Culture of Substantia Nigra Neurons

Primary cultures of nigral tissue are widely used as a model system to assay effects of trophic and toxic agents on dopaminergic neurons. Cultured dopaminergic neurons have been successfully transplanted in animals and led to behavioral improvement in animal models of Parkinson’s disease. The success of these preclinical studies has encouraged investigators to begin clinical trials using transplanted dopaminergic neurons in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Cell cultures have also been used to study the development of substantia nigra, allowing investigators to identify early inductive events important for nigral development and to study dopaminergic differentiation and target innervation.