Bioengineering a novel neuronal device for human in-vitro Multiple Sclerosis studies

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). Demyelination involves the loss of myelin, which impairs the nerve conduction velocity, and it is observed in MS. This occurs because the myelin no longer forms distinct internodes, known as the nodes of Ranvier, and therefore affects saltatory conduction. The myelin sheath in the CNS is formed by oligodendrocytes, which are a type of glial cell.
Currently, therapies only focus on the inflammatory aspect of MS. However, new advancements in the form of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), multielectrode arrays and microfluidics have led to studying MS in several new ways. This will allow novel therapies to arise that will also target the neurodegenerative aspect of MS.
The aim of my project is to develop a novel human in-vitro model for MS that will aid in investigating human neuron myelination, demyelination and remyelination. A custom array with stimulating and recording electrodes has been fabricated which will be used to assess myelination by co-culturing human cerebral cortical neurons with human oligodendrocytes and measuring the conduction velocity.