Webinar Highlights
Webinar highlights: “Neurons are talking…are you listening?”
— With Prof. Nael Nadif Kasri —
In this webinar, co-hosted with MaxWell Biosystems on September 4, 2024, Prof. Dr. Nael Nadif Kasri provided a comprehensive overview of their work on neurodevelopmental disorders, highlighting their innovative use of stem cell models with several neural cell types and optimized microelectrode array (MEA) technology to study the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals in the brain.
He also showed how employing full-length laminin coating reduces cell clustering on MEA chips and enhances the reproducibility of the electrophysiological recordings.
Don’t let your substrate blur the message—Ensure reproducible recordings beyond mere adhesion
Reduced cell clustering and enhanced data quality
➞ By minimizing excessive cell clustering, full-length laminin helps avoid variability and artifacts in MEA data.
➞ Less noise leads to more consistent and reliable results.
The in vivo cell matrix
➞ Intact laminin-521 (LN521) is the first protein in the stem cell niche in vivo, providing the foundation for the numerous benefits that Biolaminin® coating offers in any stem cell culture application.
➞ Laminin-521 is also a main ECM component of the neural cell niche, directly regulating proper neural cell signaling in the brain.
Clear signal interpretation
➞ A recombinant, chemically defined substrate like Biolaminin ensures that the recorded signals accurately represent neuronal activity without interference from substrate-related distortions within or between replicates.
Long-term cell health for experiments after MEA
➞ Full-length laminin supports the maintenance of healthy, functional cells, which is crucial for long-term experiments such as subsequent single-cell RNA-seq analysis.
Webinar highlights:
Identifying disease-specific neuronal network phenotypes with complex modelling: Prof. Kasri’s team utilizes pluripotent stem cells to model brain functions and understand neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) caused by genetic mutations. These models help explore the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals, crucial for understanding disorders like epilepsy and autism. The team is navigating the complex task of linking genetics to function, also uncovering the molecular basis of observed functional changes by combining MEA and RNA-seq measurements from the same cell population.
Organoids, co-cultures, and MEA recordings: High-density MEA recordings allow for detailed observation of neuronal network activity, revealing significant differences in synaptic activity between patient-derived organoids and controls. This technology has provided new insights into how specific gene mutations, such as those in ARID1B, affect brain function. Testing different ratios of E/I neuronal populations, the team has identified burst duration as an important parameter that can be linked to pathology.
Active efforts to enhance reproducibility and reliability: Prof. Kasri’s team is actively implementing methods to improve MEA data quality. Full-length laminin coating, Biolaminin 521, was shown to reduce cell clustering on the MEA chips, which directly reduces variability and enhances reproducibility. Stem cells can be differentiated directly on the chip on laminin-521 without replating.
Identifying disease signatures and potential treatments: Could the team leverage MEAseq for functional rescue? Click here to read their recent article about potential repurposed drugs to treat Koolen-de Vries Syndrome in bioRxiv.
Here are selected extracts from the webinar
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About Prof. Dr. Nael Nadif Kasri
Prof. Dr. Nael Nadif Kasri completed his PhD in molecular biology at KU Leuven. After his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in neurobiology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), New York. In 2010, he started his independent research group at Radboud UMC, where he is part of the Donders Institute. His research focuses on understanding the synaptic basis of neurodevelopmental disorders. In particular, his expertise in generating patient-derived neural lineages and their neurophysiological analysis at the single-cell and network levels (MEA) is pioneering this novel research field.
About BioLamina and Biolaminin® technology
BioLamina is a biotechnology company with a scientific base and heritage in matrix biology and cell culture research. It supports scientists with the struggles to grow pluripotent stem cells and other primary cells in the lab. By providing tools for efficient and easy cell culture, BioLamina aims to ease the path toward safe and effective cell therapies and increasingly accurate cell models for drug discovery and development. The power of Biolaminin® substrates, developed by BioLamina, has been demonstrated in numerous publications, and they will continue to provide vital support to the stem cell community—from scientific concepts to clinical studies. Based in Stockholm (Sweden), the company currently employs 90 people.
About MaxWell Biosystems
MaxWell Biosystems is a well-established technology leader dedicated to boosting scientific breakthroughs and accelerating drug discovery. Our cutting-edge, easy-to-use platforms with high-density microelectrode arrays empower researchers in neuroscience, stem cell engineering, neuroengineering, and other applications to gain unparalleled insights into neurological diseases, therapeutic development, and beyond. By providing advanced technology to scientists globally in academia and pharma, we aim to transform scientific research and contribute to significant advancements in health and medicine.
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