3 Rs: Reduction (maybe) Brain on chip

Scientists have developed a special "brain on a chip" technology which allows scientists to measure precisely the activity of certain brain cells and to potentially measure the effects of drugs. Problem is, the chip is made from rat brains. What we really need is a chip of human brain cells. My guess is that folks aren't busy worrying about rat medicine.

The availability of the chips might reduce the number of live rats needed for experiments in the future, but the rats remain the source of the chip's material. And the brain cells mounted on the chip may require in vivo manipulations before they can be used.

Why, I wonder, aren't human brains from people who have donated their bodies to science being place on these chips if the goal is to study human brain function and medicines?


Brain on chip