Fig. 1: Comparison of in vitro and animal modelling platforms for preclinical research.

Schematic illustrating commonalities and differences between preclinical research platforms of in vitro human cell platforms (left, blue) and animal modeling (right, yellow), with shared analyses (center, green). Ongoing developments in human cell platforms (bottom left), animal modelling (bottom right), and shared research goals (bottom center). Individual boxes described from left to right, all content generalized and streamlined for ease of depiction. (Left) Human cell-based platforms use punch biopsies from patients and controls to derive dermal fibroblasts, then differentiated in directed methods to specified 3D organoids, which can be cultured in standardized and controlled tissue culture. Developments including multi-electrode array recording and cocultured fused organoids (‘assembloids’) are among the more recent advances in the field toward increased complexity of culture and analysis (bottom left). Human cell based and animal modeling platforms use several shared analytic techniques for similar readouts (center), and have similar goals of understanding neurodevelopment mechanistically, as well as novel treatment development (bottom center). Animal models use common model species which can be induced to disease states with specific treatments or genetic programming (right). Behavioral tests are used as experimental methods for phenotypic readouts, and optogenetics and other tissue based methods represent newer developments in the use of animal models for preclinical and basic research (bottom right). Schematic created with BioRender.com.