Scientists just grew the 1st-ever 'minibrains' from multiple people's cells

For the first time, scientists have grown 3D brain models using cells from multiple people. 

The new hybrid creations, which researchers have dubbed "chimeroids," are a variation of brain organoids — tiny 3D models made of tissue that mimic the structure and function of a full-size brain. These models are more accurate to human biology than 2D cellular models or animals like lab mice. Because of this, scientists hope that the models will accelerate drug research and development. 

Typically, brain organoids are grown from cells that are collected from just one donor. This means they can't capture the genetic variability that exists between people, which can impact individuals' brain development and their responses to drugs. 

Creating chimeroids could overcome this hurdle, according to the scientists behind a new study, published June 26 in the journal Nature. Such a "village in a dish" could be particularly useful in the early stages of drug testing, they said. 

Researchers have previously grown sheets of brain cells from the stem cells of different people, but this is the first time that 3D models of the brain have been grown this way. 

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"Chimeroids are an exciting tool that will be widely adopted in the field of neurodevelopment, probably with diverse applications," Aparna Bhaduri, an assistant professor of biological chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles who was not involved in the research, wrote in a commentary of the study.