As immature cells, neural stem cells must stick together in a
protected environment called a niche, where they divide in
preparation for making all of the cells that populate the
nervous system. But when it’s time to mature — or differentiate
into these various cells — the neural stem cells must stop
dividing, detach from their neighbors and migrate to where they
are needed to form the circuits necessary for humans to think,
feel and interact with the world. Now, stem cell researchers at
UCLA have identified new components of the genetic pathway that
controls the adhesive properties and proliferation of neural
stem cells and the formation of neurons in early development.
The finding by scientists at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of
Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA could be
important because errors in this pathway can lead to a variety
of birth defects that affect the structure of the nervous
system, as well as more subtle changes that impair cognitive and
motor functions associated with