Cited by 490Pluripotent Stem Cells ResearchNeurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsDevelopmental Biology and Gene Regulation

Generation and assembly of human brain region-specific three-dimensional cultures

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Sloan, Steven A., Andersen, Jimena, Pașca, Anca M., Birey, Fikri, Pașca, Sergiu P.·2018·Nature Protocols

Abstract

The ability to generate region-specific three-dimensional (3D) models to study human brain development offers great promise for understanding the nervous system in both healthy individuals and patients. In this protocol, we describe how to generate and assemble subdomain-specific forebrain spheroids, also known as brain region-specific organoids, from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). We describe how to pattern the neural spheroids toward either a dorsal forebrain or a ventral forebrain fate, establishing human cortical spheroids (hCSs) and human subpallial spheroids (hSSs), respectively. We also describe how to combine the neural spheroids in vitro to assemble forebrain assembloids that recapitulate the interactions of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons seen in vivo. Astrocytes are also present in the human forebrain-specific spheroids, and these undergo maturation when the forebrain spheroids are cultured long term. The initial generation of neural spheroids from hPSCs occurs in <1 week, with regional patterning occurring over the subsequent 5 weeks. After the maturation stage, brain region-specific spheroids are amenable to a variety of assays, including live-cell imaging, calcium dynamics, electrophysiology, cell purification, single-cell transcriptomics, and immunohistochemistry studies. Once generated, forebrain spheroids can also be matured for >24 months in culture.

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  • Region-specific spheroids or organoids can be fused in vitro to generate 3D assembloids that model complex cellular interactions during human brain development.

    “We have previously developed an approach to model complex cellular interactions during human brain development by specifying region-specific spheroids or organoids and then fusing them in vitro to generate three-dimensional (3D) assembloids”

    From Generation of Functional Human 3D Cortico-Motor Assembloids (2020) · cites this paper as Sloan et al., 2018

  • The hiPS cell lines used were validated by standard methods.

    “The hiPS cell lines used in this study were validated using standard methods as previously described (Paşca et al., 2011; Sloan et al., 2018).”

    From Generation of Functional Human 3D Cortico-Motor Assembloids (2020) · cites this paper as Sloan et al., 2018

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Authors
Sloan, S. A., Andersen, J., Pașca, A. M., Birey, F., & Pașca, S. P.
Affiliations
Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Pașca, Sergiu P.
Venue
Nature Protocols
Published
2018-09
Volume
13
Issue
9
Pages
2062-2085
ISSN
  • 1750-2799 (ISSN-L)
  • 1754-2189
OpenAlex
W2890597376
Cited by
490
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 69 · 2025: 93 · 2024: 90 · 2023: 60 · 2022: 66 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 37 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 2
FWCI
10.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Protocols (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001085)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F30MH106261, R01MH107800)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM007365)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Pluripotent Stem Cells Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
Keywords
human pluripotent stem cells, dorsal forebrain, ventral forebrain, assembloids, glutamatergic neurons, GABAergic neurons, astrocyte maturation, human brain development
MeSH terms
Humans, Models, Biological, Organ Culture Techniques, Organoids, Prosencephalon, Tissue Engineering, Organogenesis, Pluripotent Stem Cells

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