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Brain Organoids: Tools for Understanding the Uniqueness and Individual Variability of the Human Brain
Irene Faravelli1,2, Noelia Antón-Bolaños1,2, Juliana R Brown1,2
1Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; email: ifaravelli@fas.harvard.edu, nanton@fas.harvard.edu, julianabrown@fas.harvard.edu, paola_arlotta@harvard.edu.
Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics
|August 25, 2025
Summary
Human brain organoid models offer new insights into neurodevelopment, disease, and individual brain variation. These advancements are key to understanding brain uniqueness and developing personalized treatments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Human brain specialization mechanisms and their developmental/evolutionary coding are increasingly understood.
- Cell-based experimental models of the human brain are advancing research into neurodevelopment, neurological diseases, and brain function variation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in human brain organoid technology.
- To highlight future interdisciplinary approaches for enhancing model physiological relevance.
- To explore the potential of these models in understanding human brain uniqueness and variation.
Main Methods:
- Review of current organoid technology and experimental models.
- Analysis of scalable in vitro systems for studying human cohorts.
- Exploration of interdisciplinary approaches to improve model systems.
Main Results:
- Organoid technology has significantly improved the study of fundamental brain questions.
- Scalable in vitro systems enable investigation of interindividual variation in large cohorts.
- Advancements facilitate understanding of normal development and disease processes.
Conclusions:
- Organoid technology is bringing researchers closer to understanding human brain specialization.
- These models are crucial for developing personalized treatments for neurological conditions.
- Future research will further elucidate the unique aspects of individual human brains.
