Using induced pluripotent stem cells derived from skin cells of people with Tourette syndrome, researchers create 3D brain organoid models of the basal ganglia, an area of the brain previously implicated in TS. The model reveals potential pathologies behind the disorder and could help fashion new therapies to treat TS.
Researchers used innovative recording technology to show human brain organoids transplanted into mice establish functional connectivity in the cortex and respond to visual stimuli.
By transplanting living brain cells from an organoid into newborn rats, researchers create a new method of studying neurodevelopment and show neurons from one species can effectively form connections with another.
Brain cells grown in a petri dish can perform goal-directed tasks, such as learning to play a game of Pong.
Brain organoids are helping researchers map the molecular, genetic, and structural changes that occur during brain development.
Investigating the effects of genetic abnormalities associated with autism and human brain development, researchers found brain organoids engineered to have lower levels of the ASD-associated SHANK3 gene had distinct features including neural firing hyperactivity, disruptions in pathways that cause cells to adhere to each other, and indications of ineffective neurotransmission.
A new study offers guidelines and methods for consistently generating high-quality, well-structured brain organoids.
A brain organoid study reveals how a genetic mutation associated with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a profound form of autism, disrupts neural development. Using gene-editing technology, researchers recovered the function of the TCF4 gene and effectively restored neural structure and function.
A new ethical framework proposes researchers should already assume brain organoids already have consciousness, rather than waiting for research to confirm they do.
Three different autism risk genes affect similar aspects of neural formation and the same types of neurons in the developing human brain.
Brain organoid study reveals multiple changes in brain cells during early embryonic development may contribute to schizophrenia later in life.
Brain organoids can be used to study molecular mechanisms that drive brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders. The mini-brains allow for the testing of molecules that could become potential therapeutic treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases.