Abstract
Carcinoembryonic antigen‐cell adhesion molecule‐1 (CEA‐CAM‐1) positive stem cells have been isolated from the skeletal muscle of adult mammals, including humans. The current study was undertaken to determine the location of these cells with respect to the cerebral cortex of the adult rat. Adult rats were euthanized following the guidelines of Mercer University's IACUC. The heads were fixed by immersion fixation, the brains isolated, cryosectioned and stained with an antibody diagnostic for adult pluripotential stem cells, i.e. CEA‐CAM‐1. CEA‐CAM‐1 positive stem cells were located as a diffuse population of cells within both the white matter and gray matter of the cerebral cortex, as well as within the blood vessels and connective tissues of the pia mater. The results demonstrate that this primitive stem cell population is native to the adult rat brain. Studies are ongoing to address their functional significance in neuronal injury and repair. Funding was provided by LM & HO Young Estate Trust and Dragonfly Foundation.
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