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BREAKING: Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have successfully grown complete, albeit miniature, human brains in a laboratory setting – a meaningful leap forward in neurological disease research. This achievement, detailed in a new study, offers an unprecedented platform for studying complex brain disorders.
These “all-brain organoids,” measuring just 2 to 3 millimeters in size, contain approximately 6 to 7 million neurons, representing a small fraction of the 86 billion neurons found in a fully developed adult human brain. The research, led by Dr. Alysson R. Muotri and Dr. Shilpa Kathuria at UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering, aims to model the entire brain structure, unlike previous organoid research which focused on specific brain regions.
The primary goal of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of neurological diseases like schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease. These conditions affect the entire brain, making it crucial to study the organ as a whole, rather than isolated parts. Dr. Kathuria explains that understanding early developmental issues could reveal new targets for drug screening and treatment growth. Researchers will observe the development of these disorders in real-time within the organoids and test the efficacy of potential therapies.
The team utilized a novel self-organizing approach, allowing the brain tissue to develop its characteristic structures without external scaffolding. This method, detailed in their publication in Advanced Science, represents a significant advancement over previous organoid models. The study builds upon earlier work by Dr. Muotri’s lab, which pioneered the creation of human brain organoids in 2013.
The organoids are created from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are derived from adult cells and reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state. This allows for the generation of any cell type in the body, including neurons.The research was partially funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the picower Foundation.
While these mini-brains are not capable of consciousness or thought, they provide a powerful tool for studying human brain development and disease. Future research will focus on refining the organoid model to more accurately reflect the complexity of the human brain and exploring its potential for personalized medicine.
(DGI)