Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
10:24
Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Cortical Interneuron Precursors
Published on: December 3, 2017
A stem cell niche for intermediate progenitor cells of the embryonic cortex
Ashkan Javaherian1, Arnold Kriegstein
1Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. ashkanjavaherian@gmail.com
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|April 7, 2009
Summary
The study reveals that blood vessels in the embryonic brain form a niche for neural stem cells. This discovery highlights the crucial role of vasculature in coordinating neurogenesis and patterning brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Mammalian cerebral cortex development involves radial glial cells and intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs).
- The microenvironment and potential stem cell niche for IPCs in the embryonic subventricular zone (SVZ) remain poorly understood.
- Vasculature is implicated as a niche for adult stem cells, but its developmental role is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of vasculature in the embryonic cerebral cortex during neurogenesis.
- To determine if blood vessels form a stem cell niche for intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) in the SVZ.
Main Methods:
- Investigated the embryonic cortical vasculature during neurogenesis.
- Analyzed the spatial and temporal association between IPCs and blood vessels.
- Examined IPC division patterns relative to blood vessel structures.
Main Results:
- IPCs exhibit spatial and temporal correlation with blood vessels during cortical development.
- The distribution pattern of IPCs mirrors that of capillaries, suggesting coordinated angiogenesis and neurogenesis.
- IPCs preferentially divide near blood vessel branch points in the SVZ.
Conclusions:
- Cerebral vasculature establishes a stem cell niche for intermediate progenitors (IPCs) in the embryonic SVZ.
- Blood vessels are critical for the proper patterning of neurogenesis in the developing cerebral cortex.
- Provides novel evidence for a neurogenic niche within the embryonic SVZ mediated by vasculature.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Stem Cell Niche
The stem cell niche is the dynamic microenvironment where stem cells reside. Inside these niches, the cells may remain undifferentiated, undergo high self-renewal, or become lineage-specific progenitors. Stem cells coexist with other niche cells, such as stromal cells. They also interact closely with the ECM. Cell-cell and cell-matrix communication occur via adhesion molecules or soluble factors that signal the stem cells and determine their fate. Stromal cells also provide survival signals to...
01:06Multipotency and Niche of Bulge Stem Cell
A hair follicle or HF is a small part of the skin that produces the hair shaft. Paul Gerson Unna was the first to observe a bulge in the human hair follicle's outer root sheath (ORS). The bulge is present between the sebaceous gland and the arrector pili muscle and is the niche for hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). The bulge is also a niche for melanocyte stem cells, and their loss results in graying of hair. The HFSCs express Sox9 and Lhx2, which help them maintain stemness and prevent...
01:10Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation
The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...
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...
01:19Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can differentiate into most connective tissue cell types, except for hematopoietic cells, depending upon the source of MSCs. For example, bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) can differentiate into osteocytes, hepatocytes, and pancreatic and neuronal cells. MSCs can be isolated from various sources such as bone marrow, placenta, adipose tissue, teeth, and Wharton’s jelly, a gelatinous substance in the umbilical cord. The ease of their access...