Isolation and culture of neurospheres from the adult newt brain

Abstract

Neural stem cells (NSCs) give rise to neurons in the adult brain and are possible targets in regenerative therapies. In vitro cultures of NSCs as neurospheres have been established from cells isolated from diverse species. Newts are exceptional regenerators among vertebrates. These animals are able to efficiently replace neurons following ablation of those by activation and subsequent differentiation of NSCs. Here we describe the method for isolating and culturing of NSCs from the newt brain both during self-renewing and differentiating conditions. Newt NSC culture provides a useful tool for functional studies of NSC fate with the potential of resulting in novel regenerative strategies.