Fetal Brain Progenitor Cells Transdifferentiate to Fates Outside the Nervous System

Central nervous system stem cells give rise to neurons and glia when exposed to specific trophic factors. In our studies with rat fetal brain-derived stem cells (RSCs), we showed that they could be induced to express the developmentally regulated transcription factors and cell markers characteristic of cells derived from another germ layer, e.g. pituitary cells. Therefore, rat fetal brain-derived stem cells do not seem to be restricted to a defined developmental fate. They may retain pluripotentiality and can be redirected to develop into other cell types not found in the brain provided the correct set of stimuli is present. This multipotent developmental behavior also suggests that instructive signals are operative.