Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41278870›Full record

ArticlebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2025

Interregional human assembloids recapitulate fetal brain morphologies and enhance neuronal complexity.

André Saraiva Leão Marcelo Antunes, Maria Carolina Pedro Athié, Ana Clara Caznok Silveira, Josué Renner, Elayne Vieira Dias, João Victor Ribeiro Dos Santos, Branka Hrvoj-Mihic, Camila Canateli, João Meidanis, Alysson R Muotri and 2 more

Abstract readPreprint
In one paragraph

Article in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

André Saraiva Leão Marcelo AntunesBrazilian Bioscience National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, 13083-100, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-0692-8948
Maria Carolina Pedro AthiéBrazilian Bioscience National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, 13083-100, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-6649-9065
Ana Clara Caznok SilveiraFaculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil.ORCID 0009-0000-2637-7349
Josué RennerGraduate Program in Biosciences, Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, 90050-170, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-3605-7952
Elayne Vieira DiasBrazilian Bioscience National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, 13083-100, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-0567-8390
João Victor Ribeiro Dos SantosBrazilian Bioscience National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, 13083-100, Brazil.ORCID 0009-0000-6643-0327
Branka Hrvoj-MihicCenter for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, 20052, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-4132-5666
Camila CanateliBrazilian Bioscience National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, 13083-100, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-5482-4625
João MeidanisInstitute of Computing, University of Campinas, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0001-7878-4990
Alysson R MuotriDepartment of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA) and Archealization (ArchC), Sanford Stem Cell Education and Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research (ISSCOR), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0867-2875
Alberto Antônio Rasia-FilhoGraduate Program in Biosciences, Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, 90050-170, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-4623-5916
Simoni Helena AvansiniBrazilian Bioscience National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, 13083-100, Brazil.

Funding

Proteogenetics of Autism Spectrum DisordersR01MH100175 · NIMH · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · PI MUOTRI, ALYSSON R., YATES III, JOHN R · 2013 to 2025
$7.4M
A new brain organoid model for NeuroHIV and the impact of opioidsR01DA056908 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Alysson R. Muotri · 2022 to 2026
$3.9M
Novel SETD5-based Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Tools to Understand and Revert Neuronal Dysfunction Associated with Intellectual disability and AutismR01MH127077 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Alon Goren, Alysson R. Muotri · 2022 to 2026
$3.9M
Establishment of a causal link between AD and L1 retrotransposonsR01AG078959 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Alysson R. Muotri · 2022 to 2026
$3.9M
Nextgen AD Models, Endotypes, and ScreeningRF1AG084030 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MUOTRI, ALYSSON R., SUBRAMANIAM, SHANKAR · 2024 to 2024
$2.3M
The Impact of hiPSC-Derived Microglia in Human Brain Development in Health and DiseaseR01NS123642 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MUOTRI, ALYSSON R. · 2021 to 2025
$2.2M
Investigation of Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome pathophysiology using a human modelR01MH123828 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MUOTRI, ALYSSON R. · 2021 to 2025
$1.9M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG078959NIA NIH HHS RF1 AG084030NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA056908NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH100175NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH123828NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH127077NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS123642
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Neuronal morphology governs how neurons connect, integrate, and process information, offering critical insights into the functional architecture of the brain. Characterizing the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of individual neurons is key not only for mapping circuit connectivity but also for understanding the cellular diversity that emerges during development. Neural organoids are valuable models of human brain development and disease, yet their morphological complexity remains poorly characterized despite advances in single-cell transcriptomics. Here, we use 3D confocal imaging and manual reconstruction of 735 neurons to analyze forebrain (dorsal and ventral) and thalamic (dorsal and ventral) organoids, as well as forebrain, thalamic, and corticothalamic assembloids. We find that organoids and assembloids exhibit distinct morphologies resembling fetal brain neurons, including immature pyramidal-like, double-bouquet, and bushy-like neurons. Interregional assembloids show greater neuronal morphological complexity than individual organoids, with more extensive dendritic branching, longer projections, and diverse soma shapes. Corticothalamic assembloids further display features of emerging connectivity. We observe dendritic spines with excitatory and inhibitory profiles and varicosities, indicative of maturing synaptic architecture. Together, our work makes an initial effort in describing the diversity of neuronal morphology in human neural organoids and assembloids. It further establishes structural phenotyping as a critical dimension for validating human neural models and underscores their value for modeling morphofunctional disorders.

Identifiers

PMID41278870
PMCPMC12633276

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.