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Research Platform for Nervous System

Overview Service Features Published Data FAQs Scientific Resources Related Services

The relative inaccessibility of human brain tissues has largely hampered the understanding of human neurological diseases and impeded drug development. Recent advances in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and organoids have led to the generation of unlimited human neural cells and in vitro models and thereby facilitate the research of brain development and pathology, and promote the development of potent drugs to treat neurodevelopmental diseases. With a decade of experience in stem cell therapy development, Creative Biolabs provides high-quality iPSC reprogramming & differentiation & characterization and organoids development services to our customers all over the world.

Overview of iPSC Platform for Nervous System Research

Neurological Diseases Are Growing Global Problems

Neurological disorders, recognized as major causes of death and disability, affect almost a billion persons worldwide. With the accelerated aging of the population, the number of neurological cases is rising and will continue to increase. Disorders of the nervous system may involve the central and peripheral nervous system, such as the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and so on. There are many types of neurological disorders have been characterized, including epilepsy, stroke, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), migraine, multiple sclerosis, neuroinfections, brain tumors, traumatic disorders, etc.

Neurological Diseases Burden

Neurological disorders of infancy, childhood and adolescence may cause neurological injury in early life and then result in adult disability, vulnerability to disease and premature mortality. In the aging population, neurodegenerative diseases characterized by premature and selective aging of nerve cells, have affected hundreds of millions of people worldwide. More than 6 million people die because of stroke each year; more than 50 million people have epilepsy worldwide; more than 47.5 million people with dementia (7.7 million new cases every year). Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and may contribute to 60-70% of cases. All of these figures necessitate more neurological research and therapy development.

iPSCs and Neurological Diseases

Discovery of reprogramming somatic cells to iPSCs has revolutionized the way to develop efficient in vitro models for neurological diseases, enabling us to uncover disease mechanisms and develop therapeutic strategies and drugs to treat them. iPSCs have shown absolute advantages over animal models in disease modeling, drug screening, and cell therapy. Almost all types of neural cells, including but not limited to neural stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia, can be derived from iPSCs currently. These patient-derived iPSCs model disease-specific pathophysiology and phenotypes and greatly advance compound screening and evaluation of drug efficacy. Therefore, application of iPSC is a new direction for studying neurological disease mechanisms and developing neuronal drug discovery.

Applications of human iPSCs and iPSC-derived neural cells in neurological diseases.Fig.1 Applications of human iPSCs and iPSC-derived neural cells in neurological diseases.1, 3

Organoids and Neurological Diseases

Brain organoids are miniature 3D organ models that mimic a patient's own brain cells in a dish. It is an innovative tool for neurological disease modeling and drug neurotoxicity screening. Brain organoids are generated by self-organization and differentiation from pluripotent stem cells under optimized culture conditions, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and iPSCs. Notably, brain organoids do not just faithfully capture the structural and cytoarchitectural aspects of human brain, their overall epigenomic and transcriptional programs could closely mimic that of human brain. 3D brain organoid culture systems have been widely applied in disease modeling, drug discovery, and the development of personalized medicine.

Recent methodological advances in brain organoids.Fig.2 Recent methodological advances in brain organoids.2, 3

Known for our deeply-rooted stem cell expertise and abundant experience, Creative Biolabs is dedicated to offering a comprehensive range of iPSC and organoids development services to accelerate your stem cell therapy projects. We offer high-quality customized service covering the entire discovery process of iPSC and organoids to best suit your technical, program, and budget requirements. Choose us to boost your neurological disease research and accelerate your neurological drug discovery.

Services at Creative Biolabs

Our iPSC platform is tailored for extensive research into nervous system disorders, neurodevelopment, and regenerative medicine. By utilizing cutting-edge techniques, our platform allows researchers to generate, characterize, and utilize iPSCs derived from various cellular sources, enabling them to model neurological conditions with high precision. Key components of our service include:

  • Cell Reprogramming
  • Characterization of iPSCs
  • Neural Differentiation Protocols
  • Disease Modeling
  • High-Throughput Screening (HTS) Capabilities
  • Bioinformatics and Data Analysis
  • Collaboration and Support

Our iPSC platform for nervous system research provides an innovative and versatile toolset for understanding the complexities of the nervous system and advancing therapeutic strategies. Through collaboration, cutting-edge technology, and rigorous scientific research, we are committed to facilitating breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience.

Features of Our Services

Our platform has several advantages tailored for researchers in the field of nervous system research.

  • Cellular Versatility - Allows for the differentiation of various neuron types and the generation of glial cells, including motor neurons, sensory neurons, and interneurons.
  • Accurate Disease Modeling - Can create accurate models that recapitulate disease phenotypes and accommodate the genetic background of various patients.
  • Scalability and Automated - For high-throughput drug screening and toxicity assays, streamlining the research process.
  • Advanced Assay Systems - Supports the functional maturation of neurons and the compatibility with advanced imaging modalities.
  • Long-Term Culture and Stability - Enables researchers to create stable cell lines that can be used for long-term studies.

Published Data

Below are the findings presented in the article related to iPSC research platform for nervous system.

Yiling Hong et al. reported a method to generate brain organoids containing microglia derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Using this platform, Western Pacific Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease-dementia syndrome (ALS-PDC) brain organoids were generated from patient-derived iPSCs. Their results showed that ALS-PDC-infected organoids had more reactive astrocytes and M1 microglia and fewer resting and M2 microglia than control organoids.

Overall, they developed a platform for obtaining patient-derived organoids containing neurons, astrocytes, and microglia for disease modeling. This system can recapitulate the development and neurodegeneration of the human brain following exposure to the neurotoxin BMAA.

Brain organoids affected by ALS-PDC. (Hong, Yiling, et al., 2023)Fig. 3 Brain organoids affected by ALS-PDC.3

FAQs

  • Q: Can you differentiate iPSCs into specific neuronal subtypes for my research?
    A: Absolutely. Our iPSC platform specializes in the differentiation of iPSCs into a wide range of neuronal subtypes, including dopaminergic, glutamatergic, GABAergic, and cholinergic neurons. We can also generate more specialized neuronal types, such as motor neurons or cortical neurons, depending on your research requirements. We collaborate closely with you to ensure the final differentiated cells meet your experimental goals.
  • Q: How long does it take to generate iPSC-derived neurons or glial cells from start to finish?
    A: The timeline for generating iPSC-derived neurons or glial cells depends on the specific differentiation pathway and cell type. Generally, it takes about 2 to 4 weeks to generate neurons from iPSCs and 4 to 6 weeks for glial cells like astrocytes or microglia. We can provide more precise timelines based on your specific requirements, and we strive to accommodate your research deadlines while maintaining quality.
  • Q: Do you offer iPSC-derived neural cells that can be used in drug screening assays?
    A: Yes, we offer iPSC-derived neural cells, including neurons and glial cells, that are suitable for drug screening assays. These cells are optimized for high-throughput screening and can be used to test compounds for neurotoxicity, neuroprotection, or disease-modifying effects. We also provide custom assay development services to ensure the neural cells are compatible with your specific drug screening platform.
  • Q: Can you assist with iPSC genetic modification for nervous system research applications?
    A: Yes, we provide genetic modification services for iPSCs, including CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing and viral vector-based transgene delivery. These modifications can be used to create disease models, introduce fluorescent markers, or knock out specific genes of interest. Our team works closely with you to design and implement genetic modifications that align with your research goals, ensuring that the resulting iPSCs are stable and fully characterized.

Scientific Resources

References

  1. Xie, Nina, and Beisha Tang. "The application of human iPSCs in neurological diseases: from bench to bedside." Stem Cells International 2016.1 (2016): 6484713.
  2. Shou, Yikai, et al. "The application of brain organoids: from neuronal development to neurological diseases." Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 8 (2020): 579659.
  3. Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.