Cuní-López C, Stewart R, White AR, Quek H. 3D in vitro modelling of human patient microglia: A focus on clinical translation and drug development in neurodegenerative diseases.
J Neuroimmunol 2023;
375:578017. [PMID:
36657374 DOI:
10.1016/j.jneuroim.2023.578017]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Microglia have an increasingly well-recognised role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, thereby becoming attractive therapeutic targets. However, the development of microglia-targeted therapeutics for neurodegeneration has had limited success. This stems partly from the lack of clinically relevant microglia model systems. To circumvent this translational gap, patient-derived microglial cell models established using conventional 2D in vitro techniques have emerged. Though promising, these models lack the microenvironment and multicellular interactions of the brain needed to maintain microglial homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the use of 3D in vitro platforms to improve microglia modelling and their potential benefits to fast-track drug development for neurodegenerative diseases.
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