Neurite Outgrowth/Degeneration Assay

Creative Biolabs provides validated neurite outgrowth or degeneration assays for the evaluation of potential target compounds that enhance neurite outgrowth or suppress neurite degeneration for the neurodegenerative disease therapy discovery.

Background of Neurite Outgrowth and Degeneration

During neuronal development, the process that neurons make synaptic connections to other neurons through axons and dendrites, thus assembling a functional network, is called neurite outgrowth. Neurite outgrowth is of vital importance to maintaining neuronal functions, such as intracellular signaling transduction, neuronal development, differentiation, and apoptosis. The adult mammalian peripheral nervous system still retains the ability to regenerate neurons and synapses. Therefore, it is important to develop substances to stimulate and enhance neurite outgrowth, which can reserve neuronal functions when getting injured or in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Niemann Pick disease, etc. However, the capacity of neurite outgrowth is limited due to the existence of inhibitory components such as neurotrophic factors and neurotoxic chemicals in the central nervous system that can prevent the functional restoration. Developing a detailed understanding of the inhibitory process is another important focus of neuronal plasticity research.

Neurite Outgrowth/Degeneration Assay

Neurite outgrowth/degeneration assay is a general in vitro assay to study neuronal development and neuronal degeneration. Segmentation, quantification, and visualization of neuronal development are utilized to evaluate neurite outgrowth and degeneration. The workflow of our services are as follows.

1. iPSCs culturing.
2. Treating neurites with different compounds.
3. Immunofluorescence assay.
4. Neurite outgrowth Imaging.

Creative Biolabs also offers an automated imaging system with analysis software to detect samples in a higher-throughput microplate format. The high-content imaging of neurons enables researchers to identify the neuronal networks and their alterations, such as neurite processes, number, length, and branching. Besides, toxicity reactions of neurite degradation treated with compounds can also be determined.

Fig.1 Compound-induced optimum neurite outgrowth activity. (Reddy, et al., 2019)

Understanding the signaling mechanisms that control neurite outgrowth may help interpret neuronal development and regeneration as well as provide opportunities to evaluate the neurotrophic effects of drug candidates on neurodegenerative diseases. Creative Biolabs' professional team offers researchers customized solutions for evaluating prospective target compounds via in vitro neurite outgrowth or degeneration assay with proper cell culture models. If you have the intention for further information, please don't hesitate to contact us, our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Reference

1. Reddy, R. G.; et al. Crafting carbazole-based vorinostat and tubastatin-a-like histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors with potent in vitro and in vivo neuroactive functions. ACS omega. 2019, 4(17): 17279-17294.