Question

Would treating human ES cells with increasing concentrations of NGF lead to increasing differentiating of neuronal cells.

can you help me with some background information

Answer 1

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells. Different type of growth factors including nerve growth factor (NGF) has potential to direct the differentiation of human ES-derived cells. Although many growth factors have potential to direct the differentiation into either ectoderm or mesoderm or endoerm or two of these, Increasing concentration of NGF increases the differentiation into all three embryonic germ layers that is ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Endoerm differentiation leads to liver and pancreas, mesoderm leads to heart muscles, kidney muscles, mullerian duct etc and ectoderm leads to brain (neuronal cells).

Thus, NGF has not specific effect on neuronal cells only rather increasing concentration of NGF enhances differentiation into other cells also along with neuronal cells.

If you want more background information, kindly foolow this link:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC17196/