Modeling the midbrain floor plate and mature dopaminergic neurons with human pluripotent stem cells in 3-D

Neural organoids derived from patient-specific iPSC lines can help open doors toward studying human brain development, physiology, and disease progression. The increased cell-cell interactions in organoids versus monolayer culture help promote functionality and can enable more actionable results from drug discovery. Unfortunately, the increased complexity and relevance of neural organoids comes with the costs of low throughput and poor reproducibility. This webinar will focus on generation of human midbrain organoids for the study of Parkinsons Disease. In order to simplify the workflow, an established method for 2-D differentiation of floor plate was adapted to 3-D and adjusted to improve dopaminergic neuron yields and speed maturation. We will discuss key analysis methods such as whole-organoid imaging techniques and multielectrode physiology to assay neuronal function. We will also examine the generation of disease model organoids and their application to drug discovery efforts.

 

Learning Objectives