Study grows human brain cells for record seven years in lab

August 19, 2026 / 7:36 PM

Brain organoids grown from human stem cells in the Harvard lab in March 2023. Scientists say the lab-grown cells aged similarly to natural brain ...

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Scientists have successfully grown peppercorn-sized clumps of human brain cells, known as organoids, in a lab for a record-breaking seven years. Published in the journal Nature, the study reveals that these lab-grown cells aged similarly to natural human brains, effectively "recording the passage of time" on a cellular level without ever being part of a living body.

Brain organoids reveal how cells age

While typical brain organoids survive for only a few months—offering a limited view of early development—this US-led team pushed the boundaries to study how brains mature over years. Researchers analyzed the ageing tissue using advanced genetic clocks, discovering that the cells continued to change and develop independently. In a unique "time-warping" experiment, mixing older cells with newly grown ones caused the young cells to accelerate their development and rapidly form neurons.

Potential insights into brain disorders

Although these biological "avatars" lack consciousness, sensory input, and personal memories, scientists hope they will unlock vital clues about how disorders like autism and schizophrenia emerge and progress over time. Having fulfilled their purpose in this groundbreaking research, the record-setting organoids have now been destroyed.