Treating a human neuroectodermal cell line with retinoic acid induces the appearance of neuron-like voltage-gated ionic currents

TB cells are a novel human neuroectodermal cell line ìsolated from the cerebrospinalfluid (CSF) of a patient affectedby primary leptomeningeal melanomatosis. Immunological techniques after 10 microM retinoic acid (RA) treatment showed morphological differentiation in a neuronal-like phenotype. We wanted characterize the basic electrophysiological properties in order to determine if RA treatment induces the appearance of voltage-dependent currents.