Combinatorial use of markers to isolate synaptic glia to generate synapses in a dish for high-throughput and high-content drug discovery and testing
AssigneeBrown University
InventorGregorio Valdez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides molecular tools to visualize, isolate, and manipulate the glial cells that are necessary for the formation, stability, and function of the synapse. The inventors identified a unique gene expression signature that distinguishes perisynaptic Schwann cells from all other Schwann cells. Using a combinatorial approach and coëxpressing two different fluorescence proteins, each using a different promoter, only those glial cells associated with the neuromuscular synapse are labeled.
Claims8
A method for identifying one or more therapeutic agents that can induce and/or cause Schwann cells to stop proliferating and to differentiate into perisynaptic Schwann cells;
- the method comprising the steps of:
- (1) obtaining isolated Schwann cells, wherein the Schwann cells coexpress two different fluorescence proteins, wherein the message for each of the two different fluorescence proteins is expressed using a different promoter;
- and wherein the promoters are an NG2 promoter and an S100β promoter;
- and
- (2) testing the one or more therapeutic agents for an ability to cause Schwann cells to stop proliferating and differentiate into perisynaptic Schwann cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.