Scientists are one step closer to developing manmade brains in science labs, which in turn could cure people of brain disorders.
A study published in the Neuro Report Journal showed that scientists had been successful for the first time in growing tiny brains with blood vessels and capillaries, after developing them from stem cells from the same patient.
Now, reports about the research say it’s brought science closer than ever before to creating brains that will one day assist stroke victims in their rehabilitation. In 2017 alone, more than 475,000 Australians were living with the effects of a stroke, while in the US, strokes are a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Using the mini-brains to understand how real brains transmit messages could also help treat conditions ranging from autism to schizphrenia.
So far, the brains – their technical name is ‘human cortical spheroids’ – developed by the scientists are just a few millimetres in length, but they have provided a clearer indication of how brain cells interact with each other. It is hoped that with further research, scientists and health professionals will be able to keep the brains alive for longer by continually growing blood vessels and allowing them to supply the brain with oxygen and nutrients.
In their mini state, the brains don’t function like the brain inside your head currently does, but they are able to transmit information in a similar way to a regular brain. Previous trials were unsuccessful in growing brain blood vessels, which are crucial if the brain is to survive because without them, brains are unable to absorb vital levels of oxygen.
With the help of human endothelial cells, scientists were able to coat the mini brains to help the blood vessels form. The brains were left to soak in the cells in the lab for five weeks. During this time, scientists noticed the brains starting to develop.
Next, the brains were transplanted into the heads of mice, where they continued to grow. Researchers found that after just two weeks growing inside the mice, the brains began developing their own blood vessels. But researchers can’t be sure whether vessels grown originated from the mice or the human cell donor, meaning that further research is needed.