Nervous System

The Nervous System category provides cells for studying neuronal function, glial interactions, neurodevelopment, and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. Drg neuron (dorsal root ganglion) and drg neurons are essential for pain and sensory studies; they are often isolated from mice, rats, or humans and used in capsaicin or nerve growth factor signaling assays. Neuronal cell culture requires specialized media such as Neurobasal plus B27 supplement, as well as substrates like poly-D-lysine and laminin. Neuron culture can be derived from primary tissues (embryonic or postnatal brain) or from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Glial cells include astrocytes (which support neurons and regulate neurotransmitter recycling), oligodendrocytes (which myelinate axons), and microglia (the resident immune cells). Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) can differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes; they are used for developmental neurobiology and transplantation studies. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are used for myelination studies, including assays for remyelination-promoting drugs. Similarly, oligodendrocyte precursor cells are critical for remyelination research in multiple sclerosis models; they can be isolated from neonatal rat or human brain. Primary human neurons are the gold standard for synaptic physiology, as they maintain functional synapses and action potentials. Human neuron cultures from iPSCs offer patient-specific models for genetic forms of autism, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s. Microglia cells (or microglial cells) are the immune cells of the CNS; they survey the microenvironment, phagocytose debris, and release inflammatory cytokines. Brain endothelial cells form the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and are used in co-culture with astrocytes and pericytes to model drug permeability. Cerebral endothelial cells are often used in BBB co-culture models; they express tight junction proteins such as claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1. Researchers frequently use primary human neurons for electrophysiology (patch-clamp recordings) and drg neurons for pain signaling (calcium imaging). Our neural cells and neuronal cells are validated for marker expression (e.g., β-tubulin III for neurons, GFAP for astrocytes, Iba1 for microglia) and functional responses, supporting your neuroscience discoveries from basic mechanisms to drug development.