A protocol to establish and maintain organotypic cerebellar slice culture (OCerSC) from aged mice
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Organotypic slice culture is a sophisticated technique historically used in cellular and developmental neurobiology to investigate three-dimensional architecture and cellular interactions. Maintaining thin tissue slices preserves organotypic structure and more accurately reflects the in vivo microenvironment than traditional monolayer cell cultures. These models are crucial in neurobiology, especially for studying age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders. However, preserving tissue viability in organotypic slices from adult brain tissue remains challenging. This protocol focuses on culturing organotypic slices from adult cerebellar tissue to address the critical need for discovery within this brain region. The cerebellum's unique cellular architecture and specialized circuitry have made culturing organotypic slices challenging. This protocol presents a novel finding: careful manipulation of culture conditions reduces early neuroinflammatory responses, enhances cerebellar tissue viability, and promotes the long-term maintenance of well-preserved cerebellar slices. This innovative system enables detailed analyses of neuronal morphology and functional connectivity at both cellular and circuit levels, incorporating advanced imaging and electrophysiological techniques to fulfill a critical need in neurobiology.
Source: PLoS ONE
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Funders: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, Research to Prevent Blindness, New York Stem Cell Foundation, World Health Organization, Hertz Foundation, George Mason University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, Case Western Reserve University, Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation and Technology, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Wellcome Trust, Diamond Light Source, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, Retina Research Foundation, UK Research and Innovation, Louisiana Department of Health, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, TDR, Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, Cycle for Survival, British Heart Foundation, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, University of East Anglia, University of Leeds, European Cooperation in Science and Technology, National Research Foundation Singapore, Ministry of Education - Singapore, Higher Education Authority, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Volkswagen Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Vienna Science and Technology Fund, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pusan National University, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, National Research Foundation of Korea, Israel Science Foundation, Korea Polar Research Institute, Linyi University, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China Medical University, Higher Education Commision, Pakistan, Siemens Healthineers, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, Khon Kean University, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Shanghai Professional Technology Service Platform on Cold Chain Equipment Performance and Energy Saving Evaluation, Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Navy, National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Firat University Scientific Research Projects Management Unit, Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Program of Shanghai Academic Research Leader, Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities of the Central South University, National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, H2020 European Research Council, Wellcome Leap
OpenAlex ID: W7154748473