From Challenges to Breakthroughs in Culturing Neurons

Within the intricate and highly complex network of the nervous system, neurons serve as the primary functional units, playing a critical role in the reception, integration, and transmission of information. They form extensive synaptic networks that constitute the cellular foundation for higher brain functions, including cognition, perception, memory, and motor regulation. With the rapid development of neuroscience, regenerative medicine, and brain-inspired research, in vitro neuron culture has emerged as an ideal model for investigating neural development, disease mechanisms, drug screening, and neuroengineering. In this edition of Cell Culture Academy, we delve into the research and culture of neurons to support your efforts in overcoming the challenges of neuron-based studies.

Ⅰ  Advantages of Neuron Culture In Vitro

High purity and strong controllability: Neurons obtained through primary isolation or induced differentiation are compositionally uniform, facilitating focused studies on neuronal physiology and pathology.

Typical morphology: Supported by optimized culture systems, neurons develop distinct dendrites and axons, effectively mimicking in vivo neural network morphology.

Electrophysiological activity: Mature in vitro neurons generate action potentials and exhibit synaptic transmission capabilities, making them suitable for analyzing excitability and neural activity.

Ability to form functional neural networks: Co-culturing multiple neurons enables synaptic connections that simulate in vivo neural circuits, ideal for studying synaptic plasticity and network regulation.

Ⅱ  Research Applications of Neurons

Modeling neural development: Observing processes such as neuronal polarization, axon guidance, and synapse formation to explore developmental mechanisms of the central nervous system.

Studying neurodegenerative disease mechanisms: Widely used in constructing disease models and analyzing pathological mechanisms for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and others.

Establishing neural drug screening platforms: Evaluating neurotoxicity and neuroprotective effects of candidate compounds, serving as a critical step in central nervous system drug development.

Supporting regenerative medicine and cellular engineering: Combined with stem cell technologies to facilitate neuronal differentiation, transplantation, and neural repair research.

Advancing brain-inspired technologies and neuroengineering: Developing brain-machine interface models and biomimetic synapse systems, empowering smart chip design and neural modulation studies.

Ⅲ  Challenges in Neuron Culture

Difficult isolation: Primary neuron isolation is a complex process; factors such as tissue sourcing, enzymatic digestion, and procedural details often lead to low purity, inconsistent success rates, and reduced cell viability.

Challenging culture conditions: Neurons are highly sensitive to culture medium composition. During long-term culture, issues such as decreased survival rates, reduced purity, and poorly defined synaptic morphology frequently arise, negatively impacting their functionality and downstream applications.

Ⅳ  Pricella® Neuron Research Solutions

Primary Neuron Isolation and Culture Kit

Product Name: Rat Cortex Neuron Cells Isolation and Culture Kit Cat.No.: P-CA-604 Size: 3 Tests / 10 Tests	Product Name: Mouse Cortex Neuron Cells Isolation and Culture Kit Cat.No.: P-CA-704 Size: 3 Tests / 10 Tests

Product Advantages

• Standardized protocol enables even less experienced users to easily perform neuron isolation and culture.
• Ready-to-use complete reagent set allows for “plug-and-play” operation, eliminating complex reagent preparation steps.
• Enhances efficiency of primary cell isolation, providing an effective alternative to costly purchased cells.

Recommended Neuron Culture System

Neuron culture medium (PM151223 or PM151236) + 2% B-27 neuron Supplement, with vitamin A, 50× (PB180637) + 1% 200mM L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine Solution (100×) (PB180419)

Note: Neurobasal Medium (PM151223) is suitable for prenatal and embryonic neuron culture; Neurobasal-A Medium (PM151236) is suitable for neonatal and mature brain neuron culture.

Neuron Culture Case Studies

Morphological Changes of Rat Neurons During 14 Days of Growth:

From days 3 to 8, neuronal processes significantly elongate and branch extensively, with neurite terminals beginning to intertwine into a network. The cells remain viable for up to 14 days.

Rat neurons cultured for 7 days were analyzed by immunofluorescence staining using TUBB3 (red), GFAP (green), and DAPI (blue). Results showed that Pricella® maintains cell purity above 90%, outperforming competitors. The Pricella® neuron culture system is better suited for long-term neuron culture and maintenance of cellular health.