Sepideh Ghasemi - Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran
Hadi Aligholi - Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Pir Hossain Koulivand - Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Jafaraian - Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran
Hassan Hosseini Ravandi - Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Khaleghi Ghadiri - Department of Neurosurgery, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
Ali Gorji - Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran

Objective(s): Among several cell sources, adult human neural stem/progenitor cells (hNS/PCs) have been considered outstanding cells for performing mechanistic studies in in vitro and in vivo models of neurological disorders as well as for potential utility in cell-based therapeutic approaches. Previous studies addressed the isolation and culture of hNS/PCs from human neocortical and hippocampal tissues. However, little data are available on hNS/PCs obtained from the adult human amygdala.Materials and Methods: The present study explored the capacity of the amygdala harvested from resected brain tissues of patients with medically refractory epilepsy to generate neurosphere-like bodies and motor neuron-like cells.Results: Although the proliferation process was slow, a considerable amount of cells was obtained after the ۳rd passage. In addition, the cells could generate motor neuron-like cells under appropriate culture conditions. Conclusion: Isolation and culture of these cells enable us to improve our knowledge of the role of the amygdala in some neurological and psychological disorders and provide a novel source for therapeutic cell transplantation.

Brain, Hippocampus, Intractable epilepsy, Motor Neuron, Neural stem cells