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Cell culture as a model to study cell–cell interactions during development aging and neurodegenerative diseases
Author(s) -
Vernadakis A.,
FleischerLambropoulos H.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/s0736-5748(99)00081-7
Subject(s) - cell , neuroscience , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
The brain consists of primarily two types of cells with key functions: neurons and neuroglia (astrocytes, oligodendroglia and microglia). The neuron±glia functional partnership ®rst proposed by Hyden in 1961 [8] is now generally accepted. It is this cell±cell interrelationship that provides the substances needed for brain growth, for speci®c neurons to dierentiate and migrate to their destination and ®nally form the various brain areas, i.e. cerebral hemispheres, diencephalon-midbrain cerebellum, brain stem, spinal cord, etc. It is this cell±cell interrelationship that maintains brain balance and homeostasis throughout the lifespan. Neurons provide the information by synthesizing information molecules, the neurotransmitters, whereas neuroglia support the neuron and regulate the neuronal microenvironment; astrocytes provide factors and cell contacts and the microglia have been recently shown to be the immune guardians of the brain by providing various immunological substances. Any change in the functional roles of any of these cells will shift the balance and result in brain malfunction. For example, changes in the normal cell±cell interactions during early growth and development can lead to mental retardation or neurological malfunctions, including epilepsy and schizophrenia. Another example is given by the speci®c roles of astrocytes in regulating the amount of neurotransmitters in the extracellular environment. Changes in their number of functions will lead to excessive neurotransmitters and as a consequence neuronal hyper excitability and neuronal toxicity. A third case is the neuronal cell death which occurs during aging and which leads to cognitive disorders. In order to begin to understand the basic mechanisms of neuron-glia interactions one needs to isolate these cells and study either each cell type alone or together. This need has led to the development of culturing ®rst tissue explants and later dissociated cells.