Brain organoid: a 3D technology for investigating cellular composition and interactions in human neurological development and disease models in vitro

Agboola, Oluwafemi Solomon; Hu, Xinglin; Shan, Zhiyan; Wu, Yanshuang; Lei, Lei

ABSTRACT: The study of human brain physiology, including cellular interactions in normal and disease conditions, has been a challenge due to its complexity and unavailability. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) study is indispensable in the study of the pathophysiology of neurological disorders. Nevertheless, monolayer systems lack the cytoarchitecture necessary for cellular interactions and neurological disease modeling. Brain organoids generated from human pluripotent stem cells supply an ideal environment to model both cellular interactions and pathophysiology of the human brain. This review article discusses the composition and interactions among neural lineage and non-central nervous system cell types in brain organoids, current studies, and future perspectives in brain organoid research. Ultimately, the promise of brain organoids is to unveil previously inaccessible features of neurobiology that emerge from complex cellular interactions and to improve our mechanistic understanding of neural development and diseases. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-021-02369-8.