Neural Stem Cells

Question 1

What is a stem cell?

Answer 1

A single cell that can replicate itself or differentiate into many cell types

Question 2

What are the properties of stem cells?

Answer 2

1. Are unspecialized
2. Are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods
3. Can give rise to specialized cell types

Question 3

What stem cell type is zygote?

Answer 3

Totipotent

Question 4

What is differentiation potential of totipotent?

Answer 4

can give rise to an entire organism

Question 5

What stem cell type is blastocyte?

Answer 5

pluripotent

Question 6

What is differentiation potential of pluripotent?

Answer 6

can give rise to cells of the ectoderm, mesoderm, or endoderm

Question 7

What stem cell type is embryo or adult tissue?

Answer 7

multipotent

Question 8

What is differentiation potential of multipotent cells?

Answer 8

can give rise to a specialized cell type within a tissue or organ

Question 9

Can you induce pluripotent cells?

Answer 9

Yes! By adding transcription factors to fibroblasts, you can induce pluripotent stem (iPS) cells

Question 10

Who was the first person to provide evidence for the existence of neural stem cells (NSCs) in adults?

Answer 10

Joseph Altman

Question 11

How did they prove the existence of NSCs in adults?

Answer 11

By using a thymidine-H3 incorporation assay (detects mitotically active cells)

Question 12

What happens if activated NSCs undergo symmetric division?

Answer 12

It can produce specialized NSCs or progenitor cells that are non-self renewal

Question 13

What happens if activated NSCs undergo asymmetric division?

Answer 13

It can produce astrocytes, neuron, or oligodendrocytes

Question 14

What are dormant NSCs called?

Answer 14

Quiescent NSCs

Question 15

Where can we find NSCs?

Answer 15

1. dentate gyrus (hippocampus)
2. subventricular zone

Question 16

What are signaling molecules that regulate neurogenesis in V-SVZ?

Answer 16

GABA, BMP4, and DBI.

Question 17

What signaling molecules inhibits cell proliferation

Answer 17

GABA, BMP4

Question 18

What signaling molecules promotes cell proliferation?

Answer 18

DBI, Noggin

Question 19

Fate of NSCs in subventricular zone

Answer 19

Olfactory Bulb

Question 20

Fate of NSCs in dentate gyrus

Answer 20

hippocampus

Question 21

What percent of B1 cell differentiate into specialized cells?

Answer 21

80%

Question 22

What percent of B1 cells generates new B1 cells?

Answer 22

20%

Question 23

What is NSC therapy?

Answer 23

It is a technique where you transplant NSC into the brain or spinal cord. The idea is that NSC migrate to regions of interest and provide damage control.

Question 24

What is the fate of transplanted NSCs in therapy?

Answer 24

Neurogenic signals in neuro-depleted regions will cause NSCs to become glial.

Question 25

What is the NSC transplant mechanism?

Answer 25

1. Replace damaged cells
2. Injured tissue are supported by neurotrophic factors
3. Cell-cell contact provides immunomodulation of mononuclear phagocytes (MPs)
4. Paracrine and metabolic signaling provide immunomodulatory effects

Question 26

What is the strategy to potentiate the plasticity of NSCs”

Answer 26

1. site specific brain pathology
2. site specific sorting
3. RNA-sequencing analysis
4. HDR-mediated integration (CRISPR-CAS9)
5. Cell engineering
6. potentiated therapeutic brain transplant

Question 27

How do you induce NSC?

Answer 27

1. Remove neural tissue, isolate, and expand in culture
2. Expose fibroblasts to set of different transcription factors

Question 28

What are the benefits of having iNSCs?

Answer 28

they are functional and have a potential for treating neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease

Question 29

What risks are associated with stem cell therapy?

Answer 29

1. They can become tumor-like
2. They can be rejected
3. Issues with survival, migration, or differentiation

Question 30

What is the activity of NSCs regulated by?

Answer 30

intrinsic and extrinsic factors