Tag

Brain Organoids

All articles tagged with #brain organoids

science9 days ago•8 min saved

Anesthesia's Neural Signature Persists Across Evolution and in Lab-Grown Brain Models

New research reveals that the neural dynamics of anesthesia are conserved across hundreds of millions of years of evolution and can be replicated in human stem cell-derived brain models. While a landmark study by Luppi and colleagues identifies a universal dynamic signature of unconsciousness, UCLA researchers demonstrate that minimal cortical circuits in lab-grown assembloids reproduce the slow brain waves of anesthesia without requiring deep brain structures like the thalamus.

via nature.com|

#anesthesia #brain-organoids #consciousness

science16 days ago•77 min saved

Berkeley Study Identifies Reactive Astrocytes as Primary Drivers of Tuberous Sclerosis Epilepsy

A new study published in Nature demonstrates that hyperactive mTORC1 signaling in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) causes neural progenitors to prematurely differentiate into reactive astrocytes. These abnormal glial cells, characterized by reduced glutamate transport and increased inflammation, are identified as a primary driver of brain lesions and seizures, rather than a secondary consequence of chronic epilepsy.

via Nature|

#astrocytes #brain-organoids #epilepsy

science18 days ago•3 min saved

Stanford grows half-human brain tissue in mice to model neurological disorders

Scientists at Stanford grafted human brain tissue derived from patient skin cells into mice engineered to have an underdeveloped cortex; in some animals the human tissue grew to about half the brain, connected to blood supply and forming some neural links with mouse cells. The model aims to study human brain disorders such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and dementias and to test potential interventions, but the tissue remains immature and did not enhance cognition. The work raises ongoing ethical questions about animal welfare and the validity of in vivo human-brain models.

via geekspin|

#animal-research #brain-organoids #ethics

science20 days ago•16 min saved

Living xenocortex model emerges as human brain tissue fills mouse cortex

Stanford researchers transplanted lab-grown human cortical organoids into newborn mice engineered to lack most of their cortex; within three months the human tissue filled over 90% of cortical space, formed connections with the mouse brain and spinal cord, and acted as a living xenocortex. The model enables donor-specific studies of human brain development and disease (autism, epilepsy, schizophrenia, cerebral palsy), with observed von Economo neurons and potential for targeted drug testing, while ethical guardrails continue to be a focal discussion.

via The Times of India|

#brain-organoids #ethics #neurodevelopment

science21 days ago•25 min saved

Stanford researchers graft human brain tissue into mice to study human neurodevelopment

Stanford scientists transplanted lab-grown human cortical organoids into mice engineered with partial cortex loss; the grafts survived, grew, and formed functional connections with the mouse brain and spinal cord, offering a new model to study human neural development and disease mechanisms, while noting the grafts are not miniature human brains and are used to probe potential interventions for conditions like autism, schizophrenia, cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

via New York Post|

#brain-organoids #neurodevelopment #neuroscience

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Seven-year lab-grown brain organoids reveal time-keeping in a dish

Harvard researchers grew brain organoids for up to seven years, using DNA methylation epigenetic clocks to show the artificial brains develop and effectively age like human brains; mixing older organoid tissue with younger tissue warped development, suggesting organoids can record developmental time, though most organoids die from oxygen limits and are destroyed after experiments. The work illuminates brain development and offers new angles for studying neurodegenerative diseases and other conditions.

via New York Post|

#brain-organoids #developmental-biology #epigenetics

science1 month ago•48 min saved

Five-Year Lab Brain Organoids Push the Boundaries of Maturation

Scientists grew human brain organoids in the lab for five years, finding that their biological age tracks closely with time in culture and mirrors the developmental sequence of a human brain from gestation onward. The study, which sequenced RNA every six months across 34 organoids, showed these “clumps of brain cells” can remember developmental steps and record elapsed time, a finding scientists call a time warp. While the results are unsettling, long-lived organoids offer insights for drug testing, viral effects on neurodevelopment, and brain evolution, and researchers aim to accelerate maturation even further.

via Yahoo|

#brain-maturation #brain-organoids #in-vitro

neuroscience1 month ago•115 min saved

Lab-grown brain organoids reveal an intrinsic developmental clock that records years in culture

Researchers cultured human cortical organoids for over five years and found that they age along with in vivo humans, showing transcriptional maturation and DNA methylation changes that track culture time. Epigenetic clocks predicted the organoids’ age with high accuracy, and mixed-age (heterochronic) organoids demonstrated that older progenitors retain a memory of past development and can be steered to produce late-stage neurons, skipping earlier fates. This work positions long-term organoid culture as a powerful in vitro model to study postnatal human brain maturation and neoteny.

via Nature|

#aging #brain-organoids #developmental-timing

technology1 month ago•25 min saved

Living Brains, New Computers: The Organoid AI Frontier

A longform feature explores how lab-grown human brain organoids are advancing from disease models to prototypes of computing, with organoids that can connect, learn, and even power bio-computers by interfacing with hardware. While researchers debate ethics and whether such tissue could be conscious, the practical promise is clear: better drug testing models and energy‑efficient, biology‑based computing that could complement or rival traditional AI.

via WIRED|

#brain-organoids #cortical-labs #neural-computing

ethics2 months ago•12 min saved

Consent urgently needed as brain-organoid biocomputing advances

A Nature commentary argues that using lab-grown brain tissue for biocomputing raises an overlooked consent issue: donors may not foresee that their cells could power brain‑like computers or commercial AI tasks, and open-ended consent is inadequate. It calls for explicit, nuanced consent and new independent review boards, outlining three pathways—create new cell lines, obtain fresh consent from existing donors, or secure independent approval—before expanding biocomputing research.

via Nature|

#biocomputing #brain-organoids #consent

science7 months ago•3 min saved

Mini Brains Demonstrate Goal-Directed Learning

UC Santa Cruz researchers showed that lab-grown brain organoids can process information and, with targeted electrical feedback guided by a reinforcement-learning algorithm, solve the cart-pole balancing task, boosting success from 4.5% to 46%. The work demonstrates goal-directed learning in minimal cortical circuits and marks a milestone in organoid neuroscience.

via Futurism|

#brain-organoids #lab-grown-brains #neuroscience

science7 months ago•6 min saved

Lab-grown brain organoids show adaptive learning in a cartpole task

Mouse brain organoids grown in a dish were used in a closed-loop system with performance-based electrical feedback to train them to balance a virtual cartpole, achieving 46% proficiency under adaptive coaching. The results demonstrate short-term learning in neural tissue and offer a platform to study plasticity and neurological disease, while noting that the organoids are not conscious and the approach is not a replacement for traditional computing.

via ScienceAlert|

#adaptive-feedback #brain-organoids #cartpole

science8 months ago•8 min saved

Race to Define Consciousness: Testing Awareness Across Humans, Machines, and Organoids

As AI and neurotechnology accelerate, scientists warn that a lack of a solid understanding of consciousness could trigger ethical and legal mistakes. A Frontiers in Science review argues for developing evidence-based tests to detect consciousness in humans, fetuses, animals, brain organoids, and AI, with wide implications for medicine, law, animal welfare, and policy, and calls for coordinated, phenomenology-focused research amid ongoing debates about whether machines could be conscious.

via ScienceDaily|

#artificial-intelligence #brain-organoids #consciousness

science9 months ago•2 min saved

Mini-Brains Uncover Brain Signals Linked to Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have used lab-grown 'mini-brains' or organoids to identify neural signatures associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, achieving up to 92% accuracy in distinguishing these conditions through electrical activity patterns, which could lead to more objective diagnoses and targeted treatments in the future.

via ScienceAlert|

#bipolar-disorder #brain-organoids #mini-brains

health9 months ago•4 min saved

Mini Brains Show Distinct Signals of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Researchers have developed mini brain organoids from patient cells that exhibit distinct electrical activity patterns, enabling accurate identification of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which could lead to improved diagnosis and personalized treatment options.

via ScienceDaily|

#bipolar-disorder #brain-organoids #electrical-biomarkers