A Stanford University scientist is currently growing brain parts in order to study the development and root of diseases such as autism and schizophrenia, according to My Way News. The research is a part of a trend that began in 2011 when various labs began creating lumps of human brain tissue to study.
"The idea of taking skin cells, reverting them back to a basic stage of development and then teaching them how to turn into the cells that make up the brain is something we have been dreaming about for some time," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN. "It is exponentially closer to reality now."
Each of the brain pieces are grown in petri dishes and are called organoids, which are miniature forms of organs that are used to study development and disease, according to Science Daily.
"The idea of using these 'mini brains' as a testing ground for therapies could help doctors figure out the best treatments for individual patients as opposed to the 'one size fits all' approach that is often used nowadays," said Gupta.
Although the cells in these lab-grown brain tissues show some activity, the lab has yet to create a fully functioning brain. Instead, the parts mimic parts of the fetal brain.
"It's truly spectacular," said Arnold Kriegstein, a researcher from the University of California who studies the brain. "They start communicating and signaling with each other in a way that starts looking like a developing human brain."
