The characterization of astrocyte cell lines that display properties of glial scar tissue

The glial scar has been proposed to be a major impediment to regeneration in the adult CNS. Analysis of glial scars in vivo is complicated, however, by the large number of cell types present in such lesions. We have attempted to simplify analysis of the glial scar environment by deriving a series of conditionally immortal astrocyte cell lines that display several properties expressed by glial scar tissue in vitro. The astrocyte lines, which were derived from H-2KbtsA58 transgenic mice, expressed macromolecules associated with glial scars in vivo and were significantly less effective than neonatal astrocytes at promoting neurite outgrowth from postnatal central and peripheral neurons. The astrocyte lines also inhibited migration of oligodendrocyte type-2 astrocyte progenitor cells in vitro. We propose that certain properties shown previously to be expressed by glial scars may be reconstituted in vitro by astrocytes alone.