Analysis of the Research Progress in Constructing Brain Organoids with Stem Cells

Organoids, three - dimensional cell aggregates, are formed through the differentiation of stem or progenitor cells in controlled lab settings. They can replicate aspects of real organs, revolutionizing life science research. Brain organoids are created via two main techniques. Non - guided differentiation depends on the natural, spontaneous transformation of stem cells to yield diverse cell types. Guided differentiation, on the other hand, uses specific cues to form organoids mimicking distinct brain regions or nuclei. However, accurately representing brain nuclei features remains a major hurdle. Brain organoids have a rich cellular composition, including neurons and glial cells, similar to fetal cortical tissue, which allows them to model brain functions. Over time, they've evolved from single - donor models to more complex ones derived from multiple donors. This evolution is crucial for studying differences in drug responses among individuals and advancing personalized medicine. Using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate neural stem cells and brain organoids circumvents ethical issues related to embryonic stem cells. It also enables the creation of patient - specific models, facilitating precise research into neural development mechanisms and neurological disease pathogenesis. This article comprehensively reviews the progress in building brain organoids from stem cells, providing key insights for future brain research.