T. Ha, S. Park, M. Shin, J-Y. Lee, J-H. Choi, J-W. Choi
Chemical Engineering Journal (2023)
Scientists use the Maestro MEA to explore the functionality of motor neuron spheroids in vitro.
Evaluating potential therapeutics for the debilitating motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been challenging, in part due to the absence of a sensing system and the presence of immature neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) in existing in vitro disease models. In this study, the authors report the development of “the first 3D NMJ biosensing system for drug evaluation of ALS based on muscle bundle and the 3D nano-biohybrid hydrogel composed of multiple motor neuron spheroids (multi-MNSs) and carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNT-COOH).” As part of a multiplatform approach, the scientists used Axion’s noninvasive Maestro Edge multielectrode array (MEA) system to characterize the motor neuron spheroids in vitro after differentiation and confirm their functionality. Overall, the results suggest that the 3D NMJ biosensing system using 3D nano-biohybrid hydrogel may represent an “extraordinary platform” for drug screening and toxicity assessments in neuromuscular diseases.
