METHOD OF INDUCING DIFFERENTIATION OF BONE MARROW STROMAL CELLS TO NEURAL CELLS OR SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS BY INTRODUCTION OF NOTCH GENE

摘要

There is provided a method of inducingdifferentiation of bone marrow stromal cells to neuralcells or skeletal muscle cells by introduction of a Notchgene. Specifically, the invention provides a method ofinducing differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells toneural cells or skeletal muscle cells in vitro, whichmethod comprises introducing a Notch gene and/or a Notchsignaling related gene into the cells, wherein thefinally obtained differentiated cells are the result ofcell division of the bone marrow stromal cells into whichthe Notch gene and/or Notch signaling related gene havebeen introduced. The invention also provides a method ofinducing further differentiation of the differentiation-inducedneural cells to dopaminergic neurons oracetylcholinergic neurons. The invention yet furtherprovides a treatment method for neurodegenerative andskeletal muscle degenerative diseases which employsneural precursor cells, neural cells or skeletal musclecells produced by the method of the invention.