Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is expressed in glial cells within the central and peripheral nervous systems. CNTF stimulates gene expression, cell survival or differentiation in a variety of neuronal cell types such as sensory, sympathetic, ciliary and motor neurons. CNTF itself lacks a classical signal peptide sequence of a secreted protein, but is thought to convey its cytoprotective effects after release from adult glial cells by some mechanism induced by injury. In addition to its neuronal actions, CNTF also acts on non neuronal cells such as glia, hepatocytes, skeletal muscle, embryonic stem cells and bone marrow stromal cells.

Cytoplasmic