Nerve fibre outgrowth

In 1907, Ross Granville Harrison introduced tissue culture as a new technique for the study of nerve fibre outgrowth [24], At that time, it was hardly envisioned that cell culture would become the most widespread research tool in life sciences and an important method for preparing antibodies, vaccines and drugs. During the development of tissue culture, parameters such as sterility, temperature, gas mixture, medium composition and substrate features were found to be critical for... 

The survival and development of neurons are influenced not only by soluble molecules such as neurotransmitters and trophic factors, but also by cell adhesion molecules anchored either on cell membranes or in the extracellular matrix. Laminin has received a great deal of attention in recent years by virtue of its powerful effects on the course of nerve fibre outgrowth. As such, it has been the subject of a number of fine reviews in preceding years (see Timpl et al., 1979 Martin and Timpl, 1987 Sanes, 1989 Mercurio, 1990 Reich-ardt and Tomaselli, 1991 Hynes and Lander, 1992 Yurchenco, 1994 Yurchenco and O Rear, 1994). The aim of the current overview is to focus on some of the work that has occurred in just the last few years, particularly as it pertains to neuronal development. 

Ebendal, T., Jordell-Kylberg, A. and Sbderstrom, S. (1978) Stimulation by tissue explants on nerve fibre outgrowth in culture. In C.-O. Jacobson and T. Ebendal (Eds.), Formshaping Movements in Neurogenesis, Almqvist Wiksell, Stockholm, pp. 235-243. 

Valentini, R., Vargo, T., Gardella, J., and Aebischer, P, Electrically charged polymeric. substrates enhance nerve fibre outgrowth in vitro. Biomaterials, 13, 183-190 (1992). 

Hefti, F., Hartikka, J., Eckenstein, F., Gnahn, H., Heumann, R. and Schwab, M. (1985) Nerve growth factor increases choline acetyltransferase but not survival or fibre outgrowth of cultured fetal septal cholinergic neurons. Neuroscience 14 55-68. 

---