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Neanderthal-like ‘mini-brains’ created in lab with CRISPR

Organoids that contain an ancient version of a gene that influences brain development are smaller and bumpier than those with human genes.
  1. Ariana Remmel
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Researchers have created tiny, brain-like ‘organoids’ that contain a gene variant harboured by two extinct human relatives, Neanderthals and Denisovans. The tissues, made by engineering human stem cells, are far from being true representations of these species’ brains — but they show distinct differences from human organoids, including size, shape and texture. The findings, published1 in Science on 11 February, could help scientists to understand the genetic pathways that allowed human brains to evolve.

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Nature 590, 376-377 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-00388-2

References

  1. Trujillo, C. A. et al. Science 371, eaax2537 (2021).

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  2. Dannemann, M. et al. Stem Cell Rep. 15, 214–225 (2020).

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