Generation of vascularized retinal organoids containing microglia based on a PDMS microwell platform.

ABSTRACT: Retinal organoids (ROs) offer a biomimetic in vitro model for investigating human retinal development and disease. However, current ROs face several limitations, such as the absence of vascular networks and microglial cells (MGs). Here, we developed a vascularized retinal organoids (vROs) model by coculturing vascular organoids (VOs) with ROs in a V-bottom polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microwell platform. Through coculturing for 30 to 120 days, we observed the presence of tubular blood vessels at the center of vROs. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the vascularization in ROs was associated with angiogenesis and immune response. Furthermore, we observed that MGs in VOs migrated and integrated into the vROs as VOs and ROs fused, with the vROs exhibiting responsiveness to inflammatory stim

SUBMITTER: Chen H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12513421 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature