们已经发现，培养几天后从细胞收集的培养基具有星形胶质细胞诱导和神经抑制活性。我们推测，当神经干细胞达到其神经原性潜能的终点时，它们分泌某种能够促进星形胶质细胞生成并积极抑制神经原性命运的因子。我们已经排除了收集的培养基中含有许多已知的星形胶质细胞诱导因子的可能性。我们未来的目标是表征CM的生物学功能，并破译其包含这些星形胶质细胞诱导和神经元非抑制活性的确切时间和细胞年龄。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long term objectives of the project intend to characterize presently unknown signalling mechanisms that are used in mediating the neurogenic to gliogenic fate switch of neural stem cells (NSC) within the developing central nervous system (CNS). We have developed an in vitro culture system that recapitulates the events observed in vivo: NSC first enter a neurogenic phase and later switch to an astrogliogenic phase. We have discovered that media collected from cells after several days of culturing has astrogliogenic inducing and neurogenic inhibiting activity. We have hypothesized that as NSC reach the end of their neurogenic potential they secrete some type of factor that is able to promote astrogliogenesis and actively inhibit the neurogenic fate. We have ruled out the possibility that the collected media contains many of the known astrogliogenic inducing factors. Our future goals intend to characterize the biological function of the CM and decipher the exact times and cell ages during which it contains these astroglial inducing and neuronal non-inhibiting activities.