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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
09:04
Isolation and Culture of Embryonic Mouse Neural Stem Cells
Published on: November 11, 2018
Developmental ability of cloned embryos from neural stem cells
Eiji Mizutani1, Hiroshi Ohta, Satoshi Kishigami
1Laboratory for Genomic Reprogramming, Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan. mizutani@cdb.riken.jp
Reproduction (Cambridge, England)
|November 28, 2006
Summary
Cloning mice using undifferentiated neural stem cells (NSCs) resulted in a low success rate (0.5%), indicating their undifferentiated state does not improve cloning efficiency. Development to the blastocyst stage was significantly impaired compared to other somatic cells.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Developmental biology
- Stem cell research
Background:
- Embryonic stem (ES) cells yield higher cloning success rates than somatic cells, suggesting pluripotency or an undifferentiated state enhances efficiency.
- Neural stem cells (NSCs) are undifferentiated cells with potential for therapeutic applications, but their efficiency in cloning is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the developmental potential and cloning efficiency of mouse embryos derived from cultured neural stem cell (NSC) nuclei.
- To compare the cloning success rate of NSCs with other somatic and embryonic cell types.
Main Methods:
- Nuclear transfer of cultured mouse NSCs into enucleated oocytes.
- In vitro culture of cloned embryos to the two-cell and morula-blastocyst stages.
- Transfer of two-cell cloned embryos into surrogate mothers for assessment of live birth rates.
Main Results:
- Live cloned mice were produced from cultured NSC nuclei, but the overall success rate was low (0.5%).
- Cloning efficiency from cultured NSCs was higher than from differentiated NSCs (0%) but lower than from ES cells (2.2-3.5%) or other somatic cells (Sertoli, cumulus).
- While in vitro development to the two-cell stage was comparable to other somatic cells, development to the morula-blastocyst stage was significantly reduced (7% vs. 50-54%).
Conclusions:
- The undifferentiated state of neural stem cells does not enhance cloning efficiency in mice.
- Donor cell type significantly influences the in vitro developmental arrest point of cloned embryos, impacting overall cloning success.
Related Concept Videos
00:58Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
00:57Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...