Behind the Brain

Hello dear readers. Whenever something incredible happens in the world of neuroscience, you can be sure that I will cover it. And that is what today’s short post is about. Today I wanted to share one amazing breakthrough made in the field of neuroscience with you all. This breakthrough is the development of a 3D-printed brain, created by researchers at UW Madison. Now I’m not talking about some 3d-printed model of a brain you can buy off of Amazon for $20. I’m talking about a brain, that grows, and has tissue!

How They Did It

This project was spearheaded by Professor Su-Chun Zhang, who is the the professor of neuroscience and neurology for UW–Madison’s Waisman Center. When trying to create a 3d printed brain, he realized the problem. Typically 3d-printed brains have been limited by 3d-printing techniques.

So Zhang and other researchers at UW Madison invented their own printing technique. Instead of going layer by layer vertically, they went layer by layer horizontally. Furthermore, they used a softer bio-ink (a type of hydrogel) to be able to place neurons grown from stem cells, in their 3d model. Lastly, they made sure their tissue was thin, to allow the neurons to receive oxygen.

The results were highly successful. The neurons quickly formed connections and began sending signals and even neurotransmitters to each other. Within a short matter of time, complex systems similar to the human brain were formed. Researchers were also able to look at different parts of the brain, such as the cerebral cortex, to see how it behaves compare to other parts of the brain.

Significance

Due to the ease and specificity of the printing method, these researchers can print any part of the brain, and replicate any neurological disorder. To name a few, they are already planning to research with printed brain tissue to explore Alzheimer’s, Down Syndrome, and Parkinson’s. These researchers are also planning to look at different printed parts of the brain and see how they communicate with each other to better understand inner brain workings.

Photo: Professor Su-Chun Zhang