A Microfluidics-Based Human Brain Cell 3-D Culture System in Alzheimer’s Disease

The roles of microglia, resident immune cells in brains, have not been fully elucidated yet in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease neurodegeneration due to the multiplex microgliosis and the challenge of in vitro culture in a regulatory manner. In our human AD 3-D brain model, we could regulate and measure microgliosis, including morphogenesis, recruitment, phenotype change and expressed pro-inflammatory factors. Most interestingly, cellular interactions between AD neurons and engaged microglia, including microglial cleavage of axons and retraction of neurite, could be observed in a real-time and single cellular resolution for the first time. Our human AD brain model will be expanded into an array format to serve as a valid platform for screening and evaluating drug candidates with a high-throughput.