In the US alone, at least 500,000 people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to control his or her movement. New technology from the University of Bonn in Germany lets researchers observe the development of the brain cells responsible for the disease.
Up until now, research into the brain cells responsible for Parkinson's disease has focused on the function and degeneration of these neurons in the adult and aging brain. The new tissue slicing method, which will be published in the world's only peer-reviewed science video journal, the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), allows scientists to observe the development of these brain cells for the first time.
"Little is known about the behavior of these neurons during their differentiation and migration phase," said article author Dr. Sandra Blaess, "and with this technique, we can really observe how these cells behave during development."
The new technique also makes the cells available for genetic manipulation, and more information about how these cells develop and function could lead to new treatment options.
"Being able to visualize cell deve
Journal Reference:
- Gabriela Oana Bodea, Sandra Blaess. Organotypic Slice Cultures of Embryonic Ventral Midbrain: A System to Study Dopaminergic Neuronal Development in vitro. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2012; (59) DOI: 10.3791/3350