New technology developed by American biotech company Tensor Biosciences could significantly shorten the time it takes to develop new drugs for brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. The so-called “mini-brain” is a glass chip made using brain cells from rats and mice that are suspended in artificial cerebral fluid. Each chip can survive for several weeks, and according to Tensor: “An array of 64 electrodes on the chip’s surface monitors the overall electrical activity of the brain tissue, just like an electroencephalogram (EEG), to show the effect the drugs have on the tissue.” The chips have already been used to develop a new drug for the treatment of anxiety.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 16th October 2002
