The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting differentiation of a population of neural stem cells by contacting a purinergic receptor agonist and a population of neural stem cells under conditions effective to inhibit differentiation of the population of neural stem cells. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of producing neurons and/or glial cells from a population of neural stem cells by culturing a population of neural stem cells with a purinergic receptor antagonist under conditions effective to cause the neural stem cells to differentiate into neurons and/or glial cells. The purinergic receptor agonist can also be used in a method of inducing proliferation and self-renewal of neural stem cells in a subject and a method of treating a neurological disease or neurodegenerative condition in a subject. The purinergic receptor antagonist can also be used in treating a neoplastic disease of the brain or spinal cord in a subject.
本发明涉及一种抑制神经干细胞群体分化的方法,方法是在有效抑制神经干细胞群体分化的条件下,将
嘌呤能受体激动剂与神经干细胞群体接触。本发明的另一方面涉及一种从神经干细胞群体中产生神经元和/或神经胶质细胞的方法,其方法是在有效促使神经干细胞分化成神经元和/或神经胶质细胞的条件下,用
嘌呤能受体拮抗剂培养神经干细胞群体。
嘌呤能受体激动剂还可用于诱导受试者神经干细胞增殖和自我更新的方法,以及治疗受试者神经系统疾病或神经退行性疾病的方法。
嘌呤能受体拮抗剂还可用于治疗受试者的脑或脊髓肿瘤性疾病。