Lab Chat: New cerebral organoid model produces brain waves

Organoids — Petri dish-sized tissue structures that capture some functions of large organs — are increasingly being used in lieu of animal models. Researchers behind a just-published study describe a new model of a cerebral organoid, one that can produce brain waves similar to that of a newborn. I spoke to Alysson Muotri, a biologist at the University of California, San Diego, and a senior author of the new study, to learn more.

Brain organoids have been created for a while. What’s new here?

One thing that was lacking was a neuronal network. We see that the networks start forming between 2 and 4 months. At 6 months, you can see brain waves [measured by electrodes]. By 9-10 months, these oscillations become regular and complex.

And how can you use these organoids?

The low-hanging fruit is epilepsy — when someone has a seizure, these brain waves have a spike. Now we’re looking for a way to create brain organoids using cells from people with epilepsy to see if we can understand what’s going on.