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Midbrain dopaminergic development in vivo and in vitro from embryonic stem cells
Author(s) -
Maxwell Sarah L.,
Li Meng
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2005.00453.x
Subject(s) - in vivo , dopaminergic , embryonic stem cell , neuroscience , midbrain , biology , stem cell , parkinson's disease , microbiology and biotechnology , dopamine , central nervous system , medicine , pathology , disease , gene , biochemistry
The midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons play a key role in the function of a variety of brain systems, including motor control and reward pathways. This has led to much interest in these neurons as targets for intervention in human disorders such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. A major area of interest is to direct embryonic stem (ES) cells to differentiate into mDA neurons in vitro , which can then be used for cell therapy or drug screening. At present, our understanding of mDA development in vivo is limited. However, recent studies have identified a number of regulatory factors that influence the development of mDA neurons in vivo . Such studies will not only increase our understanding of mDA development in vivo , they may also promote new paradigms for regulating mDA production from ES cells in vitro . Here we review the current knowledge on mDA development in vivo and mDA differentiation.