Brain Organoids for Screening BBB Penetration and Neurotoxicity

Human brain organoids are three-dimensional, self-organizing models derived from pluripotent stem cells that recapitulate key features of the human brain, including diverse neuronal and glial populations, cellular interactions, and aspects of regional brain architecture. Their utility can be further enhanced by incorporating brain microvascular endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes to generate more physiologically relevant blood–brain barrier (BBB) models.  In parallel, brain organoids provide a human-relevant platform for neurotoxicity screening, allowing direct evaluation of drug- or chemical-induced effects on neuronal viability, neuronal differentiation, electrophysiological activity, calcium signaling, synaptic integrity, and neuroinflammatory responses.