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Chromaffin Progenitor Cells from the Adrenal Medulla

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Abstract

Chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla are neural crest-derived cells of the sympathoadrenal lineage. Different lines of evidence suggest the existence of a subpopulation of proliferation-competent progenitor cells even in the adult state. The identification of sympathoadrenal progenitors in the adrenal would greatly enhance the understanding of adrenal physiology and their potential role in adrenal pathogenesis. Isolation and differentiation of these progenitor cells in culture would provide a tool to understand their development in vitro. Furthermore, due to the close relation to sympathetic neurons, these cells might provide an expandable source of cells for cell therapy in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. We therefore aim to establish protocols for the efficient isolation, enrichment and differentiation of chromaffin progenitor cells to dopaminergic neurons in culture.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 655 From Cells to Tissues) and through the DFG-Research Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD).

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  1. University Clinic Carl-Gustav-Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Monika Ehrhart-Bornstein, Vladimir Vukicevic, Kuei-Fang Chung, Mushfika Ahmad & Stefan R. Bornstein

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  1. Monika Ehrhart-Bornstein
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  2. Vladimir Vukicevic
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  3. Kuei-Fang Chung
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  4. Mushfika Ahmad
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  5. Stefan R. Bornstein
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Correspondence to Monika Ehrhart-Bornstein.

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A commentary to this article can be found at doi:10.1007/s10571-010-9607-8.

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Ehrhart-Bornstein, M., Vukicevic, V., Chung, KF. et al. Chromaffin Progenitor Cells from the Adrenal Medulla. Cell Mol Neurobiol 30, 1417–1423 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-010-9571-3

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