[Intraventricular transplantation of human neural stem cells into embryonic rats]

To explore the migration and distribution of human neural stem cells (NSCs) after they were transplanted into lateral cerebroventricles of embryonic rats.

This study was conducted with the proxy consent and the permission from the Hospitals Ethical Review Committee. The cells from the embryonic human cortices were mechanically dissociated. N2 medium was used to culture and expand the cells. And the cells were identified by immunocytochemistry; then after being labelled with BrdU or adenovirus carrying LacZ gene, they were implanted into the lateral cerebroventricles of embryonic rats. The rats were sacrificed after they were born and the brain sections were examined by immunocytochemistry at different time points.

NSCs from embryonic humans were successfully cultured; they formed typical neurospheres in suspension, and the majorities of the cells expressed nestin, which was the marker for neural progenitor cells, and the cells could differentiate into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. NSCs could steadily expressed exogenous gene in vivo and in vitro; after transplantation into embryonic rat brains, the fetal human NSCs incorporated individually into all major compartments of the brains, generating widespread CNS chimerism and having a wide distribution in the host fore-, mid-, and hindbrain.

NSCs could express foreign gene steadily and were the ideal cell sources for cell and gene therapy. These cells could incorporate into developing brains and generate widespread chimerism. These chimeras provide a unique model for studying human neural cell migration and differentiation in a functional nervous system.