Advancing insights into virus-induced neurodevelopmental disorders through human brain organoid modelling

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Prenatal maternal viral infections disrupt human neurodevelopment, causing congenital defects.
• Traditional animal models have limitations in replicating human brain development.
• Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived brain organoids offer a novel modeling approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utility of 3D human brain organoids for modeling prenatal viral infections.
• To examine the mechanisms of TORCH viral infections and their impact on neurodevelopment.
• To explore the contribution of these infections to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing iPSC-derived 3D human brain organoids.
• Investigating viral pathogenesis and infection mechanisms in vitro.
• Reviewing existing literature on TORCH infections and brain organoid studies.

Main Results:

• Brain organoids successfully model prenatal viral infection effects on human brain development.
• Organoids provide a platform to study viral impact on neural cell types and structures.
• Demonstrated utility during the Zika virus outbreak highlights their potential.

Conclusions:

• Human brain organoids are powerful tools for studying prenatal viral infections and neurodevelopmental disorders.
• They offer a more accurate model than animal systems for human-specific effects.
• Further research using brain organoids can elucidate TORCH infection mechanisms and guide therapeutic strategies.