This study was supported by grants from the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA068485), the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NS042205).

1. Micro-dissection of Tumor-bearing Cerebellum, Dissociation of Tumor Tissue and Plating
<ol>
 <li>Retrieval of tumor tissue
 <ol>
 <li>Sick mice bearing medulloblastoma were often runted, displayed hydrocephaly and typical neurological symptoms, including posterior paralysis and failure to regain posture when overturned. To retrieve tumor tissue, euthanize mice by carbon dioxide inhalation. It is important not to perform cervical dislocation, a procedure that generates pressure to the poste...

<ol>
	<li>Rossi, A., Caracciolo, V., Russo, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Medulloblastoma:+From+Molecular+Pathology+to+Therapy.">Medulloblastoma: From Molecular Pathology to Therapy.</a> Clin Cancer Res. 14 (4), 971-971 (2008).</li><li>Wechsler-Reya, R. J., Scott, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Control+of+Neuronal+Precursor+Proliferation+in+the+Cerebellum+by+Sonic+Hedgehog.">Control of Neuronal Precursor Proliferation in the Cerebellum by Sonic Hedgehog.</a> P. Neuron. 22 (1), 103-103 (1999).</li><li>Dahmane, N., Ruiz, A., Altaba, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sonic+hedgehog+regulates+the+growth+and+patterning+of+the+cerebellum.">Sonic hedgehog regulates the growth and patterning of the cerebellum.</a> Development. 126 (14), 3089-3089 (1999).</li><li>Wallace, V. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Purkinje-cell-derived+Sonic+hedgehog+regulates+granule+neuron+precursor+cell+proliferation+in+the+developing+mouse+cerebellum.">Purkinje-cell-derived Sonic hedgehog regulates granule neuron precursor cell proliferation in the developing mouse cerebellum.</a> Curr Biol. 9 (8), 445-445 (1999).</li><li>Fan, X., Eberhart, C. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Medullablastoma+Stem+Cells.">Medullablastoma Stem Cells.</a> J Clin Oncol. 26 (17), 2821-2821 (2008).</li><li>Yoon, J. W., Gilbertson, R., Iannaccone, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Defining+a+Role+for+Hedgehog+Pathway+Activation+in+Desmoplastic+Medulloblastoma+by+Identifying+GLI1+Target+Genes.+International+journal+of+cancer.">Defining a Role for Hedgehog Pathway Activation in Desmoplastic Medulloblastoma by Identifying GLI1 Target Genes. International journal of cancer.</a> 124 (1), 109-109 (2009).</li><li>O'Dorisio, M. S., Khanna, G., Bushnell, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Combining+anatomic+and+molecularly+targeted+imaging+in+the+diagnosis+and+surveillance+of+embryonal+tumors+of+the+nervous+and+endocrine+systems+in+children.+Review.">Combining anatomic and molecularly targeted imaging in the diagnosis and surveillance of embryonal tumors of the nervous and endocrine systems in children. Review.</a> Cancer metastasis reviews. 27 (4), 665-665 (2008).</li><li>Corcoran, R. B., Bachar Raveh, T., Barakat, M. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Insulin-like+Growth+Factor+2+Is+Required+for+Progression+to+Advanced+Medulloblastoma+in+patched1+Heterozygous+Mice.">Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 Is Required for Progression to Advanced Medulloblastoma in patched1 Heterozygous Mice.</a> Cancer research. 68 (21), 8788-8788 (2008).</li><li>Gilbertson, R. J., Ellison, D. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Origins+of+Medulloblastoma+Subtypes.">The Origins of Medulloblastoma Subtypes.</a> Annual review of pathology. 3, 341-341 (2008).</li><li>Ward, R. J., Lee, L., Graham, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multipotent+CD15++Cancer+Stem+Cells+in+Patched-1+Deficient+Mouse+Medulloblastoma.">Multipotent CD15+ Cancer Stem Cells in Patched-1 Deficient Mouse Medulloblastoma.</a> Cancer research. 69 (11), 4682-4682 (2009).</li><li>Mao, J., Ligon, K. L., Rakhlin, E. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Novel+Somatic+Mouse+Model+to+Survey+Tumorigenic+Potential+Applied+to+the+Hedgehog+Pathway.">A Novel Somatic Mouse Model to Survey Tumorigenic Potential Applied to the Hedgehog Pathway.</a> Cancer research. 66, 10171-10171 (2006).</li><li>Han, Y. G., Kim, H. J., Dlugosz, A. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dual+and+opposing+roles+of+primary+cilia+in+medulloblastoma+development.">Dual and opposing roles of primary cilia in medulloblastoma development.</a> Nature medicine. 15 (9), 1062-1062 (2009).</li></ol>

We describe an efficient way to isolate, enrich and maintain medulloblastoma stem cells from primary tumor tissue retrieved from mutant mice with constitutively active Hedgehog signaling. We found that one critical step in successfully establishing a healthy tumor stem cell line is the Accutase treatment used during dissociation of the primary tumor tissue. In our experience, when first dissociating tumor tissue from the cerebellum, 4 minutes of 50% Accutase treatment at 37&deg;C, followed by 3 minutes of repetitive pipe...

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">	
		
		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Neurobasal medium</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>21103049</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>hEGF</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>PHG0311</td>
<td>25ng/ml</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>bFGF</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>PHG0023</td>
<td>25ng/ml</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>N2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>17502048</td>
<td>1X</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>B27(-RA)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>12587010</td>
<td>1X</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Accutase</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>A1110501</td>
<td>50%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gelatin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>G1393</td>
<td> 0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Glutamine</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>25030081</td>
<td>2mM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Primaria dishes</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher</td>
<td>087724C</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Sox2 antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Millipore</td>
<td>MAB4343</td>
<td>Mouse, 1:1000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nestin antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>DSHB</td>
<td>rat401</td>
<td>Mouse, 1:200</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>YFP antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Molecular Probes</td>
<td>A11122</td>
<td>Rabbit, 1:2000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GFAP antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Neuromics</td>
<td>CH22102</td>
<td>Chicken, 1:1000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuj1 antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>T5076</td>
<td>Mouse, 1:2000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NeuN antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Millipore</td>
<td>MAB377</td>
<td>Mouse, 1:2000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CNPase antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Millipore</td>
<td>MAB326</td>
<td>Mouse, 1:1000</td>
</tr>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

isolation, enrichment, and maintenance of medulloblastoma stem cells

Brain tumors have been suggested to possess a small population of stem cells that are the root cause of tumorigenesis. Neurosphere assays have been generally adopted to study the nature of neural stem cells, including those derived from normal and tumorous tissues. However, appreciable amounts of differentiation and cell death are common in cultured neurospheres likely due to sub-optimal condition such as accessibility of all cells within sphere aggregates to culture medium.
Medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric CNS tumor, is characterized by its rapid progression and tendency to spread along the entire brain-spinal axis with dismal clinical outcome. Medulloblastoma is a neuroepithelial tumor of the cerebellum, accounting for 20% and 40% of intracranial and posterior fossa tumor in childhood, respectively1. It is now well established that Shh signaling stimulates proliferation of cerebellar granule neuron precursors (CGNPs) during cerebellar development 2-4. Numerous studies using mouse models, in which the Shh pathway is constitutively activated, have linked Shh signaling with medulloblastoma 5-9.
A recent report has shown that a subset of medulloblastoma cells derived from Patched1LacZ/+ mice are cancer stem cells, which are capable of initiating and propogating tumors 10. Here we describe an efficient method to isolate, enrich and maintain tumor stem cells derived from several mouse models of medulloblastoma, with constitutively activated Shh pathway due to a mutation in Smoothened (11, hereon referred as SmoM2), a GPCR that is critical for Shh pathway activation. In every isolated medulloblastoma tissue, we were able to establish numerous highly proliferative colonies. These cells robustly expressed several neural stem cell markers such as Nestin and Sox2, can undergo serial passages (greater than 20) and were clonogenic. While these cultured tumor stem cells were relatively small, often bipoar with high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio when cultured under conditions favoring stem cell growth, they dramatically altered their morphology, extended multiple cellular processes, flattened and withdrew from the cell cycle upon switching to a cell culture medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. More importantly, these tumor stem cells differentiated into Tuj1+ or NeuN+ neurons, GFAP+ astrocytes and CNPase+ oligodendrocytes, thus highlighting their multi-potency. Furthermore, these cells were capable of propagating secondary medulloblastomas when orthotopically transplanted into host mice.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation, Enrichment, and Maintenance of Medulloblastoma Stem Cells at JoVE.com

Isolation, Enrichment, and Maintenance of Medulloblastoma Stem Cells

This protocol describes the isolation, enrichment, and maintenance of medulloblastoma tumor stem cells derived from mutant mice with ectopic Sonic hedgehog pathway activity.

Brain tumors have been suggested to possess a small population of stem cells that are the root cause of tumorigenesis. Neurosphere assays have been ...

isolation-enrichment-and-maintenance-of-medulloblastoma-stem-cells

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

16.2K ビュー.  Vanderbilt University. このプロトコルは、分離、濃縮、および異所性ソニックヘッジホッグ経路の活性をもつ変異マウス由来の髄芽腫の腫瘍幹細胞の維持を説明します。

ビデオ: Isolation, Enrichment, and Maintenance of Medulloblastoma Stem Cells

This protocol describes the isolation, enrichment, and maintenance of medulloblastoma tumor stem cells derived from mutant mice with ectopic Sonic hedgehog pathway...

intracranial orthotopic allografting of medulloblastoma cells in immunocompromised mice

Intracranial Orthotopic Allografting of Medulloblastoma Cells in Immunocompromised Mice

This protocol describes the isolation and dissociation of mouse medulloblastoma tissue, and subsequent allografting of the tumor cells into immunocompromised recipient mice in order to initiate secondary medulloblastoma.

culture and maintenance of human embryonic stem cells  

Culture and Maintenance of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

This protocol demonstrates how to maintain healthy, undifferentiated human embryonic stem (ES)...

Culture and Maintenance of Human Embryonic Stem Cells  

isolation and enrichment of rat mesenchymal stem cells (mscs) and separation of single-colony derived mscs

Isolation and Enrichment of Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells MSCs and Separation of Single-colony Derived MSCs

Rat MSCs were isolated from femurs and tibias and then enriched by magnetic cell sorting. Sorted cells were confirmed for the expression of surface markers by flow cytometry. These cells were also cultured at clonal density to form single colonies and then these colonies were separated by cloning...

Isolation and Enrichment of Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Separation of Single-colony Derived MSCs

label-free isolation and enrichment of cells through contactless dielectrophoresis

Label-free Isolation and Enrichment of Cells Through Contactless Dielectrophoresis

Contactless dielectrophoresis (cDEP) achieves sorting and enrichment of particles via their intrinsic dielectric properties. Fluidic electrode channels replace metallic electrodes traditional to DEP, suiting cDEP to non-damaging sterile characterization and sorting of biological particles. We demonstrate how to prepare a cDEP microdevice and conduct cell characterization and sorting...

generation and maintenance of primate induced pluripotent stem cells derived from urine

Generation and Maintenance of Primate Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Urine

The present protocol describes a method to isolate, expand, and reprogram human and non-human primate urine-derived cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), as well as instructions for feeder-free maintenance of the newly generated iPSCs.

isolation and enrichment of human lung epithelial progenitor cells for organoid culture

Isolation and Enrichment of Human Lung Epithelial Progenitor Cells for Organoid Culture

This article provides a detailed methodology for tissue dissociation and cellular fractionation approaches allowing enrichment of viable epithelial cells from proximal and distal regions of the human lung. Herein these approaches are applied for the functional analysis of lung epithelial progenitor cells through the use of 3D organoids culture...

isolation and enrichment of human adipose-derived stromal cells for enhanced osteogenesis

Isolation and Enrichment of Human Adipose-derived Stromal Cells for Enhanced Osteogenesis

The transcriptional heterogeneity within human adipose-derived stromal cells can be defined on the single cell level using cell surface markers and osteogenic genes.  We describe a protocol utilizing flow cytometry for the isolation of cell subpopulations with increased osteogenic potential, which may be used to enhance craniofacial skeletal...

revealing the ferroptotic phenotype of medulloblastoma

Author Spotlight: Tracing the Ferroptotic Signatures and Cell Death Dynamics in Medulloblastoma for Advanced Therapeutics 

Lipid hydroperoxide content represents the most commonly used indicator of ferroptotic cell death. This article demonstrates the step-by-step flow cytometry analysis of lipid hydroperoxide content in cells upon ferroptosis...

FACS Analysis of Lipid Hydroperoxides in Ferroptotic Medulloblastoma Cells

https://cloudfront.jove.com/CDNSource/teasers/66645_b.jpg

isolation and transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (hscs)

Isolation and Transplantation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells HSCs

Isolation and Transplantation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs)

isolation and culture of embryonic mouse neural stem cells

Isolation and Culture of Embryonic Mouse Neural Stem Cells

Here, we introduce a novel microsurgical technique for the isolation of neural stem cells from the E13 mouse embryo ganglionic...

enrichment for chemoresistant ovarian cancer stem cells from human cell lines

Enrichment for Chemoresistant Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells from Human Cell Lines

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are&#160;implicated in tumor relapse due to chemoresistance. We have optimized a protocol for selection and expansion of CSCs from ovarian cancer cell lines. By treating cells with the chemotherapeutic cisplatin and culturing&#160;in a stem cell promoting media we enrich for non-adherent CSC...

automated cell culture system settings for maintenance and differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells

Automated Cell Culture System Settings for Maintenance and Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells  

isolation and dissociation of gut from zebrafish larvae for facs enrichment of gut cells

Isolation and Dissociation of Gut from Zebrafish Larvae for FACS Enrichment of Gut Cells  

facs analysis of lipid hydroperoxides in ferroptosis-induced medulloblastoma cells

FACS Analysis of Lipid Hydroperoxides in Ferroptosis-Induced Medulloblastoma Cells

isolation of mouse salivary gland stem cells

Isolation of Mouse Salivary Gland Stem Cells

An optimized protocol for the isolation of stem cells from the mouse salivary gland is described. The method employs enzymatic and mechanical digestion, and permits isolation of salispheres containing cells with characteristics of stem cells.

staining of ferroptosis-induced medulloblastoma cells for flow cytometric detection of lipid hydroperoxides

Staining of Ferroptosis-Induced Medulloblastoma Cells for Flow Cytometric Detection of Lipid Hydroperoxides

isolation and analysis of hematopoietic stem cells from the placenta

Isolation and Analysis of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from the Placenta

We have identified the placenta as a major hematopoietic organ during development. We found that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are both generated and expanded in the placenta in unique microenvironmental niches. Here, we describe experimental techniques required for isolation and visualization of HSCs in the mouse...

isolation, proliferation and differentiation of rhesus macaque adipose-derived stem cells

Isolation, Proliferation and Differentiation of Rhesus Macaque Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

In this article, we describe isolation of rhesus macaque derived adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) using an enzymatic tissue digestion protocol. Next, we describe ADSC proliferation which includes cell detachment, counting and plating. Lastly, ADSC differentiation is described using specific adipogenic inducing agents. Additionally, we describe staining techniques to confirm...

isolation of stem cells from postnatal mouse cerebellum and differentiation into neural cells

This video demonstrates a method for isolating stem cells from the postnatal mouse cerebellum and differentiating them into neural cells. Stem cells from the isolated cell suspension are purified using antibody-coated magnetic beads and are cultured to form neurospheres. The neurospheres are then maintained in a differentiation medium to generate neural...

Isolation of Stem Cells from Postnatal Mouse Cerebellum and Differentiation into Neural Cells

Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric tumor of the nervous system. A large body of animal studies has focused on cerebellar granule neuron precursors (CGNPs) as the cell-of-origin for medulloblastoma1-4. However, the diverse clinical presentations of medulloblastoma subtypes in human patients (nodular, desmoplastic, classical and large cell/anaplastic), and the fact that medulloblastoma is found in a subset of human patients with no ectopic expression of CGNP marker5, suggest that the cellular and molecular origins of medulloblastoma are more complex and far from being completely deciphered. Therefore, it is essential to determine whether there is an alternative medulloblastoma tumor cell-of-origin based on which cell-type specific therapeutic modality can be developed. To this end, intracranial orthotopic allografting of genetically marked tumor cell types followed by subsequent analyses of secondary tumor development in recipients will allow determination of the cellular origin of tumor-initiating cells. Here we describe the experimental protocol for intracranial orthotopic allografting of medulloblastoma cells derived from primary tumor tissue, and this procedure can also be used for transplanting cells from established cell lines.

This protocol describes the isolation and dissociation of mouse medulloblastoma tissue, and subsequent allografting of the tumor cells into immunocompromised recipient mice in order to initiate secondary medulloblastoma.

Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric tumor of the nervous system. A large body of animal studies has focused on cerebellar granule neuron ...

Isolation and Expansion of the Adult Mouse Neural Stem Cells Using the Neurosphere Assay

Isolation and expansion of the putative neural stem cells (NSCs) from the adult murine brain was first described by Reynolds and Weiss in 1992 employing a chemically defined serum-free culture system known as the neurosphere assay (NSA). In this assay, the majority of differentiated cell types die within a few days of culture but a small population of growth factor responsive precursor cells undergo active proliferation in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and/ basic fibroblastic growth factor (bFGF). These cells form colonies of undifferentiated cells called neurospheres, which in turn can be subcultured to expand the pool of neural stem cells. Moreover, the cells can be induced to differentiate, generating the three major cell types of the CNS i.e. neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. This assay provides an invaluable tool to supply a consistent, renewable source of undifferentiated CNS precursors, which could be used for in vitro studies and also for therapeutic purposes.
This video demonstrates the NSA method to generate and expand NSCs from the adult mouse periventricular region, and provides technical insights to ensure one can achieve reproducible neurosphere cultures. The procedure includes harvesting the brain from the adult mouse, micro-dissection of the periventricular region, tissue preparation and culture in the NSA. The harvested tissue is first chemically digested using trypsin-EDTA and then mechanically dissociated in NSC medium to achieve a single cell suspension and finally plated in the NSA. After 7-10 days in culture, the resulting primary neurospheres are ready for subculture to reach the amount of cells required for future experiments.

This video protocol demonstrates the neurosphere assay method to generate and expand neural stem cells from the adult mouse periventricular region, and provides technical insights to ensure one can achieve reproducible neurosphere cultures.

Isolation and expansion of the putative neural stem cells (NSCs) from the adult murine brain was first described by Reynolds and Weiss in 1992 employing a ...

Isolation and Culture of Neural Crest Stem Cells from Human Hair Follicles

Hair follicles undergo lifelong growth and hair cycle is a well-controlled process involving stem cell proliferation and quiescence. Hair bulge is a well-characterized niche for adult stem cells1. This segment of the outer root sheath contains a number of different types of stem cells, including epithelial stem cells2, melanocyte stem cells3 and neural crest like stem cells4-7. Hair follicles represent an accessible and rich source for different types of human stem cells. We and others have isolated neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) from human fetal and adult hair follicles4,5. These human stem cells are label-retaining cells and are capable of self-renewal through asymmetric cell division in vitro. They express immature neural crest cell markers but not differentiation markers. Our expression profiling study showed that they share a similar gene expression pattern with murine skin immature neural crest cells. They exhibit clonal multipotency that can give rise to myogenic, melanocytic, and neuronal cell lineages after in vitro clonal single cell culture. Differentiated cells not only acquire lineage-specific markers but also demonstrate appropriate functions in ex vivo conditions. In addition, these NCSCs show differentiation potential toward mesenchymal lineages. Differentiated neuronal cells can persist in mouse brain and retain neuronal differentiation markers. It has been shown that hair follicle derived NCSCs can help nerve regrowth, and they improve motor function in mice transplanted with these stem cells following transecting spinal cord injury8. Furthermore, peripheral nerves have been repaired with stem cell grafts9, and implantation of skin-derived precursor cells adjacent to crushed sciatic nerves has resulted in remyelination10. Therefore, the hair follicle/skin derived NCSCs have already shown promising results for regenerative therapy in preclinical models.
Somatic cell reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has shown enormous potential for regenerative medicine. However, there are still many issues with iPS cells, particularly the long term effect of oncogene/virus integration and potential tumorigenicity of pluripotent stem cells have not been adequately addressed. There are still many hurdles to be overcome before iPS cells can be used for regenerative medicine. Whereas the adult stem cells are known to be safe and they have been used clinically for many years, such as bone marrow transplant. Many patients have already benefited from the treatment. Autologous adult stem cells are still preferred cells for transplantation. Therefore, the readily accessible and expandable adult stem cells in human skin/hair follicles are a valuable source for regenerative medicine.

This article presents a robust protocol for isolation and culture of neural crest stem cells from human hair follicles.

Hair follicles undergo lifelong growth and hair cycle is a well-controlled process involving stem cell proliferation and quiescence. Hair bulge is a ...

The Neuroblast Assay: An Assay for the Generation and Enrichment of Neuronal Progenitor Cells from Differentiating Neural Stem Cell Progeny Using Flow Cytometry

Neural stem cells (NSCs) can be isolated and expanded in large-scale, using the neurosphere assay and differentiated into the three major cell types of the central nervous system (CNS); namely, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and neurons. These characteristics make neural stem and progenitor cells an invaluable renewable source of cells for in vitro studies such as drug screening, neurotoxicology and electrophysiology and also for cell replacement therapy in many neurological diseases. In practice, however, heterogeneity of NSC progeny, low production of neurons and oligodendrocytes, and predominance of astrocytes following differentiation limit their clinical applications. Here, we describe a novel methodology for the generation and subsequent purification of immature neurons from murine NSC progeny using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) technology. Using this methodology, a highly enriched neuronal progenitor cell population can be achieved without any noticeable astrocyte and bona fide NSC contamination. The procedure includes differentiation of NSC progeny isolated and expanded from E14 mouse ganglionic eminences using the neurosphere assay, followed by isolation and enrichment of immature neuronal cells based on their physical (size and internal complexity) and fluorescent properties using flow cytometry technology. Overall, it takes 5-7 days to generate neurospheres and 6-8 days to differentiate NSC progeny and isolate highly purified immature neuronal cells.

This video protocol demonstrates a novel method for the generation and subsequent purification of neuronal progenitor cells from a renewable source of neural stem cells (NSCs) based on their physical (size and internal granularity) and fluorescent properties using flow cytometry technology.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) can be isolated and expanded in large-scale, using the neurosphere assay and differentiated into the three major cell types of ...

Isolation and Culture of Neural Crest Cells from Embryonic Murine Neural Tube

The embryonic neural crest (NC) is a multipotent progenitor population that originates at the dorsal aspect of the neural tube, undergoes an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migrates throughout the embryo, giving rise to diverse cell types 1-3. NC also has the unique ability to influence the differentiation and maturation of target organs4-6. When explanted in vitro, NC progenitors undergo self-renewal, migrate and differentiate into a variety of tissue types including neurons, glia, smooth muscle cells, cartilage and bone. 
NC multipotency was first described from explants of the avian neural tube7-9. In vitro isolation of NC cells facilitates the study of NC dynamics including proliferation, migration, and multipotency. Further work in the avian and rat systems demonstrated that explanted NC cells retain their NC potential when transplanted back into the embryo10-13. Because these inherent cellular properties are preserved in explanted NC progenitors, the neural tube explant assay provides an attractive option for studying the NC in vitro. 
To attain a better understanding of the mammalian NC, many methods have been employed to isolate NC populations. NC-derived progenitors can be cultured from post-migratory locations in both the embryo and adult to study the dynamics of post-migratory NC progenitors11,14-20, however isolation of NC progenitors as they emigrate from the neural tube provides optimal preservation of NC cell potential and migratory properties13,21,22. Some protocols employ fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate a NC population enriched for particular progenitors11,13,14,17. However, when starting with early stage embryos, cell numbers adequate for analyses are difficult to obtain with FACS, complicating the isolation of early NC populations from individual embryos. Here, we describe an approach that does not rely on FACS and results in an approximately 96% pure NC population based on a Wnt1-Cre activated lineage reporter23. 
The method presented here is adapted from protocols optimized for the culture of rat NC11,13. The advantages of this protocol compared to previous methods are that 1) the cells are not grown on a feeder layer, 2) FACS is not required to obtain a relatively pure NC population, 3) premigratory NC cells are isolated and 4) results are easily quantified. Furthermore, this protocol can be used for isolation of NC from any mutant mouse model, facilitating the study of NC characteristics with different genetic manipulations. The limitation of this approach is that the NC is removed from the context of the embryo, which is known to influence the survival, migration and differentiation of the NC2,24-28.

Isolation of embryonic neural crest from the neural tube facilitates the use of in vitro methods for studying migration, self-renewal, and multipotency of neural crest.

The embryonic neural crest (NC) is a multipotent progenitor population that originates at the dorsal aspect of the neural tube, undergoes an epithelial to ...

Isolation, Culture and Long-Term Maintenance of Primary Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons From Embryonic Rodent Brains

Degeneration of mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson&#8217;s diseae. Study of the biological processes involved in physiological functions and vulnerability and death of these neurons is imparative to understanding the underlying causes and unraveling the cure for this common neurodegenerative disorder. Primary cultures of mesDA neurons provide a tool for investigation of the molecular, biochemical and electrophysiological properties, in order to understand the development, long-term survival and degeneration of these neurons during the course of disease. Here we present a detailed method for the isolation, culturing and maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic neurons from E12.5 mouse (or E14.5 rat) embryos. Optimized cell culture conditions in this protocol result in presence of axonal and dendritic projections, synaptic connections and other neuronal morphological properties, which make the cultures suitable for study of the physiological, cell biological and molecular characteristics of this neuronal population.

The causes of degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons during Parkinson&#8217;s disease are not fully understood. Cellular culture systems provide an essential tool for study of the neurophysiological properties of these neurons. Here we present an optimized protocol, which can be utilized for in vitro modeling of neurodegeneration.

Degeneration of mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson&#8217;s diseae. Study of the biological processes ...

Isolation and Culture of Adult Neural Stem Cells from the Mouse Subcallosal Zone

Adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) can be used for the regeneration of damaged brain tissue. NSCs have the potential for differentiation and proliferation into three types of cells: neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Identifying aNSC-derived regions and characterizing the aNSC properties are critical for the potential use of aNSCs and for the elucidation of their role in neural regeneration. The subcallosal zone (SCZ), located between white matter and the hippocampus, has recently been reported to contain aNSCs and continuously give rise to neuroblasts. A low percentage of aNSCs from the SCZ is differentiated into neurons; most cells are differentiated into glial cells, such as oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. These cells are suggested to have a therapeutic potential for traumatic cortical injury. This protocol describes in detail the process to generate SCZ-aNSCs from an adult mouse brain. A brain matrix with intervals of 1 mm is used to obtain the SCZ-containing coronal slices and to precisely dissect the SCZ from the whole brain. The SCZ sections are initially subjected to a neurosphere culture. A well-developed culture system allows for the verification of their characteristics and can increase research on NSCs. A neurosphere culture system provides a useful tool for determining proliferation and collecting the genuine NSCs. A monolayer culture is also an in vitro system to assay proliferation and differentiation. Significantly, this culture system provides a more homogenous environment for NSCs than the neurosphere culture system. Thus, using a discrete brain region, these culture systems will be helpful for expanding our knowledge about aNSCs and their applications for therapeutic uses.

Establishing culture systems for the expansion of adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) allows for the examination and application of aNSCs for therapy. The subcallosal zone (SCZ) has recently been recognized as a novel neuroblast-forming region in adult mice. Here, methods for the isolation, expansion, and differentiation of SCZ-aNSCs are described.

Adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) can be used for the regeneration of damaged brain tissue. NSCs have the potential for differentiation and proliferation ...

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent and can give rise to the three major cell types of the central nervous system (CNS). In vitro culture and expansion of NSCs provide a suitable source of cells for neuroscientists to study the function of neurons and glial cells along with their interactions. There are several reported techniques for the isolation of neural stem cells from adult or embryo mammalian brains. During the microsurgical operation to isolate NSCs from different regions of the embryonic CNS, it is very important to reduce the damage to the brain cells to obtain the highest ratio of live and expandable stem cells. A possible technique for stress reduction during isolation of these cells from the mouse embryo brain is the reduction of surgical time. Here, we demonstrate a developed technique for rapid isolation of these cells from the E13 mouse embryo ganglionic eminence. Surgical procedures include harvesting E13 mouse embryos from the uterus, cutting the frontal fontanelle of the embryo with a bent needle tip, extracting the brain from the skull, microdissection of the isolated brain to harvest the ganglionic eminence, dissociation of the harvested tissue in NSC medium to gain a single cell suspension, and finally plating cells in suspension culture to generate neurospheres.

Here, we introduce a novel microsurgical technique for the isolation of neural stem cells from the E13 mouse embryo ganglionic eminence.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent and can give rise to the three major cell types of the central nervous system (CNS). In vitro culture and ...

A Scalable Model to Study the Effects of Blunt-Force Injury in Adult Zebrafish

Blunt-force traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are the most common form of head trauma, which spans a range of severities and results in complex and heterogenous secondary effects. While there is no mechanism to replace or regenerate the lost neurons following a TBI in humans, zebrafish possess the ability to regenerate neurons throughout their body, including the brain. To examine the breadth of pathologies exhibited in zebrafish following a blunt-force TBI and to study the mechanisms underlying the subsequent neuronal regenerative response, we modified the commonly used rodent Marmarou weight drop for the use in adult zebrafish. Our simple blunt-force TBI model is scalable, inducing a mild, moderate, or severe TBI, and recapitulates many of the phenotypes observed following human TBI, such as contact- and post-traumatic seizures, edema, subdural and intracerebral hematomas, and cognitive impairments, each displayed in an injury severity-dependent manner. TBI sequelae, which begin to appear within minutes of the injury, subside and return to near undamaged control levels within 7 days post-injury. The regenerative process begins as early as 48 hours post-injury (hpi), with the peak cell proliferation observed by 60 hpi. Thus, our zebrafish blunt-force TBI model produces characteristic primary and secondary injury TBI pathologies similar to human TBI, which allows for investigating disease onset and progression, along with the mechanisms of neuronal regeneration that is unique to zebrafish.

We modified the Marmarou weight drop model for adult zebrafish to examine a breadth of pathologies following blunt-force traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the mechanisms underlying subsequent neuronal regeneration. This blunt-force TBI model is scalable, induces a mild, moderate, or severe TBI, and recapitulates injury heterogeneity observed in human TBI.

Blunt-force traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are the most common form of head trauma, which spans a range of severities and results in complex and ...

Shuttle Box Assay as an Associative Learning Tool for Cognitive Assessment in Learning and Memory Studies using Adult Zebrafish

Cognitive deficits, including impaired learning and memory, are a primary symptom of various developmental and age-related neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Zebrafish are an important neuroscience model due to their transparency during development and robust regenerative capabilities following neurotrauma. While various cognitive tests exist in zebrafish, most of the cognitive assessments that are rapid examine non-associative learning. At the same time, associative-learning assays often require multiple days or weeks. Here, we describe a rapid associative-learning test that utilizes an adverse stimulus (electric shock) and requires minimal preparation time. The shuttle box assay, presented here, is simple, ideal for novice investigators, and requires minimal equipment. We demonstrate that, following TBI, this shuttle box test reproducibly assesses cognitive deficit and recovery from young to old zebrafish. Additionally, the assay is adaptable to examine either immediate or delayed memory. We demonstrate that both a single TBI and repeated TBI events negatively affect learning and immediate memory but not delayed memory. We, therefore, conclude that the shuttle box assay reproducibly tracks the progression and recovery of cognitive impairment.

Learning and memory are potent metrics in studying either developmental, disease-dependent, or environmentally induced cognitive impairments. Most cognitive assessments require specialized equipment and extensive time commitments. However, the shuttle box assay is an associative learning tool that utilizes a conventional gel box for rapid and reliable assessment of adult zebrafish cognition.

Cognitive deficits, including impaired learning and memory, are a primary symptom of various developmental and age-related neurodegenerative diseases and ...