What are the values of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived organoids?
A.
Mouse and human iPS cells, and precursor cells derived from them, have now been used to form organoids that resemble a variety of developing organs, including the human brain, arguably the most complex and sophisticated structure on Earth.
B.
Such organoids provide powerful models for studying organ development in a culture dish, where one can identify and manipulate the genes involved and explore the roles of cell–cell interactions in ways not possible in an intact organism.
C.
In addition, organoids can be used to investigate how developmental pathways can be derailed by disease. For example, brain organoids have been produced using human iPS cells derived from an individual with microcephaly, a condition characterized by severely stunted brain growth and development.
D.
Careful analysis of these developing brain organoids revealed that the microcephaly in this case was probably caused by the premature cessation of proliferation and differentiation of the brain precursor cells, resulting in a decreased production of brain cells.