Lab-grown brain-spinal cord model shows
‘irreversible’ nerve damage may be
reversed
University of Cambridge
image:
A mini version of the connected human brain and spinal cord system created in the lab.
view moreCredit: Dr András Lakatos
Cambridge scientists have grown miniature circuits in the lab that mimic how the brain and spinal cord connect up, which underlies our movements. They used this model to show how damage to these connections previously considered ‘irreversible’ could, in fact, be reversible.
As we develop and grow from embryo to fetus to infant, our nerve cells (neurons) form connections, allowing information to be transmitted between the brain and the spinal cord. A key component of each neuron is the axon – the nerve fibre ‘cable’ that transmits information to other neurons to activate muscle contractions.
At some point, we lose the ability to grow axons in the central nervous system, or this ability is at least greatly impaired or slowed down. This means that damage to the brain and spinal cord becomes permanent, leading to devastating disabilities, such as the inability to grasp or walk. This is often the case for traumatic spinal cord injury and can be a feature of many neurological diseases, including motor neurone disease or multiple sclerosis.
In 2021, Dr András Lakatos and colleagues at the University of Cambridge developed ‘mini brains’ using human patient-derived stem cells – special cells that have the potential to develop into most human cell types – which they guided to grow into pea-sized brain ‘organoids’. These organoids were 3D models that resemble parts of the human cerebral cortex. The team used these to demonstrate molecular problems in motor neurone disease and potential ways to prevent them.
Now, in research published in Cell Reports, Dr Lakatos’s team has taken its research a step further, building a mini version of the connected human brain and spinal cord system in the lab by recreating these tissues using organoids.
In the human body, the brain and spinal cord tissues are distinct but connected by axons, so the researchers kept the brain and spinal cord organoids apart. They saw that nerve fibres from the brain tissue grew across the gap to connect to the spinal cord, forming a working circuit that could even cause tiny muscle clusters to contract.
By growing this human system in the dish for more than a year, they found that up until around day 150 – which corresponds to the mid-trimester of pregnancy – the axons were able to regrow after damage, but after this time, their growth was greatly impaired.
George Gibbons from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge, the study’s first author, said: “Neurons taken from less mature organoids regrew long fibres after injury, but those from more mature organoids showed a sharp drop in their ability to regrow. In other words, poor regeneration is built into human neurons as they mature in the central nervous system.”
By analysing the gene expression – a sign of how active the genes are – in neurons that connect the brain and the spinal cord, they were able to identify a network of genes that acts as a ‘switch’ restricting the axon growth ability while the neurons mature to form connections (synapses). Amazingly, blocking key regulators of this network switched back on the ability of axons to grow.
The team then scanned a database of drug compounds to search for those that act on the genes in this network and identified as a candidate lynestrenol, a hormone drug licensed for managing certain menstrual disorders and as a contraceptive. When they tried this drug on damaged neurons, they found that it significantly boosted axon regrowth.
While scar tissue and inflammation may also restrict axon repair, exploring and tackling neuron-specific causes – the subject of this study – is very important. This is supported by evidence that axons of less mature neurons can grow through non-permissive environments that characterise injury sites.
Senior author Dr András Lakatos, who led the project at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, said: “When the brain and spinal cord are damaged, the nerve fibres that carry movement signals from the brain to the spinal cord rarely grow back. That’s why paralysis is usually permanent. But we didn’t know exactly when the ability of axons to regenerate becomes limited. Our model provides a good indication that this block happens during development, and it can still be reversed after this point.
“Lynestrenol itself may not be the answer to spinal cord repair, but it shows us that, in principle, it should be possible to directly target human neurons and regenerate their axons. Although we still need to show that this strategy will also help to re-establish appropriate connections between the brain and spinal cord cells, this gives us hope that one day we may be able to treat conditions previously thought untreatable.”
Organoid models are an important way of understanding human biology. While animal models – for example, mice and rats – are useful for studying our biology as they share some similarities with humans, their differences ultimately limit what we can learn. Organoids grown from human stem cells can more closely mimic human biology.
Dr Lakatos added: “Much of what we know about nerve regeneration comes from rodents, whose neurons behave differently from human neurons. Our sophisticated organoid models help bridge the knowledge gap from animal models to what we see in patients. They are also an important contribution to efforts to reduce the use of animals in research.”
Organoids, often referred to as ‘mini organs’, are being used increasingly to model human biology and disease. At the University of Cambridge alone, researchers use them to repair damaged livers, understand Crohn’s disease in children, and model the early stages of pregnancy, among many other applications.
The research was funded by the UK Research and Innovation Medical Research Council and Spinal Research.
Illustration of the mini version of the connected human brain and spinal cord system created in the lab.
Credit
Dr András Lakatos
Journal
Cell Reports
Article Title
A human corticospinal organoid-slice connectoid model informs enhancer strategies for post-injury axon regrowth
Article Publication Date
26-May-2026
JMIR Report: Lab-grown brain organoids power biocomputers
Revisiting biological intelligence: JMIR Publications covers early developments in biocomputing
(Toronto, May 28, 2026) JMIR Publications today released a feature story on the emerging field of biocomputing in its News and Perspectives section. Authored by science journalist Simon Spichak, MSc, “Biocomputing: Beyond the Hype” investigates how biotech companies like Cortical Labs and FinalSpark harness human brain cells to electrodes, performing computational functions and testing the cells’ responses to electrical and chemical stimuli. To create biocomputers, scientists grow organoids—small spheres of, in this case, neural tissue—on top of multi-electrode arrays in a hardware shell, which can then be used for everything from testing medications to playing video games.
Uses for Biocomputers
While biocomputing technology is still nascent, early and potential applications are promising, Spichak reports; these uses include:
Remote access for researchers: FinalSpark and Cortical Labs have both taken a cloud approach to their product delivery, providing researchers with remote access to their biocomputing hardware to run experiments.
Energy-efficient computing: Biocomputing consumes far less energy than artificial neural networks and other conventional computational models; it also, according to Brett Kagan, PhD, Cortical Labs chief scientific officer and one of JMIR Publications’ expert sources, can learn with far less data and more chaotic data, compared to artificial intelligence.
Drug discovery: Researchers have begun using biocomputing platforms to test the effects of different experimental medications on brain organoid learning.
Neuromorphic engineering: Johns Hopkins professor and expert source Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD believes biocomputing technology could potentially be used as a stepping stone for the development of neuromorphic systems: artificial neurons that mimic the structure and function of the human brain.
Potential Bioethical Risks
Scientists have been taking a proactive approach to ethical concerns in biocomputing, consulting with bioethicists to address potential risks before they arise. “The brain organoids used for biocomputing,” Spichak writes, “raise similar concerns to stem cell and organoid research including the moral status and development of potential consciousness in more advanced models, informed consent from donors, and issues around commercialization, ownership and patents.”
The Future of Biocomputing
At the moment, biocomputing is limited by the unpredictability of the organoids’ activity, which complicates training. But as researchers’ understanding of this nascent field develops, biocomputing may have major implications for biomedical research.
Please cite as:
Spichak S. Biocomputing: Beyond the Hype. J Med Internet Res 2026;28:e100949
URL: https://www.jmir.org/2026/1/e100949
DOI: 10.2196/100949
About JMIR Publications News and Perspectives
JMIR Publications is a leading open access publisher of digital health research. The News and Perspectives section is the newest addition to its portfolio, established to bring the rigor and integrity of academic publishing to scientific journalism. The section features well-researched, expert-driven content from the Scientific News Editor, Kayleigh-Ann Clegg, PhD, and a network of specialist JMIR Publications Correspondents to keep the digital health community informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve.
About JMIR Publications
JMIR Publications is a leading open access publisher of digital health research and a champion of open science. With a focus on author advocacy and research amplification, JMIR Publications partners with researchers to advance their careers and maximize the impact of their work. As a technology organization with publishing at its core, we provide innovative tools and resources that go beyond traditional publishing, supporting researchers at every step of the dissemination process. Our portfolio features a range of peer-reviewed journals, including the renowned Journal of Medical Internet Research.
To find out more about JMIR Publications, visit jmirpublications.com or connect with them on Bluesky, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Media Contact:
Dennis O’Brien, Vice President, Communications & Partnerships
JMIR Publications
communications@jmir.org
+1 416-583-2040
The content of this communication is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, published by JMIR Publications, is properly cited.
Journal
Journal of Medical Internet Research
Method of Research
Commentary/editorial
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Biocomputing: Beyond the Hype
Article Publication Date
28-May-2026
No comments:
Post a Comment