biostudies-literatureFligor CMNational Center for Advancing Translational SciencesNEI NIH HHSNCATS NIH HHSNational Eye InstituteBrightFocus FoundationIndiana State Department of Health2228-2241https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8452489biostudies-literatureUnknown16(9)The development of the visual system involves the coordination of spatial and temporal events to specify the organization of varied cell types, including the elongation of axons from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to post-synaptic targets in the brain. Retinal organoids recapitulate many features of retinal development, yet have lacked downstream targets into which RGC axons extend, limiting the ability to model projections of the human visual system. To address these issues, retinal organoids were generated and organized into an in vitro assembloid model of the visual system with cortical and thalamic organoids. RGCs responded to environmental cues and extended axons deep into assembloids, modeling the projections of the visual system. In addition, RGC survival was enhanced in long-term asStem cell reportsExtension of retinofugal projections in an assembled model of human pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids.PMC8452489R01 EY024984R21 EY031120UL1 TR002529Fligor CMLavekar SSGomes CMeyer JSVanderWall KBHuang KCHarkin JShields PKfalseExtension of retinofugal projections in an assembled model of human pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids.The development of the visual system involves the coordination of spatial and temporal events to specify the organization of varied cell types, including the elongation of axons from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to post-synaptic targets in the brain. Retinal organoids recapitulate many features of retinal development, yet have lacked downstream targets into which RGC axons extend, limiting the ability to model projections of the human visual system. To address these issues, retinal organoids were generated and organized into an in vitro assembloid model of the visual system with cortical and thalamic organoids. RGCs responded to environmental cues and extended axons deep into assembloids, modeling the projections of the visual system. In addition, RGC survival was enhanced in long-term as2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Sep2025-04-18T14:25:14.39Z2025-04-07T00:33:06.697ZS-EPMC84524893411598610.1016/j.stemcr.2021.05.009