Revolutionary high-resolution human 3D brain organoid platform integrating AI-based analytics

Introduction

The long-term vision of the 3D-BrAIn consortium is to revolutionize personalized precision medicine for central nervous system (CNS) disorders by developing an innovative bio-digital twin model of the human brain that is personalized, precise, and predictive.

Technologies Involved

In this pathfinder project, we bring together three breakthrough technologies:

1. A novel, highly reproducible human brain modelling technology using robust adherent iPSC-derived 3D cortical organoid cultures.
2. A unique, state-of-the-art 3D multi-electrode array (MEA) technology for non-invasive high-resolution electrophysiological recordings.
3. A novel approach to analyze and interpret the large quantities of functional data using tailored automated machine learning (ML)-based algorithms.

Overcoming Challenges

With this breakthrough approach, we overcome significant hurdles that made it thus far impossible to create a truly representative and functional model of the CNS for personalized medicine, drug screening, and neurotoxicity testing.

The revolutionary 3D-BrAIn high-precision CNS platform will allow robust and accurate modelling of the CNS for a broad range of neuropsychiatric diseases. Ultimately, the 3D-BrAIn technology will be translatable to multiple other organ systems (cardiomyocytes, pancreatic islets, retina), to non-invasively obtain longitudinal 3D high-resolution electrophysiological recordings and effectively interpret them.

Project Development

In this project, a prototype of the 3D-BrAIn platform will be developed by:

• Growing functional 3D organoids that faithfully resemble the human cortex on 3D MEA micropillar electrodes, enabling continuous functional monitoring.
• Developing ML-based algorithms that can process and interpret the large spatiotemporal data sets.

Once all individual components are optimized and integrated, proof-of-concept will be obtained by validating the platform for two of the envisaged applications: CNS drug development and neurotoxicity screening.