The authors challenge recent claims that the emergence of consciousness in human brain organoids (HBOs) remains implausible in the near term. Drawing on neuroscientific evidence, developmental paralle...

To conduct scientifically accurate and socially responsible research, think of “sex” as a complex, multifactorial and context-dependent variable.

Nature - With organoids, assembloids and a growing toolkit of bioengineering tricks, scientists are stitching together models of the developing human brain — and pushing the limits of realism and...

Brain organoids have been proposed as suitable human brain model candidates for a variety of applications. However, the lack of appropriate maturation limits the transferability of such functional tools. Here, we present a method to facilitate neuronal maturation by integrating astrocyte-secreted factors into hPSC-derived 2D and 3D neural culture systems. We demonstrate that protein- and nutrient-enriched astrocyte-conditioned medium (ACM) accelerates neuronal differentiation with enlarged neuronal layer and the overproduction of deep-layer cortical neurons. We captured the elevated changes in the functional activity of neuronal networks within ACM-treated organoids using comprehensive electrophysiological recordings. Furthermore, astrocyte-secreted cues can induce lipid droplet accumulation in neural cultures, offering protective effects in neural differentiation to withstand cellular stress. Together, these data indicate the potential of astrocyte secretions to promote neural maturat

Adam PAVLINEK, PostDoc Position | Cited by 62 | of King's College London, London (KCL) | Read 4 publications | Contact Adam PAVLINEK

Model systems continue to offer us tremendous insight, but it’s time for basic researchers to train their sights on the human brain.