Authors: Youngin Jeong, Suil Son, Jiyun Park, C-Yoon Kim, and Jin Kim
Reproductive Toxicology, 17 February 2025
Scientists study cortical organoids on Axion BioSystems’ next-generation Maestro MEA platform to assess the impact of the antidepressant aripiprazole on the developing brain in vitro.
Antidepressants such as aripiprazole are often prescribed to pregnant women for anxiety and depressive symptoms, but little research has been done regarding potential neurodevelopmental toxicity, in part due to a lack of appropriate models. In this study, researchers used three-dimensional cortical organoids to examine the effects of aripiprazole exposure on neural development.
Structural and molecular characterization revealed impaired neurodevelopment, evident as reduction in organoid size and viability, as well as altered gene expression related to neurogenesis, gliogenesis, and synaptogenesis. Functional characterization using Maestro multielectrode array (MEA) revealed a dose-dependent decrease in neural activity in vitro, suggesting both potential neurodevelopmental toxicity of aripiprazole and other antidepressants. Overall, the authors report that this is the first study to demonstrate that aripiprazole provokes adverse effects on neurodevelopment and conclude that the findings “will aid in a better understanding of the risks associated with antidepressant use during pregnancy in terms of neural development and suggest that cortex organoids are a valuable model for evaluating potential neurodevelopmental toxicants.”
