Dynamic modelling of human neural crest development using a bioengineered stem cell organoid system

Abstract

The neural crest (NC) is a transient stem cell population which migrates throughout the developing embryo to contribute to diverse tissues dependent on axial origin. For example, cranial NC can give rise to bone and cartilage, while more posterior NC populations give rise to peripheral nervous system and neuroendocrine tissues. Perturbations in neural crest development can lead to severe congenital anomalies and cancers, with over 700 neurocristopathies reported. In humans, early NC development remains poorly understood due to the inaccessibility of tissue samples, thus necessitating the development of in vitro models. Currently, a limited number of NC organoid protocols are available, but these mainly focus on cranial NC and lack relevant tissue architecture. Here, we describe a novel bioengineered pipeline to derive human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neuroepithelial organoids, "neurocrestoids" featuring physiologically-relevant tissue architecture. We show that neurocrestoids recapitulate the dynamics of induction, delamination, and migration of human neural crest cells (NCCs), and can be directly compared to murine NC explants for cross-species validation. Organoids express an array of HOX genes indicating the successful generation of cranial, vagal and trunk NCCs. Moreover, we have integrated our neurocrestoids with a customised micropatterned substrate suitable for live visualisation and guided separation of SOX10-positive migratory human NCCs. Our "NCC migration on-chip" are reproducible across multiple hPSC lines and should be scalable for future diagnostic and therapeutic applications, significantly improving our ability to study human NC pathologies.