'Minibrains' breakthrough in neuro-research

21/01/2017

Laboratory-made “minibrains” that show a primitive ability to think could transform research on neurological diseases and treatments, scientists say.

The tiny balls of brain cells, each about the size of a housefly’s eye, have been created by US researchers who claim they could be mass-produced in large numbers.

Grown from stem cells, the brains contain many of the neurons and cells of their full-sized human equivalents.

Scientists believe they will provide far more reliable results in drug tests and other experiments than animal “models” such as mice and rats.