Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2012, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (19): 3593-3597.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2012.19.034

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Maintenance and differentiation of neural stem cells  

Gao Hai-xia, Jin Hua-jun, Qian Qi-jun   

  1. Laboratory of Gene and Viral Therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital, the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, Shanghai  200438, China
  • Received:2011-07-22 Revised:2011-09-13 Online:2012-05-06 Published:2012-05-06
  • Contact: Qian Qi-jun, M.D., Researcher, Laboratory of Gene and Viral Therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital, the Second Militaty Medical University of Chinese PLA, Shanghai 200438, China qianqj@sino-gene.cn
  • About author:Gao Hai-xia★, Master, Laboratory of Gene and Viral Therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital, Second Militaty Medical University of Chinese PLA, Shanghai 200438, China gaohaixia0312@163.com
  • Supported by:

    Science Foundation of National Outstanding Youth, No. 30925037*

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Neural stem cells (NSCs) have great self-renewal capacity and multiple differentiation potential, and therefore have become used to treat neurodegenerative disorders.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the biological characteristics of NSCs and the research progress of NSCs maintenance and differentiation mechanism.
METHODS: The PubMed database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed) (between January 1994 and May 2011) and CNKI database (http://www.cnki.net/index.htm) (between January 2000 and May 2011) were searched by the first author for the articles related to the biological characteristics of NSCs and the maintenance and differentiation mechanism. The key words were “neural stem cells, cell factors, ips, microenvironment” in English and Chinese. Outdated and repetitive studies were excluded, and 55 literatures were included for summarization.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Neural stem cells are the original cells with self-renewal capacity and multiple differentiation potential retained during development of the nervous system, Owing to their low-immunogenicity and non-oncogenicty, NSCs are supposed to have great potential in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Cell-intrinsic factors such as Tlx, Sox2, Hes and Bmi-1 can regulate the maintenance of self-renewal capacity and multiple differentiation potential of NSCs. Extrinsic signal such as the microenvironment, including the matrix cells around NSCs and cytokines also regulates the maintenance process.

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