Guest Sergiu Pasca is a physician-scientist who turns skin cells into stem cells and then into brain tissues he calls “organoids” and “assembloids” in order to study psychiatric and neurological illness in a dish instead of in living human beings. With this knowledge, Pasca hopes to develop new treatments for conditions ranging from schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders to chronic pain, he tells host Russ Altman in this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.Episode Reference Links:Sergiu’s Lab: Pasca LabSergiu’s Stanford Profile: WebsiteCenter at Stanford Sergiu Leads: Stanford Brain OrganogenesisSergiu’s recently published paper: Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutic Approach for Timothy SyndromePaper by Shinya Yamanaka Sergiu discusses: Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Mouse Embryonic and Adult Fibroblast CulturesConnect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / FacebookChapters:(00:00:00) IntroductionRuss introduces guest, Sergiu Pasca, professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.(00:02:43) The Science of Growing Brain Tissue from Skin CellsThe process of developing brain organoids from skin cells and the potential medical applications of these models.(00:03:59) Enhancing Neurological Research ToolsAdvancing the complexity of brain models to include various brain structures and their applications in modeling diseases.(00:07:20) Introduction of AssembloidsIntroduction to assembloids, detailing how combining different organoids can mimic complex brain structures(0015:58) Testing Therapeutics Using Humanized ModelsThe innovative approach of using humanized rat models to test neurological therapies and drugs.(00:21:03) Complex Circuit Modelling for Disease UnderstandingThe current capabilities of modeling complex brain circuits and their relevance in  understanding the neural pathways involved in diseases.(00:23:36) The Future of Pain Modelling and Drug TestingHow assembled brain cells can model pain perception and response, leading to potential new treatments for chronic pain and psychiatric disorders(00:27:46) Ethical Considerations and Public EngagementEthical concerns related to creating brain-like tissues and the importance of public engagement in scientific research.(00:32:01) Future Directions and Global CollaborationThe future of brain organogenesis research and the potential impacts on treating neurological and psychiatric conditions.(00:34:05) Conclusion Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.