A new paper published in the journal Stem Cell Reports suggests that there are intrinsic differences among neural stem cells (NSCs) found in mice. Scientists used time-lapse video techniques to observe key differences in the growth, differentiation rate and movement of these stem cells from different parts of the brain. This discovery may help scientists understand how the brain functions and how neural stem cells behave.
One significant question in the neuroscience community over the past few decades has been how do NSCs create brain cells that function in different areas of the brain. For example, the cells found in the visual and motor cortex areas of the brain are quite different because of their different roles. How these stem cells understood what kind of cell was required was the source of much debate.
Dr Sally Temple and a team from the Neural Stem Cell Institute were responsible for the breakthrough. They looked at a single neural stem cell from the anterior and posterior embryonic mouse cerebral cortex. Using an identical growth environment, they closely watched the cells grow and differentiate. The key question was — did the environment cause the cells to grow to suit specific parts of the brain or was it built into the stem cell? They found that even the youngest progenitor cells had the knowledge built into them.
It was a very technically demanding task to film the neural stem cells, because of the way they moved and multiplied. They had to use a combination of computer algorithms and human analysis.
NSCs are one of the most interesting types of stem cell. They are incredibly flexible and have many roles within the human brain. If scientists can gain a deeper understanding of how to control these stem cells it could help to formulate new cancer therapies and treat brain injuries.
Source: Image-tracking technology allows scientists to observe nature vs. nurture in neural stem cells
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