Sergiu Pasca – Human Neuroassembloids: Building Brains in the Laboratory

The molecular and cellular mechanisms by which the human brain develops cannot be directly studied. Stanford professor Sergiu Pasca is at the forefront of using induced human pluripotent stem cells to establish 3D cultures of individual brain regions (organoids) and multiple interacting brain regions (assembloids). His work has shown that functional neuronal connections can be established and the underlying molecular and cellular regulation of human brain development established.  Human neuroassembloids are also being used to identify the root causes of developmental brain disorders such as autism.

LINKS:

Human brain organoid and assembloid review:

https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0092-8674%2821%2901177-6

Human cortical – spinal cord – muscle neuroassembloid:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8711252/pdf/nihms-1649341.pd 

CRISPR screen – developmental brain disorder genes:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10567561/pdf/41586_2023_Article_6564.pdf

Timothy Syndrome:

https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1934-5909%2821%2900483-5