Neurosphere: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:13, 21 February 2025

Neurosphere

A neurosphere is a culture system composed of free-floating clusters of neural stem cells. Neurospheres are used in neuroscience research to study the properties of neural stem cells and their potential for neurogenesis and neural differentiation.

History

File:Reynolds and Weiss Neurosphere 1992.jpg

Reynolds and Weiss, 1992

The concept of the neurosphere was first introduced by Brent A. Reynolds and Samuel Weiss in 1992. They demonstrated that neural stem cells could be isolated from the adult mammalian brain and cultured in vitro to form neurospheres. This discovery was pivotal in the field of neural stem cell research, providing a method to study the self-renewal and differentiation capabilities of these cells.

Formation

Neurospheres are formed by culturing neural stem cells in a medium that lacks adhesion substrates, allowing the cells to remain in suspension. The medium is typically supplemented with growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF), which promote the proliferation of neural stem cells. Over time, these cells proliferate and aggregate to form spherical clusters known as neurospheres.

Applications

Neurospheres are used extensively in research to:

Study the properties of neural stem cells, including their ability to self-renew and differentiate into various neural lineages.
Investigate the effects of genetic and environmental factors on neural stem cell behavior.
Screen for potential therapeutic agents that can influence neurogenesis and neural repair.

Limitations

While neurospheres are a valuable tool in neuroscience research, they have certain limitations:

The heterogeneity of cells within a neurosphere can complicate the interpretation of experimental results.
The culture conditions may not fully replicate the in vivo environment of neural stem cells, potentially affecting their behavior.

Neurospheres and Disease

Neurospheres have been used to study the effects of various diseases on neural stem cells. For example, they have been employed to investigate the impact of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection on neural development. Studies have shown that ZIKV can infect neural progenitor cells within neurospheres, leading to impaired neurogenesis and potential developmental abnormalities.

Related pages

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Short description|A cluster of neural stem cells used in research}}
+Neurosphere
-==Neurosphere==
+[[File:Journal.pone.0001604.g001_small.jpg|thumb|right|Neurospheres in culture]]
-A '''neurosphere''' is a culture system composed of free-floating clusters of neural stem cells (NSCs). These clusters are used extensively in [[neuroscience]] research to study the properties of NSCs, including their ability to proliferate, differentiate, and self-renew. Neurospheres provide a valuable in vitro model for understanding the development and potential therapeutic applications of neural stem cells.
-[[File:Neurosphere.jpg|thumb|right|A neurosphere under a microscope, showing a cluster of neural stem cells.]]
+A '''neurosphere''' is a culture system composed of free-floating clusters of neural stem cells. Neurospheres are used in [[neuroscience]] research to study the properties of neural stem cells and their potential for [[neurogenesis]] and [[neural differentiation]].
+==History==
+[[File:Reynolds_and_Weiss_Neurosphere_1992.jpg|thumb|left|Reynolds and Weiss, 1992]]
+The concept of the neurosphere was first introduced by Brent A. Reynolds and Samuel Weiss in 1992. They demonstrated that neural stem cells could be isolated from the adult [[mammalian]] brain and cultured in vitro to form neurospheres. This discovery was pivotal in the field of neural stem cell research, providing a method to study the self-renewal and differentiation capabilities of these cells.
 ==Formation==
-Neurospheres are formed when neural stem cells are cultured in a medium that supports their growth and prevents their attachment to the substrate. This is typically achieved by using a serum-free medium supplemented with growth factors such as [[epidermal growth factor]] (EGF) and [[fibroblast growth factor]] (FGF). Under these conditions, NSCs proliferate and form spherical clusters, or neurospheres, which can be maintained and expanded over several passages.
-==Properties==
+Neurospheres are formed by culturing neural stem cells in a medium that lacks [[adhesion]] substrates, allowing the cells to remain in suspension. The medium is typically supplemented with growth factors such as [[epidermal growth factor]] (EGF) and [[fibroblast growth factor]] (FGF), which promote the proliferation of neural stem cells. Over time, these cells proliferate and aggregate to form spherical clusters known as neurospheres.
-Neurospheres exhibit several key properties that make them useful for research:
-* '''Self-renewal''': The cells within a neurosphere can divide and produce more stem cells, maintaining the population over time.
+==Applications==
-* '''Multipotency''': NSCs within neurospheres have the potential to differentiate into various cell types found in the [[central nervous system]], including [[neurons]], [[astrocytes]], and [[oligodendrocytes]].
-* '''Clonality''': Neurospheres can be derived from a single NSC, allowing researchers to study the properties of individual stem cells and their progeny.
-==Applications==
+Neurospheres are used extensively in research to:
-Neurospheres are used in a variety of research applications, including:
+* Study the properties of neural stem cells, including their ability to self-renew and differentiate into various neural lineages.
+* Investigate the effects of genetic and environmental factors on neural stem cell behavior.
+* Screen for potential therapeutic agents that can influence neurogenesis and neural repair.
+==Limitations==
+While neurospheres are a valuable tool in neuroscience research, they have certain limitations:
-* '''Neurodevelopmental studies''': Neurospheres provide a model to study the processes involved in the development of the nervous system.
+* The heterogeneity of cells within a neurosphere can complicate the interpretation of experimental results.
-* '''Disease modeling''': Researchers use neurospheres to model neurological diseases and disorders, such as [[Parkinson's disease]] and [[Alzheimer's disease]], to better understand their pathophysiology.
+* The culture conditions may not fully replicate the in vivo environment of neural stem cells, potentially affecting their behavior.
-* '''Drug screening''': Neurospheres can be used to test the effects of potential therapeutic compounds on neural stem cells and their differentiated progeny.
-* '''Regenerative medicine''': Neurospheres are explored as a source of cells for regenerative therapies aimed at repairing damaged or diseased nervous tissue.
-[[File:Neural differentiation.jpg|thumb|left|Differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons and glial cells.]]
+==Neurospheres and Disease==
-==Challenges==
+[[File:Neuroshperes_with_ZIKV_infection.jpg|thumb|right|Neurospheres with ZIKV infection]]
-While neurospheres are a powerful tool for research, they also present certain challenges:
-* '''Heterogeneity''': Neurospheres can be heterogeneous, containing a mix of stem cells and differentiated cells, which can complicate data interpretation.
+Neurospheres have been used to study the effects of various diseases on neural stem cells. For example, they have been employed to investigate the impact of [[Zika virus]] (ZIKV) infection on neural development. Studies have shown that ZIKV can infect neural progenitor cells within neurospheres, leading to impaired neurogenesis and potential developmental abnormalities.
-* '''Standardization''': Variability in culture conditions and techniques can lead to inconsistent results between different laboratories.
-* '''In vivo relevance''': While neurospheres provide a useful in vitro model, translating findings to in vivo systems remains a significant challenge.
 ==Related pages==
 * [[Neural stem cell]]
-* [[Stem cell therapy]]
 * [[Neurogenesis]]
-* [[Cell culture]]
+* [[Stem cell]]
+* [[Zika virus]]
 [[Category:Stem cells]]
 [[Category:Neuroscience]]