Engineered inflammation-induced neurodevelopmental disorders using a neurovascular-unit-on-a-chip
摘要
Neuroinflammation is the primary driver and signature of many neurodevelopmental disorders. However, because neurodevelopmental disorders caused by neuroinflammation are difficult to detect at the early stage, their progression remains unclear. To date, neither animal experiments nor in vitro models have uncovered their early developmental characteristics caused by neuroinflammation. In this study, we developed a neurovascular-unit-on-a-chip (NVU-on-a-chip) to model inflammation-induced neurodevelopmental disorders. With the chip, dynamic visualization of the progression caused by neuroinflammation was clearly demonstrated, and the changes in angiogenesis and neural differentiation under neuroinflammation were replicated. In addition, the activation of astrocytes and damage to neurons and capillaries at the early stage of neurodevelopmental disorders were observed. The results revealed for the first time the structural disruption of the neurovascular units and the neurovascular coupling failure caused by neuroinflammation. Furthermore, the outcomes of anti-inflammatory intervention using ibuprofen were preliminarily demonstrated. This work provides insights into the early progression of neurodevelopmental disorders caused by neuroinflammation and offers a platform for the development of therapeutic strategies for neuroinflammation.