Patient-Derived Brain Organoids Offer Insights for Alzheimer's Treatments

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0200

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have developed lab-grown brain tissues, or organoids, derived from patients with Alzheimer's disease, which may help predict how individuals respond to commonly prescribed psychiatric drugs. The study focused on hindbrain organoids, which regulate vital functions like sleep, breathing, and heart rate. Using induced pluripotent stem cells from patient blood samples, scientists created self-organizing pea-sized clusters of neurons that secrete serotonin. These organoids mirrored key biological features of Alzheimer's at the molecular level, including changes in proteins involved in neuron communication and inflammation. When exposed to the antidepressant escitalopram oxalate, some organoids showed increased serotonin-related activity, while others showed little response, highlighting patient-specific variability in drug effectiveness. Additionally, extracellular vesicles released from these organoids carried proteins linked to brain function, providi