Growing a brain in the lab

Researchers have created one of the most realistic “mini-brains” yet, reports New Scientist, growing a tiny version of a developing human cerebral cortex, complete with a network of blood vessels that closely mimics those found in real brains.

Such brain organoids, lab-grown clusters of human brain cells, are used to study conditions such as autism, schizophrenia, and dementia. Most organoids resemble the brains of fetuses but usually stop developing after a few months because they lack...