Immature human NT2 cells grafted into mouse brain differentiate into neuronal and glial cell types

NT2 cells are a transfectable human embryonal carcinoma cell line, that can be differentiated into postmitotic neuron-like cells (NT2N cells), and tra nsplanted into rodent brains. Differentiation requires a 5-week-long treatm ent with retinoic acid prior to transplantation. Here, we show that this st ep can be omitted, and that undifferentiated NT2 cells migrate over long di stances and differentiate into both neuron- and oligodendrocyte-like cell t ypes upon grafting into brains of immunocompetent newborn mice. Grafted cel ls can be traced by fluorogold, with no evidence for tumor formation. Our a pproach provides an experimental model system which allows the immunohistol ogical and biochemical study of neuronal and glial differentiation of human cells in vivo, and which may be suitable as an in vivo model for pharmacol ogical studies. (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Publ ished by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.