3D Ex Vivo Human Dorsal Root Ganglia (DRG) Tissue Model Introduction

The human dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is a cluster of neurons in the dorsal root of the spinal nerves, which line the sides of the spinal cord and constitute the main part of the peripheral sensory nervous system. Furthermore, the cell bodies of sensory neurons called first-order neurons are located in the DRG. The molecular discovery of human DRG provides new targets for pain research. At Creative Biolabs, with our proprietary technology and extensive experience, we are able to restore human DRG to a highly viable state to assess the effect of compounding on DRG neuronal excitability. Our customized human ex vivo DRG models offer new perspectives for testing therapeutic compounds to assess their analgesic potential.

Fig.1 Surgical extraction of human DRG using ventral approach. (Valtcheva, 2016)

Comparison of 2D and 3D Models

2D Models	*3D Ex Vivo* Human DRG Models**
Lack of a 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) to create a microenvironment, resulting in unreliable results.	3D ex vivo models preserve tissue-specific features and long-term interactions.
The bioavailability of test compounds is difficult to assess.	The DRG ex vivo model allows the transfer of entire neuronal networks
Mature neurons do not undergo cell division in vitro, making obtaining sufficient numbers of cells a challenge.	3D ex vivo model has simple and convenient experimental procedures
The nerve fibers grow radially from the ganglion, which is not conducive to the measurement and analysis of growth.	This model allows the assessment of neurite outgrowth, which can be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.
Neural cell cultures from DRG can only be maintained for a few days if factors that increase survival are added.	DRG ex vivo models can be maintained in vitro for several days and culture conditions can be changed as needed.
Interpreting results is difficult when exploring the effects of compounds on cell migration and axon formation.	This model has great potential in exploring the biological functions and pathophysiological mechanisms of diseases.

Applications

The ex vivo model of the human DRG is attractive and versatile. This model plays a crucial role in the study of various biological responses related to physiological and pathological conditions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), including neuron-glia interactions, neuroplasticity, neuroinflammation and viral infection. Furthermore, the model is not only applicable to the field of neurology but also has great potential in other areas, such as cardiology and cancer biology.

At Creative Biolabs, in addition to DRG from healthy donors, we can also obtain human DRG from human donors suffering from chronic pain and other neuropathies. Based on an extensive global network, we are committed to providing researchers with snap-frozen or fixed human DRG models to power your preclinical drug development. Please feel free to contact us for more details.

More 3D ex vivo human neurological system tissue models are available through the following link:

Reference

Valtcheva, M.V.; et al. Surgical extraction of human dorsal root ganglia from organ donors and preparation of primary sensory neuron cultures. Nature protocols. 2016, 11(10): 1877-1888.

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3D Biology Based Biomarker Discovery

3D Biology Based Drug Discovery and Development

3D Biology Based Toxicity Evaluation

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