Sergiu Pasca's team grows human brain tissue in newborn mice
Technology
Stanford researchers just pulled off something pretty wild: they grew human brain tissue inside newborn mice.
Using a method called "xenocortication," the team, led by neuroscientist Sergiu Pasca, got human brain organoids to develop within mouse brains.
Their results hit the journal Nature on September 16, 2026.
Mouse cortex nearly 92% human cells
Within three months, the human cells made up almost 92% of the mice's measured brain cortex.
When they were exposed to five hours of low oxygen, it damaged the human tissue, giving scientists a new way to study how our neurons react to injury.
This model could seriously change how we understand and research tough brain diseases in the future.