Astro.4U – Human iPS Cell-Derived Astrocytes – in development

Fig 1: Immunocytochemical staining of Astro.4U^TM glial cells (red: S100B, blue: Dapi).

Astrocytes are specialized supportive cells of the central nervous system (CNS). They are essential to insure its healthy functioning and are implicated in numerous disease mechanisms.

Astro.4U^TM have been developed to better recapitulate the Neuron-Astrocyte interactions of (patho)physiological relevance. Recent advances within the field of neurobiology demonstrated the importance of the „Neuron-Astrocyte-Team“ in the progression of various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Astro.4U^TM are terminally differentiated Astrocytes that can be cultured alone or in a co-culture system with our neurons. In order to facilitate downstream analysis, Astro.4U^TM are generated from the same human iPS cells than „standard“ Dopa.4U^TM, Peri.4U^TM or CNS.4U^TM.