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The paper, entitled "Fetal Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells Can Differentiate Sequentially into Neural Stem Cells and Then Astrocytes In Vitro," will be available free online at www.liebertpub.com/jht.

The results of this study suggest that human hematopoietic stem cells may be a valuable "resource for the generation of neural stem cells for therapy of central nervous system defects resulting from disease or trauma," conclude the authors, Hsaio-Nan Hao, M.D., Jiun Zhao, M.D., Ronald Thomas, Ph.D., Graham Parker, Ph.D., and William Lyman Ph.D. of the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and Children's Research Center of Michigan at the Children's Hospital of Michigan.

According to Denis English, Ph.D., journal Editor, Director, Experimental Cell Research Program, The Methodist Research Institute, and Associate Professor, Allied Health Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, "the results, while exciting, must be viewed as preliminary." Dr. English points out the fact that the therapeutic potential-even the characteristics and derivation--of these putative stem cells is the subject of a vigorous controversy in the field of stem cell research. "It is absolutely premature at this time to conclude that the hopes of stem cell research-cures for afflictions ranging from Alzheimer's disease to spinal cord injury, liver damage and disorders of other organs--will be realized with cells from non-embryonic sources."

The researchers cultured fetal liver-derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) under one of three conditions: in astrocyte-conditioned medium; in a double-chamber system in which the HSC were co-cultured, but not in direct contact with astrocytes; or under control conditions. The HSC grown in astrocyte-conditioned medium or in co-culture with astrocytes expressed cell markers characteristic of neural stem cells, including nestin and BMP-2, demonstrating that they had activated genes normally expressed by neural precursor cells. The HSC grown under control conditions did not express these markers. Cells expressing the neural stem cell markers were able to differentiate in vitro into astrocytes, as was evident based on their morphology, their rate of proliferation, and their ability to express the astrocytic markers glial fibrillary acidic protein and S100. The teams' work was supported by the Children's Research Center of Michigan Endowment and Jean and Samuel Frankel.

Journal of Hematotherapy & Stem Cell Research is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online. The journal is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system. A complete table of contents and free sample issue may be viewed online at www.liebertpub.com/jht.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Cloning and Stem Cells, Human Gene Therapy, and Tissue Engineering. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 60 journals, books, and newsletters is available at www.liebertpub.com.

CONTACT:

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Larchmont

Vicki Cohn, 914/834-3100, ext. 617

vcohn@liebertpub.com

SOURCE: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

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02/28/2003 09:00 EASTERN