Cited by 650Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsNeurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments

A 3D human triculture system modeling neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease

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Park, Joseph, Wetzel, Isaac, Marriott, Ian, Dréau, Didier, D’Avanzo, Carla, Kim, Doo Yeon, Tanzi, Rudolph E., Cho, Hansang·2018·Nature Neuroscience

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by beta-amyloid accumulation, phosphorylated tau formation, hyperactivation of glial cells, and neuronal loss. The mechanisms of AD pathogenesis, however, remain poorly understood, partially due to the lack of relevant models that can comprehensively recapitulate multistage intercellular interactions in human AD brains. Here we present a new three-dimensional (3D) human AD triculture model using neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in a 3D microfluidic platform. Our model provided key representative AD features: beta-amyloid aggregation, phosphorylated tau accumulation, and neuroinflammatory activity. In particular, the model mirrored microglial recruitment, neurotoxic activities such as axonal cleavage, and NO release damaging AD neurons and astrocytes. Our model will serve to facilitate the development of more precise human brain models for basic mechanistic studies in neural-glial interactions and drug discovery.

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  • Improved models of AD are underway, including primates, brain organoids, and further transgenic mouse lines.

    “Improved models of AD are underway. These include the use of primates [276], brain organoids [249] and further transgenic mouse lines.”

    From Microglia and monocytes in inflammatory CNS disease: integrating phenotype and function (2022) · cites this paper as [249]

    The Results (page not provided) describe an improved 3D human AD model, but identify it as a microfluidic tri-culture of neurons, astrocytes, and microglia. The paper does not identify its model as a brain organoid, which is the specific example this citation is attached to. The citations for primates and the uncited mouse-line statement are not assessed here. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • The tri-culture system consisting of human stem cell-derived neurons, astrocytes and microglia cultured within 3D Matrigel was used to study migration and phagocytosis of microglia as well as microglia-induced neurite degeneration and cell death in an AD brain-like environment.

    “This tri-culture system, consisting of human stem cell-derived neurons, astrocytes and microglia cultured within 3D Matrigel, was used to study the migration and phagocytosis of microglia as well as microglia-induced neurite degeneration and cell death in an AD brain-like environment.”

    From Acoustofluidic assembly of 3D neurospheroids to model Alzheimer's disease (2020) · cites this paper as [23]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • Astrocytes are capable of stimulating microglia phagocytosis by secretion of cytokines such as IL33 and the complement protein C3.

    “Several studies have demonstrated that astrocytes are capable of stimulating microglia phagocytosis by secretion of cytokines such as IL33 and the complement protein C3 [19, 34].”

    From Crosstalk between astrocytes and microglia results in increased degradation of α-synuclein and amyloid-β aggregates (2021) · cites this paper as [34]

    The Discussion reports that the neuron–astrocyte culture secreted chemokines, including CCL2/MCP-1, that contributed to microglial recruitment. It does not say that astrocytes stimulated microglial phagocytosis through IL-33 or C3; its separate discussion of complement concerns C1q and synapse engulfment in mouse models. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • A microfluidic 3D triculture of astrocytes, neurons, and microglia shows Aβ aggregation, p-tau accumulation, and inflammatory cytokine secretion and can be used to study AD pathogenesis.

    “The model showed Aβ aggregation, p-tau accumulation, and secretion of inflammatory cytokines can be used to study the pathogenesis of AD.”
  • The Alzheimer's disease brain contains more complex pathology that is highly related to neuroinflammation.

    “Other than the neurotoxicity of Aβ aggregates, the AD brain contains more complex pathology, which is highly related to neuroinflammation.23, 43”

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Authors
Park, J., Wetzel, I., Marriott, I., Dréau, D., D’Avanzo, C., Kim, D. Y., Tanzi, R. E., & Cho, H.
Affiliations
  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Cho, Hansang
Venue
Nature Neuroscience
Published
2018-06-27
Volume
21
Issue
7
Pages
941-951
ISSN
  • 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-1726
OpenAlex
W2809913775
Cited by
644
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 35 · 2025: 78 · 2024: 90 · 2023: 91 · 2022: 78 · 2021: 110 · 2020: 92 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 12
FWCI
46.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (P01AG015379, R01AG061891, RF1AG048080, R01AG014713)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, microfluidic platform, neuroinflammation, amyloid-beta aggregation, phosphorylated tau, microglial recruitment, human brain model
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Astrocytes, Humans, Inflammation, Nerve Degeneration, Neurons, Phosphorylation, Amyloid beta-Peptides, tau Proteins, Microglia, Cell Culture Techniques

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