Brain organoids grown in the laboratory from human cells matured and developed traits similar to those seen in fetal and newborn brains. Credit: Irene Faravelli and Noelia Antón-Bolaños Researchers have grown brain organoids that mirror the development of the human brain for more than five years1 — and are the longest-lived organs made in a
Ethics statement All experiments involving human cell lines were approved by the Harvard University IRB and ESCRO committees. All animal experiments were conducted according to protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Harvard University. All experiments were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations, and in accordance with informed
Maintenance of mouse lines All animal procedures were approved by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research in accordance with the Austrian and European Union animal law (license number: BMWF-66.018/0007-II/3b/2012; BMWFW-66.018/0006-WF/V/3b/2017; GZ: 2020-0.579.989 and GZ: 2025-0.597.515). Experimental mice were bred and maintained according to regulations approved by the institutional animal care and use committee and
The functioning of the brain is often compared to that of a computer. Some researchers are testing this analogy to its limits, attempting to build computers containing lab-grown cultures of brain cells. In doing so, they hope to circumvent the physical limitations of the silicon-based computing hardware used for artificial intelligence today.1,2. The promise is