CHEMICAL BIOLOGY :Chemical control of neural stem cells
Chemicals that regulate neurotransmitter signalling in neurons can also prevent neural stem cell proliferation, according to a paper in the May 2007 issue of Nature Chemical Biology. Neural stem cells are a potentially important therapeutic target for neurological diseases and brain tumours. However, very little is known about the potential for using small molecules to regulate neural stem cell differentiation and proliferation.
Using cultures of neural precursor cells, Peter B. Dirks and colleagues screened a chemical library for inhibitors of neural precursor cell proliferation. Within the ‘hits’ were a number of small molecules that are known to influence neurotransmitter signalling in neurons. These unexpected results indicate that neurotransmitter signalling pathways may also function in neural stem cells and raises the possibility of using existing drugs that regulate neurotransmitter signalling in the treatment of brain tumours.
Author contact:
Peter B. Dirks (The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Canada)
Tel: +1 416 813 6426; E-mail: peter.dirks@sickkids.ca
Additional contact for comment on paper:
Mike Tyers, (Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada)
Tel: +1 416 586 8371; E-mail: tyers@mshri.on.ca
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