Researchers at PGI develop new method for investigating impaired brain functioning

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, February 21

Researchers at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, (PGIMER), Chandigarh, have come up with a prototype for the establishment and characterisation of novel self-organising neuro-vascular organoids entirely from autologous blood without any genetic manoeuvring or supplementation.

The prototype can help develop patient-specific precision medicine models for congenital neuro-sensory, neuro-developmental and neuro-degenerative diseases like autism, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday.

It can also be used for deciphering genetics and neural circuits, testing drugs bypassing the blood-brain barrier, and identifying novel biomarkers for early neurological diseases. The method is cost-efficient as it requires no specific differential media, growth factor for culturing, but only autologous plasma and blood cells.

The implications are vast for studying neurological disease pathways, neuro-regeneration, preclinical neuro-imaging and endogenous gene editing and autologous immune-therapies for tumors and autoimmune diseases, the statement added.

The researchers, who are in the process of filing a patent with the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Chandigarh, are employing these models to understand the genetic basis of neurosensory hearing loss and auditory comprehension challenges in children with congenital Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) or neurodevelopmental defects like intellectual disability, ANSD and language disorders.

The field of neural organoids is rapidly progressing and has fuelled the hope for improved understanding of brain development and functions, modelling of neural diseases, discovery of new drugs and supply of surrogate sources of transplantation.