Methods for identifying agents and conditions that modulate neurogenesis in human neural cells

摘要

Disclosed is a method for identifying an agent that modulates neurogenesis, said method comprising: exposing a monolayer cell culture consisting of human neural cells to a test agent in media containing leukemia inhibiting factor (L1F) and not containing epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and measuring a change in the proportion of neural cells in mitosis; a change in expression of a neurogenesis marker in the neural cells; a change in the proportion of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the culture; or a change in the population of neurons or astrocytes in the culture after a period of time, wherein the period of time is several days up to 19 days, and wherein the change in the proportion of neural cells in mitosis; the change in expression of a neurogenesis marker in the neural cells; the change in the proportion of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the culture; or the change in the population of neurons or astrocytes in the culture is as compared to neural cells that have not been exposed to the test agent, and wherein the measuring of a change identifies the test agent as modulating neurogenesis in the neural cells.