Modeling of Human Cerebellar Development and Diseases with Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Brain Organoids

The fundamental architecture, development, and functions of the cerebellum are well conserved across vertebrate species. The cerebellum has been studied extensively using animal models, and in recent decades, molecular biological technologies have been used to uncover many cellular and molecular mechanisms of cerebellar development. However, it is still unknown whether findings in animals can be simply applied to the human cerebellum. Rapidly emerging stem cell technologies have enabled in vitro recapitulation of human brain development, including the construction of cerebellar organoids. We believe that human cerebellar organoids made from pluripotent stem cells can be used to break through the current limitations in our understanding of the human cerebellum. These organoids may become a key tool in studying the mechanisms of human cerebellar development. Furthermore, organoids derived from patient cells may provide a way to investigate pathogenicity and develop therapeutic treatments for cerebellar diseases.