Project to replicate brain’s neural networks
Aston University, UK, has launched MESO-BRAIN, a stem cell research project which aims to develop 3D nanoprinting techniques that can be used to replicate the brain’s neural networks.
The MESO-BRAIN project will use pluripotent stem cells generated from adult human cells that have been turned into brain cells, which will form neural networks with specific biological architectures.
Advanced imaging and detection technologies developed in the project will be used to report on the activity of these networks in real time.
The MESO-BRAIN initiative, which will span three years, received €3.3m of funding from the European Commission as part of its Future and Emerging Technology (FET) scheme.
Aston University is leading the project, with partners from industry and higher education across Europe, including: Axol Bioscience Ltd, UK; Laser Zentrum Hannover, Germany; the Institute of Photonic Sciences, Spain; the University of Barcelona, Spain; and Kite Innovations, UK. This partnership brings together stem cell biologists, neuroscientists, photonics experts and physicists.
Head of the MESO-BRAIN project, Professor Edik Rafailov, said: “What we’re hoping to achieve with this project has, until recently, been the stuff of science fiction.
“If we can use 3D nanoprinting to improve the connection of neurons in an area of the brain which has been damaged, we will be in a position to develop much more effective ways to treat those with dementia or brain injuries.”
Dr Eric Hill, programme director for MSc stem cells and regenerative medicine at Aston University, added: “This research carries the potential to enable us to recreate brain structures in a dish. This will allow us to understand how brain networks form during development and provide tools that will help us understand how these networks are affected in diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.”
