Neurosphere

Neurosphere

A neurosphere is a culture system composed of neural stem cells and progenitor cells which are capable of self-renewal and limited lineage potential. The neurosphere assay (NSA) is a common method used to study these cells.

History

The neurosphere was first described by Reynolds and Weiss in 1992. They discovered that when dissociated cells from the striatum of the adult mouse brain were cultured in serum-free medium containing epidermal growth factor (EGF), a small proportion of the cells survived and proliferated to form clusters of cells, which they termed neurospheres.

Characteristics

Neurospheres are characterized by their ability to maintain multipotentiality, which means they can differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. They are also capable of self-renewal, meaning they can generate new neurospheres from single cells.

Neurosphere Assay (NSA)

The neurosphere assay (NSA) is a method used to quantify neural stem and progenitor cells in vitro. It is based on the ability of neural stem cells to proliferate and form neurospheres in the presence of growth factors such as EGF and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2).

Criticisms

Despite its widespread use, the NSA has been criticized for its lack of specificity and reproducibility. Some researchers argue that the number of neurospheres formed in the NSA does not accurately reflect the number of stem cells in a given population, as the assay is also influenced by progenitor cell proliferation and survival.

See also

• Neural stem cell
• Neurogenesis
• Epidermal growth factor
• Fibroblast growth factor 2

References

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