EMBO Member

Yves-Alain Barde

Cardiff University | United Kingdom

EMBO 1992 | CouC 94–97

Cell number control in the vertebrate nervous system

Our group studies the development of the nervous system using engineered embryonic stem cells. These can be reproducibly differentiated into neural progenitors that then go on to differentiate in essentially one type of post-mitotic neurons. This system allowed the discovery that the long known nerve growth factor receptor TrkA kills neurons in the absence of ligand. TrkB, the receptor for BDNF does not, explaining why it is not a major survival factor for CNS neurons.

Keywords: Developmental neurobiology / growth factors & their receptors / stem cells

Subject area(s): Development | Differentiation & Death | Neuroscience