Elife. 2026 Oct 20;15:RP111730. doi: 10.7554/eLife.111730.

ABSTRACT

Genetic evidence implicates immune dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet the neuroimmune mechanisms operating in human tissue remain poorly defined. Here, we establish a modular human forebrain organoid platform that systematically integrates human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia and CD8⁺ T cells to reconstitute multicellular AD pathology. This system enables functional interrogation of both innate and adaptive immune components in a human-relevant context. Using this platform, we demonstrate that microglia mediate amyloid-β clearance and neuronal maturation but also drive inflammatory activation and recruit CD8⁺ T cells through CCL4/5 signaling via CCR1/5 and CXCR3, establishing a neuroinflammatory feedback loop. Pharmacological targeting of CCR5 or CXCR3 blocks T cell recruitment and modulates autophagy in a microglia-dependent manner. This modular organoid platform provides a versatile tool for dissecting neuron-immune interactions and enables cell-type-specific therapeutic screening in human neuroinflammatory disease models.

PMID:42899469 | DOI:10.7554/eLife.111730