Fetal human cortical neurons grown in culture: Morphological differentiation, biochemical correlates and development of electrical activity

Cultured fetal human cortical neurons derived from second trimester human f etal cortex were analyzed with regard to their morphological differentiatio n and expression of cell-specific markers. The culture method was adapted f rom standardized protocols originally developed for the isolation and cultu re of rodent oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. This technique takes advantag e of the different adhesive properties and stratification of central nervou s system cells in vitro. Under these culture conditions Fetal human cortica l neurons underwent morphological differentiation, expressed neuron-specifi c markers and voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels. Highly enriched cultu res of microglia and astrocytes generated from the same starting material a lso expressed cell-type specific markers. These cultures serve as a valuabl e tool for the establishment of normative data and as experimental models f or neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative studies. (C) 1999 ISDN. Publish ed by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.