Formation of ventral midbrain Assembloid/Organoids

Brain organoids are three-dimensional (3D) structures derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that reflect early brain organization. Compared with traditional cell cultures, brain organoids offer a more accurate representation of human brain development and function, rendering them suitable models for neurodevelopmental diseases. In this early pilot to form brain organoids using iPSCs, we focused on verifying a successful approach to form organoids using our vmDA generated from our protocol, optimizing conditions to maintain the organoids (media, feeding schedule) as well as trying to understand the different ways to analyze these formed organoids. This approach also tested the possibility of producing a tri-culture system by adding iPSC-derived microglia into the organoids (composed of neurons and glia), and investigating the interactions between the distinct cell types.