Unraveling the Potential of Neural Stem Cells: Antibodies as Key Tools

Stem cells have the capability to develop into any specialized cell type, which makes them a valuable resource in research and regenerative medicine. Differentiated stem cell models provide insights into proteins involved in disease/developmental processes, which would otherwise be inaccessible for research due to their rare tissue origin and ethical constraints. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) differentiated to various lineages serve as powerful tools to study the proteins of interest specific to a cell type. Similarly, neural stem cells (NSCs) have revolutionized the research on neuropsychiatry and neurodegeneration disorders, as they can be differentiated into neuronal subtypes in vitro. In this seminar, we showcased the use of human episomal iPSCs and NSCs to generate physiologically relevant neural models such as retinal ganglion cells, neuroepithelial cells, neural rosettes, and astrocytes. We have also differentiated iPSCs into dopaminergic neurons which help in studying the underlying mechanisms of Parkinson's disease. These studies are important for deciphering the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurogenesis for optimizing stem cell-based treatment of neurological disorders and injuries.

 

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