A Screen For Drugs:Promote Oligodendrocyte Formatio(RMI)

描述(申请人提供)：该项目的目标是开发斑马鱼作为研究少突胶质细胞的模型系统，少突胶质细胞是脊椎动物中枢神经系统的有髓细胞类型，从神经干细胞和祖细胞的常驻种群中再生。促进新的少突胶质细胞形成的能力可能有助于疾病或损伤后恢复神经系统功能的治疗。斑马鱼为研究神经再生提供了许多优势。斑马鱼完全在母体外发育，胚胎和幼鱼的光学是透明的，为直接和广泛观察神经细胞提供了机会。为了便于对少突胶质细胞的直接观察，我们培育了在少突胶质细胞分化的所有阶段都表达荧光蛋白的转基因报告基因系。因为它们很容易吸收化合物，我们的转基因斑马鱼可以用来筛选促进少突胶质细胞替代的药物。因此，这项工作试图利用斑马鱼化学筛选中心来寻找促进少突胶质细胞形成的药物。神经疾病和损伤对人类健康具有毁灭性的影响。这项工作将为识别和研究促进神经再生和恢复的基因和药物提供基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to develop zebrafish as a model system to investigate regeneration of oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cell type of the vertebrate central nervous system, from resident populations of neural stem and progenitor cells. The ability to promote formation of new oligodendrocytes might aid therapies to restore nervous system function following disease or injury. Zebrafish offer numerous advantages for studying neural regeneration. Zebrafish develop entirely outside the mother and embryos and young fish are optically clear, providing the opportunity for direct and extended observations of neural cells. To facilitate direct observation of oligodendrocytes, we have produced transgenic reporter gene lines that express fluorescent proteins in oligodendrocytes at all stages of their differentiation. Because they readily take up chemical compounds, our transgenic zebrafish can be used to screen for drugs that promote oligodendrocyte replacement. Thus, this work seeks to utilize the Zebrafish Chemical Screening Center to search for drugs that promote formation of oligodendrocytes. Neural diseases and injuries have devastating impacts on human health. This work will provide a foundation for identifying and investigating genes and drugs that promote neural regeneration and recovery.