this work was supported by italian  ministero della salute  ( gr-2008 - 1137632 to a.c . and gr-2008 - 1146615 to l.c . ) and miur ( prin 2005 : 2005051740_001 to l.c . and prin2003 2003060512_001 and first2007 to r.m . ) . the authors thank daria messelodi , dr roberta noseda , and dr elio messi for their technical support , and dr francesca mackenzie for reading the manuscript . the authors declare that they have no significant competing financial interests that might have influenced the work described in this manuscript .
the present study describes the generation and the characterization of a stable cell line of neural stem cells derived from embryonic mouse hypothalamus . 
 these cells ( ac1 ) grow as an adherent culture in defined serum - free medium and express typical markers of neurogenic radial glia and of hypothalamic precursors . 
 after prolonged expansion , ac1 cells may be efficiently induced to differentiate into neurons and astroglial cells in vitro and start to express some hormonal neuropeptides , like trh , crh , and pomc . 
 based on the capabilities of ac1 cells to be stably expanded and to develop neuroendocrine lineages in vitro , these cells might represent a novel tool to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the development of the hypothalamus and in the specific differentiation of neuroendocrine neurons .