eBook: Advanced Tools Transforming Neurology Research - 3

Neuroscience Complexity
Clarified by Organoids and
Advanced Imaging
Metabolic assays, in 3D assemblies and other cell cultures,
are providing valuable biomedical insights
Neurologist and Nobel Laureate Stanley Prusiner
once said that " neuroscience is by far the most
exciting branch of science because the brain
is the most fascinating object in the universe. "
Neurology is a multidisciplinary field that focuses
on disorders of the nervous system. Because
many pathologies such as Parkinson's disease
correspond to a malfunctioning nervous system,
the therapeutic potential of neurology is
immense.1
For example, patient-derived human
brain organoids enable researchers to test medical
hypotheses at various stages of neurodevelopmental
disease progression.2
Many in vitro neurology studies have been conducted
in a low-throughout manner, and in 2D cell
models that fail to mimic the 3D complexity of tissues
and organs.3
Such work is insufficient for rapid
metabolic screening, realistically modeling human
physiology, and applying precision medicine in neurology.4
For
example, the calcium transients that are
pertinent to understanding chronic pain depend on
cellular arrangement into complex 3D assemblies.5
A variety of technologies and tools have been
developed to model healthy and diseased physiological
states, including in neurology contexts.6
For example, organoid models have revealed candidate
drug sensitivities of rare pediatric tumors;7
many brain tumor types have also been modeled
in this manner.8
In this eBook, we explore the utility of organoid
models for neurodegenerative disease and other
research. We follow with a discussion of simultaneously
screening multiple cells for rapid calcium flux
across membranes.
Bridging cell cultures and
human physiology
Historically, basic research in neurology has focused
on individual cells and 2D cell cultures. Such
studies fail to capture the architecture and physiology
of tissues and organs, and thus are not always
pertinent to clinical practice. The 3D cell cultures
known as organoids are helping to advance the
3
eBook: Advanced Tools Transforming Neurology Research

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