Isolation and comparison of neural stem cells from the adult rat brain and spinal cord canonical neurogenic niches

Lars Erik Schiro; Ulrich Stefan Bauer; Axel Sandvig; Ioanna Sandvig

doi:10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101426

Isolation and comparison of neural stem cells from the adult rat brain and spinal cord canonical neurogenic niches

STAR Protoc. 2022 Jun 7;3(2):101426. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101426. eCollection 2022 Jun 17.

Authors

Lars Erik Schiro¹, Ulrich Stefan Bauer¹, Axel Sandvig^{1

2

3}, Ioanna Sandvig¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7030 Trondheim, Norway.
² Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neuro, Head, and Neck, Umeå University Hospital, 907 37 Umeå, Sweden.
³ Department of Community and Rehabilitation, Division of Neuro, Head and Neck, Umeå University Hospital, 907 37 Umeå, Sweden.

Abstract

Here, we present a unified protocol for the extraction, culture, and basic characterization of rat neural stem cells (NSCs) from all three canonical neurogenic niches in the brain and spinal cord. We describe tissue dissection and dissociation, cell culture, followed by EdU labeling and characterization of NSCs. By yielding considerable numbers of viable cells per animal, this protocol enables the establishment of substantial, long-term cell banks, thus offering cost and labor efficiency while significantly reducing the numbers of animals used.

Keywords: Cell Biology; Cell culture; Cell isolation; Microscopy; Model Organisms; Neuroscience; Stem Cells.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain
Neural Stem Cells*
Neurogenesis
Rats
Spinal Cord Injuries*