25 Jun How to Print a Brain

By Emily Leclerc, OnWisconsin

A team of UW–Madison scientists has developed the first 3D-printed brain tissue that can grow and function like typical brain tissue. It’s an achievement with important implications for scientists studying the brain and working on treatments for a broad range of neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

“This could be a hugely powerful model to help us understand how brain cells and parts of the brain communicate in humans,” says Su-Chun Zhang PhD’91, professor of neuroscience and neurology at the UW Waisman Center. “It could change the way we look at stem cell biology, neuroscience, and the pathogenesis of many neurological and psychiatric disorders.”

Printing methods have limited the success of previous attempts to print brain tissue. Among other innovations, the UW researchers situated brain cells — neurons grown from induced pluripotent stem cells — in a softer gel than in previous attempts. Read more…