3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues
Human-relevant, ready-to-use 3D cortical neural spheroids for scalable CNS safety assessments and neurotoxicity screening
In Vitro CNS Safety Assessment with 3D Human Neural Microtissues
Central nervous system (CNS) safety remains a major challenge in drug development, with neurotoxicity and functional liabilities often emerging late in the drug discovery pipeline. Human-relevant in vitro CNS models can help identify these risks earlier, enabling more predictive neurotoxicity screening and functional assessment before the costly preclinical and clinical stages.
Many early CNS safety workflows still rely on 2D neuronal cultures, which fail to capture the spatial organization, cellular interactions, and network behaviour of the human brain, limiting their predictive value. Human neural microtissues are 3D neural spheroids that better replicate the architecture, cell-cell interactions, and functional neuronal network activity of brain tissue than conventional 2D in vitro cultures.
By combining long-term compound exposure with functional endpoints such as calcium imaging and electrophysiology, they enable more reliable neurotoxicity screening and earlier identification of potential CNS safety liabilities.
However, building these models in-house is resource-intensive, time-consuming, and difficult to standardize for high-throughput screening. InSphero’s 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues address these challenges with ready-to-use, human iPSC-derived cortical neural spheroids for scalable, human-relevant CNS safety assessment with reliable functional readouts.
Generate Human-Relevant Neurotoxicity Insights with Ready-to-Use 3D Neural Microtissues
Bring predictive CNS safety testing in-house with InSphero’s 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues – without the time, cost, and complexity of building 3D models yourself. These assay-ready, human iPSC-derived 3D cortical neural spheroids enable scalable neurotoxicity screening with reliable, functional readouts to support confident decision-making in earlier drug discovery timelines.
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- Designed with your needs in mind, the model offers two options of neuron–astrocyte ratios (Balanced/Neuron-rich), allowing you to choose the model that best fits your experimental objectives.Â
- Aggregated and matured in a scaffold-free environment, the microtissues form physiologically relevant 3D in vivo-like architecture and remain viable and functional for up to 8 weeks, supporting long-term drug treatment to mirror clinical dosing.Â
- Delivered in Akuraâ„¢ plates or standard U-bottom 96- and 384-well formats (one microtissue per well), they integrate seamlessly into your existing instrumentation, such as confocal microscopy or high-throughput Ca2+ imaging (Hamamatsu-FDSS, FLIPR), enabling functional testing at scale.Â
Plan Your CNS Safety Studies with ConfidenceÂ
With scheduled production runs every 4–6 weeks, you can order 3D InSight™ Neural Microtissue to align with your timelines and plan upcoming neurotoxicity screening campaigns.
What makes our assay-ready human neural model the preferred choice
More Predictive CNS Safety Decisions
iPSC-derived human co-culture model of astrocytes with glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons mimicking in vivo-like neural networks, enabling more reliable functional readouts for neurotoxicity and CNS safety assessment.Â
Tuneable Models for Targeted Applications
Choose from two predefined neuron–astrocyte ratios and cell number formats, providing flexibility to align the model with your specific drug discovery needs. Â
Run Long-term Treatment with Functional Readouts
With up to 8 weeks of viability and functionality, enabling long-term treatment and capturing functional readouts through calcium imaging or electrophysiology.Â
Faster Results, Scale Easily
Receive assay-ready 3D neural microtissues in Akuraâ„¢ 96 & Akuraâ„¢ 384 well plate format, allowing you to begin scalable screening immediately without model development complexity.Â
A Physiologically Relevant 3D in vitro Model Reflecting Human Brain Biology
Generate actionable CNS safety insights with fully characterized, validated 3D InSightâ„¢ Neural Microtissues, a human-relevant 3D cortical spheroid model you can trust to support faster, more confident decision-making.Â
Complex 3D Neural Model
Work with a human-relevant 3D neural model that includes major neural cell types. 3D InSightâ„¢ Neural Microtissues are iPS-derived human 3D cortical spheroid models that are a triple-culture of differentiated astrocytes, glutamatergic (excitatory) and GABAergic (inhibitory) neurons.Â
With our capability to tune the neuron–astrocyte ratio during spheroid aggregation, you can choose between a balanced (50% neurons, 50% astrocytes) or a neuron-rich model (90% neurons, 10% astrocytes) for your targeted toxicity screening needs. Â
Figure: Histological staining of 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues, showing the presence of astrocytes, neurons, and synaptic structures within the model.
Organotypic Architecture
Generate reliable, structural readouts for CNS risk assessment using high-content imaging. 3D human neural microtissues develop complex, in vivo-like morphology. Confocal imaging confirms the formation of neuronal networks with dense synaptic structures and organized co-culture integration of neurons and astrocytes.
Figure: Confocal imaging of 3D neural microtissues highlights physiologically relevant neural architecture and synaptic network formation
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Run Long-Term Studies with Confidence
With up to 8 weeks of viability, morphology and sustained functionality, you gain a practical assay window of up to 4 weeks after delivery, allowing long-term compound exposure to better reflect clinical dosing and detect critical CNS risks earlier.Â
Figure: Plate scan of an Akuraâ„¢ 96 Spheroid Microplate containing pre-aggregated neural microtissues, with the corresponding diameter heatmap showing size distribution across the plate. Diameter and ATP measurements over time illustrate long-term viability during extended culture.
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Assess Reliably Functional Effects of Drug Candidates
Evaluate the impact of your drug candidates on synchronous calcium oscillations. Quality control with established tool compounds confirms expected modulation of neuronal activity – giving you confidence that the model reliably detects drug-induced functional effects.Â
Figure: Calcium imaging traces following treatment with established tool compounds demonstrate predictable modulation of spontaneous network activity in 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues.
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Understand How Your Drug Candidates Impact Neural Network Function
Go beyond calcium imaging and gain deeper insights into how your drug candidates affect neuronal network behavior. Combined with MaxWell Biosystems‘ HD-MEA technology, 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues enable high-resolution, label-free electrophysiological recordings to detect changes in firing patterns, network bursting, and synchrony upon drug treatment.Â
From increased firing frequency and burst stabilization to complete network silencing, these functional readouts help identify potential CNS liabilities and support mechanism-of-action studies. Â
Figure: Representative HD-MEA network activity profiles of 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues before and after pharmacological modulation with reference compounds.
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How it Works
Keep Your CNS Safety Programs Moving
Once you place your order, our expert team initiates spheroid aggregation and maturation, followed by rigorous quality control. With regular availability (every 4 to 6 weeks) of assay-ready 3D InSightâ„¢ Neural Microtissue, helping you to plan your program with confidence. Check our production schedule.Â
With up to 8 weeks of viability and stable functionality after aggregation, you benefit from a flexible assay window of up to 4 weeks upon delivery– giving you the time needed to perform neurotoxicity studies, including long-term drug treatment. Microtissues are easily maintained using your own media with our supplements.
Step 1
Select your preferred 3D InSightâ„¢ Neural Microtissue configuration and submit your order
Step 2
Our experts generate your neural microtissues based on your configuration
Step 3
Each batch undergoes rigorous QC, including functional validation and is shipped
Step 4
Receive your 3D neural microtissues and start testing and generating data Â
Technical Specifications
Model Configuration & Plate Formats
Production & Quality Control
Deliverables
Technical Specifications
- iPSc 3D cortical neural spheroids Â
- Triple culture of differentiated astrocytes, glutamatergic and GABAergic neuronsÂ
- Pre-aggregated 1 spheroid/ wellÂ
- Size: 300±30 µm (Balanced model), 280±30 µm (Neuron-rich model)
- Guaranteed 4 weeks of functional viability & stabilityÂ
Model Configuration & Plate Formats
- Neuron: Astrocyte RatioÂ
- Balanced model (50:50)Â
- Neuron-rich model (90:10)Â
- Plate formatÂ
- Akuraâ„¢ 96– or 384 Spheroid MicroplateÂ
- Round Bottom 96-or 384 microwell plate Â
Production & Quality Control
- Robust Characterization Â
- Histology: H&E staining, GFAP, Tubulin, Synaptophysin Â
- High Content Imaging: MAP2, Synapsin, GFAPÂ
- Long-term viability: ATP and morphologyÂ
- Suitability for drug treatment: Functional readout test via calcium imaging of tool compounds Â
- NGS-TempOÂ SequencingÂ
- Rigorous Quality Control Â
- Morphology (plate scan)
- Viability (ATPÂ content)Â
- Functional calcium imaging (monitoring spontaneous network activity and pharmacological challenges with 4-AP, Isoguvacin and MK801 for each production batch)Â
Deliverables
- Pre-aggregated assay ready 3D InSight™ Human Neural Microtissues Â
- Optimized neural culture supplements Â
- Certificate of Quality (CoQ)
- Handling and culturing protocolsÂ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cell types are included in the 3D InSightTM Human Neural Microtissues?
Each microtissue is a triple-culture model containing iPS-derived differentiated astrocytes, Glutamatergic (excitatory) neurons, and GABAergic (inhibitory) neurons.
Can 3D neural microtissues be used for chronic toxicity studies?
Yes. 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues remain viable and functionally active for up to 8 weeks after aggregation, providing an assay window of up to 4 weeks upon delivery. This enables long-term compound exposure studies designed to better reflect clinical dosing regimens.Â
What applications are 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues suitable for?
The microtissues are designed for a wide range of applications, including CNS safety assessment, neurotoxicity screening, functional pharmacology, long-term drug treatment studies and mechanism-of-action investigations.Â
How do calcium imaging and MEA studies differ?
Calcium imaging in neural microtissues measures changes in intracellular calcium as a functional readout of synchronous neuronal activity, making it well suited for scalable screening. MEA studies directly record electrical activity, providing deeper insights into firing patterns, bursting behavior, network connectivity, and mechanism of action.Â
How do neuron-rich and balanced neural models differ?
The balanced model contains 50% neurons and 50% astrocytes, reflecting cortical glia-to-neuron proportions. The model is suited for applications such as general neurotoxicity screening, neurodegenerative disease modeling, metabolic profiling, or neuroinflammation studies. Â
The neuron-rich model contains 90% neurons and 10% astrocytes and is suited for studies that require astrocyte-dominance avoidance and a better signal-to-noise ratio for functional assays.Â
How are 3D InSightâ„¢ Human Neural Microtissues delivered?
The microtissues are supplied assay-ready as one spheroid per well and are available in: Akuraâ„¢ 96- and 384-well Spheroid Microplates or standard round-bottom 96- and 384-well plates.
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