A Faster, Cheaper, Mouse-Free Model for Studying the Effects of Environmental Toxins on the Human Brain—David Pamies, PhD—University of Lausanne, Switzerland

It used to be a thing of science fiction…growing human organs in test tubes and observing their behavior as we manipulate their environment. For David Pamies, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, this is daily life, although it may not always be ordinary. On today’s episode, he discusses how he’s using a brain organoid—an organ grown from human-induced pluripotent stem cells—to learn more about the toxins we come into contact with on a daily basis. He explains why and how this model is superior to far more commonly-used mouse models, and how it’s also fueling research on drug treatment for an aggressive type of brain cancer known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Such research includes testing the effectiveness of temozolomide, a commonly used chemotherapy drug. Dr. Pamies dives into the science behind it all and provides a compelling glimpse into the exciting and growing world of organoid-based research. Press play for all the details.