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Journal ArticleDOI

Cerebral organoids model human brain development and microcephaly

TL;DR: A human pluripotent stem cell-derived three-dimensional organoid culture system that develops various discrete, although interdependent, brain regions that include a cerebral cortex containing progenitor populations that organize and produce mature cortical neuron subtypes is developed.
Abstract: The complexity of the human brain has made it difficult to study many brain disorders in model organisms, highlighting the need for an in vitro model of human brain development Here we have developed a human pluripotent stem cell-derived three-dimensional organoid culture system, termed cerebral organoids, that develop various discrete, although interdependent, brain regions These include a cerebral cortex containing progenitor populations that organize and produce mature cortical neuron subtypes Furthermore, cerebral organoids are shown to recapitulate features of human cortical development, namely characteristic progenitor zone organization with abundant outer radial glial stem cells Finally, we use RNA interference and patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells to model microcephaly, a disorder that has been difficult to recapitulate in mice We demonstrate premature neuronal differentiation in patient organoids, a defect that could help to explain the disease phenotype Together, these data show that three-dimensional organoids can recapitulate development and disease even in this most complex human tissue

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A microfluidic cell culture device created with microchip manufacturing methods that contains continuously perfused chambers inhabited by living cells arranged to simulate tissue- and organ-level physiology has great potential to advance the study of tissue development, organ physiology and disease etiology.
Abstract: Organ-level physiology is recapitulated in vitro by culturing cells in perfused, microfluidic devices.

2,339 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
16 Jun 2016-Cell
TL;DR: 3D culture technology allow embryonic and adult mammalian stem cells to exhibit their remarkable self-organizing properties, and the resulting organoids reflect key structural and functional properties of organs such as kidney, lung, gut, brain and retina, and hold promise to predict drug response in a personalized fashion.

1,810 citations


Cites background from "Cerebral organoids model human brai..."

  • ...Lancaster and Knoblich took this approach to a next level by generating cerebral organoids, or ‘‘mini-brains’’: single neural organoids containing representations of several different brain regions (Lancaster et al., 2013)....

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  • ...The corresponding iPS cells made significant smaller ‘‘mini-brains,’’ containing only occasional neuroepithelial regionswith signs of remature neural differentiation, a phenotype that could be rescued by reintroducing the CDK5RAP2 protein (Lancaster et al., 2013)....

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  • ...Lancaster and Knoblich took this approach to a next level by generating cerebral organoids, or ‘‘mini-brains’’: single neural organoids containing representations of several different brain regions (Lancaster et al., 2013)....

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  • ...Since post-radiation hyposalivation often leads to irreversible and untreatable (A) A complex morphology with heterogeneous regions containing neural progenitors (SOX2, red) and neurons (TUJ1, green) is apparent (Lancaster et al., 2013)....

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  • ...A ‘‘Mini-Brain’’ Generated from PSCs (A) A complex morphology with heterogeneous regions containing neural progenitors (SOX2, red) and neurons (TUJ1, green) is apparent (Lancaster et al., 2013)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
18 Jul 2014-Science
TL;DR: These studies illustrated two key events in structural organization during organogenesis: cell sorting out and spatially restricted lineage commitment, which are recapitulated in organoids, which self-assemble to form the cellular organization of the organ itself.
Abstract: Classical experiments performed half a century ago demonstrated the immense self-organizing capacity of vertebrate cells. Even after complete dissociation, cells can reaggregate and reconstruct the original architecture of an organ. More recently, this outstanding feature was used to rebuild organ parts or even complete organs from tissue or embryonic stem cells. Such stem cell-derived three-dimensional cultures are called organoids. Because organoids can be grown from human stem cells and from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, they have the potential to model human development and disease. Furthermore, they have potential for drug testing and even future organ replacement strategies. Here, we summarize this rapidly evolving field and outline the potential of organoid technology for future biomedical research.

1,737 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
19 May 2016-Cell
TL;DR: A miniaturized spinning bioreactor (SpinΩ) is developed to generate forebrain-specific organoids from human iPSCs that recapitulate key features of human cortical development, including progenitor zone organization, neurogenesis, gene expression, and, notably, a distinct human-specific outer radial glia cell layer.

1,526 citations


Cites background or methods or result from "Cerebral organoids model human brai..."

  • ...…pioneering studies showed that cerebral organoid systems offer improved growth conditions for 3D tissue, leading to a more representative model of the developing human brain (Danjo et al., 2011; Kadoshima et al., 2013; Lancaster et al., 2013; Mariani et al., 2015; Pasca et al., 2015)....

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  • ...One recent advance in cerebral organoid technology was the adoption of a spinning bioreactor to facilitate nutrient and oxygen absorption, which enables formation of longer neuroepithelium-like zones and supports growth of large, complex organoids that more closely resemble the developing human brain than had been achieved by previous approaches (Lancaster et al., 2013)....

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  • ...Second, the current cerebral organoid methodology (“intrinsic protocol”) is based on cell self-assembly without external control, and thus each organoid is typically comprised of diverse cell types found in forebrain, hindbrain, and retina (Lancaster et al., 2013)....

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  • ...This and other human cerebral organoid technologies (Kadoshima et al., 2013; Lancaster et al., 2013; Cell....

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  • ...Second, the current cerebral organoid methodology (‘‘intrinsic protocol’’) is based on cell self-assembly without external control, and thus each organoid is typically comprised of diverse cell types found in forebrain, hindbrain, and retina (Lancaster et al., 2013)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A simple and reproducible 3D culture approach for generating a laminated cerebral cortex–like structure, named human cortical spheroids (hCSs), from pluripotent stem cells, which demonstrate that cortical neurons participate in network activity and produce complex synaptic events.
Abstract: The human cerebral cortex develops through an elaborate succession of cellular events that, when disrupted, can lead to neuropsychiatric disease. The ability to reprogram somatic cells into pluripotent cells that can be differentiated in vitro provides a unique opportunity to study normal and abnormal corticogenesis. Here, we present a simple and reproducible 3D culture approach for generating a laminated cerebral cortex-like structure, named human cortical spheroids (hCSs), from pluripotent stem cells. hCSs contain neurons from both deep and superficial cortical layers and map transcriptionally to in vivo fetal development. These neurons are electrophysiologically mature, display spontaneous activity, are surrounded by nonreactive astrocytes and form functional synapses. Experiments in acute hCS slices demonstrate that cortical neurons participate in network activity and produce complex synaptic events. These 3D cultures should allow a detailed interrogation of human cortical development, function and disease, and may prove a versatile platform for generating other neuronal and glial subtypes in vitro.

1,104 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Three key cellular parameters, asymmetric inheritance, cell cycle kinetics, and interkinetic nuclear migration, are reviewed, and the possible mechanisms for how these features influence progenitor fates are reviewed.
Abstract: The developing nervous system derives from neuroepithelial progenitor cells that divide to generate all of the mature neuronal types. For the proper complement of cell types to form, the progenitors must produce postmitotic cells, yet also replenish the progenitor pool. Progenitor divisions can be classified into three general types: symmetric proliferative (producing two progenitors), asymmetric neurogenic (producing one progenitor and one postmitotic cell), and symmetric neurogenic (producing two postmitotic cells). The appropriate ratios for these modes of cell division require intrinsic polarity, which is one of the characteristics that define neuroepithelial progenitor cells. The type of division an individual progenitor undergoes can be influenced by cellular features, or behaviors, which are heterogeneous within the population of progenitors. Here we review three key cellular parameters, asymmetric inheritance, cell cycle kinetics, and interkinetic nuclear migration, and the possible mechanisms for how these features influence progenitor fates.

36 citations

Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: The primitive neuroepithelial cells generated by this protocol can be further induced into neuronal and glial cells with forebrain, mid/hind brain, and spinal cord identities and targeted transmitter phenotypes.
Abstract: Neural tissue is derived from the embryonic ectoderm. The initial step in the generation of the vertebrate nervous system is the specification of neuroepithelia from ectodermal cells—a process known as neural induction. The specified neuroepithelia in the midline dorsal ectoderm rapidly grow into a pseudostratified layer of neural plate, which later folds and closes to form the neural tube, the rudiment of the central nervous system (CNS). The lateral lip of the neural plate detaches when the neural plate closes and gives rise to neural crest derivatives. In mouse, neural plate forms at embryonic day 7, whereas in humans, it develops around embryonic day 18 (1).

27 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Evidence was obtained of ventricular mitoses whose spindles are perpendicular to the surface of the ventricle, suggesting that these perpendicular orientations are not accidental but serve some specific purpose: either they give rise to a different cell population, or they represent a stage preparatory for cell migration.

16 citations