Dorsal Spinal Explants
Dorsal Spinal Explants - Related Videos
04:30
Generating Dorsal Root Ganglion Explant and Dissociated Cell Culture
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2025
This video demonstrates a method to develop dorsal root ganglia or DRG explant culture and DRG-dissociated cell models using isolated mouse DRG tissues. These models help to study various mechanisms with neuron-glial interactions in a controlled environment.
06:06
A Functional Motor Unit in the Culture Dish: Co-culture of Spinal Cord Explants and Muscle Cells
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Cited by 16 •
2012
Cultured muscle cells are an inadequate model to recapitulate innervated muscle in vivo. A functional motor unit can be reproduced in vitro by innervation of differentiated human primary muscle cells using rat embryo spinal cord explants. This article describes how co-cultures of spinal cord explants and muscle cells are established.
02:11
Co-culturing of a Dorsal Root Ganglion Explant with Schwann Cells for Neuron Myelination
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2025
This video demonstrates the coculturing model of a dorsal root ganglion explant and Schwann cells. In coculture conditions, ascorbic acid promotes the differentiation of Schwann cells into myelinating forms. Myelinating Schwann cells wrap the axons multiple times to create a myelin sheath, which is essential for nerve function.
11:08
Dissection and Culture of Chick Statoacoustic Ganglion and Spinal Cord Explants in Collagen Gels for Neurite Outgrowth Assays
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Cited by 9 •
2011
We demonstrate how to dissect and culture chick E4 statoacoustic ganglion and E6 spinal cord explants. Explants are cultured under serum-free conditions in 3D collagen gels for 24 hours. Neurite responsiveness is tested with growth factor-supplemented medium and with protein-coated beads.
08:10
Hydraulic Extrusion of the Spinal Cord and Isolation of Dorsal Root Ganglia in Rodents
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Cited by 110 •
2017
Here, we present a protocol for hydraulic extrusion of the spinal cord as well as identification and isolation of specific dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) in the same rodent. Compared to standard spinal cord isolation methods, this method is significantly faster and reduces the risk of tissue damage.
FAQs
Following isolation, the explant preserves living neural tissue from the dorsal developing spinal cord, so cells can continue developmental behaviors in culture. Neurons differentiate and extend axons across the substrate, where their growth can be observed while selected guidance cues or signaling pathways are manipulated. This links cellular behavior with specific experimental conditions.
Guidance cues matter because they can alter how extending axons navigate, rather than merely whether neurons differentiate. In dorsal spinal explants, researchers can examine these effects in a confined preparation and compare axonal extension or pathfinding under different conditions. The approach helps connect signaling activity with the formation of neural connectivity.
Compared with studying an intact organism, this preparation reduces biological complexity and gives researchers more direct control over the tissue environment. That trade-off makes individual processes, such as neuronal differentiation or axon growth, easier to examine, while the explant does not reproduce every interaction present in the complete developing nervous system.
A basic workflow begins with isolating the dorsal region of the developing spinal cord, placing the tissue on a culture substrate, and maintaining it under conditions that preserve viability. Once established, the preparation can be observed as neurons and axons extend. Researchers may then manipulate or assess guidance cues, signaling pathways, or cell interactions.
Useful observations include neuronal differentiation, the extent and pattern of axon growth, and changes in pathfinding when experimental cues are introduced. These outcomes provide cellular evidence about how signals influence developing neural connections. Because the tissue remains accessible in culture, investigators can relate axonal behavior to the factors being tested rather than relying only on organism-level effects.
Researchers choose dorsal spinal explants when they need a tractable model for testing candidate factors that may influence neural development. The preparation is especially relevant to questions about how molecular signals shape connectivity, how neurons differentiate, and how axons respond during pathfinding. Its value lies in separating these questions from the full complexity of an intact organism.