human cortical spheroids

A 3-D human ‘organoid’ brain in a dish

June 12, 2015

Growing a miniature brain from cell scrapings could help diagnose brain disorders in a the future, Gattaca-style Sergiu Pasca, M.D., of Stanford University and colleagues have developed “human cortical spheroids” — miniature cultured 3-D structures that grow and function much like the cortex of the brain of the person from whom they were derived. These “organoids” (3-D complexes of cells that function like an organ) buzz with neuronal network activity. Cells talk … more…