Human fetal brain self-organizes into long-term expanding organoids. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38194967/)

These scientists wanted to study how the human brain develops. They found a way to grow tiny versions of the brain in a lab using special cells called stem cells. But, until now, they could only make these mini brains using certain types of stem cells.

So, the scientists tried something new. They took cells from real human fetal brains and put them in a special environment in the lab. They were surprised to see that these cells started to organize themselves and form tiny brain-like structures called organoids. These organoids looked similar to real brains and had different types of cells just like in a real brain.

The scientists were able to keep these mini brains growing for a long time. They found that it was important to keep the cells together and make sure they had a special environment to grow in. This environment was like a home for the cells and helped them grow properly.

The scientists also found that they could make different types of mini brains from different parts of the brain. They made some from the front part of the brain and some from the back part. These mini brains still had the same characteristics as the real brain areas they came from.

To make things even more interesting, the scientists used a special tool called CRISPR-Cas9 to change some of the genes in these mini brains. They wanted to see how brain cancer develops, so they made some mini brains with the same genetic changes that cause brain cancer in humans. This helped them study the disease and find ways to treat it better.

In conclusion, these mini brains, called FeBOs, are a new way for scientists to study how the human brain develops and how brain diseases like cancer work. They are like little models of the brain that can help scientists understand and find new treatments for these diseases.

Hendriks D., Pagliaro A., Andreatta F., Ma Z., van Giessen J., Massalini S., Lopez-Iglesias C., van Son GJF., DeMartino J., Damen JMA., Zoutendijk I., Staliarova N., Bredenoord AL., Holstege FCP., Peters PJ., Margaritis T., Chuva de Sousa Lopes S., Wu W., Clevers H., Artegiani B. Human fetal brain self-organizes into long-term expanding organoids. Cell. 2024 Feb 1;187(3):712-732.e38. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.012. Epub 2024 Jan 8.