Distance-Dependent Reactive Astrogliosis Induced by a Refined Laser-Induced Shockwave System

<p dir="ltr">This study investigates how laser-induced shockwave (LIS) affects astrocyte activation in vitro, simulating blast-induced traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mixed cultures of cortical neurons and astrocytes were exposed to LIS, and the expression of glial fibrillary acidic pr...

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Main Author: William Chang (242168) (author)
Other Authors: Serina Yan (22416354) (author), Brandon Ng (15079981) (author), Paisley Ruddy (22347486) (author), Medha Ravi (22397910) (author), Angela Shen (22416361) (author), Kate Zhao (22416364) (author), Yee Tong Lam (22416367) (author), Ethan Chan (22416370) (author), Michael Busalacchi (22416371) (author), Jessica Liu (403324) (author), Chengbiao Wu (12863681) (author), Linda Z. Shi (19183704) (author), Veronica Gomez-Godinez (9307754) (author)
Published: 2025
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Summary:<p dir="ltr">This study investigates how laser-induced shockwave (LIS) affects astrocyte activation in vitro, simulating blast-induced traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mixed cultures of cortical neurons and astrocytes were exposed to LIS, and the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA-1) was quantified to assess cellular responses to mechanical stress.</p><p dir="ltr">Using a 1030 nm, 500 Hz laser focused through a Zeiss microscope, shockwaves were delivered at a fixed distance from the cell population. Cells were stained with DAPI, GFAP, and IBA-1, and fluorescence imaging was used to measure protein expression. Analysis revealed a clear inverse relationship between GFAP intensity and distance from the shockwave center, indicating that astrocytes closer to the injury site exhibited stronger activation.</p><p dir="ltr">These findings validate the LIS system as a precise tool for modeling distance-dependent injury responses in astrocytes. Future research will separate astrocyte-only and mixed-cell populations to explore the regulatory role of cortical neurons and compare GFAP and IBA-1 expression trends.</p>