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Human organoids

Brain organoids fill the gap

Nature Neuroscience volume 26, page 365 (2023)Cite this article

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The brain has a very limited capacity to repair itself, and there is an urgent need for therapies to improve neurological outcomes after cerebral cortex injuries. Grafts of brain organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells have been proposed as suitable candidates. In a paper published in Cell Stem Cell, Jgamadze et al. explored this approach by transplanting human iPSC-derived brain organoids into injured visual cortex in rats. The organoids survived for up to 3 months, and the host brain did not reject them or create a glial scar around them. The organoids did not show the brain-like architecture seen in vitro, but they reproduced some cell diversity. Importantly, the organoids formed afferent and efferent connections with the host visual network, and a subset of neurons within the brain organoids responded to visual stimulation. The study has some limitations, including the possibly immature state of the human neurons owing to time constraints related to immunosuppression, and the need for increased functional assessments and more representative models of the pathophysiology of disorders such as stroke or traumatic brain injury. Nevertheless, it provides proof of principle that organoid grafts can integrate with the injured mammalian brain.

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  1. Nature Neuroscience https://www.nature.com/neuro

    Beatriz Gomez Perez-Nievas

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  1. Beatriz Gomez Perez-Nievas
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Correspondence to Beatriz Gomez Perez-Nievas.

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Perez-Nievas, B.G. Brain organoids fill the gap. Nat Neurosci 26, 365 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01276-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01276-w

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