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In Vitro Neurotoxicology pp 99–114Cite as

Neurospheres as a Model for Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing

Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB,volume 758)

Abstract

Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) of environmental chemicals is a serious threat to human health. So far, DNT testing is performed in animals. Such in vivo testing is time-consuming, expensive, and uses large numbers of animals. Moreover, species differences (rat–human) bear the problem of extrapolation. Thus, alternative tests are needed to provide faster and cheaper methods for DNT testing. Neurospheres are free-floating three-dimensional structures consisting of neural progenitor cells. Within the “neurosphere assay,” basal processes of brain development, such as proliferation, migration, differentiation, and apoptosis, are mimicked. These processes can be disturbed by chemicals, and thus predict DNT. Therefore, we consider this cell system as a promising tool for DNT in vitro testing. The methods to determine the effects of chemicals on DNT-specific endpoints are described in this chapter.

Key words

  • Developmental neurotoxicity
  • Neurosphere
  • Neural progenitor cell
  • In vitro
  • Brain development
  • Human
  • Mouse

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Group of Toxicology, Leibniz Research Insitute for Environmental Medicine at the Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany

    Ellen Fritsche

  2. Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Clinic, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Ellen Fritsche

Authors
  1. Ellen Fritsche
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  2. Kathrin Gassmann
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  3. Timm Schreiber
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ellen Fritsche .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Environmental and, University of Washington, Roosevelt Way NE 4225, Seattle, 98105, Washington, USA

    Lucio G. Costa

  2. , Department of Environmental and, University of Washington, Roosevelt Way NE 4225, Seattle, 98105, Washington, USA

    Gennaro Giordano

  3. Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, South Damen Avenue 820, Seattle, 60612, Illinois, USA

    Marina Guizzetti

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Fritsche, E., Gassmann, K., Schreiber, T. (2011). Neurospheres as a Model for Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing. In: Costa, L., Giordano, G., Guizzetti, M. (eds) In Vitro Neurotoxicology. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 758. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-170-3_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-170-3_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-169-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-170-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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