| 摘要 |
<p>The present invention reveals an in vitro procedure by which an homogeneous population of multipotential precursor cells from mammalian embryonic neuroepithelium (CNS stem cells) can be expanded up to 10<9> fold in culture while maintaining their multipotential capacity to differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. Chemically defined conditions are presented that enable a large number of neurons, up to 50 % of the expanded cells, to be derived from the stem cells. In addition, four factors -- PDGF, CNTF, LIF and T3 -- have been identified, which, individually, generate significantly higher proportion of neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. These defined procedures permit a large-scale preparation of the mammalian CNS stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes under chemically defined conditions with efficiency and control. The present invention also reveals in vitro cultures of region-specific, terminally differentiated, mature neurons derived from cultures of mammalian multipotential CNS stem cells and an in vitro procedure by which the differentiated neurons may be generated.</p> |
