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Lab-grown neurons successfully integrated with brain cells
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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To fully realize the therapeutic potential of human embryonic stem cells, scientists must overcome many hurdles, one of which is achieving functional integration of transplanted cells with human tissues or organs.
A study conducted by Wisconsin scientists has shown that neurons grown from human embryonic stem cells in the laboratory and implanted into the brains of animals successfully combined with other neurons and were able to receive and transmit nerve signals.
Neurons are specialized cells that conduct nerve impulses. The human brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons that are constantly receiving and transmitting signals.
In their study, the scientists transplanted lab-grown neurons into the hippocampus of adult mice and assessed their ability to integrate into the brain system. A living tissue sample was then taken from the animals that had the neurons implanted to study the cell's potential for integration.
The hippocampus is a region of the brain that plays an important role in memory processing and spatial navigation.
To test the integration of neurons, the scientists used a new technology known as "optogenetics," which involves using light instead of electrical current to selectively stimulate the activity of newly transplanted nerve cells.
All 220 types of tissue in the human body originate from embryonic stem cells. In the laboratory, scientists have been able to manipulate these cells to turn into different types of cells, including brain cells.
The discovery is a vital step toward using individual stem cells to repair damage to the brain and spinal cord, the most complex human organs.
Interest in human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent cells is high because they offer the potential to produce unlimited supplies of healthy, specialized cells that can be used to replace diseased or damaged tissues and organs.
Scientists believe that brain diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) and Parkinson's disease could potentially be eradicated by replacing faulty cells with healthy neurons grown in the lab.