3D organoid-mea bioassay for modeling neurodegenerative diseases

Overview

The 3D Organoid-MEA bioassay is an advanced platform designed to model neuronal dysfunction and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS. By integrating brain-derived organoids with three-dimensional mesh multi-electrode arrays (3D mesh MEA) and AI-driven pattern recognition, this system provides a clinically relevant in vitro model. The inclusion of disease-relevant posttranslational modifications, such as pseudo-citrullinated tau, along with real-time monitoring and advanced analytics, enhances the predictive power of drug screening assays, increasing the likelihood of identifying effective therapies.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Utilizes brain-derived organoids for more accurate 3D cellular architecture and diversity compared to traditional 2D cultures.
• Incorporates 3D mesh MEA for high-fidelity electrophysiological recordings.
• Integrates AI-driven analytics and high-performance computing to handle large-scale data, improving reproducibility and throughput.
• Includes neuroinflammatory components like reactive astrocytes and microglia to mimic disease conditions more closely.
• Aims to engineer organoids expressing disease-relevant pseudo-citrullinated tau (citR-tau) for enhanced pathogenic modeling.

Technology readiness level

Currently at TRL 3, the bioassay is in the experimental proof-of-concept phase. The methodology involves generating organoids from iPSCs, differentiating them into disease-relevant neurons, and integrating them with flexible 3D MEA. AI models and machine learning on high-performance computing clusters are being employed to identify patterns correlating with pathology and therapeutic responses. Validation plans include pilot drug screening and data analysis.