Table 3.

Expansion and multipotency of growth factor-generated spheres derived from various brain regions

Brain region	No. 2° spheres (mean ± SEM)	No. of cultures	No. of spheres	No. N+A+O
Lateral ventricle	79  ± 20	1° 9	37	37
		2° 4	9	9
Third ventricle	84  ± 21	1° 10	33	33
		2° 6	33	303-a
Fourth ventricle	107  ± 22	1° 12	37	37
		2° 9	54	54
Thoracic cord	127  ± 14	1° 23	106	106
		2° 15	79	79
Lumbar/sacral cord	110  ± 11	1° 9	34	34
		2° 5	11	11

The left-hand column is a comparison of the expandability of primary spheres, generated in the presence of EGF + bFGF, from the indicated regions. No. 2° spheres refers to the numbers of secondary spheres counted in a well where all of the dissociated cells of a primary sphere had been seeded. The data for those single-sphere dissociations are the mean ± SEM of 10–20 primary spheres dissociated within each region. The remaining three columns refer to the multipotential nature of primary spheres and their progeny, the secondary spheres produced through subcloning. The total numbers of individual experiments and spheres examined are given. 1°, Primary culture; 2°, secondary culture.

^F3-a Three spheres contained only neurons and astrocytes. N+A+O, Neurons + astrocytes + oligodendrocytes.