Abstract
Microglia are thought to be involved in diseases of the adult human brain as well as normal aging processes. While neonatal and rodent microglia are often used in studies investigating microglial function, there are important differences between rodent microglia and their adult human counterparts. Human brain tissue provides a unique and valuable tool for microglial cell and molecular biology. Routine protocols can now enable use of this culture method in many laboratories. Detailed protocols and advice for culture of human brain microglia are provided here. We demonstrate the protocol for culturing human adult microglia within a mixed glial culture and use a phagocytosis assay as an example of the functional studies possible with these cells as well as a high-content analysis method of quantification.
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Acknowledgments
We are very grateful to the tissue donors and their families for their generous and precious gift of brain tissue for our research into brain disorders. We also thank specialist epilepsy nurse Lynair Roberts, neurologist Dr. Peter Bergin, neurosurgeon Dr. Edward Mee, and pathologist Dr. Robyn Oldfield at Auckland City Hospital for providing biopsy tissue. We thank the staff of the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand Human Brain Bank and Centre for Brain Research Biobank for technical assistance. This protocol has been optimized with the help of funding from the National Research Centre for Growth and Development, Coker Charitable Trust, Hugh Green Foundation, and the Health Research Council of New Zealand (Program Grant).
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Smith, A.M., Gibbons, H.M., Lill, C., Faull, R.L.M., Dragunow, M. (2013). Isolation and Culture of Adult Human Microglia Within Mixed Glial Cultures for Functional Experimentation and High-Content Analysis. In: Joseph, B., Venero, J. (eds) Microglia. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1041. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-520-0_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-520-0_6
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Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-519-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-520-0
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