1 research outputs found
An ex vivo model to quantitatively analyze cell migration in tissue
Background: Within the developing central nervous system, the ability of cells to migrate throughout the tissue parenchyma
to reach their target destination and undergo terminal differentiation is vital to normal central nervous system (CNS)
development. To develop novel therapies to treat the injured CNS, it is essential that the migratory behavior of cell
populations is understood. Many studies have examined the ability of individual neurons to migrate through the developing
CNS, describing specific modes of migration including locomotion and somal translocation. Few studies have investigated the
mass migration of large populations of neural progenitors, particularly in the developing the spinal cord. Here, we describe a
method to robustly analyze large numbers of migrating cells using a co-culture assay. Results: The ex vivo tissue model
promotes the survival and differentiation of co-cultured progenitor cells. Using this assay, we demonstrate that migrating
neuroepithelial progenitor cells display region specific migration patterns within the dorsal and ventral spinal cord at defined
developmental time points. Conclusions: The technique described here is a viable ex vivo model to quantitatively analyze cell
migration and differentiation. We demonstrate the ability to detect changes in cell migration within distinct tissue region across
tissue samples using the technique described here