The present proposal is based upon our discovery that astrocytes from diverse areas of the mammalian CNS express characteristics of multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs), since they can form multipotent neurospheres in vitro. Most astrocytes lose these characteristics after a critical period of postnatal development; however astrocytes from the subependymal zone (SEZ) remain multipotent even into adulthood, and divide to maintain a large pool of neuronal precursors in this region. We propose two sets of experiments to further characterize and analyze the NSC attributes of astrocytes: 1) transplantation of astrocyte-derived neurospheres to a variety of CNS regions in order to test their ability to migrate, integrate, and generate neuronal progeny in different environments; and 2) transplantation of pre-and post-critical period astrocytes into the adult SEZ to test for the presence of factors in this region that direct astrocytes to generate neuronal progeny.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21NS041472-02
Application #
6624421
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BDCN-2 (06))
Program Officer
Chiu, Arlene Y
Project Start
2002-03-01
Project End
2004-02-28
Budget Start
2003-03-01
Budget End
2004-02-28
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$142,100
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Florida
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
969663814
City
Gainesville
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
32611