Human brain organoids maintained in laboratory for over five years

Scientists have achieved a new record by maintaining human brain organoids in a laboratory for more than five years, according to the scientific journal Nature. These organoids are small structures created from human cells that mimic certain brain development processes.

During the study, researchers observed that the cells continued to change and exhibit signs of biological aging. By analyzing 34 organoids over periods ranging from six months to five years, scientists discovered that the cells appear to retain a form of developmental memory. This was evidenced by changes in DNA, specifically through DNA methylation, which acts as a biological clock.

Further experiments showed that older cells could bypass certain early developmental stages to produce neurons that typically appear much later, suggesting that these cellular models can effectively reflect long-term human brain cell development and aging.