Direct Assembly of Synthetic Human Brain Tissue

Important results from the project

In this project, our objective is to produce synthetic brain tissue for disease modeling and drug development. We have developed a method to use genetic circuits to induce differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into different types of brain cells. We have shown that with this method it is possible to control which types of cells and in what quantity they are produced with a simple one-time treatment. We have then cultured these cells in different 3D configurations to create brain tissue.

Expected long term effects

We expect that the method we have developed will have a major impact in academic research but also in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. The method simplifies and standardizes the production of brain tissue from pluripotent stem cells. This will make research on disease mechanisms as well as drug development and screening more efficient. We also expect that the method can be further developed to produce other tissues for similar purposes and have clinical applications.

Approach and implementation

This project was a collaboration between the research group Stem Cells, Aging and Neurodegeneration, and the Cell and Gene Therapy core facility at Lunds Stamcellscentrum. The research group was responsible for design, validation and differentiations while the core facility produced stem cell lines. With this arrangement, individual competencies of the parties were well taken advantage of. Together with direct and frequent communication within and between parties, an effective team was created.