Even in phosphate-buffered saline alone, ES cells rapidly acquire neural precursor markers, including Nestin (green).

Given a choice, embryonic stem (ES) cells prefer to join the neural lineage, according to findings on page 79. The results from Smukler et al. imply that other cell types arise only when the neural lineage is actively blocked.

Uncovering the default pathway for ES cells is tricky. The cells must be shielded from any signals that influence their development. Yet media devoid of instructive signals are not very supportive of cell survival. Smukler and colleagues indeed found that 75% of cells derived from mouse ES cells plated on serum-free media died within a day.

But by wading through this massive cell death, the group found that most of the cells that survived on media lacking all instructive cues rapidly acquired neural stem cell (NSC) characteristics. Even before their...

The Rockefeller University Press
2006
The Rockefeller University Press
2006
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