TMC PULSE

November 2019

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25 t m c » p u l s e | n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 9 Looking for a change? Let experience guide you with your next move. Cheryl Cooper, selling real estate for over 20 years in Houston's close in neighborhoods. 4913 Holt Bellaire | lP: $1,599,000 2 W. 11tH MuseuM District | lP: $1,650,000 1015 7tH 1/2 HeigHts | lP: $620,000 1527 Milford MuseuM District | lP: $3,450,000 CHERYL COOPER 713.254.4984 ccooper@greenwoodking.com GREENWOOD KING PROPERTIES Just Sold For Sale Just Sold For Sale organoids are still far from being close to a "real" human brain, the existence of the neural network- ing required for producing these relatively complex brainwaves could have huge implications for studying human brain development. "This opens the idea that we can now start to model things that are not only based on gene expression or how the shape of the brain is formed," he said. "It can actually measure networks, and you could start moving into more psychiatric conditions, for example." The surge in brain organoid research is not without debate. Although scientists agree that cur- rent mini-brains are nowhere near able to display levels of conscious- ness, many researchers believe there should be discussions about an ethical framework for the future of the field—especially as there are talks of increased brainwave activity and advanced applications, includ- ing transplantation. Krencik himself is looking at cellular transplantation therapy in his lab, which would use asteroids to replace brain regions that have degenerated or been destroyed due to injury, disease or stroke. "We're currently trying to figure out safe and effective ways we can transplant these into a nervous system," Krencik said. "One issue with the current method of cellular transplantation is that you put dis- sociated cells in, and they migrate away from the transplant site. So by transplanting these as intact aster- oids, they can remain where desired and they can integrate over time." His lab is also exploring meth- ods to pace activity of these neural networks at specific rates using new biotechnologies. "We're not just waiting around for these to spontaneously activate. We're actually forcing them to acti- vate on demand, which would make them a much better and controlled model system," Krencik said. He added that his lab is also studying brain-computer interface communi- cation and working on assembling organoids specified to different regions of the brain, for example, combining brain asteroids and spinal cord asteroids so that they can connect together and enable the study of communication between the brain and spinal cord. It's a promising area of research that is less time consum- ing, less costly and more compre- hensive than earlier methods, but Krencik stressed the importance of recognizing its constraints as well as its potential. "The current state of organoids do not have an immune system, they do not have a vasculature, so they are still lacking major aspects of the brain. But I think in future studies scientists are trying to figure out how to incorporate those additional features into the organ- oids," Krencik said. "We don't know where it's going to go, but it does clearly have a lot of potential, and I think it's stimulating the research community and education commu- nity to be interested in innovative neuroscience."

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