Tag

Organoids

All articles tagged with #organoids

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Lab-grown brain–spinal cord model reveals reversible nerve regrowth brake

Cambridge researchers built mini brain–spinal cord organoids that form functional circuits capable of triggering muscle contractions. They found human neurons can regrow axons before about day 150 of development but lose this ability as they mature; by blocking a growth-suppressing gene network and applying lynestrenol, damaged axons regrew in the model. This human-relevant organoid system helps study nerve repair and suggests strategies for spinal injuries and related disorders, though further work is needed to ensure proper brain–spinal connections.

via SciTechDaily|

#axon-regrowth #lab-grown-brain-spinal-cord #lynestrenol

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Endometrium organoids shed and regenerate, revealing how tissue heals without scarring

Researchers created endometrium organoids that cycle with hormones, shed tissue during progesterone withdrawal, and then regenerate, showing luminal epithelial cells drive repair and providing a simple lab model to study uterine regeneration and related diseases.

via Nature|

#endometrium #menstruation #organoids

science2 months ago•48 min saved

Caspase-5c amplifies Wnt signaling to sustain intestinal renewal

A Nature study identifies CASP5C, a human intestinal epithelial isoform of caspase-5, as a catalytic amplifier of Wnt signaling. CASP5C binds Dishevelled and cleaves APC at Asp556, destabilizing the β-catenin destruction complex and boosting Wnt activity to promote transit-amplifying cell proliferation and organoid growth; CASP5A and CASP5B lack this activity. CASP5C is upregulated during injury and in inflammatory bowel disease, revealing a non-immune role for inflammatory caspases in intestinal homeostasis.

via Nature|

#apc-cleavage #caspase-5 #intestinal-epithelium

science3 months ago•6 min saved

Lab-Grown Brain Organoids Spark Pain Question and Ethics Debate

Researchers are growing brain organoids and assembloids to study brain diseases and even model pain pathways, but the organoids are not conscious and remain developmentally immature; the debate now centers on ethics and governance, especially around transplanting human organoids into animals and balancing potential therapies with welfare concerns.

via Indian Defence Review|

#consciousness #ethics #neuroscience

science4 months ago•5 min saved

Stiffer Colon Tissues in Youth Linked to Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer

UT Dallas and UT Southwestern researchers found that colon tissue from younger colorectal cancer patients is abnormally stiff due to fibrotic collagen, in both tumor and nearby healthy tissue, and experiments with cells on stiff substrates and patient-derived organoids show stiffness promotes faster cancer growth; the study suggests biomechanical forces may contribute to rising cases of early-onset colorectal cancer and could guide future diagnosis and therapy, published in Advanced Science.

via SciTechDaily|

#biomechanics #collagen-remodeling #early-onset-colorectal-cancer

science4 months ago•5 min saved

Plant Compound DHL-11 Targets IMPDH2 to Halt Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

A plant-derived limonoid named DHL-11, isolated from Munronia henryi, binds a non-catalytic pocket on IMPDH2 to trigger its degradation, reduce GMP synthesis, elevate ROS and DNA damage, and induce G2/M arrest and apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer cells. The compound also suppressed growth and metastasis in patient-derived organoids and in vivo TNBC models, marking it as a promising IMPDH2-targeted therapy for IMPDH2-positive tumors.

via SciTechDaily|

#dhl-11 #impdh2 #limonoids

science4 months ago•13 min saved

Beyond animal testing: NAMs reshape the path of science

Governments from the UK, US, and EU are accelerating plans to reduce or phase out animal testing, backed by rapid advances in new approach methodologies (NAMs) such as organs-on-chips, organoids, and AI-based models. Regulators are beginning to accept NAM data and fund or pilot related tools (e.g., FDA ISTAND), and industry is investing in human biology models. Yet experts warn that many biological systems remain too complex for non-animal methods, and full replacement will take time; the trend is a staged 3Rs-driven decline, not an immediate end to animal research.

via Nature|

#ai-in-toxicology #drug-safety-testing #nams

science4 months ago•4 min saved

Dancing molecules drive repair in lab-grown human spinal cords

Northwestern researchers grew 3-millimeter-wide human spinal cord organoids from iPSCs, injured them in two ways, and treated them with IKVAV-PA 'dancing' supramolecular peptides that form a scaffold and promote axon regrowth. The treated tissues showed reduced glial scar and inflammation and enhanced neurite growth, aligning with prior mouse data and suggesting potential for human therapies—though clinical use is years away. The work was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

via ScienceAlert|

#axon-regeneration #dancing-molecules #glial-scar

science5 months ago•6 min saved

Lab-grown human brain cells steer rat behavior in a first-of-its-kind integration

Scientists transplanted human brain organoids into developing rat embryos, enabling vascularization and functional integration that allowed the human cells to respond to stimuli and influence a rat’s behavior — a breakthrough for human-brain models, but raising ethical questions about consciousness, donor consent, and animal welfare.

via Indian Defence Review|

#brain #ethics #neuroscience

biotechnology5 months ago•11 min saved

Lab-grown liver assembloids edge toward miniaturized human livers

Researchers combine multiple donor liver cell types to form in vitro liver assembloids that recapitulate periportal tissue, moving toward miniature human livers for faster drug testing and personalized therapies.

via Nature|

#bioengineering #biotechnology #in-vitro

science5 months ago•96 min saved

Diverse autism mutations converge on a shared chromatin-regulation network in stem-cell–derived human cortex

A large hiPSC-based study generated cortical organoids from eight ASD-risk mutations, idiopathic ASD, and controls, profiling gene expression across 25–100 days. Early mutation-specific changes give way to convergent transcriptional and chromatin-regulatory disruptions enriched for ASD risk genes, including SWI–SNF components. CRISPRi validation supports key regulators driving this convergent network, suggesting that diverse genetic risks in ASD propagate through shared transcriptional pathways that affect early neurodevelopment, while idiopathic cases show less convergence.

via Nature|

#autism #crispr #ipsc

science5 months ago•4 min saved

Rapid Nasal Interferon Response May Stop Colds Before Symptoms Start

Lab-grown human nasal tissue reveals that an early interferon-driven antiviral defense in nasal cells can stop rhinovirus infection and prevent illness. When this response is fast, the virus is contained with few or no symptoms; if it lags, infection spreads, triggering inflammation and mucus. The findings point to therapies that boost the body's own defenses rather than targeting the virus itself.

via SciTechDaily|

#antiviral-defense #interferon #nasal-epithelium

science6 months ago•113 min saved

Human Assembloids Mimic Periportal Liver Tissue In Vitro

Researchers developed human liver assembloids combining hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and mesenchyme to mimic periportal liver tissue in vitro, enabling patient-specific disease modeling and functional studies, including fibrosis.

via Nature|

#cell-interactions #human-liver-disease #liver-tissue-models

science7 months ago•5 min saved

Research Reveals Innate Structures in Human Brain Development

Scientists found that human brain circuits produce ordered electrical patterns even before sensory experiences, suggesting that our brains are prewired with internal timing rules for understanding the world, as demonstrated through experiments on brain organoids and neonatal mouse slices.

via Earth.com|

#brain-development #early-neural-activity #neural-circuits

science8 months ago•6 min saved

Embracing Alternatives to Animal Testing for a Sustainable Future

Innovative approaches called NAMs are replacing animal testing in biomedical research, offering more human-relevant, ethical, and cost-effective methods for drug testing and understanding biology. Despite progress and regulatory support, adoption faces resistance, especially in publishing and funding, highlighting the need for systemic change in scientific practices.

via Nature|

#animal-testing-alternatives #drug-development #nams