Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2021, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (11): 2229-2231.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.310678

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The neurosphere assay: an effective in vitro technique to study neural stem cells

Rita Soares, Filipa F. Ribeiro, Diogo M. Lourenço, Rui S. Rodrigues, João B. Moreira, Ana M. Sebastião, Vanessa A. Morais, Sara Xapelli   

  1. Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal (Soares R, Ribeiro FF, Lourenço DM, Rodrigues RS, Moreira JB, Sebastião AM, Morais VA, Xapelli S)
    Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal (Soares R, Ribeiro FF, Lourenço DM, Rodrigues RS, Moreira JB, Sebastião AM, Xapelli S)
    Instituto de Biologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal (Soares R, Morais VA)
  • Online:2021-11-15 Published:2021-04-13
  • Contact: Sara Xapelli, PhD,sxapelli@medicina.ulisboa.pt.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by IF/01227/2015 and UID/BIM/50005/2019, projeto financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (MCTES) através de Fundos do Orçamento de Estado. RS (SFRH/BD/128280/2017), FFR (IMM/CT/35-2018), DML (PD/BD/141784/2018), and RSR (SFRH/BD/129710/2017) received a fellowship from FCT. 

Abstract: Neural stem cells (NSCs) are known to be present in the adult mammalian brain where they constitutively differentiate into the neuronal, astroglial, and oligodendroglial lineages, in defined processes termed neurogenesis, astrogliogenesis and oligodendrogenesis, respectively (reviewed in Braun and Jessberger, 2014). During brain development, NSCs are present throughout the brain, becoming progressively restricted to defined brain regions. In the adult brain, NSCs are mainly present in areas classically known as neurogenic niches, i.e. the subventricular zone (SVZ), along the lateral walls of the lateral ventricles, and the subgranular zone, located in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. These areas are particularly enriched with NSCs, which not only are multipotent cells but also proliferative cells with the ability to self-renew, thus maintaining their own pool of cells. In fact, neurogenesis, astrogliogenesis and oligodendrogenesis are highly intricate processes comprising several steps, including proliferation, differentiation, migration, and functional integration of the newly formed cells in the existing circuitry, which are regulated by a plethora of factors. These newly differentiated adult-born cells have the capacity to continuously modulate brain function and plasticity, by constantly reacting to external or internal stimuli (reviewed in Braun and Jessberger, 2014).