Prospective Purification of Adult Neural Stem Cells
Research Project
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01.07.2014
- 30.06.2019
Stem cells continuously generate new neurons in restricted regions of the adult mammalian brain. The ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) is the largest germinal region in the adult and gives rise to both olfactory bulb neurons and glia. The in vivo stem cells are a subset of astrocytes. These endogenous stem cells potentially represent a pool of cells that can be harnessed for brain repair. A balance between intrinsic and extrinsic signals mediates the activation of quiescent stem cells. However, the ability to distinguish between quiescent and activated stem cells has been hampered by a lack of markers. We have identified a combination of markers that allow us to identify and purify quiescent and activated stem cells directly from the V-SVZ in vivo niche, and have characterized their cell cycle properties, functional properties in vitro and transcriptomes. We will use genetic approaches to 1) perform lineage tracing and 2) to determine the functional role of PDGFRb in adult neural stem cell regulation. Together these studies will yield key insights into the regulation of stem cell quiescence in the adult brain.
