A recent study performed by researchers at the University of California San Diego suggests that miniature human brain models grown from stem cells make brain waves like premature babies. The findings may shed some light on the behaviour of the developing brain and may someday help doctors treat various brain diseases. It is the first time that researchers have seen this kind of neural activity in mini-brains, which are also called ‘organoids’.

The technology that allows researchers to create organoids was first developed in 2008. It has become much more sophisticated in recent years, with researchers creating fully functioning organs using stem cells and 3D printed scaffolds.

The UCSD researchers grew their brain organoids to about half a centimetre in size. Organoids of this size can live for about two years in the laboratory.

They discovered that the organoids began making complex electrical signals when they reached 9 months of age. These signals were as complex as the brain signals of premature infants when they reach the normal span of a pregnancy.

To create their brain organoids, researchers turned tissue samples into embryonic stem cells. This type of stem cell is extremely powerful as it can turn into any other cell within the human body. The team then turned the embryonic stem cells into brain tissue.

Brain organoids can be used for several purposes. However, the research team is primarily interested in using them to study the origins of autism. The tissue samples can be taken from children with autism, so the organoids contain any malformations that autistic brains would have. These organoids can then be compared to organoids generated from healthy children.

Growing organoids also allows researchers to look at how a variety of other genetic conditions may affect the young brain. It is also completely ethical as no embryonic cells are harvested.

Source: Human mini-brains made from stem cells make brain waves like preemies

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