Generation of iPSC-derived Human Brain Organoids to Model Early Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Summary

Modeling human brain development has been hindered due to the unprecedented complexity of neural epithelial tissue. Here, a method for the robust generation of brain organoids to delineate early events of human brain development and to model microcephaly in vitro is described.

Abstract

The restricted availability of suitable in vitro models that can reliably represent complex human brain development is a significant bottleneck that limits the translation of basic brain research into clinical application. While induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have replaced the ethically questionable human embryonic stem cells, iPSC-based neuronal differentiation studies remain descriptive at the cellular level but fail to adequately provide the details that could be derived from a complex, 3D human brain tissue.

This gap is now filled through the application of iPSC-derived, 3D brain organoids, "Brains in a dish," that model many features of complex human brain development. Here, a method for generating iPSC-derived, 3D brain organoids is described. The organoids can help with modeling autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH), a rare human neurodevelopmental disorder. A widely accepted explanation for the brain malformation in MCPH is a depletion of the neural stem cell pool during the early stages of human brain development, a developmental defect that is difficult to recreate or prove in vitro.

To study MCPH, we generated iPSCs from patient-derived fibroblasts carrying a mutation in the centrosomal protein CPAP. By analyzing the ventricular zone of microcephaly 3D brain organoids, we showed the premature differentiation of neural progenitors. These 3D brain organoids are a powerful in vitro system that will be instrumental in modeling congenital brain disorders induced by neurotoxic chemicals, neurotrophic viral infections, or inherited genetic mutations.

Introduction

Human neurodevelopmental disorders, such as microcephaly, can only be poorly studied in animal models due to the fact that human brains have an extended cortical surface, a unique feature differing from non-human animals.

This aspect makes human brain development a complex process that cannot be sufficiently studied in a 2D, in vitro cell culture system. Emerging 3D culture techniques allow the generation of tissue-like organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The in vitro differentiation of pluripotent stem cells in a 3D suspension culture allows the formation of various cell types in a timely and region-spe....

Protocol

1. Generation of Brain Organoids (23 days)

1. Initiation of neuroectoderm (5 days)
   NOTE: The following points should be considered before the start of differentiation. The reprogramming method (lentiviral-, sendai-virus-, episomal-, or microRNA-based etc.) to obtain human iPSCs should ideally be the same for all patient and control iPSC lines. Various reprogramming kits and instructions based on published protocols are available^15,16,17,18. The quality of the human iPSC lines is the key to accomplish....

Results

The generation of brain organoids requires at least three weeks of continuous culturing (Figure 1A). To accomplish reproducible results, we recommend that the researcher documents every step and, importantly, avoids any alterations regarding medium components, time points, and cell handling. Here, we give a summary of how to evaluate if critical milestones are reached in order to obtain organoids of sufficient quality at the end of the experiment. The formation of neurosp.......

Discussion

MCPH is a complex human neurodevelopmental disorder that cannot be recapitulated in animal models in vivo or in simple human cell culture approaches in vitro. The clinical manifestation of MCPH begins to appear during the first trimester, when early neurogenesis begins. Thus, 3D brain organoids represent a reliable experimental system to model MCPH development. In addition, 3D human brain organoids are an ideal approach since i) they allow for the adaptation of a spectrum of patient samples with various.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Anti-mouse 488	Invitrogen	A-11001	Goat anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 488
Anti-rabbit 647	Invitrogen	A-21245	Goat anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 647
Arl13b	proteintech	17711-1-AP	ARL13B rabbit polyclonal antibody
CELLSPIN system	IBS Integra Bioscience	183001
DAPI	Sigma-Aldrich, US	32670	4′,6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride; multiple suppliers
DMEM/F-12	Gibco, US	31331093	Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium: Nutrient Mixture F-12
Dorsomorphin	Sigma-Aldrich, US	P5499	Compound C; multiple suppliers
Embedding medium	AppliChem	A9011, 0100	Mowiol; embedding medium; multiple suppliers
Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) matrix	Corning	354277	Matrigel hESC-qualified matrix; important: hESC qualified
Fish gelatin	Sigma-Aldrich, US	G7765-250ML	Gelatin from cold water fish skin; multiple suppliers; autoclave after adding to PBS to dissolve and sterilize, store at 4 °C
Glycine	AppliChem	A1067,1000	Glycine for molecular biology; multiple suppliers
Inoculation loop with needle, disposable (1 µL)	Sigma Aldrich, US	BR452201-1000EA	multiple suppliers
Insulin	Sigma-Aldrich, US	I3536-100MG	multiple suppliers
L-glutamine	Gibco, US	25030081	L-glutamine (200 mM)
Medium A	Stem cell technologies	#05850	mTeSR1 (hiPSC medium)
Medium B	Stem cell technologies	#05835	Neural induction medium (NIM); neural differentiation medium
Medium C	Gibco, US	21103049	Neural Basal Medium
MEM	Gibco, US	11140035	MEM non-essential amino acids solution (100x)
MycoAlert Mycoplasma Detection Kit	Lonza, Switzerland	#LT07-218	Mycoplasma detection kit; multiple suppliers
Nestin	Novus biologicals	NBP1-92717	Nestin mouse monoclonal antibody (4D11)
Paraformaldehyde (PFA)	AppliChem	A3813, 0500	4% in PBS, store solution at -20 °C; caution: wear skin and eye protection and work under hood
PBS tablets	Gibco, US	18912014	See manufacturer´s instructions; multiple suppliers
Penicillin-Streptomycin (10.000 U/mL)	Gibco, US	15140122	Multiple suppliers
Poly-L-lysine solution (PLL)	Sigma-Aldrich, US	P8920-100ML	Multiple suppliers
pVim	MBL	D076-3S	Phospho-Vimentin (Ser55) mAb
Reagent A	Stem cell technologies	# 05872	Note to Protocol 1.1.1.2; ReLSR (Enzyme-free human ES and iPS cell selection and passaging reagent); please follow manufactorer´s protocol; alternative products from muliple suppliers available
Reagent B	Sigma-Aldrich, US	A6964-100ML	Accutase solution is an enzymatic solution for single cell dissociation; multiple suppliers; protocol 1.1.2 "enzymatic cell dissociation solution”
Research Cryostat Leica CM3050 S	Leica biosystems	CM3050 S	Multiple suppliers
SB431542	Selleckchem.com	S1067	Multiple suppliers
Spinner flask 250 mL	IBS Integra Bioscience	182026
Sucrose	AppliChem	A4734, 1000	Multiple suppliers
Superfrost ultra plus microscope slides	Thermo scientific, US	J3800AMNZ	Slides should be labeled with a "+" and positively charged
Supplement 1	Gibco, US	17502048	N-2 supplement (100x)
Supplement 2 w/o Vitamin A	Gibco, US	12587010	B-27 supplement (50x), minus vitamin A; multiple suppliers
Tissue-Tek Cryomold	Sakura, NL	4565	Multiple suppliers
Tissue-Tek O.C.T. compound	Sakura, NL	4583	Multiple suppliers
Triton X-100	AppliChem	A1388,0500	Multiple suppliers
TUJ1	Sigma-Aldrich, US	T2200	β-Tubulin III (rabbit polyclonal)
TUNEL assay	Promega, US	G3250	DeadEnd Fluorometric TUNEL system; multiple suppliers
Tween 20 for molecular biology	AppliChem	A4974,0500	Multiple suppliers
waterproof sheet	BEMIS company, inc.	PM996	Parafilm “M”; multiple suppliers
Y-27632	Selleckchem.com	S1049	ROCK-inhibitor (Y-27632 2HCL); multiple suppliers
β-mercaptoethanol	Gibco, US	31350010	2-mercaptoethanol (50 mM); multiple suppliers