The human brain is formed by integrated neurons that are wired into networks. To understand brain diseases, experts need to gain insight into how neural networks operate.
Challenges in Bioprinting Techniques
Over the past years, bioprinting techniques have flourished in biofabrication with exponential and pronounced developments. As new biomaterials have been developed for the formation of bioinks, experts were allowed to produce in vitro models and implants of human body tissue and organs.
Advances in cell biology have also contributed to recent breakthroughs where more relevant tissues or organs can be obtained with a certain degree of functionality. In neuroscience, however, the printing methods have limited the success of earlier attempts to print brain tissue.
Most bioprinting strategies focus on mimicking fully matured tissues. In the future, bioprinting methods might pursue earlier developmental stages of tissues and organs.
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Breakthrough in Neuroscience
For the first time, a research team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has developed 3D-printed brain tissue that can grow and function like a typical one. The experts behind this success describe their method in the paper "3D bioprinting of human neural tissues with functional connectivity."
Instead of using the traditional 3D-printing method where the layers are stacked vertically, the researchers decided to orient them horizontally. They were laid next to each other like pencils laid next to each other on a tabletop.
They placed neurons grown from induced pluripotent stem cells in a "bio-ink" gel, which is softer than those employed during previous attempts. As a result, the brain tissue still has enough structure to hold together but is gentle enough to enable the neurons to grow into each other and start communicating.
According to the researchers, their brain tissue stays relatively thin, making it easy for the neurons to get enough oxygen and nutrients from the growth media. Not only can the printed cells speak to each other, but they can also form connections inside and across each printed layer, forming networks that are comparable to human brains.
The research team found that the neurons send signals, communicate, interact with each other through neurotransmitters, and form proper networks with the help of support cells added to the printed tissue. They also had a striking discovery when they published the cerebral cortex and the striatum. Even if they printed different cells from various parts of the brain, they could still talk to each other in a very special and specific way. This is due to the precision offered by the printing technique, as it controls the kinds and arrangement of cells not found in brain organoids.
This study is an achievement with significant implications for scientists studying the brain's nature. It can provide a model to help understand how the human brain cells and parts of the brain communicate.
Furthermore, the research can change how scientists view neuroscience and stem cell biology. The results of the study can also be applied to the development of treatments for various neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders, like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
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