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Updated: Mar 28, 2026
Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells NPCs
Published on: March 2, 2018
Metformin Acts on Two Different Molecular Pathways to Enhance Adult Neural Precursor Proliferation/Self-Renewal and
Michael Fatt1, Karolynn Hsu2, Ling He3
1Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada.
Abstract:
The recruitment of endogenous adult neural stem cells for brain repair is a promising regenerative therapeutic strategy. This strategy involves stimulation of multiple stages of adult neural stem cell development, including proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation. Currently, there is a lack of a single therapeutic approach that can act on these multiple stages of adult neural stem cell development to enhance neural regeneration. Here we show that metformin, an FDA-approved diabetes drug, promotes proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation of adult neural precursors (NPCs). Specifically, we show that metformin enhances adult NPC proliferation and self-renewal dependent upon the p53 family member and transcription factor TAp73, while it promotes neuronal differentiation of these cells by activating the AMPK-aPKC-CBP pathway. Thus, metformin represents an optimal candidate neuro-regenerative agent that is capable of not only expanding the adult NPC population but also subsequently driving them toward neuronal differentiation by activating two distinct molecular pathways.
