日本理化研究所11月6日發(fā)表新聞公報說，該所研究人員用人類胚胎干細胞成功培養(yǎng)出與實際人類大腦皮質相似的組織，它能再現部分大腦皮質特有的神經活動。公報稱,，這項研究成果在全世界尚屬首次，將有助于再生醫(yī)療和新藥的研究。
公報說,，該所發(fā)展生物學研究中心研究人員此前開發(fā)了用胚胎干細胞培育腦神經細胞的無血清浮游培養(yǎng)法，但這種方法只能控制單一的神經細胞分化,，且效率不高,。在本項研究中，研究人員對這種培養(yǎng)法進行了改良,，新方法可誘導多種大腦神經細胞,，特別是大腦皮質神經祖細胞高效率分化。
研究人員在人類胚胎干細胞培育腦神經細胞的研究中采用了這種新方法,，并在培養(yǎng)過程中添加了自行研發(fā)的Rho激酶抑制劑,。研究人員發(fā)現，人類胚胎干細胞經過46天的培養(yǎng),，產生了4種神經細胞,，所形成的組織具有與人類胎兒大腦皮質組織極為相似的結構，并且神經細胞之間形成了一定的神經網絡,，可以再現部分大腦皮質特有的神經活動,。
大腦皮質承擔著知覺、思考和記憶等高層次大腦功能,。有關專家指出,，新研究成果對人們了解大腦重要區(qū)域的活動并開發(fā)治療腦部疾病的新藥和方法有幫助。這一研究成果發(fā)表在11月6日出版的美國《細胞—干細胞》（Cell Stem Cell）雜志上,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Cell Stem Cell,，Volume 3, Issue 5, 519-532，Mototsugu Eiraku,，Yoshiki Sasai
Self-Organized Formation of Polarized Cortical Tissues from ESCs and Its Active Manipulation by ExtrinsicSignals
Mototsugu Eiraku1,Kiichi Watanabe1,Mami Matsuo-Takasaki1,Masako Kawada1,Shigenobu Yonemura2,Michiru Matsumura1,Takafumi Wataya1,Ayaka Nishiyama1,Keiko Muguruma1andYoshiki Sasai1,,
1 Organogenesis and Neurogenesis Group, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
2 Electron Microscope Laboratory, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
SUMMARY
Here, we demonstrate self-organized formation of apico-basally polarized cortical tissues from ESCs using an efficient three-dimensional aggregation culture (SFEBq culture). The generated cortical neurons are functional, transplantable, and capable of forming proper long-range connections invivo and invitro. The regional identity of the generated pallial tissues can be selectively controlled (into olfactory bulb, rostral and caudal cortices, hem, and choroid plexus) by secreted patterning factors such as Fgf, Wnt, and BMP. In addition, the invivo-mimicking birth order of distinct cortical neurons permits the selective generation of particular layer-specific neurons by timed induction of cell-cycle exit. Importantly, cortical tissues generated from mouse and human ESCs form a self-organized structure that includes four distinct zones (ventricular, early and late cortical-plate, and Cajal-Retzius cell zones) along the apico-basal direction. Thus, spatial and temporal aspects of early corticogenesis are recapitulated and can be manipulated in this ESC culture.
