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LiveScience
LiveScience
Stephanie Pappas

'Frankenstein' mice with brain cells from rats raised in the lab

Microscopic image of mouse and rat brain cells shows cells labeled in red and blue on dark background.

In an experiment reminiscent of "Frankenstein," scientists found that rat brain cells can fill in for lost neurons in mice, even allowing the host rodents to sniff out sweets. 

While splicing rat and mouse brains together may sound odd, this work aims to build a basis for understanding how mammal brains develop, said Kristin Baldwin, a neuroscientist at Columbia University and the lead author of a new study describing the experiment. 

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