Neural Tissue differentiation has been heavily researched over the last 10 to 20 years due to the hope of finding stem cell derived cures to various diseases. An understanding of how neuronal stem cells in the embryo differentiate to form the adult central and peripheral nervous system will give investigators the information they need to know to develop life saving cures.

How do Neural Cells Differentiate?

The process of neural differentiation is highly complex and is a function of numerous inductions, signals, repressors, and other mitogens yet to be discovered. The factors discussed in this site can be found here. Examples of these different factors involved in differentiation will demonstrate the processes that take place to fully develop the adult nervous system. The following are a variety of mechanisms which are involved in the differentiation of neural tissue:

Mechanisms:

- Neural cells are not directly derived from ES cells. Mature cells of the nervous system come from a variety of cells lineages and progenitors that differentiate into specific cell types. Different lineages are also known to support the differentiation of other cell lineages.

- Specific genes can play crucial roles in neural tissue development. General genes of devolpment take part in neural differentiation. Genes initially found throughout the developing embryo become specific to the neural tissue.

- One common mechanism of neural differentiation is the suppression of neural features in other tissues. Since all ectoderm tissue has the potential to become neural tissue, many factors which bring about the differentiation of neural tissue are in fact blocking the action of these suppressors.

- Certain factors which help the formation of the nervous system cannot be synthesized within the body. For proper formation, these factors must be present either in vitro or in vivo. One of these factors is iron.