Abstract
Cell therapy has been perceived as the main or ultimate goal of human embryonic stem (ES) cell research. Where are we now and how are we going to get there? There has been rapid success in devising in vitro protocols for differentiating human ES cells to neuroepithelial cells. Progress has also been made to guide these neural precursors further to more specialized neural cells such as spinal motor neurons and dopamine-producing neurons. However, some of the in vitro produced neuronal types such as dopamine neurons do not possess all the phenotypes of their in vivo counterparts, which may contribute to the limited success of these cells in repairing injured or diseased brain and spinal cord in animal models. Hence, efficient generation of neural subtypes with correct phenotypes remains a challenge, although major hurdles still lie ahead in applying the human ES cell-derived neural cells clinically. We propose that careful studies on neural differentiation from human ES cells may provide more immediate answers to clinically relevant problems, such as drug discovery, mechanisms of disease and stimulation of endogenous stem cells.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 87-99 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
| Volume | 363 |
| Issue number | 1489 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 12 2008 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Cell therapy
- Embryonic stem cells
- Neural patterning
- Neural transplantation
- Neuroectoderm
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
Cite this
Human embryonic stem cells for brain repair? / Zhang, Su Chun; Li, Xue Jun; Johnson, Michael; Pankratz, Matthew T.
In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 363, No. 1489, 12.01.2008, p. 87-99.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Human embryonic stem cells for brain repair?
AU - Zhang, Su Chun
AU - Li, Xue Jun
AU - Johnson, Michael
AU - Pankratz, Matthew T.
PY - 2008/1/12
Y1 - 2008/1/12
N2 - Cell therapy has been perceived as the main or ultimate goal of human embryonic stem (ES) cell research. Where are we now and how are we going to get there? There has been rapid success in devising in vitro protocols for differentiating human ES cells to neuroepithelial cells. Progress has also been made to guide these neural precursors further to more specialized neural cells such as spinal motor neurons and dopamine-producing neurons. However, some of the in vitro produced neuronal types such as dopamine neurons do not possess all the phenotypes of their in vivo counterparts, which may contribute to the limited success of these cells in repairing injured or diseased brain and spinal cord in animal models. Hence, efficient generation of neural subtypes with correct phenotypes remains a challenge, although major hurdles still lie ahead in applying the human ES cell-derived neural cells clinically. We propose that careful studies on neural differentiation from human ES cells may provide more immediate answers to clinically relevant problems, such as drug discovery, mechanisms of disease and stimulation of endogenous stem cells.
AB - Cell therapy has been perceived as the main or ultimate goal of human embryonic stem (ES) cell research. Where are we now and how are we going to get there? There has been rapid success in devising in vitro protocols for differentiating human ES cells to neuroepithelial cells. Progress has also been made to guide these neural precursors further to more specialized neural cells such as spinal motor neurons and dopamine-producing neurons. However, some of the in vitro produced neuronal types such as dopamine neurons do not possess all the phenotypes of their in vivo counterparts, which may contribute to the limited success of these cells in repairing injured or diseased brain and spinal cord in animal models. Hence, efficient generation of neural subtypes with correct phenotypes remains a challenge, although major hurdles still lie ahead in applying the human ES cell-derived neural cells clinically. We propose that careful studies on neural differentiation from human ES cells may provide more immediate answers to clinically relevant problems, such as drug discovery, mechanisms of disease and stimulation of endogenous stem cells.
KW - Cell therapy
KW - Embryonic stem cells
KW - Neural patterning
KW - Neural transplantation
KW - Neuroectoderm
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=36448935660&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2006.2014
DO - 10.1098/rstb.2006.2014
M3 - Review article
C2 - 17322002
AN - SCOPUS:36448935660
VL - 363
SP - 87
EP - 99
JO - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
SN - 0800-4622
IS - 1489
ER -