Scientists at Belgorod State University have created an innovative technology for culturing neurons that will make it possible to determine the effects of neurotoxins or neuroprotectors on the cell respiration rate. The Russian Ministry of Education and Science told socialbites.ca about this.
The team created a way to grow a primary mixed culture of hippocampal neurons from an 18-day-old embryo and a small newborn rodent.
The scientists suggested using culture plates twice the size of those previously used for cell growth. The method proposed by scientists from BelSU National Research University does not have any significant disadvantages, unlike previously known ones. Thus, it is possible to grow different types of neurons, expanding the scope of research tasks. In addition, the method allows you to avoid gliosis (a pathological condition of the brain) and acidification of the medium without the need for long-term incubation in a serum-free medium.
“The method also makes it possible to identify disorders in the functioning of mitochondria (organelles that produce energy for the cell) involved in cellular respiration and to choose the right conditions for growing neurons in the early stages of cell differentiation,” the project states. leader, senior scientist, employee of the laboratory of genetic technologies and gene editing for biomedicine and veterinary medicine, told socialbites.ca Marina Sorokina.
In the future, the method can be used effectively in screening preclinical studies. Innovative technology can also be used when testing various pharmacological substances, the effect of which is associated with changes in the mitochondrial activity of the cell.
Previously in Russia developed Compact x-ray for diagnosing pathologies of newborns.