NewsSCIRP Open AccessApplications, Limitations, and Future Directions
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which molecular pathology, cellular stress and network dysfunction accumulate over many years before dementia becomes clinically evident. Because early AD biology cannot be directly followed in living human brain tissue, experimental models are essential for testing mechanisms and candidate interventions. Brain organoids, usually derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), provide a three-dimensional human-cell-based system that can reproduce selected AD-like cellular phenotypes, including amyloid-beta (Aβ) changes, tau abnormalities, synaptic dysfunction and glial responses. However, organoids remain incomplete models. They are developmentally immature, variable between lines and batches, and lack full vascular, immune, systemic and behavioural complexity. This review discusses the applications, limitations and future directions of brain organoids in AD research, arguing that they are most powerful when used alongside animal models, human cohorts and biomarker studies.
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