Use of neural 3D organoid with MEA in neurotoxicity testing: comparison to traditional in vitro cell culture and in vivo methods

Purpose of review New drug treatment for brain injuries is an important area of research and drug screening is an essential part of this endeavor. Current screening methods use cultured cells and animal experiments to measure toxicity and drug efficacy. However, these screening methods are limited for determining effects in humans and measuring functional changes in neurons. Additional limitations of these methods include their inability to assess risk of seizure and the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases. Alternatively, human derived neuronal stem cells have potentials to address these limitations. Recent findings This study aimed to investigate advantages of human derived neuronal cells, stem cells, and organoid models for screening drugs. This study also investigated a multi-electrode array for observing activities of neurons using organoids compared to other experimental models such as in vitro cell cultures and in vivo animal tests.