Studies demonstrate the regeneration of mouse brain circuits with rat stem cells, providing new insights into neurological restoration and cross-species brain development. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Research teams have successfully regenerated mouse brain circuits using rat stem cells, showcasing a new method for restoring brain function and studying interspecies brain development.
These findings open up possibilities for treating neurological diseases and understanding brain evolution, while also hinting at future clinical applications and ethical challenges in using similar techniques for human organ transplantation.
Scientists Regenerate Neural Pathways in Mice With Cells From Rats
Two independent research groups have successfully restored brain circuits in mice using neurons derived from rat stem cells. Recently published in the journal Cell, these studies provide important insights into brain tissue development and open up new possibilities for rejuvenating brain functions lost to diseases and aging.
“This research helps to show the brain’s potential flexibility in using synthetic neural circuits to restore brain functions,” says Kristin Baldwin, a professor at 
Mouse hippocampus with rat cells (red) and nuclei of both mouse and rat cells (blue). Credit: M. Khadeesh Imtiaz, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Interspecies Genetic Engineering and Its Implications
“Being able to generate brain tissues from one DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.042
“Generation of rat forebrain tissues in mice” by Jia Huang, Bingbing He, Xiali Yang, Xin Long, Yinghui Wei, Leijie Li, Min Tang, Yanxia Gao, Yuan Fang, Wenqin Ying, Zikang Wang, Chao Li, Yingsi Zhou, Shuaishuai Li, Linyu Shi, Seungwon Choi, Haibo Zhou, Fan Guo, Hui Yang and Jun Wu, 25 April 2024, Cell.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.017
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