Data from University of California Broaden Understanding of Opioids (Investigating the neurobiology of maternal opioid use disorder and prenatal opioid exposure using brain organoid technology).

A recent report published by investigators from the University of California explores the neurobiology of maternal opioid use disorder (OUD) and prenatal opioid exposure (POE) using brain organoid technology. OUD among pregnant women has become a global public health concern, with adverse neurological and neuropsychiatric outcomes for both mothers and fetuses. The study highlights the limitations of previous research conducted on animal models and postnatal or postmortem investigations in humans, and proposes the use of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived brain organoids as a promising tool for studying the effects of OUD and POE. The researchers hope that this approach will provide critical insights for improving maternal and fetal outcomes. [Extracted from the article]