Scientists in Luxembourg have taken human stem cells from skin samples and used them to create three-dimensional brain-like clusters. The cells in these clusters behave like those in the human midbrain. The midbrain is of interest in Parkinson’s disease, where neurons producing the neurotransmitter dopamine can malfunction and die. It is hoped that the new brain-like clusters could be used to study the role that Parkinson’s disease plays within the brain.
