"Brain organoids can provide real insights into differences in how the brain processes information, which research indicates is impaired in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease,” Guo said. “Our early results suggest that healthy organoids are better at pattern separation than Alzheimer’s disease organoids."
Indiana University researchers are advancing Alzheimer’s research by developing cellular brain models called brain organoids, which are simplified clusters of cells grown from tiny blood samples that mimic structures of the human brain and allow scientists to study disease mechanisms and genetics in ways not previously possible. This work, spread across IU campuses in Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Terre Haute, builds on the university’s deep expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and is supported by major funding, national collaborations, and state-of-the-art facilities that store patient biological samples.
A key part of the effort is the interdisciplinary collaboration between brain science and computing, highlighted by a key Gill Institute affiliate Feng Guo, whose lab has pioneered automated, AI-powered microfluidic systems to standardize organoid growth and is applying biocomputing approaches to connect and analyze organoids to better understand differences in brain function related to Alzheimer’s. By comparing outputs from organoids derived from healthy individuals versus those with Alzheimer’s, Guo’s team hopes to uncover clues about memory and pattern recognition impairments and explore new avenues for drug discovery and neurological research.