Primary Nervous Cells

Here you can find endothelial cells, epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, pericytes, fibroblasts, meningeal cells, neurons and glial cells. You can also find medium to grow the cells as well as RNA, DNA and protein derived from these cells.

The tissue of the central nervous system is made up of two classes of cells that may be broadly categorized as neurons and glia. Neurons are anatomic, functional, and trophic units of the brain. Despite great variability in size and shape, all neurons share common morphologic features, which are those of the key elements of a highly complex communication network.

Glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursors, Schwann cells, microglia) are non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis and provide support and protection for the brain’s neurons. The main functions of glial cells are to hold neurons in place by surrounding them, to insulate the neurons from each other, to destroy pathogens and to remove dead neurons.

The brain microvascular endothelial cells (MEC) are the major element of the blood-brain barrier and comprise the primary limitation to passage of substances, both soluble and cellular, from the blood into the brain. Brain MEC utilizes unique features that distinguish themselves from those of peripheral endothelial cells.

Perineurial cells are of mesenchymal origin. They make up the perineurium, which has the important role of maintaining the integrity of the internal peripheral nerve environment by creating a physical barrier that, under physiologic condition, limits the entry of biologically active proteins, infectious agents, and migration of blood-borne cells into the nerve bundles

Vascular smooth muscle cells are the cellular substrate of most significant arterial disease. The increased growth potential of vascular smooth muscle cells represents one of the crucial anomalies responsible for the development of essential vascular diseases.

Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells which derived from the embryonic mesoderm. They have been extensively used for a wide range of cellular and molecular studies. This is mainly because they are one of easiest types of cells to grow in culture, and their durability makes them amenable to a wide variety of manipulations ranging from studies employing gene transfection to microinjection. There is good evidence that fibroblasts in different parts of the body are intrinsically different.

Pericytes are contractile smooth muscle-like cells that cover the abluminal surface of microvessels. They are most abundant on venules and are common on capillaries. The pericytes population is highly variable between different tissues and organs and appears to show functional heterogeneity.