Name: electric field-controlled directed migration of neural progenitor cells in 2d and 3d environments
Uploaded: 2012-02-16T12:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Electric Field-controlled Directed Migration of Neural Progenitor Cells in 2D and 3D Environments at JoVE.com

This work was supported by the Royal Society URF grant UF051616, UK and the European Research Council StG grant 243261 to BS. The work in MZ lab is also supported by a California Institute of Regenerative Medicine grant RB1-01417.

1. Neural progenitor cell isolation
<ol>
 <li>Dissect whole brains from E14-16 mice and place in cold DMEM/F12 basal medium. Remove all meninges under an anatomical microscope and transfer brains into a 35 mm Petri dish.</li>
 <li>Use fine forceps to mechanically dissociate brains into tissue fragments and transfer them to a 15 ml tube, then centrifuge samples at 800 rpm for 3 min to remove debris.</li>
 <li>Add DMEM/F12 containing bFGF and EGF and triturate with a 1 ml pipette.</li>
 <li>Pass the cell suspension throu...

<ol>
	<li>Huttenlocher, A., Horwitz, A. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Wound+healing+with+electric+potential.">Wound healing with electric potential.</a> N. Engl. J. Med. 356, 303-303 (2007).</li><li>McCaig, C. D., Rajnicek, A. M., Song, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Controlling+cell+behavior+electrically:+current+views+and+future+potential.">Controlling cell behavior electrically: current views and future potential.</a> Physiol. Rev. 85, 943-943 (2005).</li><li>Borgens, R. B., Jaffe, L. F., Cohen, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Large+and+persistent+electrical+currents+enter+the+transected+lamprey+spinal+cord.">Large and persistent electrical currents enter the transected lamprey spinal cord.</a> PNAS. 77, 1209-1209 (1980).</li><li>Shapiro, S., Borgens, R., Pascuzzi, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Oscillating+field+stimulation+for+complete+spinal+cord+injury+in+humans:+a+phase+1+trial.">Oscillating field stimulation for complete spinal cord injury in humans: a phase 1 trial.</a> J. Neurosurg. Spine. 2, 3-3 (2005).</li><li>Zhao, M., Song, B., Pu, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Electrical+signals+control+wound+healing+through+phosphatidylinositol-3-OH+kinase-gamma+and+PTEN.">Electrical signals control wound healing through phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase-gamma and PTEN.</a> Nature. 442, 457-457 (2006).</li><li>Yao, L., Shanley, L., McCaig, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Small+applied+electric+fields+guide+migration+of+hippocampal+neurons.">Small applied electric fields guide migration of hippocampal neurons.</a> J. Cell. Physiol. 216, 527-527 (2008).</li><li>Li, L., El-Hayek, Y. H., Liu, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Direct-current+electrical+field+guides+neuronal+stem&#47;progenitor+cell+migration.">Direct-current electrical field guides neuronal stem&#47;progenitor cell migration.</a> Stem Cells. 26, 2193-2193 (2008).</li><li>Meng, X., Arocena, M., Penninger, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=PI3K+mediated+electrotaxis+of+embryonic+and+adult+neural+progenitor+cells+in+the+presence+of+growth+factors.">PI3K mediated electrotaxis of embryonic and adult neural progenitor cells in the presence of growth factors.</a> Exp. Neurol. 227, 210-210 (2011).</li><li>Bonnici, B., Kapfhammer, J. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bone+marrow+stromal+cells+promote+neurite+extension+in+organotypic+spinal+cord+slice:+significance+for+cell+transplantation+therapy.">Bone marrow stromal cells promote neurite extension in organotypic spinal cord slice: significance for cell transplantation therapy.</a> Neurorehabil. Neural Repair. 22, 447-447 (2008).</li><li>Shichinohe, H., Kuroda, S., Tsuji, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bone+marrow+stromal+cells+promote+neurite+extension+in+organotypic+spinal+cord+slice:+significance+for+cell+transplantation+therapy.">Bone marrow stromal cells promote neurite extension in organotypic spinal cord slice: significance for cell transplantation therapy.</a> Neurorehabil. Neural Repair. 22, 447-447 (2008).</li><li>Song, B., Gu, Y., Pu, j. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Application+of+direct+current+electric+fields+to+cells+and+tissues+in+vitro+and+modulation+of+wound+electric+field+in+vivo.">Application of direct current electric fields to cells and tissues in vitro and modulation of wound electric field in vivo.</a> Nature Protocol. 2, 1479-1479 (2007).</li></ol>

The protocols we use are based on previous studies5,11. Using these methods, stable culture and electric current conditions can be maintained while applying an EF via agar bridges, Steinberg's solution, and Ag/AgCl electrodes, to cells or slices cultured in custom-designed electrotactic chambers of standardised and precise dimensions. The depth of chambers can be adjusted to accommodate for different sample thicknesses11, and in the case of cells, chamber size can be modified to accommodate however ...

<table border="1">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>Name of the reagent</td>
 <td>Company</td>
 <td>Catalogue number</td>
 <td>Comments </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>FGF-basic Recombinant Human</td>
 <td>Invitrogen</td>
 <td>PHG0026</td>
 <td>20 ng/mL</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>EGF Recombinant Human</td>
 <td>Invitrogen</td>
 <td>PHG0311</td>
 <td>20 ng/mL</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>N2-Supplement (100X) liquid</td>
 <td>Invitrogen</td>
 <td>02048</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>DMEM/F12 medium (high glucose)</td>
 <td>Invitrogen</td>
 <td>31330-095</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Poly-D-Lysine</td>
 <td>Millipore</td>
 <td>A-003-E</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Natural mouse Laminin</td>
 <td>Invitrogen</td>
 <td>23017-015</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Growth factor reduced Basement Membrane Matrix (Matrigel)</td>
 <td>B.D. Biosciences</td>
 <td>354230</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>HEPES buffer</td>
 <td>Gibco</td>
 <td>15630</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>McIlwain tissue chopper</td>
 <td>The Mickle Laboratory Engineering Co Ltd</td>
 <td>TC752-PD</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dow Corning high-vacuum silicone grease</td>
 <td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
 <td>Z273554</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

electric field-controlled directed migration of neural progenitor cells in 2d and 3d environments

Endogenous electric fields (EFs) occur naturally in vivo and play a critical role during tissue/organ development and regeneration, including that of the central nervous system1,2. These endogenous EFs are generated by cellular regulation of ionic transport combined with the electrical resistance of cells and tissues. It has been reported that applied EF treatment can promote functional repair of spinal cord injuries in animals and humans3,4. In particular, EF-directed cell migration has been demonstrated in a wide variety of cell types5,6, including neural progenitor cells (NPCs)7,8. Application of direct current (DC) EFs is not a commonly available technique in most laboratories. We have described detailed protocols for the application of DC EFs to cell and tissue cultures previously5,11. Here we present a video demonstration of standard methods based on a calculated field strength to set up 2D and 3D environments for NPCs, and to investigate cellular responses to EF stimulation in both single cell growth conditions in 2D, and the organotypic spinal cord slice in 3D. The spinal cordslice is an ideal recipient tissue for studying NPC ex vivo behaviours, post-transplantation, because the cytoarchitectonic tissue organization is well preserved within these cultures9,10. Additionally, this ex vivo model also allows procedures that are not technically feasible to track cells in vivo using time-lapse recording at the single cell level. It is critically essential to evaluate cell behaviours in not only a 2D environment, but also in a 3D organotypic condition which mimicks the in vivo environment. This system will allow high-resolution imaging using cover glass-based dishes in tissue or organ culture with 3D tracking of single cell migration in vitro and ex vivo and can be an intermediate step before moving onto in vivo paradigms.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Electric Field-controlled Directed Migration of Neural Progenitor Cells in 2D and 3D Environments at JoVE.com

Electric Field-controlled Directed Migration of Neural Progenitor Cells in 2D and 3D Environments

This protocol demonstrates methods used to establish 2D and 3D environments in custom-designed electrotactic chambers, which can track cells in vivo/ex vivo using time-lapse recording at the single cell level, in order to investigate galvanotaxis/electrotaxis and other cellular responses to direct current (DC) electric fields (EFs).

Endogenous electric fields (EFs) occur naturally in vivo and play a critical role during tissue/organ development and regeneration, including that of the ...

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