Application of human 3D brain organoids to evaluate the potency of interleukin 13 for modulation of detrimental microglia and macrophage immune response.

Due to the current understanding that multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), where mononuclear cell infiltration in brain and spinal cord is a major contributor to demyelination, gliosis, axonal loss and eventually loss of neuronal function, we investigated over the past 6 years whether local modulation of CNS lesions with the immune-modulating cytokine interleukin (IL)13 might ameliorate detrimental disease progression. While our pre-clinical studies in the cuprizone (CPZ)-induced CNS inflammation/demyelination mouse model for human MS have demonstrated proof-of-principle for this approach, currently we do not know whether human microglia and macrophages are equally well susceptible to IL13-mediated immunomodulation in the pro-inflammatory MS environment. Using advanced human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived 3D cell culture models, we aim to provide further pre-clinical rationale for the use of IL13 as an additional treatment approach in advanced stage MS.

Keywords:MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, TISSUE CULTURE, STEM CELLS

Disciplines:Systems biology, Laboratory medicine, Morphological sciences, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Other basic sciences, Other clinical sciences, Other health sciences, Nursing, Other paramedical sciences, Other translational sciences, Other medical and health sciences