For the first time, scientists have successfully grown functional brain tissue in the lab without using any animal-derived materials or natural biological coatings.
Unlike the well-known organoids—often called mini-brains—these structures are simplified organs created from living cells and designed to closely mimic the natural brain environment.
The Challenge of Animal-Based Coatings in Neural Tissue Engineering
A major challenge in neural tissue engineering has been the dependence on animal-derived coatings, such as laminin, which help cells attach and grow. These poorly defined materials hinder reproducibility: one researcher may achieve good results, but others often fail to replicate them.
At the same time, researchers still rely heavily on rodent brains, whose genetic and physiological differences from humans limit the applicability of their findings.
Prince Okoro and his team at the University of California, Riverside (USA) have developed a novel scaffold using the widely available, chemically inert polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG).
Although cells typically do not stick to PEG, attachment is essential for their growth. Okoro found a way to make PEG biologically active by shaping it into a porous, textured, and interconnected structure that replicates the intricate environment of the brain.
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