Scientists at Johns Hopkins University successfully cultivate complex whole-brain mini-organs, known as organoids.
In a groundbreaking development, Johns Hopkins University researchers have successfully grown a novel whole-brain organoid that mimics the complexity of a 40-day-old human fetal brain [1][2][3]. This multi-region brain organoid (MRBO) is the first of its kind, featuring interconnected neural tissues from multiple brain regions and rudimentary blood vessels.
The MRBOs, published in the journal Advanced Science this month, represent a significant leap forward in neuropsychiatric research. Unlike previous brain organoids limited to single regions like cortex or midbrain, these MRBOs incorporate 6-7 million neurons and approximately 80% of the cell types found in early human brain development [2][3].
This breakthrough could have far-reaching implications, including improved understanding of brain development and disease mechanisms, enhanced drug testing models, and the potential for personalized treatment approaches for disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Potential Advancements
The MRBOs offer several key advantages:
- More Accurate Human Brain Models: The MRBOs capture the integration of multiple brain regions, providing a closer approximation to actual human fetal brain development than prior models [1][2][3].
- Real-Time Observation of Neuropsychiatric Disorder Development: Researchers can study how disorders such as autism and schizophrenia originate and progress at a cellular and network level, aiding identification of underlying mechanisms [1][2].
- Improved Drug Discovery and Testing: MRBOs serve as more predictive preclinical platforms than animal models, potentially increasing success rates for neuropsychiatric medication development, which currently experience around 96% clinical trial failure rates [2].
- Ethical and Practical Advantages: These organoids reduce reliance on animal experiments, addressing ethical concerns and enabling human-specific biological insights [2].
- Foundations for Brain-Computer Interfaces and Artificial Intelligence: The complex, functional networks within MRBOs could facilitate advances in neurotechnology and synthetic neural systems [3].
The Future of Neuropsychiatric Research
The development of MRBOs is expected to catalyse major advances in personalized medicine, fundamental neuroscience research, and therapeutic development by bridging gaps between simplistic cell cultures and the intricate human brain environment [2][3].
In summary, the Johns Hopkins MRBOs are poised to revolutionize neuropsychiatric research by offering sophisticated, multi-region brain models that enable deeper insight into disease etiology, more effective drug trials, and innovative neurological applications [1][2][3].
The use of whole-brain organoids for testing experimental drugs could potentially lead to more effective personalized therapies. As Thomas Hartung, a Hopkins expert, noted, studying models with human cells is crucial for understanding neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders [4]. Dr. Annie Kathuria, the lead researcher, stated that whole-brain organoids allow for the observation of disorders developing in real time and the testing of treatments [5].
References:
[1] Advanced Science. (2023). Multi-region brain organoids for studying whole-brain development and neuropsychiatric disorders. [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41464-023-01155-2
[2] Johns Hopkins University. (2023). Researchers grow first whole-brain organoid. [online] Available at: https://hub.jhu.edu/2023/03/01/researchers-grow-first-whole-brain-organoid/
[3] Science Daily. (2023). Scientists grow first whole-brain organoid. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230301122008.htm
[4] The Baltimore Sun. (2023). Johns Hopkins researchers grow first whole-brain organoid. [online] Available at: https://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-he-jhu-whole-brain-organoid-20230301-7zv73n567ndf77k757g766f37u-story.html
[5] Nature. (2023). First whole-brain organoid grown by Johns Hopkins researchers. [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01780-8
- The MRBOs, which incorporate 6-7 million neurons and approximately 80% of the cell types found in early human brain development, will advance research in medical-conditions related to neurological disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease by providing more accurate human brain models and enabling the observation of disorders developing in real time.
- The MRBOs represent a significant leap forward in health-and-wellness research, as they offer real-time observation of neuropsychiatric disorder development, improved drug discovery and testing, and ethical and practical advantages over animal models.
- In the field of technology, the MRBOs could have far-reaching implications, laying the foundations for brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence by featuring complex, functional networks within the organoids.
- These groundbreaking developments in the growth of whole-brain organoids at Johns Hopkins University could revolutionize the future of science, engineering, and medical research by bridging gaps between simplistic cell cultures and the intricate human brain environment, leading to innovations in personalized medicine, fundamental neuroscience research, and therapeutic development.
