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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Ian Sample Science editor

Human neurons transplanted into rats to help study brain disorders

A transplanted human organoid labelled with a fluorescent protein in a section of a rat brain.
A transplanted human organoid labelled with a fluorescent protein in a section of a rat brain. Photograph: Stanford University/PA

Researchers have transplanted human neurons into rat brains in work that aims to shed fresh light on debilitating neurological and psychiatric disorders such as epilepsy and schizophrenia.

The clumps of human cells took root inside the animal brains, hooked up to their blood supplies and tapped into rat brain circuits, allowing them to sense whisker movements and change how the animals behaved.

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