HESC-Derived Thalamic Organoids Form Reciprocal Projections When Fused with Cortical Organoids.

ABSTRACT: Human brain organoid techniques have rapidly advanced to facilitate investigating human brain development and diseases. These efforts have largely focused on generating telencephalon due to its direct relevance in a variety of forebrain disorders. Despite its importance as a relay hub between cortex and peripheral tissues, the investigation of three-dimensional (3D) organoid models for the human thalamus has not been explored. Here, we describe a method to differentiate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to thalamic organoids (hThOs) that specifically recapitulate the development of thalamus. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a formation of distinct thalamic lineages, which diverge from telencephalic fate. Importantly, we developed a 3D system to create the reciprocal projections between thalamus and cortex by fusing the two distinct region-specific organoids representing the developing thalamus or cortex. Our study provides a platform for understanding human thalamic development and modeling circuit organizations and related disorders in the brain.

SUBMITTER: Xiang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6853597 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature