Stem cell differentiation
Microglia are the main immune defense of the central nervous system (CNS). This unique population of cells has a substantial role in development, homeostasis and diseases of the CNS.
From a clinical perspective, it is cruicial to understand the function of microglia in disease and modeling. Until recently, the tools to study the biology of human microglia were lacking. This obstacle was resolved with utilization of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), enabling the generation of specific cell types in vitro. A few protocols have been published over the last years aiming to produce functional microglia in vitro from iPS, via hematopoetic differentiation.
We aim to utilize iPS-derived microglia combinded with our advanced micro-engineered neurovascular models in order to further understand the microglia biology. Our focus is to asses the impact of microglia on the development of neural networks, evaluate theis relevance to human brain endothelium formation and functionality as well as understanding their involvement in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.
Introducing such a novel in vitro model for studying microglia related mechanisms in health and disease may pave the way to a deeper understanding of the human brain.