Study develops fused neural organoids with leptomeninges

A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells and Development describes the development of a co-culture system of neural organoids generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) fused with fetal leptomeninges from mice with fluorescently labeled meninges, called leptomeningeal neural organoid (LMNO) fusions.

Vivian Gama, PhD, from Vanderbilt University, Julie Siegenthaler, PhD, from University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and coauthors, present a proof-of-concept study that tests the stability of the different cell types in the leptomeninges (fibroblasts and macrophages) and the fused neural organoid (progenitors and neurons), as well as the interface between the organoid and meningeal tissue.

"We test the longevity of the fusion pieces after 30 days and 60 days in culture, describe best practices for preparing the meninges sample before fusion, and examine the feasibility of single or multiple meninges pieces fused to a single organoid," stated the investigators.

This groundbreaking model advances the tissue organoid field by recognizing and correcting for the absence of the necessary supporting matrix to a 3D structure, in this case, the meninges."

Graham C. Parker, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Wayne State University