Human Brain Cells Injected Into Mice Results In Boosted Intelligence

Human Brain Cells Injected Into Mice Results In Boosted Intelligence

We know in the animal kingdom, the human brain is probably considered the cream of the crop as we can do pretty much anything and everything, that is, unless it has to do with going underwater or into space. Then we’ll need some special gear in order to keep our precious brains from exploding in our skulls. But a new experiment may have just shown what the human brain can do when combined with animals.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center injected new properties of human brain cells known as astrocytes into mice, using them to boost their learning ability. The astrocytes, which were once thought to be helper cells, gave the group of mice the ability to learn their way through a maze faster than another group of mice that were given extra brain cells from their own species. Not only that, but the human-brain infused mice were also able to quickly associate a particular sound with an electric shock. (more…)

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Allen Institute completes gene expression map of the human brain in high-resolution 3D

Allen Institute completes gene expression map of the human brain in highresolution 3D

As a species, we’ve spent a lot of time learning how the human brain works, but we’ve had to go without a true, thorough map of how genes manifest themselves in our craniums; previous maps have been limited to the simpler minds of mice. The Allen Institute for Brain Science is now known to have solved that mystery by recently finishing an extensive, detailed 3D atlas of genetic expression within our own brain tissue. Accomplishing the feat required no small amount of resources, including the definition of 900 subdivisions, conducting over 62,000 gene expression probes and producing the MRI scans of two and a half brains, but the result is a potentially vital tool for neuroscience and education. Curious web users can see a visual map of gene expression based on virtually any criteria they need, whether it’s a physical region of the brain, a disease type or the exact gene they’d like to track down. For many, the best news about the map may simply be that it’s free and public: anyone with enough experience in genetics can learn more about what makes the mind tick through their browsers, and what they find might just lead to new discoveries.

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Allen Institute completes gene expression map of the human brain in high-resolution 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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