Advanced Cell Models – News and Features

Human mini-lungs can mimic the response of animals when exposed to certain nanomaterials. Though not expected to replace animal models completely, human organoids could soon lead to significant reductions in research animal numbers.

Researchers have recently found a way to create more physiological connections between lab-grown "neural organoids," an experimental model tissue in which human stem cells are grown into three-dimensional developmental brain-mimicking structures.

A synthetic material could lower the difficulty and barrier to entry for researchers studying how microorganisms interact with the gastrointestinal system and potentially improve labs' ability to screen drugs that impact gut health.

Cisplatin is effective at killing cancer and has been used for decades, but can cause toxic side effects. Researchers have now identified a protein that, when targeted, enables cisplatin-resistant cancer cells to become responsive to treatment, allowing for the use of lower doses.

The industry's search for alternatives to traditional preclinical drug testing methods has led to a growing interest in the potential of three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models. To delve deeper into this subject, Technology Networks spoke with Madhu Lal-Nag, chief scientific officer at InSphero, a 3D in vitro model company with a mission to “modernize drug discovery in ways that inspire researchers everywhere to reach their full potential and fuel a new era of breakthrough therapies.”

In this article, we highlight various high-throughput screening strategies being used to interrogate large libraries of compounds and hear from researchers working to further streamline specific approaches to increase speed and improve quality and accuracy.

Queensland researchers have become the first in Australia to use human stem cells to generate fully functioning skin tissue in a laboratory, a significant step towards better treatments for severe burns and wounds.

Researchers investigated how stress hormones affect the early development of brain cells in the cerebral cortex of fetus. The cortex is the crucial area of the brain for thinking.

There are concerns about the possibility of brain organoids developing consciousness. Researchers have sought to shed light on the intricate ethical landscape of brain organoid research and have proposed three methods for obtaining consent from donors.

In a collaborative study, researchers from Kyushu University and Harvard Medical School have identified proteins that can turn or “reprogram” fibroblasts into cells with similar properties to limb progenitor cells.