Stable clones of neural stem cells (NSCs) have been isolated from human fetaltelencephalon. In vitro, these self-renewing clones can spontaneously giverise to all three fundamental neural cell types (neurons, oligodendrocytes andastrocytes). Following transplantation into germinal zones of the developingnewborn mouse brain, these NSCs, like their rodent counterparts canparticipate in aspects of normal development. These include migration alongwell-established migratory pathways to disseminated CNS regions,differentiation into developmentally and regionally appropriate cell types inresponse to microenvironmental cues and non-disruptive, non-tumorigenicinterspersion with host progenitors.
