Authors: Kristine M. Safford; Henry E. Rice

Source: Current Drug Targets, Volume 6, Number 1, February 2005 , pp. 57-62(6)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

There is growing evidence to suggest that reservoirs of stem cells may reside in several types of adult tissue. These cells may retain the potential to transdifferentiate from one phenotype to another, presenting exciting possibilities for cellular therapies.

Recent discoveries in the area of neural differentiation are particularly exciting given the limited capacity of neural tissue for intrinsic repair and regeneration. Adult adipose tissue is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells, providing an abundant and accessible source of adult stem cells. These cells have been termed adipose derived stem cells (ASC). The characterization of these ASCs has defined a population similar to marrow-derived and skeletal muscle-derived stem cells. The success seen in differentiating ASC into various mesenchymal lineages has generated interest in using ASC for neuronal differentiation. Initial in vitro studies characterized the morphology and protein expression of ASC after exposure to neural induction agents. Additional in vitro data suggests the possibility that ASCs are capable of neuronal activity. Progress in the in vitro characterization of ASCs has led to in vivo modeling to determine the survival, migration, and engraftment of transplanted ASCs.

While work to define the mechanisms behind the transdifferentiation of ASCs continues, their application to neurological diseases and injuries should also progress. The subject of this review is the capacity of adipose derived stem cells (ASC) for neural transdifferentiation and their application to the treatment of various neurologic disorders.

Keywords: Neuronal transdifferentiation; stromal cells; neural markers; transplantation; cytokine

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389450053345028

Affiliations: 1: Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Publication date: 2005-02-01

More about this publication?

• Current Drug Targets aims to cover the latest and most outstanding developments on the medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of molecular drug targets e.g. disease specific proteins, receptors, enzymes, genes. Each issue of the journal will be devoted to a single timely topic, with series of in-depth reviews, written by leaders in the field, covering a range of current topics on drug targets. These issues will be organized and led by a guest editor who is a recognized expert in the overall topic. As the discovery, identification, characterisation and validation of novel human drug targets for drug discovery continues to grow; this journal will be essential reading for all pharmaceutical scientists involved in drug discovery and development.

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