Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. New research using 3D organoid models of the eye has uncovered clues about what happens in AMD and how to stop it. In AMD, a person loses their central vision because the light-sensitive cells in the macula, a part of the … Continue reading Lab-made retinas offer a new approach to battling vision loss
organoids
Unlocking the secrets of autism
Dr. Alysson Muotri, in his lab at UCSD For Dr. Alysson Muotri, unlocking autism’s biology is personal. His son has autism, and Muotri hopes to help him and millions of others. A Mission to Understand Autism He launched the Tooth Fairy Project, which collected more than 3,000 donated baby teeth from children with and without … Continue reading Unlocking the secrets of autism
Studying autism using brain organoids
Dr. Alysson Muotri, UC San Diego Normally, if someone keeps a mini‑fridge full of brains, your first instinct is to call the police. But when that person is Dr. Alysson Muotri of UC San Diego, your next thought is, “Tell me more.” Muotri is fascinated by the human brain. His research explores how the brain … Continue reading Studying autism using brain organoids
Scientists Create a First-of-Its-Kind Heart and Gut Organoid
Gladstone Senior Investigator Todd McDevitt, PhD said this first-of-its-kind organoid could serve as a new tool for laboratory research and improve our understanding of how developing organs and tissues cooperate and instruct each other.
Building a better brain (model) in the lab
Leica Picture of a brain organoid: courtesy National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH One of the biggest problems with trying to understand what is happening in a disease that affects the brain is that it’s really difficult to see what is going on inside someone’s head. People tend to object to you trying … Continue reading Building a better brain (model) in the lab
City of Hope scientists use stem cells to develop ‘mini-brains’ to study Alzheimer’s and to test drugs in development
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. According to the non-profit HFC, co-founded by CIRM Board member Lauren Miller Rogen and her husband Seth Rogen, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's. It is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. By 2050 as many … Continue reading City of Hope scientists use stem cells to develop ‘mini-brains’ to study Alzheimer’s and to test drugs in development
Scientists use stem cell ‘mini-brains’ to better understand signs of frontotemporal dementia
Dementia is a general term for a group of diseases that impair memory, thinking, or decision-making and interfere with everyday activities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 50 million people worldwide have dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases every year. Although it primarily affects older people, it is not a normal part … Continue reading Scientists use stem cell ‘mini-brains’ to better understand signs of frontotemporal dementia
New insight into embryonic development
Two cell embryo Many unknown elements trigger the cells in an embryo to start dividing and multiplying, becoming every single cell in the body. Now researchers at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco have uncovered one of those elements: how embryos determine which cells become the head and which the tail. Role of stem cells … Continue reading New insight into embryonic development
Scientists look at how the lung and brain respond differently to SARS-CoV-2 infection
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers found approximately 10-fold higher SARS-CoV-2 infection (green) in lung organoids (left), compared to brain organoids (right). Image courtesy of UCSD Health Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic early last year, scientists all over the world are still trying to better understand SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. … Continue reading Scientists look at how the lung and brain respond differently to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Scientists use stem cells to create Neanderthal-like “mini-brain”
Alysson R. Muotri, Ph.D. The evolution of modern day humans has always been a topic that has been shrouded in mystery. Some of what is known is that Neanderthals, an archaic human species that lived on this planet up until about 11,700 years ago, interbred with our species (Homo sapiens) at some point in time. … Continue reading Scientists use stem cells to create Neanderthal-like “mini-brain”