Cerebral organoids as a new model for prion disease
Bradley R. Groveman, Anna Smith, Katie Williams, Cathryn L. Haigh
Abstract
The rapid development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has considerably expanded the range of human cell and tissue models available for investigators. IPSCs can be used to generate a variety of cells and tissues, with examples ranging from directed differentiation of cell populations for studying homogenous cultures to more complex three-dimensional (3D) structures. One especially advantageous innovation was the development of mini-tissues termed "organoids." Organoids allow cells to be studied in a 3D environment that loosely mimics how they would interact with neighboring cells in an organism. This is critical because cells inside an organ are structured as part of their function, something that is rarely achievable when cells are cultured in vitro. Human brain has proven difficult to model, and this tissue is not widely available for study. Therefore, the application of organoid technology to produce 3D cultures of self-patterning brain tissue, human cerebral organoids (hCOs), offers great promise for investigating how brain cells become dysfunctional and die in neurodegenerative conditions.