UK Scientists Grow A Living Human 'Brain'

[7hidden7agenda7 Profile]

mmmmm... delicious
when they get round to growing a full sized one, I wonder if they'll sedate it, or let it go insane... it's a difficult choice!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090326/tuk ... dbed5.html
>>>UK Scientists Grow A Living Human 'Brain'
8 hours 57 mins ago
SkyNews Sky News
Scientists in Birmingham have grown a living human 'brain'.
UK Scientists Grow A Living Human 'Brain'
The team at Aston University created tiny bundles of cells which act like a mini nervous system.
They believe it could help find a cure for degenerative conditions like Alzheimer's, motor neurone or Parkinson's disease.
Professor Michael Coleman is leading the research.
He explained: "We are aiming to be able to study the human brain at the most basic level, using an actual living human cellular system.
"Cells have to be alive and operating efficiently to enable us to really understand how the brain works."
The experiment involves altering cells from a cancer tumour and making them behave like brain cells.
Although far from finished, scientists hope the fake brain cells will give them a greater understanding of how real brains work.
This, in turn, could significantly further research into conditions which affect the brain.
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "It is still very early days, but in the future this interesting research could lead to a useful tool for investigating dementia."
The technique could also provide an alternative to animal testing and is being supported and funded by the Humane Research Trust.
Over the next ten years a million people will develop dementia, but campaigners say research into the disease is hugely under-funded.
Current treatments cause unpleasant side-effects and do not halt the progression of conditions.
Professor Coleman believes his findings could change this.
He said: "We hope our technique will provide scientists with a new and highly relevant human experimental model to help us understand the brain better and develop new drugs and treatments to tackle neurodegenerative disease."<<<

[7hidden7agenda7 Profile]

WOAH hang on one second!!!
making cancer cells act like brain cells........... thats just wierd
interesting treatment for cancer though... " I'm sorry I have to tell you this, but you have a tumor. I'm afraid we're going to have to convert them into tiny brains. Which, in all likelyhood, will attach directly to your nervous system and gradually take over command of your body!"

[Kyo121 Profile]

at one of the TED's talk it was cited that cancer cells are the bodies way of trying to repair itself but failed to receive the correct signal from the brain to effectively grow into the new tissues. That explanation would cover how some cancers "mysteriously" cure itself in some patients.