How to grow brains in a lab

Bioengineers dream of growing spare parts for our worn-out or diseased bodies. They have already succeeded with some tissues, but one has always eluded them: the brain. Now a team in Sweden has taken the first step towards this ultimate goal.

Growing artificial body parts in the lab starts with a scaffold. This acts as a template on which to grow cells from the patient’s body. This has been successfully used to grow lymph nodes, heart cells and voice boxes from a person’s stem cells. Bioengineers have even grown and transplanted an artificial kidney in a rat.

Growing nerve tissue in the lab is much more difficult, though.

Read the full, original story: Grow a new brain: First steps to lab-made grey matter

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