Mice gain human brain tissue for research
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Stanford University scientists led by Sergiu Pașca transplanted human nerve cells into the brains of mice, creating a model to study human brain development and injury.
Researchers first engineered mice to have reduced brain volume in the cortex and hippocampus, regions important for perception and memory. They then introduced human cortical organoids, clusters of brain tissue grown from stem cells, into the space.
After three months, the human tissue comprised approximately 92% of the mice’s cortical tissue by volume and integrated with the animals’ nervous systems. Mice with the human tissue performed better on memory tests than mice with missing brain regions that did not receive the transplant, suggesting the human tissue aided cognitive function. The scientists also observed that the human tissue showed signs of injury when exposed to low oxygen, and the mice carrying it altered their gait.
This approach allows scientists to study human brain function in a living brain, something impossible to do ethically with human subjects. While the mice remain fundamentally mice, the human tissue is immature and lacks the complexity of a full human cortex, the researchers hope to further develop these models to better understand neurological disorders and test potential treatments.
Pașca stated that he would not repeat the experiment in primates, as the closer evolutionary relationship raises ethical concerns about potential changes in mental abilities and animal welfare.
