Safety, neuronal maturation and axon outgrowth after human ES cell-derived neural stem cell transplantation

Safety is one of the major prerequisites for a successful translation of new therapeutic principles to the clinic. With respect to human ES cell-derived neural cell therapy teratoma formation and autonomous proliferation of neural precursor cells are considered major points of concern. In the present study we addressed these potential hurdles in a long-term analysis of human ES cell-derived neural stem cells (hES-NSCs) grafted in to the brain of adult immunodeficient SCID-beige mice. A total of 50.000 hES-NSC (passage 20 to 40) were stereotactically targeted to the dentate gyrus of 10 to 12-week-old recipients.…