Patent ID: 6878543

Claim:
An in vitro adhesion cell culture comprising at least 90% GFAP + cells, wherein a) one or more cells in the culture have the capacity to differentiate into neurons; b) the cell culture divides in a culture medium containing serum and at least one proliferation-inducing growth factor, wherein the at least one proliferation-inducing growth factor is selected from the group consisting of EGF, amphiregulin, aFGF, bFGF, TGFα, and combinations thereof; c) one or more cells in the culture differentiate into neurons upon withdrawal of both serum and the proliferation-inducing growth factor; d) wherein greater than 50% of the cells in the culture are nestin + under proliferation-promoting culture conditions; and e) wherein the cell culture differentiates into at least 10% neurons under differentiation-inducing culture conditions.