Present and future of modeling human brain development in 3D organoids

Giorgia Quadrato; Paola Arlotta

doi:10.1016/j.ceb.2017.11.010

Present and future of modeling human brain development in 3D organoids

Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2017 Dec:49:47-52. doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2017.11.010. Epub 2017 Dec 8.

Authors

Giorgia Quadrato¹, Paola Arlotta²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Electronic address: giorgia_quadrato@harvard.edu.
² Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Electronic address: paola_arlotta@harvard.edu.

PMID: 29227864
DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2017.11.010

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) brain organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells hold great potential to investigate complex human genetic states and to model aspects of human brain development and pathology. However, the field of brain organoids is still in its infancy, and their use has been limited by their variability and their inability to differentiate into 3D structures with reproducible anatomical organization. Here, starting from a review of basic principles of in vitro 'brain organogenesis', we discuss which aspects of human brain development and disease can be faithfully modeled with current brain organoid protocols, and discuss improvements that would allow them to become reliable tools to investigate complex features of human brain development and disease.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Brain / pathology*
Humans
Organogenesis / genetics*
Organoids / growth & development*
Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism*