胚胎干细胞向神经细胞的诱导分化及其在神经系统退行性疾病的应用

Differentiation of embryonic stem cells into neural lineage and its potential application on neurodegenerative disorders

胚胎干细胞具有向三个胚层细胞分化的潜能，被视为治疗多种疾病包括神经系统退行性疾病的一种新兴手段。在现阶段，通过不同的诱导途径可将小鼠和人胚胎干细胞诱导成为神经前体细胞和特定类型的神经元，但现有的方法诱导得到的神经细胞比例较低且不易分拣出来。进一步解决这些问题，将为神经系统退行性疾病的临床治疗带来新的希望。

Embryonic stem （ES） cells are pluripotent cells with the potential to give rise to cell types of all three primary germ layers. ES cells have been regarded as a new cell source for cell replacement therapies including neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, differentiation of neural progenitors or specific type of neurons from mouse and human ES cells has been reported using several kinds of protocols. Although ES cells derived neural cells promise a potential for cell replacement therapies of neurodegenerative disorders, further research is needed to improve the efficiency of neural differentiation and the sorting of specific cell type.