BBB-Brain Model

A representative organ plate supporting 6 multiorgan units. The BBB–brain plate integrates a neuronal compartment and a blood–brain barrier (BBB) module, enabling studies of neurovascular function and drug transport.

The brain compartment consists of neurons, astrocytes, and microglia derived from iPSCs, with defined protocols used to establish reproducible differentiation and maturation. The balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurons is adjusted to reflect physiologically relevant ratios, and supporting glial populations provide metabolic and immune functions.

The BBB module incorporates iPSC-derived endothelial cells and pericytes together with astrocytes to form a selective barrier that regulates molecular transport. The integrity and identity of each cell type are confirmed using gene expression markers and functional assays before co-culture assembly.

Cells are seeded at optimized concentrations to allow consistent growth and barrier formation, while the system is designed to permit adjustment of ratios to model disease-specific conditions. For disease modeling, the neuronal compartment can be exposed to toxic proteins, inflammatory mediators, or aggregated peptides to reproduce pathological hallmarks.

The culture system is maintained in a common medium that combines neuronal and endothelial growth components, with iterative supplementation to support the multiple cell types in co-culture. Drug candidates or test compounds are introduced through the circulating blood-side channel, where they must cross the BBB before interacting with the neuronal cells.