Advances in 3D neuronal microphysiological systems: towards a functional nervous system on a chip

Publications Advances in 3D neuronal microphysiological systems: towards a functional nervous system on a chip Featured Image

January 12, 2021

AxoSim’s Research Scientist Wesley Anderson published a review paper with Springer Nature’s In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Animal on advances in 3D neuronal microphysiological systems, the technology that powers AxoSim’s  NerveSim™ and BrainSim™ as well as our SimLab Services, including our Human Peripheral Co-Culture Assay. If you would like to learn more about these platforms and our assays, please contact us at bd@axosim.com.

The paper outlines microphysiological systems (MPS) designed to study the complexities of the peripheral and central nervous systems have made marked improvements over the years and have allowed researchers to assess in two and three dimensions the functional interconnectivity of neuronal tissues.

The recent generation of brain organoids has further propelled the field into the nascent recapitulation of structural, functional, and effective connectivities which are found within the native human nervous system. Herein, we will review advances in culture methodologies, focused especially on those of human tissues, which seek to bridge the gap from 2D cultures to hierarchical and defined 3D MPS with the end goal of developing a robust nervous system-on-a-chip platform. These advances have far-reaching implications within basic science, pharmaceutical development, and translational medicine disciplines.

“3D neuronal models are making great strides in usage from basic research to translatable sciences. Neural microphysiological systems seek to incorporate the complex structure and function relationships observed at the cell and tissue level in vivo, while still being feasible to use in high-throughput applications.” Anderson continues “Moving forward, it will be increasingly important to bring together all of these different facets, which make the nervous system so unique, to create models that will facilitate drug screening and the successful treatment of neurological diseases in humans.”

Read the full paper here.

 


AxoSim is a Neurodiscovery CRO that empowers advancements in human neuroscience and accelerates the drug development process through our drug discovery platforms: NerveSim™ and BrainSim™ as well as our SimLab Services, including our Human Peripheral Co-Culture Assay. If you would like to learn more about these platforms and our assays, please contact us at bd@axosim.com.