Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to differentiate into various cell lines37 and to self-organize and develop organ-like structures termed “organoids.” Recently, 3D cerebral organoids have been generated, which recapitulate key aspects of human brain development during the first and early second trimesters of embryogenesis38. The pluripotent hESCs or iPSCs aggregate to form embryoid bodies (EBs) capable of generating all three germ layers39. EBs placed in neuroectodermal media form the neuroectoderm germ layer, the foundation for the development of cerebral organoids. Neuroectoderm cultured in matrigel scaffolds develop a 3D cerebral organoid tissue with distinct germinal centers (rosettes) and cortical layers corresponding to the human brain structure at the end of the first trimester38,40,41. This new technology applied to iPSCs from microcephaly patients41 and patients with autism16 revealed disruptions in early brain development and shed light on underlying cellular mechanisms involved.
