High-throughput high-content functional image analysis of neuronal proteins implicated in parkinson's disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of dopamine neurons. Here, we describe how to use human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells as an in vitro cell model to study the effects of candidate PD susceptibility genes on dopamine neuron differentiation and viability. This cell model can be used to study the effects of siRNA-induced gene knockdown, either alone or in combination with PD-related cellular stressors such as MPP+, and is compatible with high-throughput cellular screening platforms such as the Cellomics ArrayScan VTI HCS Reader. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.