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A MODULAR ORGANOID-BASED PLATFORM TO ASSAY CONTEXT-DEPENDENT HUMAN MICROGLIA<EM> </EM>STATE MODULATION<EM> </EM>IN TUMOR-ASSOCIATED NICHES
Lucía Rodríguez Martínezand 6 co-authors
Center for Organoid Systems, Technical University of Munich
FENS Forum 2026 (2026)
Barcelona, Spain
Board PS05-09AM-499
Presentation
Date TBA
Board: PS05-09AM-499
Event Information
Poster Board
PS05-09AM-499
Poster
View posterAbstract
Microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, adopt diverse and dynamic states in response to local cues in both health and disease. In glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary brain tumor, microglia can shift toward immunosuppressive, pro-tumorigenic states that support malignancy. Here, we aim to modulate microglial states within the GBM microenvironment toward anti-tumor functions by using protein receptors that enhance recognition of glioma-associated signals. To model and mechanistically dissect this transition from homeostatic to tumor-associated states, we developed a human brain-tumor organoid assembloid with defined immune compartments. In healthy organoid environments, human microglia exhibit ramified morphologies and homeostatic transcriptional signatures, whereas in GBM contexts they show pronounced process retraction and a shift toward immunosuppressive programs, as revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing. Together, this platform captures context-dependent microglial state plasticity in a controlled 3D human model and provides a versatile framework to study mechanisms of microglial state modulation and microglia-tumor crosstalk.
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