A very small transparent device that can help better understand the human brain and reduce the use of experimental animals in scientific research has been created by researchers at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Svzonchip, as it is called, is not an electronic accessory, but a small chip that flows very small amounts of liquid through thin channels.

There, brain cells are cultivated in a way that mimics the real conditions within the human body. This innovative tool can help research diseases such as congenital hydrocephalus and various neurodegenerative diseases (eg Alzheimer or Parkinson).

As he explains, speaking to RES-EIA, research manager Ioannis Angelopoulos, the brain is extremely complex and difficult to study. To date, many information has come from experiments to animals, but they have restrictions: they cost a lot, cause ethical dilemmas, and do not always “copy” the human brain. That is why the scientific community is now focused on new methods, such as three -dimensional laboratory models that better simulate the functions of the human body.

Svzonchip is the first model to represent a particularly important brain area, the subcutaneous zone (SVZ), which is associated with the creation of new nerve cells and the regulation of the cerebrospinal fluid.

In the study, scientists cultivated two types of brain cells in the “chip”. They managed to “feed” them with different nutrients and maintain them in conditions that resemble normal brain, so that they can grow and work together properly. Especially a type of cells, the l, was greatly benefited from the movement of the liquid, reminiscent of the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid in the skull.

This technology gives scientists a very useful tool to study diseases, develop new medicines and, in the future, to make treatments specially designed for each person.

At the same time, such platforms help reduce the use of animals in laboratories, in accordance with modern European directions, which encourage methods with less hassle, less use and – wherever – replacing the experiments.

The research was conducted in the framework of a postdoctoral program funded by the Hellenic Research and Innovation Foundation (ELIDEK), and its results were published in the International Bioengineering Scientific Journal. (https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12060562)