Open AccessCortical network from human embryonic stem cells
Author(s) -
Nat Roxana
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.44
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1582-4934
pISSN - 1582-1838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2011.01309.x
Subject(s) - embryonic stem cell , neuroscience , glutamatergic , forebrain , biology , cerebral cortex , corticogenesis , stem cell , cortex (anatomy) , progenitor cell , microbiology and biotechnology , central nervous system , glutamate receptor , gene , genetics , receptor
The connection of embryonic stem cell technology and developmental biology provides valuable tools to decipher the mechanisms underlying human brain development and diseases, especially among neuronal populations, that are not readily available in primary cultures. It is obviously the case of neurons forming the human cerebral cortex. In the images that are presented, the neurons were generated in vitro from human embryonic stem cells via forebrain‐like progenitors. Maintained in culture for prolonged time, they acquired a mainly glutamatergic phenotype and morphological characteristics of cortical pyramidal neurons, including dendritic spines, and formed spectacular networks.