Lab-grown Neurons

Few new therapies for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s or schizophrenia make it past developmental phases. Many times, what works in an animal model doesn’t quite translate to humans. To avoid relying so heavily on animal testing, scientists can take skin cells from a patient and make their own lab-grown human neurons. These brain organoids that started life as single human skin cells can be used to mimic a disease’s key characteristics. Scientists have recently taken this approach one step further by grafting these lab-grown neurons (in green) onto mouse brain tissue (in red). By allowing the neurons to receive the nutrients they need directly from living tissue, scientists can better mimic real-world conditions for these brain organoids. Ultimately, this grafting technique will allow scientists to create better tests for potential new therapies, so that more new treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s or schizophrenia can make it out of the lab.

Written by Gaëlle Coullon

Gaëlle Coullon

Writer

Gaëlle is a consultant and trainer in research communication and commercialisation. As an ex-neuroscientist, she is always looking for new ways to combine her love of writing with everything brain related.

• Image from the Gage Lab/Salk Institute
• The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
• Image copyright held by the original authors
• Research published in Nature Biotechnology, April 2018