Could Mini-Brains Grown in a Lab Be the Next Big Breakthrough in Neuroscience?

[Pythagorean]

Here we have developed a human pluripotent stem cell-derived three-dimensional organoid culture system, termed cerebral organoids, that develop various discrete, although interdependent, brain regions. These include a cerebral cortex containing progenitor populations that organize and produce mature cortical neuron subtypes. Furthermore, cerebral organoids are shown to recapitulate features of human cortical development, namely characteristic progenitor zone organization with abundant outer radial glial stem cells.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12517.html

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Sounds like a plot to a horror movie. Good news though.