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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Neurochem. 2009 Nov 6;112(6):1431–1441. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.06479.x

Fig. 7. The signaling pathways involved in opioid regulation of ESC neural differentiation.

Fig. 7

In the absence of an inducing agent, such as RA, μ and κ agonists support neural differentiation of ESCs to NPs by promoting an ERK dependent ESC division. Opioids inhibit the conversion of RA-induced NPs to neurons via p38, they inhibit astrogenesis involving ERK signaling and stimulate oligodendrogenesis by both MAPK signaling pathways. Opioid effects on RA induced neural commitment of ESCs remain to be determined.