Researchers Identify and Characterize Two Distinct Types of Neural Stem Cells in the Postnatal Human Brain
Scientists used advanced sorting techniques to isolate and characterize two functionally distinct populations of neural stem cells (NSCs) from postnatal human brains. The study found that one NSC population (NINO) tends to generate interneurons and oligodendrocytes, while another (NAC) generates astrocytes, and that NSC frequency declines sharply in the first two decades of life before stabilizing. This work provides a foundation for understanding how the brain continues to generate new neurons after birth and may inform research on brain development, aging, and neurological diseases.
Researchers published findings on the isolation and characterization of postnatal neural stem cells (NSCs) from the human brain, challenging the historical assumption that neurogenesis ends at birth. Using index sorting and clonal barcoding techniques, the team identified two distinct NSC subsets with different developmental trajectories: an A2B5+EGFR+ population (NINO) biased toward generating interneurons and oligodendrocytes, and an A2B5-EGFRhi population (NAC) biased toward generating astrocytes. Analysis of human brain tissue across the lifespan revealed that NSC frequency declines exponentially during the first two decades of life but then stabilizes, with NSCs still detectable in donors aged 90 years. The study employed in vivo xenotransplantation to validate the functional properties of these cell populations. These findings establish a framework for further investigation into the roles of postnatal NSCs in normal brain development, aging processes, and potential disease mechanisms.
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- bioRxivCenter
Isolation of postnatal human neural stem cells
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