Funded in part by NIH grant RO1AI015503. Schistosome-infected mice were provided by the NIAID Schistosomiasis Resource Center at the Biomedical Research Institute (Rockville, MD) through NIH-NIAID Contract HHSN272201000005I for distribution through BEI Resources.

All animal care and experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Wisconsin-Madison under Protocol no. V005717. The following protocol involves working in a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) facility for human pathogens, although none of the schistosome stages depicted in this protocol are infective to humans or other mammals. Follow institutional policies for handling Risk Group 2 (RG2) human pathogens.
NOTE: We use female Swiss-Webster mice (6-week old) due to their higher susceptibility to infection10, thereby yielding larger egg burdens. Tucker et al. describe the mouse and snail infection protocols used in this model system11. The Table of Materials lists all of the specific equipment, materials, reagents and animal sources needed to carry out this experimental protocol.
1. Processing of infected livers
<ol>
	<li>Euthanize mice, 6-7 weeks post-infection, by CO2 asphyxiation (rate of 10-30% of the chamber&#39;s volume per minute). Monitor mice for cessation of respiration and heartbeat. 
	NOTE: Typically, up to 20 mice may be processed at a given time.</li>
	<li>After transferring euthanized mice to a biosafety cabinet, place mice on their backs and spray their ventral surfaces with 70% ethanol. Let soak for 1 min.</li>
	<li>Pinch and pull up skin of the lower abdomen and cut across the base of the pinched skin closest to the abdomen with sterile surgical scissors. Pull the cut skin anteriorly (i.e., toward the head) to reveal the liver. Note that the liver should be enlarged and speckled due to an egg-induced granulomatous response (Figure 2A).</li>
	<li>Remove the liver and place it in a beaker containing 200 mL of sterile 1.2% NaCl solution containing pen/strep.</li>
	<li>Repeat steps 1.3 and 1.4 with remaining mice. 
	NOTE: Twenty mice are usually processed in a single harvest.</li>
	<li>Place the livers in a sterile Petri dish and remove non-liver fat/connective tissues with sterile forceps.</li>
	<li>Transfer trimmed/cleaned livers to a sterile 250-mL centrifuge bottle containing ~200 mL of sterile 1.2% NaCl solution with pen/strep.</li>
	<li>Vigorously shake the bottle containing the livers and, using a sterile disposable pipette, remove the excess surface foam/floating debris. Slowly pour off the remaining saline solution into a container or sink containing 1% bleach (disinfectant).</li>
	<li>Add ~200 mL of fresh saline solution to the livers and repeat step 1.8 three more times.</li>
</ol>
2. Liver extraction and miracidial isolation
<ol>
	<li>Place the livers into a small sterile stainless-steel blender cup and add ~2 mL of 1.2% NaCl solution (Figure 2B).</li>
	<li>Cover the cup with foil and a petri dish to prevent spills, and blend for 1 min by alternating low and high speed (20 s low speed/10 s high speed; repeat) (Figure 2C).</li>
	<li>Evenly distribute the blended liver suspension into sterile 250-mL centrifuge bottles (for 20 livers use 4 bottles).</li>
	<li>Add sterile saline with antibiotics to ~200 mL total volume/bottle. Weigh/balance bottles prior to centrifugation.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the blended livers at 290 x g for 15 min at 4 oC. Gently pour off supernatants into a container with bleach prior to discarding.</li>
	<li>Repeat steps 2.4-2.5 once. Be sure to thoroughly resuspend liver sediment prior to centrifugation.</li>
	<li>After discarding the last saline wash (Step 2.6), add 200 mL sterile pond water with pen/strep to the pelleted liver tissue, shake to resuspend sediment, and transfer the suspension to a sterilized 1-L volumetric flask that has been completely covered with aluminum foil, except for the top 3 cm of the neck (Figure 2D). 
	NOTE: Use two bottles (= 10 livers) per 1-L flask. Pond water simulates the natural freshwater environment needed to stimulate miracidial hatching from eggs.</li>
	<li>Using sterile pond water, fill up the flask to approximately 3 cm above the foil covering on neck. Then, without delay (as miracidia soon begin to hatch), remove residual foam and liver tissue floating to the surface by quickly pipetting up ~12 mL of pond water containing debris and discarding it into a separate discard tube. Replace with fresh sterile pond water.</li>
	<li>Repeat cleaning Step 2.8, three more times, checking for presence of miracidia in the discard tube. Cease repetition of cleaning step if miracidia appear in the wash solution.</li>
	<li>After the last wash, slowly add ~12 mL of warm sterile pond water (pre-warmed to 30 oC) to create a temperature gradient with clean, sterile warm water on top. 
	NOTE: This is best accomplished by slowly discharging water along the side of the flask neck to avoid mixing.</li>
	<li>Place a small Petri dish cover over the flask opening and shine a bright light across the top of the flask above the foil cover to illuminate the upper surface of water. 
	NOTE: Typically, within 5-10 min, swimming miracidia, attracted to the light, will concentrate in large numbers within the first 2-3 cm of pond water (Figure 3A).</li>
</ol>
3. Miracidial harvesting and cultivation
<ol>
	<li>When miracidia have amassed at the surface after 10 min, using a sterile transfer pipet, remove ~8 mL of pond water and transfer to a sterile 15-mL centrifuge tube. Place the tube containing miracidia on ice.</li>
	<li>Add back 8 mL of warm sterile pond water along the inside of the volumetric flask and wait another 10 min.</li>
	<li>Using new tubes each time, repeat steps 3.1 and 3.2 three more times. After the 4th collection, keep the final tube on ice for 10 min to allow the miracidia to settle. This set of tubes comprises the first harvest.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge tubes containing miracidia at 290 x g for 1 min at 4 oC in a pre-cooled refrigerated centrifuge.</li>
	<li>Immediately remove most of the supernatant (~7 mL) being careful not to disturb the parasite pellet (Figure 3B).</li>
	<li>Pool all the miracidia from this first harvest into one tube, then rinse all of the original tubes with ~1 mL sterile pond water and add to the &#34;pooled&#34; tube.</li>
	<li>Allow parasites to settle on ice for ~5 min, and again centrifuge the parasites at 290 x g for 1 min at 4 oC.</li>
	<li>Carefully remove the supernatant and add 6-8 mL sterile Chernin&#39;s balanced salt solution (CBSS+; see Table of Materials) containing pen/strep.</li>
	<li>Gently suspend the miracidia and aliquot them into a 24-well culture plate (1 mL per well), followed by rinsing the tube in 6-8 mL CBSS+ and adding 1 mL of rinse to each well. Incubate parasites at 26 oC under normoxic conditions. Concentrations of isolated miracidia will vary, but will usually average ~7000/mL.</li>
	<li>If parasites are still concentrating at the light source, repeat Steps 3.1 to 3.9 to continue harvesting late-hatching miracidia but increase the time interval between collections to 15-20 min. 
	NOTE: This new set of tubes represents the second harvest. However, because miracidial numbers typically are low, larvae from all tubes usually are pooled into a single culture well containing 2 mL CBSS+.</li>
	<li>At 24 h post-harvest and cultivation, gently resuspend sporocysts in their wells by pipetting.</li>
	<li>Wait a few min to allow parasites to settle to the bottom of the wells. Once they have settled, carefully remove the supernatant (~1.5 mL), which will contain most of the ciliated epidermal plates shed by miracidia during larval transformation. This &#34;transformation&#34; supernatant may either be discarded or incorporated into follow-up studies of larval secretory products.</li>
	<li>Add 1.5 mL of fresh CBSS+ to each well and gently pipette to resuspend sporocysts. Repeat step 3.12 if further washing or changing to a different medium is desired.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Colley, D. G., Bustinduy, A. L., Secor, W. E., King, C. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Human+schistosomiasis.">Human schistosomiasis.</a> Lancet. 383, 2253-2264 (2014).</li><li>WHO. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Schistosomiasis:+number+of+people+treated+worldwide+in+2013.">Schistosomiasis: number of people treated worldwide in 2013.</a> Wkly. Epidemiol. Rec. 5 (90), 25-32 (2015).</li><li>Yoshino, T. P., Gourbal, B., Th&#233;ron, A., Jamieson, B. G. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Schistosoma+sporocysts.">Schistosoma sporocysts.</a> Schistosoma: biology, pathology and control. , 118-148 (2017).</li><li>Bayne, C. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Successful+parasitism+of+vector+snail+Biomphalaria+glabrata+by+the+human+blood+fluke+(trematode)+Schistosoma+mansoni:+a+2009+assessment.">Successful parasitism of vector snail Biomphalaria glabrata by the human blood fluke (trematode) Schistosoma mansoni: a 2009 assessment.</a> Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 165 (1), 8-18 (2009).</li><li>Yoshino, T. P., Coustau, C., Toledo, R., Fried, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Immunobiology+of+Biomphalaria-trematode+interactions.">Immunobiology of Biomphalaria-trematode interactions.</a> Biomphalaria snails and larval trematodes. , 159-189 (2011).</li><li>Coustau, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Advances+in+gastropod+immunity+from+the+study+of+the+interaction+between+the+snail+Biomphalaria+glabrata+and+its+parasites:+A+review+of+research+progress+over+the+last+decade.">Advances in gastropod immunity from the study of the interaction between the snail Biomphalaria glabrata and its parasites: A review of research progress over the last decade.</a> Fish Shellfish Immunol. 46 (1), 5-16 (2015).</li><li>Bayne, C. J., Hahn, U. K., Bender, R. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanisms+of+molluscan+host+resistance+and+of+parasite+strategies+for+survival.">Mechanisms of molluscan host resistance and of parasite strategies for survival.</a> Parasitology. 123, S159-S167 (2001).</li><li>McMullen, D. B., Beaver, P. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Studies+on+schistosome+dermatitis.+IX.+The+life+cycles+of+three+dermatitis-producing+schistosomes+from+birds+and+a+discussion+of+the+subfamily+Bilharziellinae+(Trematoda:+Schistosomatidae).">Studies on schistosome dermatitis. IX. The life cycles of three dermatitis-producing schistosomes from birds and a discussion of the subfamily Bilharziellinae (Trematoda: Schistosomatidae).</a> Amer. J. Hyg. 42, 128-154 (1945).</li><li>Voge, M., Seidel, J. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transformation+in+vitro+of+miracidia+of+Schistosoma+mansoni+and+S.+japonicum+into+young+sprocysts.">Transformation in vitro of miracidia of Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum into young sprocysts.</a> J. Parasitol. 58 (4), 699-704 (1972).</li><li>Eloi-Santos, S., Olsen, N. J., Correa-Oliveira, R., Colley, D. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Schistosoma+mansoni:+mortality,+pathophysiology,+and+susceptibility+differences+in+male+and+female+mice.">Schistosoma mansoni: mortality, pathophysiology, and susceptibility differences in male and female mice.</a> Exp. Parasitol. 75 (2), 168-175 (1992).</li><li>Tucker, M. S., Karunaratne, L. B., Lewis, F. A., Freitas, T. C., Liang, Y. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Schistosomiasis.">Schistosomiasis.</a> Curr Proto Immunol. 103, 19.1:19.1.1-19.1.58 (2013).</li><li>Basch, P. F., DiConza, J. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+miracidium-sporocyst+transition+in+Schistosoma+mansoni:+surface+changes+in+vitro+with+ultrastructural+correlation.">The miracidium-sporocyst transition in Schistosoma mansoni: surface changes in vitro with ultrastructural correlation.</a> J. Parasitol. 60 (6), 935-941 (1974).</li><li>Hansen, E. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Secondary+daughter+sporocysts+of+Schistosoma+mansoni:+their+occurrence+and+cultivation.">Secondary daughter sporocysts of Schistosoma mansoni: their occurrence and cultivation.</a> Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 266, 426-436 (1975).</li><li>Stibbs, H. H., Owczarzak, O., Bayne, C. J., DeWan, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Schistosome+sporocyst-killing+amoebae+Isolated+from+Biomphalaria+glabrata.">Schistosome sporocyst-killing amoebae Isolated from Biomphalaria glabrata.</a> J. Invertebr. Pathol. 33, 159-170 (1979).</li><li>DiConza, J. J., Basch, P. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Axenic+cultivation+of+Schistosoma+mansoni+daughter+sporocysts.">Axenic cultivation of Schistosoma mansoni daughter sporocysts.</a> J. Parasitol. 60 (5), 757-763 (1974).</li><li>Hansen, E. L., Maramorosch, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+cell+line+from+embryos+of+Biomphalaria+glabrata+(Pulmonata):+Establishment+and+characteristics.">A cell line from embryos of Biomphalaria glabrata (Pulmonata): Establishment and characteristics.</a> Invertebrate tissue culture: Research applications. , 75-97 (1976).</li><li>Yoshino, T. P., Laursen, J. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Production+of+Schistosoma+mansoni+daughter+sporocysts+from+mother+sporocysts+maintained+in+synxenic+culture+with+Biomphalaria+glabrata+embryonic+(Bge)+cells.">Production of Schistosoma mansoni daughter sporocysts from mother sporocysts maintained in synxenic culture with Biomphalaria glabrata embryonic (Bge) cells.</a> J. Parasitol. 81 (5), 714-722 (1995).</li><li>Ivanchenko, M. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Continuous+in+vitro+propagation+and+differentiation+of+cultures+of+the+intramolluscan+stages+of+the+human+parasite+Schistosoma+mansoni.">Continuous in vitro propagation and differentiation of cultures of the intramolluscan stages of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 96, 4965-4970 (1999).</li><li>Yoshino, T. P., Bayne, C. J., Bickham, U. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molluscan+cells+in+culture:+primary+cell+cultures+and+cell+lines.">Molluscan cells in culture: primary cell cultures and cell lines.</a> Can. J. Zool. 91, 391-404 (2013).</li><li>Coustau, C., Yoshino, T. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Flukes+without+snails:+Advances+in+the+in+vitro+cultivation+of+intramolluscan+stages+of+trematodes.">Flukes without snails: Advances in the in vitro cultivation of intramolluscan stages of trematodes.</a> Exp. Parasitol. 94, 62-66 (2000).</li><li>Milligan, J. N., Jolly, E. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cercarial+transformation+and+in+vitro+cultivation+of+Schistosoma+mansoni+schistosomules.">Cercarial transformation and in vitro cultivation of Schistosoma mansoni schistosomules.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (54), e3191 (2011).</li><li>Basch, P. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cultivation+of+Schistosoma+mansoniin+vitro.+II+production+of+infertile+eggs+by+worm+pairs+cultured+from+cercariae.">Cultivation of Schistosoma mansoniin vitro. II production of infertile eggs by worm pairs cultured from cercariae.</a> J. Parasitol. 67 (2), 186-190 (1981).</li></ol>

Authors have nothing to disclose.

Miracidia of S. mansoni, isolated and manipulated as described herein, can infect only the snail intermediate host, and therefore do not represent a human biohazard during this phase of larval development. However, to avoid accidental exposure/infection of snails, care should be taken to perform miracidial isolations in a different location from areas where susceptible Biomphalaria snail species may be present or maintained. A separate room, registered as BSL2 space, is highly recommended. In addition, ...

The human blood flukes Schistosoma spp., are the causative agents of schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease afflicting an estimated 230 million people worldwide1. The most widespread species, Schistosoma mansoni, is geographically distributed in South America, the Caribbean archipelago, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa2. The life cycle of S. mansoni, and other schistosomes, is complex, involving a mammalian definitive host and freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria that serve as obligate intermediate hosts.
S. mansoni male and female adult worm pairs living in the posterior mesenteric veins of the mammalian host reproduce, resulting in the release of embryonated eggs (ova) that become lodged in the small venules of the intestinal mucosa. Eggs then breaks through the vessel walls, migrate through mucosal tissue, and eventually enter the intestinal lumen where they are voided with the feces. When ova enter freshwater and free-swimming larvae (miracidia) hatch, they must, in short order, find a suitable Biomphalaria snail to infect in order to continue its life cycle. This infection process involves miracidial attachment to the snail&#39;s outer body surface followed by active penetration and entry of the larva into the host. Soon after entry, the miracidium begins to shed its outer ciliated epidermal plates as it forms a syncytium that will become the new outer surface (tegument) of the next larval stage, the primary or mother sporocyst. Through asexual reproduction, each primary sporocyst produces and releases a second generation of sporocysts, termed secondary or daughter sporocysts, which in turn, generate and release large numbers of the final intramolluscan stage, the cercaria3. Upon escape from the snail host, free-swimming cercariae are capable of attaching to and directly penetrating the skin of a human or other suitable mammalian host. Upon entry into their new host, cercariae transform to the parasitic schistosomula stage and invade the vascular system. They, in turn, migrate to the lung and then to the hepatic vein where they mature to adult worms, form male and female pairs and travel to the mesenteric veins to complete their life cycle.
Successful intramolluscan or &#34;snail phase&#34; development of larval schistosomes is essential to continuation of the cycle of human host-to-host transmission. Of critical importance is the period following entry of the free-swimming miracidium into the snail host and its early transformation to the primary sporocyst stage. Depending on the physiological and immunological compatibility between host and parasite, it is during this phase of larval development that initial success or failure to establish infections is determined4,5,6. Subsequent development of primary sporocysts capable of asexually producing secondary sporocysts, which then generate human-infective cercariae, further require a permissive physiological host environment that provides for all of the parasite&#39;s growth and reproductive needs.
To date, little is known about the underlying physiological, biochemical and molecular processes controlling schistosome-snail interactions, especially the molecules and pathways involved in regulating larval development and reproduction, or modulating host immune responses. Ready access to large numbers of these larval stages under in vitro culture conditions that permit experimental manipulation would greatly facilitate the discovery of developmental pathways and underlying mechanisms of cell growth, differentiation and reproduction. Critical parasite pathways or mechanisms, identified through in vitro experimentation, could then be used to disrupt larval growth/reproduction in the snail host, or to identify snail host immune mechanisms involved in recognition and elimination of miracidial or sporocyst stages.
In this article and video presentation, we provide a detailed description of a method for isolating large numbers of free-swimming S. mansoni miracidia for introduction into in vitro culture that may then be subjected to follow-up experimental manipulation (see Figure 1 for a schematic overview of the protocol workflow). Although similar procedures have been described previously7,8,9, we felt that a detailed protocol would be useful to researchers who wish to employ this model to address still unanswered questions related to intramolluscan larval development, cellular proliferation, and schistosome-snail immune interactions. In addition, this approach could easily be adapted for isolation of eggs from other medically important trematodes such as bladder-dwelling S. haematobium, liver flukes or lung flukes.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Chernin&#39;s balanced salt solution (CBSS+)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>For 1L of solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2.8 g sodium chloride</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S271-3</td>
			<td>Dissolve salts, except calcium chloride, and&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.15 g of potassium chloride&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P5405</td>
			<td>sugars in 800 mL ddH2O</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.07 g sodium phosphate, dibasic anhydrous</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S374-500</td>
			<td>Dissolve calcium chloride separately in 200&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.45 g magnesium sulfate heptahydrate&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>M1880</td>
			<td>mL ddH2O</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.53 g calcium chloride dihydrate&#160;</td>
			<td>Mallinckrodt</td>
			<td>4160</td>
			<td>Slowly add calcium soln to the salt/sugar soln with&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.05 g sodium bicarbonate&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S233-3</td>
			<td>with constant mixing</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 g glucose</td>
			<td>MP Biomedicals</td>
			<td>152527</td>
			<td>Adjust to pH 7.2 and filter sterilize using a&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 g trehalose</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T0167</td>
			<td>0.22 &#181;m disposable bottle-top filter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10 mL 100X penicillin/streptomycin</td>
			<td>Hyclone</td>
			<td>SV30010</td>
			<td>Add filtered penicillin and streptomycin soln&#160; 
			prior use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Incomplete Bge&#160; medium (Ibge)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>For 900 mL solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>220 mL Schneider&#8217;s Drosophila medium modified</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>04-351Q</td>
			<td>Mix Schneider&#39;s medium with 680 mL ddH2O</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4.5 g lactalbumin enzymatic hydrolysate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>L9010</td>
			<td>Add lactalbumin hydrolysate and galactose</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.3 g galactose</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>G0625</td>
			<td>Adjust to pH 7.2 and filter sterilize using a 0.22 &#181;m 
			pre-sterilized disposable bottle-top filter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Complete Bge medium (cBge)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>For 100 mL of solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>90 mL Incomplete Bge medium</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>To heat-inactivate FBS: Incubate thawed FBS in&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>9 mL heat-inact. fetal bovine serum (FBS) (Optima)</td>
			<td>Atlanta Biologicals</td>
			<td>S12450</td>
			<td>waterbath at 60&#176;C for 1 hr while gently&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 mL 100X penicillin/streptomycin</td>
			<td>Hyclone</td>
			<td>SV30010</td>
			<td>swirling the bottle every 10 min 
			Aliquot heat-inactivated FBS into 15-mL tubes&#160; 
			and store at -20&#176;C.&#160; Mix medium + FBS and 
			filter sterilize using a 0.22 &#181;m pre-sterilized&#160; 
			disposable bottle-top filter&#160; 
			Add penicillin and streptomycin prior to use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pond water (stock solution)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1L of stock solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>12.5 g calcium carbonate</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>C64-500</td>
			<td>Mix all salts in 1L of ddH2O</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.25 g magnesium carbonate</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>M27-500</td>
			<td>Note that the salts will not have completely&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.25 g&#160; sodium chloride</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S271-3</td>
			<td>dissolved.&#160; Shake vigorously to suspend&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.25 g&#160; potassium chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P5405</td>
			<td>salts prior to making the working soln&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pond water (working solution)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1.5L of solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.8 mL stock solution pond water (shake prior use) in&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Mix stock to ddH2O</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1500 mL of ddH2O</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Sterilize pond water by autoclaving (slow&#160;cycle)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.5 mL of 100X penicillin/streptomycin&#160;</td>
			<td>Hyclone</td>
			<td>SV30010</td>
			<td>Add penicillin and streptomycin prior use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Saline solution (1.2% NaCl)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1.5L of solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>18 g sodium chloride in 1500 mL of ddH2O</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S271-3</td>
			<td>Autoclave saline solution to sterilize</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.5 mL of 100X penicillin/ streptomycin</td>
			<td>Hyclone</td>
			<td>SV30010</td>
			<td>Add penicillin and streptomycin prior use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Additional equipment and material:&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>7-L mouse euthanizing chamber</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Following approved IACUC protocol no. V001551</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mice</td>
			<td>Taconic Biosciences</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Swiss-Webster, female, 6-wk old, murine&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CO2 tank and regulator</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>pathogen-free</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>24-well tissue culture plate</td>
			<td>TPP</td>
			<td>92424</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1-L volumetric flasks</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Light source (150W)</td>
			<td>Chiu Tech Corp</td>
			<td>Model F0-150</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge, refrigerated, swinging bucket</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>Model 5810R</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge bottles (250 mL)</td>
			<td>Nalgene</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15-mL centrifuge tubes, sterile</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>430053</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sterile disposable transfer pipets&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>1371120</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.22 &#181;m pre-sterilized disposable bottle-top filter&#160;</td>
			<td>EMD Millipore</td>
			<td>SCGPS05RE</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stainless steel blender</td>
			<td>Waring Commercial</td>
			<td>Model 51BL31</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Blender cup, 100 mL capacity</td>
			<td>Waring Commercial</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Inverted compound microscope</td>
			<td>Nikon Instruments&#160;</td>
			<td>Eclipse TE300</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

mass isolation and in vitro cultivation of intramolluscan stages of the human blood fluke schistosoma mansoni

Human blood flukes, Schistosoma spp., have a complex life cycle that involves asexual and sexual developmental phases within a snail intermediate and mammalian final host, respectively. The ability to isolate and sustain the different life cycle stages under in vitro culture conditions has greatly facilitated investigations of the cellular, biochemical and molecular mechanisms regulating parasite growth, development and host interactions. Transmission of schistosomiasis requires asexual reproduction and development of multiple larval stages within the snail host; from the infective miracidium, through primary and secondary sporocysts, to the final cercarial stage that is infective to humans. In this paper we present a step-by-step protocol for mass hatching and isolation of Schistosoma mansoni miracidia from eggs obtained from livers of infected mice, and their subsequent introduction into in vitro culture. It is anticipated that the detailed protocol will encourage new researchers to engage in and broaden this important field of schistosome research.

The vast majority of miracidia typically will have been collected in the first two &#34;harvests&#34;. Incubation of isolated miracidia in CBSS+ triggers the miracidium-to-sporocyst transformation process (Figure 4A-C). Within the first hour following transfer to culture wells containing CBSS+, the majority of miracidia cease swimming (Figure 4A). At 6 h in culture, miracidia are in the process of actively sheddi...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Mass Isolation and In Vitro Cultivation of Intramolluscan Stages of the Human Blood Fluke Schistosoma Mansoni at JoVE.com

Mass Isolation and In Vitro Cultivation of Intramolluscan Stages of the Human Blood Fluke Schistosoma Mansoni

This article describes a protocol for the large-scale axenic isolation and collection of free-swimming miracidia of the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni and their subsequent processing for introduction into in vitro culture.

Mass Isolation and In Vitro Cultivation of Intramolluscan Stages of the Human Blood Fluke Schistosoma Mansoni

Human blood flukes, Schistosoma spp., have a complex life cycle that involves asexual and sexual developmental phases within a snail intermediate and ...

mass-isolation-vitro-cultivation-intramolluscan-stages-human-blood

Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

9.1K Views.  University of Wisconsin, School of Veterinary Medicine. This article describes a protocol for the large-scale axenic isolation and collection of free-swimming miracidia of the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni and their subsequent processing for introduction into in vitro culture. 

Video: Mass Isolation and In Vitro Cultivation of Intramolluscan Stages of the Human Blood Fluke Schistosoma Mansoni

Isolation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells and their Cultivation on the Porous Bone Matrix

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a differentiation potential towards osteoblastic lineage when they are stimulated with soluble factors or specific biomaterials. This work presents a novel option for the delivery of MSCs from human amniotic membrane (AM-hMSCs) that employs bovine bone matrix Nukbone (NKB) as a scaffold. Thus, the application of MSCs in repair and tissue regeneration processes depends principally on the efficient implementation of the techniques for placing these cells in a host tissue. For this reason, the design of biomaterials and cellular scaffolds has gained importance in recent years because the topographical characteristics of the selected scaffold must ensure adhesion, proliferation and differentiation into the desired cell lineage in the microenvironment of the injured tissue. This option for the delivery of MSCs from human amniotic membrane (AM-hMSCs) employs bovine bone matrix as a cellular scaffold and is an efficient culture technique because the cells respond to the topographic characteristics of the bovine bone matrix Nukbone (NKB), i.e., spreading on the surface, macroporous covering and colonizing the depth of the biomaterial, after the cell isolation process. We present the procedure for isolating and culturing MSCs on a bovine matrix.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a differentiation potential towards osteoblastic lineage when they are stimulated with soluble factors or specific biomaterials. This work presents a novel option for the delivery of MSCs from human amniotic membrane (AM-hMSCs) that employs the bovine bone matrix Nukbone (NKB) as a scaffold.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a differentiation potential towards osteoblastic lineage when they are stimulated with soluble factors or specific ...

Analysis of Zebrafish Larvae Skeletal Muscle Integrity with Evans Blue Dye

The zebrafish model is an emerging system for the study of neuromuscular disorders. In the study of neuromuscular diseases, the integrity of the muscle membrane is a critical disease determinant. To date, numerous neuromuscular conditions display degenerating muscle fibers with abnormal membrane integrity; this is most commonly observed in muscular dystrophies. Evans Blue Dye (EBD) is a vital, cell permeable dye that is rapidly taken into degenerating, damaged, or apoptotic cells; in contrast, it is not taken up by cells with an intact membrane. EBD injection is commonly employed to ascertain muscle integrity in mouse models of neuromuscular diseases. However, such EBD experiments require muscle dissection and/or sectioning prior to analysis. In contrast, EBD uptake in zebrafish is visualized in live, intact preparations. Here, we demonstrate a simple and straightforward methodology for performing EBD injections and analysis in live zebrafish. In addition, we demonstrate a co-injection strategy to increase efficacy of EBD analysis. Overall, this video article provides an outline to perform EBD injection and characterization in zebrafish models of neuromuscular disease.

In this study, we describe a straightforward method to perform Evans Blue Dye (EBD) analysis on zebrafish larvae. This technique is a powerful tool for the characterization of skeletal muscle integrity and delineation of zebrafish models of muscular dystrophy, and is a valuable method for the development of novel therapeutics.

The zebrafish model is an emerging system for the study of neuromuscular disorders.  In the study of neuromuscular diseases, the integrity of the muscle ...

In Vitro Ovule Cultivation for Live-cell Imaging of Zygote Polarization and Embryo Patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana

In most flowering plants, the zygote and embryo are hidden deep in the mother tissue, and thus it has long been a mystery of how they develop dynamically; for example, how the zygote polarizes to establish the body axis and how the embryo specifies various cell fates during organ formation. This manuscript describes an in vitro ovule culture method to perform live-cell imaging of developing zygotes and embryos of Arabidopsis thaliana. The optimized cultivation medium allows zygotes or early embryos to grow into fertile plants. By combining it with a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) micropillar array device, the ovule is held in the liquid medium in the same position. This fixation is crucial to observe the same ovule under a microscope for several days from the zygotic division to the late embryo stage. The resulting live-cell imaging can be used to monitor the real-time dynamics of zygote polarization, such as nuclear migration and cytoskeleton rearrangement, and also the cell division timing and cell fate specification during embryo patterning. Furthermore, this ovule cultivation system can be combined with inhibitor treatments to analyze the effects of various factors on embryo development, and with optical manipulations such as laser disruption to examine the role of cell-cell communication.

In Vitro Ovule Cultivation for Live-cell Imaging of Zygote Polarization and Embryo Patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana

This manuscript describes an in vitro ovule cultivation method that enables live-cell imaging of Arabidopsis zygotes and embryos. This method is utilized to visualize the intracellular dynamics during zygote polarization and the cell fate specification in developing embryos.

In most flowering plants, the zygote and embryo are hidden deep in the mother tissue, and thus it has long been a mystery of how they develop dynamically; ...

Isolation of Endothelial Progenitor Cells from Human Umbilical Cord Blood

The existence of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in peripheral blood and its involvement in vasculogenesis was first reported by Ashara and colleagues1. Later, others documented the existence of similar types of EPCs originating from bone marrow2,3. More recently, Yoder and Ingram showed that EPCs derived from umbilical cord blood had a higher proliferative potential compared to ones isolated from adult peripheral blood4,5,6. Apart from being involved in postnatal vasculogenesis, EPCs have also shown promise as a cell source for creating tissue-engineered vascular and heart valve constructs7,8. Various isolation protocols exist, some of which involve the cell sorting of mononuclear cells (MNCs) derived from the sources mentioned earlier with the help of endothelial and hematopoietic markers, or culturing these MNCs with specialized endothelial growth medium, or a combination of these techniques9. Here, we present a protocol for the isolation and culture of EPCs using specialized endothelial medium supplemented with growth factors, without the use of immunosorting, followed by the characterization of the isolated cells using Western blotting and immunostaining.

The goal of this protocol is to isolate endothelial progenitor cells from umbilical cord blood. Some of the applications include using these cells as a biomarker for identifying patients with cardiovascular risk, treating ischemic diseases, and creating tissue-engineered vascular and heart valve constructs.

The existence of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in peripheral blood and its involvement in vasculogenesis was first reported by Ashara and ...

Live Imaging of Mouse Secondary Palate Fusion

The fusion of the secondary palatal shelves to form the intact secondary palate is a key process in mammalian development and its disruption can lead to cleft secondary palate, a common congenital anomaly in humans. Secondary palate fusion has been extensively studied leading to several proposed cellular mechanisms that may mediate this process. However, these studies have been mostly performed on fixed embryonic tissues at progressive timepoints during development or in fixed explant cultures analyzed at static timepoints. Static analysis is limited for the analysis of dynamic morphogenetic processes such a palate fusion and what types of dynamic cellular behaviors mediate palatal fusion is incompletely understood. Here we describe a protocol for live imaging of ex vivo secondary palate fusion in mouse embryos. To examine cellular behaviors of palate fusion, epithelial-specific Keratin14-cre was used to label palate epithelial cells in ROSA26-mTmGflox reporter embryos. To visualize filamentous actin, Lifeact-mRFPruby reporter mice were used. Live imaging of secondary palate fusion was performed by dissecting recently-adhered secondary palatal shelves of embryonic day (E) 14.5 stage embryos and culturing in agarose-containing media on a glass bottom dish to enable imaging with an inverted confocal microscope. Using this method, we have detected a variety of novel cellular behaviors during secondary palate fusion. An appreciation of how distinct cell behaviors are coordinated in space and time greatly contributes to our understanding of this dynamic morphogenetic process. This protocol can be applied to mutant mouse lines, or cultures treated with pharmacological inhibitors to further advance understanding of how secondary palate fusion is controlled.

Here, we present a protocol for live imaging of mouse secondary palate fusion using confocal microscopy. This protocol can be used in combination with a variety of fluorescent reporter mouse lines, and with pathway inhibitors for mechanistic insight. This protocol can be adapted for live imaging in other developmental systems.

The fusion of the secondary palatal shelves to form the intact secondary palate is a key process in mammalian development and its disruption can lead to ...

Dissection and Immunofluorescent Staining of Mushroom Body and Photoreceptor Neurons in Adult Drosophila melanogaster Brains

Nervous system development involves a sequential series of events that are coordinated by several signaling pathways and regulatory networks. Many of the proteins involved in these pathways are evolutionarily conserved between mammals and other eukaryotes, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting that similar organizing principles exist during the development of these organisms. Importantly, Drosophila has been used extensively to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating processes that are required in mammals including neurogenesis, differentiation, axonal guidance, and synaptogenesis. Flies have also been used successfully to model a variety of human neurodevelopmental diseases. Here we describe a protocol for the step-by-step microdissection, fixation, and immunofluorescent localization of proteins within the adult Drosophila brain. This protocol focuses on two example neuronal populations, mushroom body neurons and retinal photoreceptors, and includes optional steps to trace individual mushroom body neurons using Mosaic Analysis with a Repressible Cell Marker (MARCM) technique. Example data from both wild-type and mutant brains are shown along with a brief description of a scoring criteria for axonal guidance defects. While this protocol highlights two well-established antibodies for investigating the morphology of mushroom body and photoreceptor neurons, other Drosophila brain regions and the localization of proteins within other brain regions can also be investigated using this protocol.

Dissection and Immunofluorescent Staining of Mushroom Body and Photoreceptor Neurons in Adult Drosophila melanogaster Brains

This protocol describes the dissection and immunostaining of adult Drosophila melanogaster brain tissues. Specifically, this protocol highlights the use of Drosophila mushroom body and photoreceptor neurons as example neuronal subsets that can be accurately used to uncover general principles underlying many aspects of neuronal development.

Nervous system development involves a sequential series of events that are coordinated by several signaling pathways and regulatory networks. Many of the ...

Cell Aggregation Assays to Evaluate the Binding of the Drosophila Notch with Trans-Ligands and its Inhibition by Cis-Ligands

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved cell-cell communication system used broadly in animal development and adult maintenance. Interaction of the Notch receptor with ligands from neighboring cells induces activation of the signaling pathway (trans-activation), while interaction with ligands from the same cell inhibits signaling (cis-inhibition). Proper balance between trans-activation and cis-inhibition helps establish optimal levels of Notch signaling in some contexts during animal development. Because of the overlapping expression domains of Notch and its ligands in many cell types and the existence of feedback mechanisms, studying the effects of a given post-translational modification on trans- versus cis-interactions of Notch and its ligands in vivo is difficult. Here, we describe a protocol for using Drosophila S2 cells in cell-aggregation assays to assess the effects of knocking down a Notch pathway modifier on the binding of Notch to each ligand in trans and in cis. S2 cells stably or transiently transfected with a Notch-expressing vector are mixed with cells expressing each Notch ligand (S2-Delta or S2-Serrate). Trans-binding between the receptor and ligands results in the formation of heterotypic cell aggregates and is measured in terms of the number of aggregates per mL composed of &#62;6 cells. To examine the inhibitory effect of cis-ligands, S2 cells co-expressing Notch and each ligand are mixed with S2-Delta or S2-Serrate cells and the number of aggregates is quantified as described above. The relative decrease in the number of aggregates due to the presence of cis-ligands provides a measure of cis-ligand-mediated inhibition of trans-binding. These straightforward assays can provide semi-quantitative data on the effects of genetic or pharmacological manipulations on the binding of Notch to its ligands, and can help deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying the in vivo effects of such manipulations on Notch signaling.

Cell Aggregation Assays to Evaluate the Binding of the Drosophila Notch with Trans-Ligands and its Inhibition by Cis-Ligands

Complexity of in vivo systems makes it difficult to distinguish between the activation and inhibition of Notch receptor by trans- and cis-ligands, respectively. Here, we present a protocol based on in vitro cell-aggregation assays for qualitative and semi-quantitative evaluation of the binding of Drosophila Notch to trans-ligands vs cis-ligands.

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved cell-cell communication system used broadly in animal development and adult maintenance. Interaction of the ...

Isolation of Human Endometrial Stromal Cells for In Vitro Decidualization

The differentiation of human endometrial stromal cells (HESC) from fibroblast-like appearance into secretory decidua is a transformation required for embryo implantation into the uterine lining of the maternal womb. Improper decidualization has been established as a root cause for implantation failure and subsequent early embryo miscarriage. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying decidualization is advantageous to improving the rate of successful births. In vivo based studies of artificial decidualization are often limiting due to ethical dilemmas associated with human research, as well as translational complications within animal models. As a result, in vitro assays through primary cell culture are often utilized to explore the modulation of decidualization via hormones. This study provides a detailed protocol for the isolation of HESC and subsequent artificial decidualization via the supplementation of hormones to the culturing medium. Further, this study provides a well-designed method to knockdown any gene of interest by utilizing lipid-based siRNA transfections. This protocol permits the optimization of culture purity as well as product yield, thereby maximizing the ability to utilize this model as a reliable method to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying decidualization, and the subsequent quantification of secreted agents by decidualized endometrial stromal cells.

Isolation of Human Endometrial Stromal Cells for In Vitro Decidualization

This study presents a validated and optimized procedure for the isolation and culture of human endometrial stromal cells to conduct in vitro decidualization assay. Further, this study provides a detailed method to efficiently knockdown a specific gene using siRNAs in human endometrial stromal cells.

The differentiation of human endometrial stromal cells (HESC) from fibroblast-like appearance into secretory decidua is a transformation required for ...

Imaging and Analysis of Tissue Orientation and Growth Dynamics in the Developing Drosophila Epithelia During Pupal Stages

Within multicellular organisms, mature tissues and organs display high degrees of order in the spatial arrangements of their constituent cells. A remarkable example is given by sensory epithelia, where cells of the same or distinct identities are brought together via cell-cell adhesion showing highly organized planar patterns. Cells align to one another in the same direction and display equivalent polarity over large distances. This organization of the mature epithelia is established over the course of morphogenesis. To understand how the planar arrangement of the mature epithelia is achieved, it is crucial to track cell orientation and growth dynamics with high spatiotemporal fidelity during development in vivo. Robust analytical tools are also essential to identify and characterize local-to-global transitions. The Drosophila pupa is an ideal system to evaluate oriented cell shape changes underlying epithelial morphogenesis. The pupal developing epithelium constitutes the external surface of the immobile body, allowing long-term imaging of intact animals. The protocol described here is designed to image and analyze cell behaviors at both global and local levels in the pupal abdominal epidermis as it grows. The methodology described can be easily adapted to the imaging of cell behaviors at other developmental stages, tissues, subcellular structures, or model organisms.

Imaging and Analysis of Tissue Orientation and Growth Dynamics in the Developing Drosophila Epithelia During Pupal Stages

This protocol is designed for the imaging and analysis of the dynamics of cell orientation and tissue growth in the Drosophila abdominal epithelia as the fruit fly undergoes metamorphosis. The methodology described here can be applied to the study of different developmental stages, tissues, and subcellular structures in Drosophila or other model organisms.

Within multicellular organisms, mature tissues and organs display high degrees of order in the spatial arrangements of their constituent cells. A ...

Generation of a Human iPSC-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Chip

The blood brain barrier (BBB) is formed by neurovascular units (NVUs) that shield the central nervous system (CNS) from a range of factors found in the blood that can disrupt delicate brain function. As such, the BBB is a major obstacle to the delivery of therapeutics to the CNS. Accumulating evidence suggests that the BBB plays a key role in the onset and progression of neurological diseases. Thus, there is a tremendous need for a BBB model that can predict penetration of CNS-targeted drugs as well as elucidate the BBB&#39;s role in health and disease.
We have recently combined organ-on-chip and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies to generate a BBB chip fully personalized to humans. This novel platform displays cellular, molecular, and physiological properties that are suitable for the prediction of drug and molecule transport across the human BBB. Furthermore, using patient-specific BBB chips, we have generated models of neurological disease and demonstrated the potential for personalized predictive medicine applications. Provided here is a detailed protocol demonstrating how to generate iPSC-derived BBB chips, beginning with differentiation of iPSC-derived brain microvascular endothelial cells (iBMECs) and resulting in mixed neural cultures containing neural progenitors, differentiated neurons, and astrocytes. Also described is a procedure for seeding cells into the organ chip and culturing of the BBB chips under controlled laminar flow. Lastly, detailed descriptions of BBB chip analyses are provided, including paracellular permeability assays for assessing drug and molecule permeability as well as immunocytochemical methods for determining the composition of cell types within the chip.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a multicellular neurovascular unit tightly regulating brain homeostasis. By combining human iPSCs and organ-on-chip technologies, we have generated a personalized BBB chip, suitable for disease modeling and CNS drug penetrability predictions. A detailed protocol is described for the generation and operation of the BBB chip.

The blood brain barrier (BBB) is formed by neurovascular units (NVUs) that shield the central nervous system (CNS) from a range of factors found in the ...

Mass Isolation and In Vitro Cultivation of Intramolluscan Stages of the Human Blood Fluke Schistosoma Mansoni

Summary

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Chapters in this video

Isolation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells and their Cultivation on the Porous Bone Matrix

Analysis of Zebrafish Larvae Skeletal Muscle Integrity with Evans Blue Dye

In Vitro Ovule Cultivation for Live-cell Imaging of Zygote Polarization and Embryo Patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana

Isolation of Endothelial Progenitor Cells from Human Umbilical Cord Blood

Live Imaging of Mouse Secondary Palate Fusion

Dissection and Immunofluorescent Staining of Mushroom Body and Photoreceptor Neurons in Adult Drosophila melanogaster Brains

Cell Aggregation Assays to Evaluate the Binding of the Drosophila Notch with Trans-Ligands and its Inhibition by Cis-Ligands

Isolation of Human Endometrial Stromal Cells for In Vitro Decidualization

Imaging and Analysis of Tissue Orientation and Growth Dynamics in the Developing Drosophila Epithelia During Pupal Stages

Generation of a Human iPSC-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Chip