The Scientist : Astrocytes teach stem cells to become neurons [3/5/2002]

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by Tudor Toma

RESEARCH ROUND-UP

Astrocytes teach stem cells to become neurons

Adult astrocytes can induce neurogenesis by instructing the stem cells to adopt a neuronal fate.

Email: Tudor Toma - t.toma@ic.ac.uk
News from The Scientist 2002, 3(1):20020503-02

Published

3 May 2002

Astrocytes make up nearly half of the total number of brain cells, providing structural, metabolic and tropic support for neurons, but they were considered to play no active part in stem cell differentiation. In May 2 Nature, Hongjun Song and colleagues from The Salk Institute, La Jolla, California, show for the first time that adult astrocytes can induce neurogenesis by instructing the stem cells to adopt a neuronal fate (Nature 2002, 417:39-44).

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