Mice Transplanted with Human Brain Cells Had Higher Intelligence: Study
- 11 years ago
Mice are transplanted with human brain cells.
In a fascinating study, scientists at the University of Rochester transplanted human brain cells into newborn mice.
The study’s experiments were originally geared to research human brain diseases like schizophrenia and Huntington’s, and nerve diseases like multiple sclerosis. The researchers were surprised to discover the modified rodents improved their learning or cognitive abilities compared to their non-altered counterparts.
The mice with human brain cells were able to locate escape hatches quicker and link a tone to an electric shock faster. The tiny creatures received human glial cells, which are a part of the human’s brain’s white matter.
The researchers propose that injecting the cells in fellow humans will not make them smarter but could restore normal damage in the brain which occurs with the ageing process.
In another experiment involving rodents, scientists gave rats an implant which allows the animals to obtain, as they call it 'a sixth sense'. The laboratory subjects were able to search and detect infrared lights, which is an exceptional accomplishment given that rats cannot normally see infrared lights.
In a fascinating study, scientists at the University of Rochester transplanted human brain cells into newborn mice.
The study’s experiments were originally geared to research human brain diseases like schizophrenia and Huntington’s, and nerve diseases like multiple sclerosis. The researchers were surprised to discover the modified rodents improved their learning or cognitive abilities compared to their non-altered counterparts.
The mice with human brain cells were able to locate escape hatches quicker and link a tone to an electric shock faster. The tiny creatures received human glial cells, which are a part of the human’s brain’s white matter.
The researchers propose that injecting the cells in fellow humans will not make them smarter but could restore normal damage in the brain which occurs with the ageing process.
In another experiment involving rodents, scientists gave rats an implant which allows the animals to obtain, as they call it 'a sixth sense'. The laboratory subjects were able to search and detect infrared lights, which is an exceptional accomplishment given that rats cannot normally see infrared lights.