Miniature Brain Grown In A Lab Uses “Tendrils” To Connect And Control Spinal Cords

Chander Sinha - Apr 04, 2019

Scientists working at Cambridge has just taken a step closer to growing a brain inside a laboratory, making studies about brains as well as nerve diseases a lot easier.

Scientists from Cambridge say that they have succeeded in growing a kind of miniature brain. They grew it inside a petri dish which is used to take over the control of the biological materials surrounding it.

Different from the last brains which were also grown in the labs, this new one will actively produce “tendrils” to make a connection with a spinal cord of a mouse. The Guardian revealed that the brain can make use of the newly connected spine to control the muscle of a mouse that is attached to it.

Querschnitt Cerebrales Organoid — NATURE mini brain organoid

The Guardian considered this brain as a “lentil-sized grey blob of human brain cells.” This shows a huge step forward due to its eerie capability to make a connection with a somewhat simple nervous system. The scientist who created the brain are hoping that they will be capable of using it — as well as other organoids similar to it — to research brain and also nerve diseases on a controlled and small scale.

Organoid With Retina — A closeup of an organoid with developing retinal tissue (brown).

During an interview, Madeline Lancaster - the leader of the study - shared with The Guardian that:

Estimation made by the researchers shows that the newly grown brain owns the sophistication similar to those of a human fetus developed somewhere between 3 and 4 months. However, The Guardian revealed that they don’t suppose that there is any cause related to ethical concern for now. Lancaster shared with The Guardian: