Aneuploidy Causes Premature Differentiation of Neural and Intestinal Stem Cells Scientists showed that aneuploidy causes brain size reduction due to a decrease in the number of proliferative neural stem cells (NSCs), but not through apoptosis. Instead, aneuploid NSCs present an extended G1 phase, which leads to cell cycle exit and premature differentiation. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Video Generation of Functional Hippocampal Neurons from Self-Organizing Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Dorsomedial Telencephalic Tissue Researchers demonstrated the generation of functional hippocampal granule- and pyramidal-like neurons from self-organizing dorsomedial telencephalic tissue using human embryonic stem cells. [Nat Commun] Full Article Aging Neural Progenitors Lose Competence to Respond to Mitogenic Notch Signaling The authors found that aging intermediate neural progenitors (INPs) lose competence to respond to constitutively active Notch signaling. They showed that reducing the levels of the old INP temporal transcription factor Eyeless/Pax6 allows Notch signaling to promote the de-differentiation of INP progeny into ectopic INPs, thereby creating a proliferative mass of ectopic progenitors in the brain. [Curr Biol] Abstract Planar Cell Polarity-Mediated Induction of Neural Stem Cell Expansion during Axolotl Spinal Cord Regeneration Investigators showed that during regeneration, axolotl neural stem cells repress neurogenic genes and reactivate a transcriptional program similar to embryonic neuroepithelial cells. [eLife] Abstract | Full Article CTCF Cooperates with Noncoding RNA MYCNOS to Promote Neuroblastoma Progression through Facilitating MYCN Expression CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) cooperates with MYCN opposite strand (MYCNOS) to suppress the differentiation and promote the growth, invasion and metastasis of neuroblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo. [Oncogene] Abstract Rapid and Robust Generation of Long-Term Self-Renewing Human Neural Stem Cells with the Ability to Generate Mature Astroglia The authors report the development of a novel human pluripotent stem cells-based protocol enabling the generation of expandable homogenous human neural stem cells that can be maintained under self-renewing conditions over high passage numbers. [Sci Rep] Full Article A High-Content Screen Identifies Compounds Promoting the Neuronal Differentiation and the Midbrain Dopamine Neuron Specification of Human Neural Progenitor Cells Investigators carried out a high-content screen to systematically characterize known bioactive compounds, on their effects on the neuronal differentiation and the midbrain dopamine neuron specification of neural progenitor cells derived from the ventral mesencephalon of human fetal brain. [Sci Rep] Full Article Arginase 1+ Microglia Reduce Aβ Plaque Deposition during IL-1β-Dependent Neuroinflammation Experiments developed to explore the interaction between neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease pathology showed a surprising reduction in amyloid beta (Aβ) plaque deposition. The authors sought to understand this unexpected outcome by examining microglia phenotypes during chronic neuroinflammation. [J Neuroinflammation] Full Article | Press Release A Robust Single Primate Neuroepithelial Cell Clonal Expansion System for Neural Tube Development and Disease Studies Scientists report a robust and stable system to allow for clonal expansion of single monkey neuroepithelial stem cells (NESCs) to develop into miniature neural tube-like structures. Single NESCs can produce functional neurons in vitro, survive, and extensively regenerate neuron axons in monkey brain. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract Propentofylline Inhibits Glioblastoma Cell Invasion and Survival by Targeting the TROY Signaling Pathway Researchers showed that propentofylline decreased glioblastoma (GBM) cell expression of TROY, inhibited glioma cell invasion, and sensitized GBM cells to TMZ. [J Neurooncol] Abstract | Press Release |