Scientists have created a brain organoid from fetal brain tissue for the first time: why it matters
[ad_1]
Scientists from the Netherlands managed to develop a brain organoid from fetal brain tissue. It can display a fixed state of development and remain alive for a long time.
The “mini-brain” is important for research into the treatment of brain diseases and disorders, especially in children. The results of this discovery are described in the scientific journal Cell, writes ScienceAlert.
Scientists have created an organ the size of a grain of rice. It has no thoughts, emotions or consciousness.
“We make important contributions to the field of organoid and brain research. Until now, we have been able to obtain organoids from most human organs, but not from the brain – it is really exciting that we have now been able to overcome this hurdle as well“, says Hans Clevers, an organoid researcher at the Hubrecht Institute.
| Images of parts of different organoids of the brain of a human fetus. Photo: Princess Maxima Center, Hubrecht Institute |
Scientists obtained fetal brain tissue during scheduled abortions. This made it possible to create an organ not from stem cells, but directly from differentiated tissue. Thanks to this, we got a model with a natural, fixed state of development, which can be maintained for quite a long time.
The scientists found that the brain organoid continued to respond to some of the chemical signals like a real brain and remained alive for more than six months. By comparison, brain organoids made from stem cells cannot survive more than 80 days.
“A new tissue model of the brain allows us to better understand how the developing brain regulates cell identity. Errors in this process can result in developmental disorders, such as childhood brain cancer, or lead to diseases of the nervous system“, says the head of the research group at the Princess Maxima Center Benedetta Artegiani.
Read also: The human brain processes traumatic memories as present experiences – research
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
