In vitro studies of glial cells: what can we learn about demyelinating diseases?

Acquired demyelinating diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems comprise an important group of neurologic diseases of unknown etiology and incompletely understood pathogenesis. Cultures of glial cells are proving highly useful in investigating the role of both antibodies and cytokines in the pathogenesis of these disorders. While there clearly is need for comparative studies employing more complex systems and using patient derived tissues, glial cell cultures provide important advantages by allowing researchers to characterize the effect of cytokines and growth factors on specific cell types in controlled conditions.