Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are primitive adult progenitor cells capable of differentiation into multiple blood cell lineages. In the past several years, there have been a significant number of publications suggesting that adult stem cells have a 'plasticity' that defies the central dogma of unidirectional cellular development. To promote the potential neuronal differentiation in HSCs, an optimal culturing and conditioning regimen was developed, and then examined for efficacy using both fresh and thawed HSCs derived from human umbilical cord blood. It was determined that neuronal-like cells can form from both fresh and thawed HSC-enriched populations when cultured in an optimized neuronal microenvironment.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Snow, Jessica Condon

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 01E015M

Advisor

• Adams, David S.

Year

• 2001

Sponsor

• ViaCell, Inc.

Date created

• 2001-01-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright