Hematopoietic competence is a rare property of neural stem cells that may depend on genetic and epigenetic alterations

摘要: The concept of stem-cell plasticity received strong support from a recent observation that extensively passaged, clonally derived neural stem cells could contribute to hematopoiesis. We investigated whether hematopoietic potential was consistent or unusual feature cells, and it depended on the extent in vitro passaging before transplantation. Here we transplanted over 128 × 106 neurosphere into host animals; however, never observed contribution hematopoiesis, irrespective number passages despite use an assay detect single blood cell repopulation. Although cultured continued generate progeny, marked changes their growth properties occurred, including growth-factor dependence, cell-cycle kinetics, adhesion gene expression. Our results exclude competence as property intravenously infused cells. However, occurred during extended are compatible with genetic epigenetic alterations suggest rare transformation events may account for neural-to-blood fate switch originally reported.