Functional bioengineered models of the central nervous system

The functional complexity of the central nervous system (CNS) is unparalleled in living organisms. Neural tissues can be engineered to assemble model systems that recapitulate essential features of the CNS and to investigate neurodevelopment, delineate pathophysiology, improve regeneration and accelerate drug discovery. CNS regions, such as the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, brainstem and spinal cord, can be modelled with organoids, spheroids, microfluidic chips and bioprinted or scaffold-based constructs that combine cells and materials. Animals were long used as models of human anatomy, physiology and behaviour, and have contributed to key discoveries in CNS biology, including the characterization of the action potential. However, new techniques must be developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the CNS.

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  Customizable, bioengineered tissues can recapitulate CNS structures and functions, representing simplified platforms that allow the systematic assessment of neural development and pathology in vitro.
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  Increasingly biomimetic CNS models have the potential to display higher-order functions, including cognitive abilities and conscious experience.
• 3
  CNS regions, such as the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, brainstem and spinal cord, can be modelled with organoids, spheroids, microfluidic chips and bioprinted or scaffold-based constructs that combine cells and materials.