• Thanthrige Thiunuwan Priyathilaka, Collin James Laaker, Melinda Herbath, Zsuzsanna Fabry, and Matyas Sandor.
• Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
• Transl Res. 2022 Dec 1; 250: 183518-35.

AbstractBacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa are known to infect and induce diseases in the human central nervous system (CNS). Modeling the mechanisms of interaction between pathogens and the CNS microenvironment is essential to understand their pathophysiology and develop new treatments. Recent advancements in stem cell technologies have allowed for the creation of human brain organoids, which more closely resembles the human CNS microenvironment when compared to classical 2-dimensional (2D) cultures. Now researchers can utilize these systems to investigate and reinvestigate questions related to CNS infection in a human-derived brain organoid system. Here in this review, we highlight several infectious diseases which have been tested in human brain organoids and compare similarities in response to these pathogens across different investigations. We also provide a brief overview of some recent advancements which can further enrich this model to develop new and better therapies to treat brain infections.Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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