When new drugs need to be tested, the subject of those tests are usually mice. And often successful tests on mice don’t translate to success for humans simply because we aren’t mice. That’s why scientists at Johns Hopkins University have designed and grown something that could be much better test subjects for drug development: “Mini-brains”. What the scientists have done is reprogrammed adult skin cells into embryonic stem cells which are grown in petri dishes over a couple months. The scientists can then test those cells by placing them on electrode array and listening to the neurons’ electrical communication as the drugs are added. These tiny brains are about the size of houseflies so researchers can grow a hundred of them in a single petri dish. So far the experiment with mini-brains has been successful, and could potentially replace animal testing on a large scale and make for more accurate brain-related research.
Johns Hopkins grows tiny brains in petri dishes for lab testing
More of Today's Solutions
Dublin expands car-free zones to improve bus travel and city life
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Dublin is taking further steps to reduce private car traffic in its city centre, with new restrictions set ...
Read MoreAt 100 years old, this Galapagos tortoise just became a mom—and a conservatio...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM At the Philadelphia Zoo, a century-old resident named Mommy is celebrating a remarkable milestone—and not just because she’s ...
Read MoreOn the road to mental health: 3 tips for men who have no idea how to start th...
When it comes to entering the world of therapy, guys are frequently lost, unsure of where to begin. They may have the desire to ...
Read MoreSewage heat: Vancouver’s steamy and sustainable energy source
Since 2010, an innovative energy program in Vancouver's False Creek has quietly transformed the city's energy landscape. This novel technology harnesses the latent heat in ...
Read More
