Researchers grow a human pocket brain | Unusual

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Do you know what is the worst nightmare of a pharmaceutical lab? Consequently, It is investing billions in a drug that works perfectly on mice to finally discover that it is completely. Consequently, useless in humans.

Well, obviously it happens in 96% of cases for neuropsychiatric drugs according to data from Johns Hopkins BME. Therefore, A failure rate that would make any designer pale. Furthermore, But now a team of researchers may have just found the solution by growing … Nevertheless, miniature human brains.

It was Annie Kathuria’s team at Johns Hopkins who succeeded in this pretty crazy thing.. Furthermore, They created the very first complete brain organoid. Therefore, the MRBO (Multi-Region Brain Organoid), which incorporates all major regions of the human brain. Moreover, Not just a piece of cortex like before eh. Therefore, but a real little brain researchers grow human pocket brain with its rudimentary blood vessels and its neural activity. For example, The creature makes 6 to 7 million neurons which compared to your brain which contains dozens of billions. In addition, is ridiculous, but it is already enough to reproduce the activity of a 40 -day fetal brain.

To achieve this. Similarly, they use an assembly technique where instead of trying to grow everything suddenly, they cultivate the different brain regions and blood vessels separately in Petri boxes, and then they use sticky proteins that act as “organic superglue” to assemble everything like a 3D puzzle. Once glued together, the fabrics naturally start to create connections and produce coordinated electrical activity.

What is crazy is that this “organoid” keeps around 80% of cell types found in a human brain in early development. Researchers have even observed the formation of a primitive hemato-encephalic barrier. this protective layer that filters what can or cannot researchers grow human pocket brain enter the brain. According to Sciencedaily, it is a world premiere that could radically transform medical research.

But then why is it so revolutionary? Well it would “make science” on human brain fabric without touching a single patient. For diseases such as schizophrenia. autism or Alzheimer’s which affect the whole brain and not just an isolated region, it is therefore a total game-chainger.

In France, the CNRS announced the launch of the Pepr Med-Ooc program in early 2025. It is a project at 48 million euros over six years to develop personalized medicine with organoids. Co-directed by CEA, Inserm and CNRS, this program aims to create personalized organic models and reduce animal experimentation.

The most promising application is obviously tailor-made medicine. Basically. we take your cells, we grow a mini cerebral, and we test on which treatment will work best for your specific brain. More therapeutic lottery, more “We will try this and researchers grow human pocket brain see if it works”. This approach already makes it possible to study microcephaly. autism spectrum disorders and even the effects of the Zika virus on brain development.

Besides, it already works for other organs. A Chinese team brought back in 2024 the results of a clinical trial where they transplanted pancreatic islets derived. from stem cells in a diabetic patient type 1. Suddenly, complete withdrawal of insulin in 75 days with an HBA1C standardized at 5%. So if we can do the same with neurological disorders, it’s the medical jackpot!

Okay, now before you flip in Black Mirror mode, I reassure you, these mini-centers are not aware. The National Academy of Medicine insists on that !! Not all cellular activities observed cannot be assimilated to cognitive, sensory or engines processes. It’s just biological fabric that reacts, and not a miniature thinking being.

For researchers. these organoids are above all a brilliant ethical alternative researchers grow human pocket brain because instead of testing on animals (with often non -transposable results) or waiting for years for risky clinical trials, they can now observe in real time how a disease develops and test immediately if treatment works. It also reminds me of this biological computer that I talked about a few weeks ago & mldr.

What is crazy is that we are only at the beginning of all this! And potential applications are enormous because it will allow us to understand why certain brains develop neurodegenerative diseases. others not, but also to create organoid banks to massively test new molecules, or even to develop personalized preventive therapies before the appearance of symptoms.

So yes. growing brains in the lab, it may seem dystopian and I know that some of you are disappointed because they hoped for a transplant ^^, but when you see the potential to treat diseases today incurable, it is researchers grow human pocket brain rather hope in a box & mldr; of Petri.

And with massive investments in France. the United States, we can bet that in a few years, your doctor will be able to test his prescriptions on your miniature cerebral twin before giving them.

[Source](https://hub.jhu.edu/2025/07/25/hopkins-