Optogenetics in the Era of Cerebral Organoids

The human brain has been deemed the most complex organ and has captivated neuroscientists for decades. Most studies of this organ have relied on reductionist model systems. Although all model systems are essentially wrong, cerebral organoids so far represent the closest recapitulation of human brain development and disease both in terms of cell diversity and organization. The optogenetic technique can be used in this context to study the functional neuroanatomy of the brain, to examine the neural circuits, and to determine the etiology of neurological disorders. In this opinion article, we suggest ways in which optogenetics can be combined with cerebral organoids to allow unprecedented precision and accuracy in studying normal and aberrant neurodevelopmental processes and, as well, neurodegenerative diseases. Optogenetics refers to a combination of optical and genetic tools to control the activity of individual neurons and decode brain circuitry.Cerebral organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells provide new opportunities for studying neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases in human-like tissue.The optogenetic technique and cerebral organoids can be combined to advance knowledge of the human brain and its related disorders and lead to more effective therapeutic approaches.