Isolation of neural progenitors from midbrain of newborn rats

Objective: To isolate neural progenitors from midbrain of new born rats. Methods: Cell groups with cloning capability were obtained from midbrain of new-born rats by using serum-free and floating cell culture. Immunocytochemistry was applied to detect antigens such as BrdU, Nestin and specific markers for spheres'. Nestin antigen was expressed in the course of proliferation. After differentiation, epitopes of neuron, astrocyte and oligodendrocyte were all found in the neural progenitors-derived cells, the most majority were astrocyte-epitoped cells. Conclusion: Cell groups expressing Nestin isolated from midbrain of new-born rats have properties of propagating, multi-potency differentiating and self-renewal. It is demonstrated that the cell groups are stem-like neural progenitors in the central nervous system, which are qualified for cell therapy of diseases in central nervous system.