Influences of leukemia inhibitory factor on the proliferation and differentiation of human embryonic neural stem cells

Aim:To investigate the effects of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on (NSCs) the proliferation and differentiation human embryonic neural stem cells. Methods;LIF was added to DMEM/F12-based medium, the growth of NSCs was observed, the number of NSCs was counted at different times, then the cells were induced to differentiate into the main types of central nerve system by altering culture conditions and were viewed under microscope. Results; On the third day, the cells began to divide and formed the neurospheres, then the neurospheres expended increasingly. There were no significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in the number of viable cells and neurospheres. The experiment of differentiation showed that few NSCs differentiated in the culture medium with LIF. Conclusions: LIF can facilitate the proliferation of NSCs and inhibit the differentiation of NSCs in vitro.