Harvard researchers grow human brain organoids for record seven years

Researchers at Harvard University and the Broad Institute have achieved a major breakthrough in neuroscience by growing human brain organoids for an unprecedented period of up to seven years. Previously, these lab-grown, peppercorn-sized clusters of cortical tissue typically deteriorated within months or two years due to the lack of a vascular system to provide oxygen and nutrients.

Published in the journal Nature, the study led by Paola Arlotta demonstrates that these organoids do not merely survive but continue to mature and evolve. By using DNA methylation profiles as an epigenetic clock, the team found that the organoids accurately track their own biological age, following developmental sequences that closely mimic human fetal and postnatal stages.

In one experiment, researchers observed a “warped time” effect when mixing cells from one-year-old organoids with much younger ones, causing the older cells to accelerate their developmental stages. This longevity provides a new platform for studying long-term brain development and the progression of complex neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.