Oligodendrocytes Differentiation Service

Introduction to Oligodendrocytes

In the nervous system, to maintain the efficiency of axons transmitting information over long distances in the form of electrical pulses, the myelin is required to wrap around the axon. Myelin is a lipid-rich specialized membrane generated by glial cells. In the central nervous system (CNS), myelin is generated from glial cells, which are also called oligodendrocytes.

Oligodendrocytes play important roles in the development of the nervous system, including myelination, and promote the rapid spread of action potentials, as well as support and ensure the long-term survival of axons. Myelination is a dynamic process that relates to complex interactions between different cell types. These functions are coordinated by communication between oligodendrocytes and neurons.

Fig.1 Oligodendrocyte development and myelination in zebrafish. (Mathews, 2016)

Oligodendrocytes Differentiation Process

During neural development, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are generated from special neural progenitors. And oligodendrocytes develop from OPCs to quiescent, highly branched mature oligodendrocytes. For example, spinal cord OPCs are generated from a ventral progenitor population. Before the differentiation process, OPCs migrate throughout the CNS and reach their target axons. A subset of OPCs then differentiate into mitotic pre-myelinating oligodendrocytes, and then mature into myelin-forming oligodendrocytes, while other OPCs persist into adulthood. Nonetheless, we have very little understanding of the mechanisms that regulate oligodendrocytes differentiation and myelination.

Scientists at Creative Biolabs have developed an approach that 3D neural spheroids can be obtained from human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells to model the development of oligodendrocytes.

Fig.2 Oligodendrocyte lineage progression in zebrafish. (Mathews, 2016)

Diseases Related to Oligodendrocytes

Recent studies have shown that the lack of myelin is associated with a broad range of neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, depression, and schizophrenia. The destruction of myelin can be caused by traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, and normal aging. In summary, myelin defects lead to serious health burdens, and it is urgent to develop novel therapeutic strategies to promote the formation, protection, and repair of myelin.

Services at Creative Biolabs

At Creative Biolabs, we provide a specialized custom oligodendrocyte differentiation service. This service offers integrated solutions for the production and differentiation of oligodendrocytes from various stem cell origins. Our service is designed specifically to meet these unique needs - we do not merely supply you with the raw materials but also offer a comprehensive service package that guides you through the entire process.

The process starts with a client consultation to understand their specific requirements which might include:

• The source of neural stem cells (either client-provided or procured by us)
• The number and purity of oligodendrocytes required
• Any additional genetic modifications
• The format in which the cells should be delivered (i.e. live, frozen or in specific culture conditions)

Tailored to each specific need, our custom oligodendrocyte differentiation service guarantees efficient and reliable results, providing the perfect tool for your neurobiological research needs. We also offer flexibility in our services, including but not limited to:

Published Data

M Ehrlich et al. demonstrated that the induction of three transcription factors (SOX10, OLIG2, NKX6.2) in iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells is sufficient to rapidly generate O4+ oligodendrocytes with an efficiency of up to 70% in 28 d and a global gene-expression profile comparable to primary human oligodendrocytes.

The researchers aimed to identify TFs that accelerate oligodendrocyte differentiation. Among all TF candidates, only SOX10 was able to induce O4, a highly specific marker for oligodendrocytes, after 14 days of exposure. They also identified OLIG2 as a factor that significantly increased SOX10-mediated oligodendrocyte lineage stereotyping, while ASCL1 and MYT1 significantly reduced the number of O4+ cells. The combination of SOX10 and OLIG2 with NKX6.2 further significantly increased the proportion of O4+ cells.

Fig. 3 Human iPSC-derived NPC were infected with individual oligodendrocyte-specific TFs or RFP control virus and quantification of O4+ oligodendrocytes over all cells with indicated TF combinations 2 wk after transgene induction.³

Applications

The applications of this service are manifold.

• Basic Research: Our service facilitates basic research into the biology of oligodendrocytes and myelination processes. Researchers can investigate molecular mechanisms underlying oligodendrocyte differentiation, myelin formation, and interactions with other cell types in the CNS, advancing our understanding of normal development and disease pathogenesis.
• CNS Disease Modeling: We assist researchers in generating patient-specific oligodendrocytes from iPSCs derived from individuals with neurological disorders. These differentiated oligodendrocytes can be utilized to model disease mechanisms, screen potential therapeutics, and study disease progression in vitro.
• Neurotoxicity Testing: Our specialized service assists in neurotoxicity testing. Using our differentiated oligodendrocytes could help evaluate the neurotoxic effects of the compounds.

Working in tandem with our diverse cellular models and world-class laboratories, our service is here to help boost your research capabilities and expand avenues of discovery in neuronal research.

FAQs

Q: How can customizing the process benefit my research?

A: By customizing the oligodendrocyte differentiation, you have control over factors like growth conditions and maturation speed. This allows you to create the specific conditions that your experiment calls for. This is especially helpful when you're researching specific diseases or conditions that may affect the differentiation process.

Q: Is this service viable for high-throughput screening applications?

A: Yes, our oligodendrocyte differentiation service can be used in high-throughput screening (HTS) applications. Our service produces high-quality, consistent oligodendrocyte batches, suitable for drug screening and testing the efficacy of therapeutic candidates in high-throughput formats.

Q: How can I store the received differentiated oligodendrocytes for future use?

A: The differentiated oligodendrocytes should be maintained in an appropriate culture medium and can be stored under standard cell culture conditions. We provide complete instructions along with the cells to ensure their long-term viability.

Q: How are the differentiated cells delivered?

A: The differentiated oligodendrocytes can be delivered in a ready-to-use cell pellet or as live cultures upon your request. The cells are cryopreserved in a cryo-vial and shipped in a controlled environment to keep the cells viable.

Scientific Resources

The Impact and Role of Microenvironment in 3D Brain Models

Creative Biolabs is one of the well-recognized experts who are professional in applying advanced platforms for a broad range of neurosciences research, now we provide the novel oligodendrocytes differentiation service for our clients all over the world. We have the capability to enable you to free up your time for core work and projects. If you are interested in our services and products, please do not hesitate to contact us for more detailed information.

References

1. Mathews, E.; Appel, B. Oligodendrocyte differentiation. Methods in cell biology. 2016, 134: 69-96.
2. Marton, R.; et al. Differentiation and maturation of oligodendrocytes in human three-dimensional neural cultures. Nature neuroscience. 2019, 22(3): 484-491.
3. Ehrlich, Marc, et al. "Rapid and efficient generation of oligodendrocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells using transcription factors." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114.11 (2017): E2243-E2252.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.