Scientists have developed tiny 3D ‘mini-brains’ that they claim mimic some of the human brain’s structures and functionality and can be used to study diseases such as Alzheimer’s and autism.
The creation of these ‘mini-brains’ could dramatically change how new drugs are tested for effectiveness and safety, researchers said. These balls of brain cells grow and form brain-like structures on their own over the course of eight weeks. Performing research using these mini brains should be superior to studying mice and rats because they are derived from human cells instead of rodents, according to reserchers.
