The brain is made from a mixture of protein, silk and stem cells, can live for 9 months in a test tube, helping doctors research Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s…
According to Motherboard, researchers from Tufts University, USA, have refined a 3D test tube environment for the mini brain to operate. This artificial brain resembles the nervous system and can live for many months.
This artificial brain is made from a mixture of protein, silk and stem cells, and does not replace the human brain. Initially, some brains were studied that mimicked the brain of a 9-week-old fetus, using stem cells from human skin. In 2014, scientists tried to study deeper inside these small brains. Since then, the mini brain was created for scientists to study Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and traumatic brain injury, hoping to develop treatment methods.
Research published in the journal Biological Materials and Sciences of the American Chemical Society, the new artificial brain can live for at least 9 months. The existence of artificial brains allows scientists to observe the progression of neurological diseases.
David L. Kaplan, a professor of biomedical engineering at Tufts University, said the tiny brain’s fine-tuned test tube environment not only helps the brain live longer but also supports different types of brain cells.
Image: Livescience
In fact, the brain is not the only body part that scientists have created from stem cells. Previously the retina, testicles and vagina, blood vessels and artificial skin have been studied in the laboratory. The ultimate goal for these artificial organs is to be implanted into a living body to treat or repair certain medical conditions or injuries. For example, artificial testicles can be used to transplant people with genital injuries…
