Culture and cryopreservation of adult human oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.

Human adult oligodendrocytes were bulk-isolated from the brains obtained at autopsy by the Percoll density gradient method and cultured in vitro for 2-28 days. Cultured human oligodendrocytes were then scraped from the dishes or coverslips, frozen at -70 degrees C in the presence of 10% dimethyl sulfoxide as a cryoprotectorant, and then stored in liquid nitrogen tank. After the fast thawing, 55%-70% of human oligodendrocytes plus astrocytes were found to survive in the culture. Identification of cell types was established by using antibodies directed against galactocerebroside (oligodendrocyte) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (astrocyte).