Scientists make headway after growing mini ‘brain-in-a-bottle’

The tiny hollow “organoids”, measuring three to four millimetres across, have a structure similar to that of an immature human brain, including defined regions.

But the Austrian and British team of scientists insist they are still far from the science fiction fantasy of building a working artificial brain – or even replacement parts for damaged brains.

The goal was to produce a biological tool that can be used to investigate the workings of the brain, better understand brain diseases, and test out new drugs.

Other experts described the work as “audacious”, “exciting” and “stunning”.

One predicted the future creation of a simple animal-like brain that could be linked to sense organs and had the ability to learn.

Scientists have previously grown other laboratory “models” of human organs from stem cells, including those replicating the liver, intestine, pituitary gland and eye. But none possess the daunting intricacy of the human brain.

The key to the new research involved nourishing immature cells in a gel-like “matrix” that allowed the complex organoid structures to develop.

These were then transferred to a spinning bioreactor which provided extra nutrients and oxygen, enabling them to grow much larger in size.

After two months of development the “mini-brains” had become globular spheres up to four millimetres in diameter. Each one surrounded a ventricle-like inner cavity and mimicked the layered structure of a human brain growing within a developing foetus.

Commenting on the research, published in the online edition of the journal Nature, stem cell scientist Dr Zameel Cader, from Oxford University and the John Radcliffe Hospital, said: “Their model is audacious and the similarities with some of the features of a human brain are really quite astounding.”