New Methods for Culturing Cells from Nervous Tissues

The last decades have seen the rise of neuroscience to one of the most dynamic biomedical disciplines. With the development of powerful new techniques it has been possible to investigate specific physiological and pathological neural mechanisms and thus to elucidate the etiology of many neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. This first volume of the new book series 'BioValley Monographs' presents a whole range of methods developed to grow different kinds of neurons and glial cells in vitro. It is the result of a trinational cooperation between scientists of Neurex, the neuroscience network of the Upper Rhine valley. The articles are not just simple descriptions of bench techniques but discuss the unique features of each method, its difficulties, and tricks to avoid these pitfalls. The book covers cells growing in a dissociated state, organotypic slices which retain the architecture of neuronal networks in vivo, as well as cultures on architectured substrates allowing researchers to apply geometrical constraints in order to study the role and importance of synaptic connections more efficiently. Presenting expert guidelines to prepare, establish and maintain neural cell and tissue cultures, this book will be a valuable tool for all scientists and technicians interested in basic and applied research in neurobiology, neurology and neuropharmacology. No scientific library should be without it!