In a scientific first, researchers at the University of California San Diego have successfully demonstrated that human cortical organoids, or ‘mini-brains’, implanted into mice are able to respond to pulses of light shone into the test subject’s eyes.
Using an innovative imaging system that employed flexible and transparent graphene microelectrodes to measure brain wave activity, the team was able to confirm functional connections in a transplanted human brain organoid in real-time.
This breakthrough could eventually lead to the use of organoids for modeling disease, testing treatments on patient-specific genetic backgrounds, and restoring lost or damaged brain regions upon integration.
Read more > Human ‘Mini-Brains’ Implanted in Mice Respond to Light in Scientific First
