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Updated: Jun 6, 2025
Generation of iPSC-derived Human Brain Organoids to Model Early Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Published on: April 14, 2017
Advancing insights into virus-induced neurodevelopmental disorders through human brain organoid modelling
Gabriella Crawford1, Olivia Soper1, Eunchai Kang1
1Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.
Insights
Human brain organoids model prenatal viral infections, offering insights into neurodevelopmental disorders. These 3D models advance understanding of TORCH infections and potential treatments.
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.
Abstract:
Human neurodevelopment is a complex process vulnerable to disruptions, particularly during the prenatal period. Maternal viral infections represent a significant environmental factor contributing to a spectrum of congenital defects with profound and enduring impacts on affected offspring. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived three-dimensional (3D) human brain organoids has revolutionised our ability to model prenatal viral infections and associated neurodevelopmental disorders. Notably, human brain organoids provide a distinct advantage over traditional animal models, whose brain structures and developmental processes differ markedly from those of humans. These organoids offer a sophisticated platform for investigating viral pathogenesis, infection mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions, as demonstrated by their pivotal role during the 2016 Zika virus outbreak. This review critically examines the utilisation of brain organoids in elucidating the mechanisms of TORCH viral infections, their impact on human brain development and contribution to associated neurodevelopmental disorders.
