Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressed by neural progenitor cells (NPCs)(cyan) stimulates the growth of blood vessels (red) in the mouse
embryonic hindbrain, and provides regulatory factors to promote the self - renewal of neural progenitors.
Expanding from their previous studies with mice, the researchers first established that under specific conditions, culturing human
embryonic stem cells with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) leads to neural differentiation particular to the midbrain /
hindbrain region — the location of the cerebellum — within three weeks, and the expression of markers for the cerebellar plate neuroepithelium — the part of the developing nervous system specific for the cerebellum — within five.