Modelling human brain development with stem cells and biomaterials

由于直接研究和提高我们对人类神经发育的理解的资源有限，这 提案将建立4个关键阶段的模型。利用创新的跨学科方法，生物材料将被制造成在以下过程中为人类干细胞提供结构和化学支持：(I)神经诱导，(Ii)定向分化为神经元前体亚群，(Iii)神经元成熟和融入复杂的神经网络，以及(Iv)将神经元组织成更大的三维大脑结构，即人类皮质的折叠。此外，这里开发的生物材料具有商业化潜力，目标是将人类干细胞培养标准化为特定的神经群体。

With limited resources to directly study and advance our understanding of human neural development, this proposal will establish models of 4 key stages. Employing innovative, interdisciplinary approaches, biomaterials will be fabricated to provide structural and chemical support for human stem cells during: (i) neural induction, (ii) specification into neuronal progenitor subpopulations, (iii) neuronal maturation and integration into complex neural networks as well as, (iv) the organisation of neurons into larger 3-dimensional brain structures, namely folding of the human cortex. Further, biomaterials developed here have commercialisation potential, targeted at standardizing the culturing of human stem cells to defined neural populations.