In a significant scientific achievement, researchers have managed to cultivate monkey embryos in a laboratory environment long enough to witness the early stages of organ formation and nervous system development. These critical milestones, which are challenging to observe in utero, were reached by the embryos, making them potentially the oldest primate embryos to be grown outside the womb. The findings were separately reported by independent teams in two papers published in Cell on May 11.

Lab-grown embryos typically struggle to survive beyond a few weeks, often resulting in an assortment of cells in a dish without any significant progress. Previously, both research teams had successfully cultured monkey blastocysts (clusters of dividing cells) in Petri dishes for up to 20 days. However, further development beyond that point was impeded, preventing the observation of advanced stages such as early signs of organ formation and the nervous system.

A team of researchers led by neurotechnology expert Stephanie Lacour from Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne has made significant progress in the development of a less invasive method for treating brain conditions that require implantation. Inspired by soft robots, the researchers have created a groundbreaking cortical electrode array capable of passing through a small opening in the skull.

Cortical electrode arrays are used to stimulate, record, or monitor electrical activity in the brain of patients suffering from conditions like epilepsy, which affects approximately 1.2 percent of the US population. Epilepsy often results in seizures, characterized by bursts of electrical activity in the brain, leading to uncontrollable shaking, sudden stiffness, collapsing, and other symptoms. Although microelectrode arrays were invented several decades ago, their use in deep brain stimulation for epilepsy patients has only recently received FDA approval. Nonetheless, existing devices have limitations in terms of electrode resolution, cortical surface coverage, and aesthetic appeal, as noted by the authors of the research paper.