Human fetal brain cell culture

The human brain is arguably the most complex organ system, consisting of more than 10(11) nerve cells and at least three times as many glial cells Because of the cellular complexity of even the simplest nervous systems, the development of in vitro technologies that allow isolation and study of nerve and glial cells under conditions in which their environment can be precisely manipulated has proven Invaluable (1, 2) However, several factors have contributed to the relative dearth of information concerning the mechanisms responsible for the development and proper function of the human brain compared to the knowledge base in lower mammalian and invertebrate species. A major impediment has been the ethical considerations surrounding the use of fetal human tissue obtained from elective abortions and the lack of an alternative source of viable normal human brain cells. Although research that employs human fetal tissue has been limited, what has been done has made a major impact in the development of prophylactics and therapeutics for several important human diseases For example, the use of fetal tissue from elective abortions was key to development of the polio vaccine (3).