"Stem Cell-Grown 'Mini Brains' Unexpectedly Develop Eyes"

Scientists have successfully grown "mini brains" from stem cells in a lab, which spontaneously developed rudimentary eye structures resembling those found in human embryos. These brain organoids, grown from induced pluripotent stem cells, provide insights into the process of eye differentiation and development, as well as eye diseases. The structures contained different retinal cell types, responded to light, and displayed retinal connectivity to brain tissue. This breakthrough could help study brain-eye interactions, model retinal disorders, and generate patient-specific retinal cells for personalized therapies.