Scientists Grow 'Minibrains' from Human Fetal Brain Tissue for the First Time

The organoids could provide new ways to study brain health and disease, and test cancer drugs.

Scientists have successfully grown 'minibrains' from human fetal brain tissue for the first time, creating three-dimensional organoids that mimic key aspects of full-size human brains.
The organoids, which grew to the size of a grain of rice, self-organized into complex 3D structures and contained many types of cells.
Researchers were able to trigger the growth of brain tumors within the minibrains and test the tumors' response to existing cancer drugs.
The new organoids could complement existing stem-cell-derived organoids and provide unique ways to study brain health and disease.
Ethical considerations and discussions with donors and the scientific community are needed before further experiments are conducted with these organoids.