An Overview of Multiple Sclerosis In Vitro Models.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Immunology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) presents complex etiology, limited treatments, and no cure, significantly impacting patient quality of life through motor and cognitive deficits.
• Pathogenic processes in MS involve neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize and discuss various in vitro cellular models for multiple sclerosis (MS) research.
• To describe the development and characteristics of these models.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on in vitro models for MS.
• Discussion of cell types used: primary and immortalized cell lines from animal and human sources.
• Characterization of cell cultures derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
• Consideration of culture formats: 2D and 3D cultures.

Main Results:

• Multiple types of in vitro models are available for MS research, utilizing various cell sources and culture techniques.
• Models include primary and immortalized cells from animals and humans, as well as iPSC-derived cultures.
• Both 2D and 3D culture systems are relevant for studying MS.

Conclusions:

• In vitro models are crucial tools for advancing the understanding of multiple sclerosis.
• The choice of model, including cell source and culture format, impacts research outcomes.
• Further development and application of these models hold promise for identifying new therapeutic strategies for MS.