Medicine & Health
The Effect of Laminin Heterotrimer Supplementation in Matrigel-based Culture Media on the Development of Inner Ear Organoids from Stem Cell-Derived Otic Vesicles
Stephanie Liu
Medicine & Health
Stephanie Liu
Hair cells are essential cells in the auditory system which can not be regenerated and deafness could occur if they are lost or damaged. However, embryonic stem cells can be differentiated into otic vesicles—precursors of inner ear cells—that can be developed into organoids which contain the cells in the inner ear, including hair cells. Previous studies have demonstrated the successful development of otic organoids using Matrigel-based cultures, but there is still variability in organoid formation. Prior research found that Matrigel contains 60% laminin, a family of molecules found in tissue scaffolding that supports organ development. There are 15 known heterotrimers or variations that appear in varying concentrations in different parts of the body during their development periods. In the inner ear, laminin heterotrimers were observed to form complex arrangements throughout the stages of development in mouse models. Thus, it is likely that complex laminin interactions must play an important role in otic development. We seek to supplement different laminin heterotrimers to the Matrigel culture during the stages in accordance with the ones observed in mouse inner ear models in prior studies, in order to promote more accurate and efficient organoid development from otic vesicles. We will monitor the morphology of organoids as well as the times when they develop using imaging software ImageJ and immunohistochemistry. If our research is successful, we would be able to create more accurate organoid models for disease modeling and lower the probability for the organoids to develop incorrectly and form tumors once implanted into patients.