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Cells in brain organoids made from human stem cells can mature to resemble those of a postnatal brain. S. Pasca Laboratory/Stanford University
Brain cell clusters, grown in lab for more than a year, mirror changes in a newborn’s brain
Feb. 22, 2021 , 11:00 AM
Put human stem cells in a lab dish with the right nutrients, and they’ll do their best to form a little brain. They’ll fail, but you’ll get an organoid: a semiorganized clump of cells. Organoids have become a powerful tool for studying brain development and disease, but researchers assumed these microscopic blobs only mirror a brain’s prenatal development its earliest and simplest stages. A study today reveals that with enough time, organoid cells can take on some of the genetic signatures that brain cells display after birth, potentially expanding the range of disorders and developmental stages they can recreate.
Closed SARS-CoV-2 spikes could be a valuable component of future vaccines
As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to rage across the globe, many countries have rolled out vaccines. Populations to be vaccinated first are healthcare workers, front-liners, and high-risk individuals. The majority of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in use or advanced clinical development are based on the viral spike protein (S) as their immunogen.
Since the start of the pandemic, there are now 235 vaccine candidates for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 172 vaccines are in pre-clinical evaluation, while 63 are undergoing human trials. Sixteen vaccines are in the last phase of human trials, with a handful receiving emergency use authorization.