Programa del congreso

A major challenge in neuroscience and drug discovery is the limited translatability of results from animal models to humans, as these systems fail to capture the structural and functional complexity of the human brain. In particular, the study of neurological disorders requires models that reproduce not only cellular composition but also the organization and connectivity of neural networks. Human in vitro models provide a promising alternative; however, their use has been hindered by poor reproducibility, including variability in spheroid size, cell distribution, and spatial arrangement. To address these limitations, we developed microfluidic platforms designed to control the seeding and organization of neural spheroids within microwell arrays. Across different device configurations, the systems enabled reproducible formation of single spheroids per well, with homogeneous size and defined spatial positioning. This controlled arrangement constitutes a critical first step toward establishing reproducible human neural networks, with potential applications in disease modeling and drug screening.