Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
10:25
Generation of Standardized and Reproducible Forebrain-type Cerebral Organoids from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: January 23, 2018
21.6K
Morphodynamics of human early brain organoid development
Akanksha Jain1, Gilles Gut2, Fátima Sanchis-Calleja2
1Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland. akanksha.jain@bsse.ethz.ch.
Nature
|June 18, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed advanced live microscopy to observe human brain organoid development. They discovered that the extracellular matrix guides brain region formation and tissue organization through mechanosensing.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Brain organoids offer a model for studying human brain development and self-organization.
- Current methods limit long-term observation of dynamic cellular processes within organoids.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish live microscopy techniques for tracking human brain organoid development over weeks.
- To investigate the role of extracellular matrix and mechanosensing in brain regionalization and morphogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Long-term live light-sheet microscopy of fluorescently labeled human brain organoids.
- Novel dual-channel, multi-mosaic, multi-protein labeling strategy with computational demultiplexing.
- Simultaneous quantification of subcellular dynamics (actin, tubulin, membranes, nuclei) and cell morphometrics.
Main Results:
- Detailed tracking of tissue morphology and cell behaviors during key developmental transitions (neuroepithelial induction, lumenization, regionalization).
- Lumen expansion and cell composition correlate with extracellular matrix pathway regulators and mechanosensing gene expression.
- Extrinsic matrix enhances lumen expansion and telencephalon formation; absence leads to altered morphologies and increased neural crest identity.
- Matrix-induced regional guidance and lumen morphogenesis are linked to WNT and Hippo (YAP1) signaling pathways.
Conclusions:
- Extracellular matrix and mechanosensing play a crucial role in guiding human brain regionalization and morphogenesis.
- The study provides new tools for studying brain morphodynamics in vitro.
- WNT and Hippo (YAP1) signaling pathways are key mediators of matrix-induced developmental patterning.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Neurulation
40.2K
Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...
40.2K
01:29Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
16.1K
Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into ...
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into ...
16.1K
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
3.2K
The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
3.2K
01:30Three-Dimensional Force System:Problem Solving
1.5K
A three-dimensional force system refers to a scenario in which three forces act simultaneously in three different directions. This type of problem is commonly encountered in physics and engineering, where it is necessary to calculate the resultant force on the system, which can then be used to predict or analyze the behavior of the object or structure under consideration.
To solve a three-dimensional force system, first resolve each force into its respective scalar components. Do this using...
To solve a three-dimensional force system, first resolve each force into its respective scalar components. Do this using...
1.5K
01:30Machines: Problem Solving II
791
Machines are complex structures consisting of movable, pin-connected multi-force members that work together to transmit forces. Consider a lifting tong carrying a 100 kg load. It comprises movable sections DAF and CBG linked together with member AB.
791
01:12General Case of Eccentric Axial Loading
691
Unsymmetrical bending occurs when the bending moment applied to a structural member does not align with its principal axis. This misalignment leads to complex stress distributions and deflection patterns that differ from symmetrical bending, which are essential for designing structures to withstand different loading conditions.
Consider a member subjected to equal and opposite forces that are applied along a line that does not coincide with the member's neutral axis. In unsymmetrical...
Consider a member subjected to equal and opposite forces that are applied along a line that does not coincide with the member's neutral axis. In unsymmetrical...
691