Cyclosporine affects the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in culture.

Cyclosporine is one of the foremost immunosuppressive agents for cell, tissue, and organ transplantation. Cyclosporine is, however, associated with significant side effects in the host, and may also affect the fate of the donor cells. This study was performed to test whether cyclosporine may change the fate of neural stem cells, as neural stem cell transplant has become a potential treatment for neurological disorders and damage. Results of this study showed that cyclosporine inhibited the proliferation significantly in a dosage-dependent manner. Cyclosporine also affected the differentiation of neural stem cells, which mainly increased astrocyte genesis and decreased neuron differentiation.