Uncovering the Glioma Microenvironment With In Vitro Neuronal Models

Gliomas are tumors resident in the central nervous system (CNS) that account for over 33% of all brain tumors. The tumor microenvironment is a vast mix of excitatory and inhibitory neurons as well as glial cells, and a disruption of this delicate balance can lead to tumor-associated seizures. GABAergic neurons play a key role in these imbalances and are a key cell type for investigations into the glioma microenvironment. In this webinar, you’ll hear from Dr. Brian Gill about his research into neuron–glioma interactions and how they contribute to seizures and tumoral growth. You’ll also learn how human iPSC-derived ioGABAergic neurons can be used to study excitatory–inhibitory neuron imbalances for the discovery of new drugs from Dr. Tony Oosterveen. ● Gain a comprehensive understanding of how glioma alters crosstalk between different neuronal populations. ● Discover how excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations contribute to the intense electrical activity observed in tumoral epilepsy. ● Uncover how precision reprogrammed human iPSC-derived ioGABAergic Neurons can be applied to explore the glioma microenvironment. ● Learn about high purity, consistency, functionality and co-culture compatibility of ioGABAergic Neurons Dr. Brian Gill, MD Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery Columbia University Irving Medical Center Dr. Brian J.A. Gill, MD is a neurosurgeon and scientist in the Department of Neurosurgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center who specializes in the management of complex brain tumors. Dr. Gill completed his neurosurgical training at Columbia, he then obtained specialty training in neurosurgical oncology from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before returning to practice at Columbia. Dr. Gill leads a research effort focused on characterizing the molecular biology of the peritumoral region in glioma with a particular interest in interactions between tumor cells and neurons. Dr. Tony Oosterveen Principal Scientist and CNS Lead, Neurobiology bit.bio Tony Oosterveen, PhD, is a Principal Scientist and CNS lead at bit.bio, a company located in Cambridge, UK using proprietary technologies to robustly generate human cell types for research, drug discovery and cell therapy. He identified transcriptional principles underlying neuron specification processes and developed a novel hESC-derived Parkinson’s disease model.