Scientists grow human brain cells in rats to study diseases

UNDATED (AP)- Scientists at Stanford University have transplanted human brain cells into the brains of baby rats, where they grew and formed connections. It’s part of an effort to better study human brain development and diseases affecting this most complex of organs, which makes us who we are but has long been shrouded in mystery. Researchers described the work in a study published on Wednesday (Oct. 12, 2022) in the journal Nature. Senior author Sergiu Pasca said this is the first time so-called brain organoids have been placed into early rat brains. These organoids are built from stem cells and go on to create advanced brain circuitry and influence the animal’s behavior.