Recombinant spider silk matrices for neural stem cell cultures.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) have the capacity to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Accordingly, NSCs hold great promise in drug screening and treatment of several common diseases. However, a major obstacle in applied stem cell research is the limitation of synthetic matrices for culturing stem cells.

The oxytocin/vasopressin receptor family has at least five members in the gnathostome lineage, inclucing two distinct V2 subtypes.

The vertebrate oxytocin and vasopressin receptors form a family of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that mediate a large variety of functions, including social behavior and the regulation of blood pressure, water balance and reproduction. In mammals four family members have been identified, three of which respond to vasopressin (VP) named V1A, V1B and V2, and one of which is activated by oxytocin (OT), called the OT receptor. Four receptors have been identified in chicken as well, but these have received different names.

Noggin and Wnt3a enable BMP4-dependent differentiation of telencephalic stem cells into GluR-agonist responsive neurons.

Early telencephalic development is dependent on the spatially and temporally coordinated regulation by essential signaling factors. For example, members of the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) family, such as BMP4, are crucial for proper development of dorsal telencephalic structures. Stimulation of multipotent telencephalic neural stem cells (NSCs) with BMP4 induces differentiation primarily into astrocytic and mesenchymal cells.

A voltage-sensitive dye-based assay for the identification of differentiated neurons derived from embryonic neural stem cell cultures.

Background: Pluripotent and multipotent stem cells hold great therapeutical promise for the replacement of degenerated tissue in neurological diseases. To fulfill that promise we have to understand the mechanisms underlying the differentiation of multipotent cells into specific types of neurons. Embryonic stem cell (ESC) and embryonic neural stem cell (NSC) cultures provide a valuable tool to study the processes of neural differentiation, which can be assessed using immunohistochemistry, gene expression, Ca(2+)-imaging or electrophysiology.

Changes in nitric oxide content following injury to the neonatal rat brain.

Nitric oxide is an important mediator of inflammation in the brain, but it still remains unresolved whether its action is protective or not. In particular, it seems crucial to compare the effects observed in the mature brain with the developing brain of newborn animals. The influence of NO on tissue depends significantly on its concentration.