In a historic achievement, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have successfully created 3D-printed human brain tissue with the capability to grow and function like real brain tissue. This groundbreaking development has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of how brain cells and different parts of the brain communicate in humans, as stated by professor of neuroscience and neurology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Su-Chun Zhang. The senior author of the study highlighted that this innovation could revolutionize stem cell biology, neuroscience, and the study of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Despite the numerous applications of 3D printing technology in recent years, previous attempts to 3D-print brain tissue have had limited success. However, the team at UW-Madison approached the challenge from a new perspective. Rather than stacking layers vertically, they decided to work horizontally, laying out brain cells from induced pluripotent stem cells in a soft gel called “bio-ink”. This approach allowed the neurons to grow into each other, forming networks and communicating with each other. Additionally, the team incorporated astrocytes into the tissue to further support the connections between neurons.
The researchers emphasized that their 3D printing system offers a level of precision and control beyond what is achievable with “mini brains”, human brain organoids grown from stem cells. They demonstrated the effectiveness of their technique by producing tissues from two distinct regions of the brain, the cerebral cortex and the striatum, and observed their ability to communicate with each other in a specific and remarkable manner.
The team’s hope is that this method will be widely accessible to other laboratories due to its simplicity and minimal requirement for advanced equipment. Furthermore, they are working on refining the technique for more specialized applications. The study detailing this groundbreaking achievement has been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Red cortical cells and green striatal cells can be seen in this scan of some of the 3D-printed tissue. Image credit: Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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