The study advances a core goal of neural tissue engineering: making reproducible, human-relevant models of brain structure and function without animal-derived materials. Led by Iman Noshadi at UC Riverside with lead author Prince David Okoro, the team published their findings in Advanced Functional Materials. The method removes poorly defined animal coatings that make testing less reliable.
Researchers used polyethylene glycol (PEG), a polymer that is normally chemically neutral and not permissive for cell attachment. They reshaped PEG into a textured, interconnected porous scaffold by flowing water, ethanol, and PEG through nested glass capillaries and applying a flash of light to stabilise and lock the porous structure. The pores allow oxygen and nutrients to circulate and effectively feed donated stem cells, which then colonise the matrix and form functional neural networks capable of donor-specific activity. This makes direct drug testing on patient-like tissue possible.
The engineered scaffold is stable, permitting longer-term studies in which mature brain cells better reflect real tissue function. The model could be used to study traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and Alzheimer’s, and it may reduce reliance on animal brains while aligning with US FDA efforts to phase out animal testing requirements. Research began in 2020; the scaffold is currently about two millimetres wide. The team received UC Riverside startup funds and support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, has submitted a related paper on liver tissue, and aims to scale the model and develop interconnected organ-level cultures to study organ interactions.
Difficult words
- reproducible — possible to repeat with the same results
- polymer — large molecule made of repeating small units
- permissive — allowing cells or things to attach or grow
- scaffold — a supporting structure for cells or tissue
- porous — having many small holes that let fluids pass
- stabilise — make something steady or fixed in its shape
- colonise — move into a place and grow there
- donor-specific — matching biological features of the person who gave tissue
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How might models that are reproducible and human-relevant reduce the use of animal brains in research?
- What challenges do you think the team might face when scaling the scaffold from two millimetres to larger organ-level cultures?
- How could donor-specific neural networks change the way drugs are tested for patients?
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