Elena V Gazina1, Emma Morrisroe1, Gunarathna D C Mendis2, Anna E Michalska3, Joseph Chen4, Christian M Nefzger4, Benjamin N Rollo1, Christopher A Reid1, Martin F Pera5, Steven Petrou6. 1. The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. 2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. 3. Stem Cells Australia, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. 4. Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. 5. The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Stem Cells Australia, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. 6. The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Centre for Neural Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. Electronic address: spetrou@unimelb.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stem cells-derived neuronal cultures hold great promise for in vitro disease modelling and drug screening. However, currently stem cells-derived neuronal cultures do not recapitulate the functional properties of primary neurons, such as network properties. Cultured primary murine neurons develop networks which are synchronised over large fractions of the culture, whereas neurons derived from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) display only partly synchronised network activity and human pluripotent stem cells-derived neurons have mostly asynchronous network properties. Therefore, strategies to improve correspondence of derived neuronal cultures with primary neurons need to be developed to validate the use of stem cell-derived neuronal cultures as in vitro models. NEW METHOD: By combining serum-free derivation of ESCs from mouse blastocysts with neuronal differentiation of ESCs in morphogen-free adherent culture we generated neuronal networks with properties recapitulating those of mature primary cortical cultures. RESULTS: After 35days of differentiation ESC-derived neurons developed network activity very similar to that of mature primary cortical neurons. Importantly, ESC plating density was critical for network development. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): Compared to the previously published methods this protocol generated more synchronous neuronal networks, with high similarity to the networks formed in mature primary cortical culture. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that ESC-derived neuronal networks recapitulating key properties of mature primary cortical networks can be generated by optimising both stem cell derivation and differentiation. This validates the approach of using ESC-derived neuronal cultures for disease modelling and in vitro drug screening.
BACKGROUND: Stem cells-derived neuronal cultures hold great promise for in vitro disease modelling and drug screening. However, currently stem cells-derived neuronal cultures do not recapitulate the functional properties of primary neurons, such as network properties. Cultured primary murine neurons develop networks which are synchronised over large fractions of the culture, whereas neurons derived from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) display only partly synchronised network activity and human pluripotent stem cells-derived neurons have mostly asynchronous network properties. Therefore, strategies to improve correspondence of derived neuronal cultures with primary neurons need to be developed to validate the use of stem cell-derived neuronal cultures as in vitro models. NEW METHOD: By combining serum-free derivation of ESCs from mouse blastocysts with neuronal differentiation of ESCs in morphogen-free adherent culture we generated neuronal networks with properties recapitulating those of mature primary cortical cultures. RESULTS: After 35days of differentiation ESC-derived neurons developed network activity very similar to that of mature primary cortical neurons. Importantly, ESC plating density was critical for network development. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): Compared to the previously published methods this protocol generated more synchronous neuronal networks, with high similarity to the networks formed in mature primary cortical culture. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that ESC-derived neuronal networks recapitulating key properties of mature primary cortical networks can be generated by optimising both stem cell derivation and differentiation. This validates the approach of using ESC-derived neuronal cultures for disease modelling and in vitro drug screening.
Authors: Qays Kharouf; A Marie Phillips; Lauren E Bleakley; Emma Morrisroe; Julia Oyrer; Linghan Jia; Andreas Ludwig; Liang Jin; Joseph A Nicolazzo; Elisabetta Cerbai; M Novella Romanelli; Steven Petrou; Christopher A Reid Journal: Br J Pharmacol Date: 2020-06-17 Impact factor: 8.739
Authors: Elena A Silantyeva; Wafaa Nasir; Jacqueline Carpenter; Olivia Manahan; Matthew L Becker; Rebecca K Willits Journal: Acta Biomater Date: 2018-06-05 Impact factor: 8.947