Scientists at Ohio State University in the USA have successfully grown a human brain in the laboratory. This brain, with the maturity of a five-week-old fetus, is made from human skin cells. Measuring the size of a pencil eraser, it contains 99% of the genes found in the brain of a five-week-old fetus. This valuable achievement enables scientists to test the effects of drugs on the human brain or conduct further research on diseases specifically related to brain nerves (such as Alzheimer's). The Independent newspaper quoted Rene Anand, a professor of neuroscience and biological chemistry at Ohio State University, stating that 'this (brain) not only resembles an advanced human brain but also has a variety of cells that almost encompass all brain genes.' He continued: 'For a very long time, we have been trying to solve the problem of complex brain diseases that cause much pain and suffering. The power of this brain model is that it allows us to test more methods for treating diseases.' Although this small brain lacks a circulatory system, it has a nervous system, all parts of the brain, various types of brain-forming cells, and even visual receptor nerves. The presence of these components greatly accelerates scientific research on the brain and nerves. Dr. Anand (and his research team at Ohio State) turned to growing a human brain in the lab after their research on autism in small rodent brains faced failure; 'Genetics says there are about six hundred genes that can cause autism. But we were stuck there. Mathematically, we did not have enough data to advance our experiments. We needed a human brain.' Anand succeeded in converting human skin cells into pluripotent cells (strong stem cells) that can turn into any type of living tissue. Growing this five-week-old brain took fifteen weeks. Anand and his colleagues hope to grow this brain to the size of a twelve-week-old fetus. Anand states that if they can reach weeks sixteen to twenty, then probably the remaining one percent of genes will also grow.
Scientists Grow Human Brain in Laboratory
Scientists at Ohio State University have successfully grown a human brain in the lab, which could advance research on neurological diseases and drug effects. This brain is made from human skin cells and contains nearly all the genes of a five-week-old fetus. This breakthrough has significant implications for understanding and treating complex brain disorders.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Scientists at Ohio State University have successfully grown a human brain in the lab, which has the maturity of a five-week-old fetus. This breakthrough allows for advanced research into neurological diseases and drug effects.
- The brain is made from human skin cells and contains 99% of the genes found in a five-week-old fetus.
- This model can accelerate research on complex brain diseases like Alzheimer's and autism.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The ability to grow human organs and tissues in the lab is a rapidly advancing field that holds promise for medical research and treatment options.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 90%