Human cerebral organoids maintain integrity and viability after transport through mail

Abstract

Human cerebral organoids are stem-cell derived three-dimensional (3D) tissue cultures used to advance our understanding of human neurodevelopment processes and neurological disorders. This complex model system can be utilized in interdisciplinary studies that do not include organoid biologists such as engineering, computer science, and pharmacology. This study introduces a reliable method of transportation of live brain organoids to further collaboration amongst disciplines. Using immunohistochemistry and a papain viability assay, we compared the cellular integrity and viability of organoids transported through overnight mail (“flight”) and organoids remaining in the lab (“ground”). In addition, we performed multi-electrode array (MEA) recordings at multiple time points following transport to assess the preservation of spontaneous electrophysiological activity. Our shipping method produced comparable results between flight and ground organoids in viability and cell death staining as well as morphological characteristics of glial cells and neurons. These findings provide a method in transporting organoids between labs to encourage collaboration between brain organoid researchers and non-life scientists.