Advancements in stem cell and engineering technologies increasingly improve the production of complex in vitro models in basic and pharmaceutical research. Being derived from human/patient material, they have the potential to compete with animal experimentation regarding physiological relevance and the analysis of cell-autonomous effects. In the field of neuromuscular research, several two- and three-dimensional in vitro models have been proposed, but they usually lack the natural complexity of the neuromuscular apparatus.
Our aim is to develop an integrated, fully hiPSC-derived neuromuscular model including Schwann cells and fibroblasts next to lower motor neurons and muscle cells. This will allow to interrogate cell-autonomous functions, as well as the role of cellular interactions, and effects of drug compounds and genetic alterations.
Along this way, we have consolidated differentiation protocols for Schwann and muscle cells, characterized metabolic features of developing motor neurons, and established first functional triculture models composed motor neurons, Schwann cells, and myotubes. A current focus lies on incorporating 3D-bioprinting for long-term compartmented culture and the incorporation of fibroblasts to further improve the robustness and fidelity of the model system.
More information:
| Talk: | Towards a tripartite hiPCS-derived neuromuscular junction model: addressing cell-autonomous effects in ALS-patient-derived cells | |
| Speaker: | Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Rudolf Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences | |
| Date: | Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 10 am | |
| Location: | Seminar room „Golgi“, FLI 1, Beutenbergstraße 11, Jena | |
| Host: | Christoph Kaether |
The seminar will be held as an in-person event.
