Corticospinal upper motor neurons, methods and compositions for differentiating neural stem cells by modulating CB1 cannabinoid receptor signaling and use thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for obtaining a corticospinal upper motor neuron from a neural stem cell comprising the use of a CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonist, or the use of an inhibitor of an endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme, or the modification of a neural stem cell to decrease the expression of an endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme under basal levels or to increase the expression of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor above basal levels. The invention also relates to the corticospinal upper motor neurons obtained and uses thereof.