Bai Yun, Hu Qikuan, Li Xiaoxia, Wang Yajun, Lin Changsheng, Shen Li, Li Linsong
Peking University Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Cell Biology, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing 100083, P. R. China.
Neuroreport. 2004 Feb 9;15(2):245-9. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200402090-00006.
It is necessary to expand human neural progenitor cells in vitro to obtain large numbers for research purposes and cell transplantation. A potential obstacle to in vitro expansion, however, is that neural progenitor cells have a limited replication life-span and gradually lose their differentiation potential. We report here that ectopic expression of the catalytic subunit of human telomerase (hTERT) gene in neural progenitor cells could induce telomerase activity, stabilize telomeres and extend their replicative life-spans. The telomerase-immortalized cells (hNPC-TERT) maintained the normal diploid karyotype, expressed the markers of human neural progenitor cells and meanwhile held the differentiation potential in vitro for up to 120 population doublings. This study provides a new approach for obtaining unlimited quantities of normal phenotypic and homogeneous human neural progenitor cells in vitro.
为了获得大量用于研究目的和细胞移植的人类神经祖细胞，有必要在体外进行扩增。然而，体外扩增的一个潜在障碍是神经祖细胞的复制寿命有限，并且会逐渐丧失其分化潜能。我们在此报告，在神经祖细胞中异位表达人类端粒酶（hTERT）基因的催化亚基可诱导端粒酶活性，稳定端粒并延长其复制寿命。端粒酶永生化细胞（hNPC-TERT）保持正常的二倍体核型，表达人类神经祖细胞的标志物，同时在体外保持分化潜能长达120次群体倍增。本研究为在体外获得无限量正常表型且均一的人类神经祖细胞提供了一种新方法。
