Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) are an important resource for the identification of new therapeutic targets and cardioprotective drugs. After differentiation iPSC-CMs show an immature, fetal-like phenotype. Cultivation of iPSC-CMs in lipid-supplemented maturation medium (MM) strongly enhances their structural, metabolic and functional phenotype. Nevertheless, assessing iPSC-CM maturation state remains challenging as most methods are time consuming and go in line with cell damage or loss of the sample. To address this issue, we developed a non-invasive approach for automated classification of iPSC-CM maturity through interpretable artificial intelligence (AI)-based analysis of beat characteristics derived from video-based motion analysis. In a prospective study, we evaluated 230 video recordings of early-state, immature iPSC-CMs on day 21 after differentiation (d21) and more mature iPSC-CMs cultured in MM (d42, MM). For each recording, 10 features were extracted using Maia motion analysis software and entered into a support vector machine (SVM). The hyperparameters of the SVM were optimized in a grid search on 80 % of the data using 5-fold cross-validation. The optimized model achieved an accuracy of 99.5 $\pm$ 1.1 % on a hold-out test set. Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) identified displacement, relaxation-rise time and beating duration as the most relevant features for assessing maturity level. Our results suggest the use of non-invasive, optical motion analysis combined with AI-based methods as a tool to assess iPSC-CMs maturity and could be applied before performing functional readouts or drug testing. This may potentially reduce the variability and improve the reproducibility of experimental studies.

A new neuroscience study published this week in Neuron shows how a brain cell system grown in a laboratory dish called "DishBrain" learns to play in a computer game-world inspired by the classic arcade game of "Pong." "Harnessing the computational power of living neurons to create synthetic biological intelligence (SBI), previously confined to the realm of science fiction, may now be within reach of human innovation," wrote researchers affiliated with Cortical Labs, Monash University, The University of Melbourne, RMIT University, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and University College London who conducted the study. This is the first synthetic biological intelligence to show real-time adaptive behavior according to the researchers. To create DishBrain, researchers developed active neuronal cultures of roughly 800,000 cells consisting of cortical brain cells from laboratory mice embryos or human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSC) that were plated on high-density microelectrode arrays (HD-MEA) chips, then embedded in a simulated game inspired by the arcade game Pong. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSC) engineering is used to create models used for pharmaceutical drug discovery and the development of novel therapeutic treatments.

What do you call a network of neurons connected to electrodes that learn to play Pong? Even the scientists behind the experiment don't know how to describe their creation. But the ethical questions that arise out of this fusion of neurons and silicon, are plenty. Brian Patrick Green takes a first shot at articulating them and suggests this might be the real future of Artificial Intelligence. On December 3, 2021 the Australian biological computing startup, Cortical Labs, released a pre-print article stating that it had turned a network of hundreds of thousands of neurons into a computer-like system capable of playing the video game Pong.

A new study published in the journal Cell Systems on November 20, 2019, reports the use of machine learning to help form complex cell architectures from pluripotent stem cells, a sophisticated technology that could solve multiple issues that currently hampers the production of artificial tissues and organs. Medical scientists faced with irreparably damaged organs have long wanted to know how to stimulate their regeneration or to replace them with new ones, to prolong survival and to provide improved quality of life. Another equally important area of research involves creating artificial tissues which are identical to those in the body, in order to help understand how disease processes evolve and which drugs can be used to treat such disorders. This means that scientists must know how to direct the development of stem cells in the desired pattern to form multiple tissues in the right way. Pluripotent ('capable of multiple tasks') stem cells are cells that can divide indefinitely or can develop into any of the three germ layers found in the early embryo.

A new study published in the journal Cell Systems on November 20, 2019, reports the use of machine learning to help form complex cell architectures from pluripotent stem cells, a sophisticated technology that could solve multiple issues that currently hampers the production of artificial tissues and organs. Medical scientists faced with irreparably damaged organs have long wanted to know how to stimulate their regeneration or to replace them with new ones, to prolong survival and to provide improved quality of life. Another equally important area of research involves creating artificial tissues which are identical to those in the body, in order to help understand how disease processes evolve and which drugs can be used to treat such disorders. This means that scientists must know how to direct the development of stem cells in the desired pattern to form multiple tissues in the right way. Pluripotent ('capable of multiple tasks') stem cells are cells that can divide indefinitely or can develop into any of the three germ layers found in the early embryo.

Technique key to scale up manufacturing of therapies from induced pluripotent stem cells. Researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate stem cell-derived "patches" of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tissue for implanting into the eyes of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness. The proof-of-principle study helps pave the way for AI-based quality control of therapeutic cells and tissues. The method was developed by researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is described in a report appearing online today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Mini-organs grown in the lab by robots could be the next'secret weapon' in the fight against disease, researchers say. Scientists have developed a system to automate the production of organoids from human stem cells, using liquid-handling robots that, unlike humans, don't'get tired and make mistakes.' A team in the US has demonstrated how the system can successfully introduce stem cells into plates containing hundreds of wells, to cultivate thousands of miniature kidneys in less than a month. Scientists have developed a system to automate the production of organoids from human stem cells. A microwell plate containing kidney organoids grown by the robots is shown above.

This story was originally published by Undark and has been republished here with permission. In the United States, the clock is ticking for more than 114,700 adults and children waiting for a donated kidney or other lifesaving organ, and each day, nearly 20 of them die. Researchers are devising a new way to grow human organs inside other animals, but the method raises potentially thorny ethical issues. Other conceivable futuristic techniques sound like dystopian science fiction. As we envision an era of regenerative medicine decades from now, how far is society willing to go to solve the organ shortage crisis? I found myself pondering this question after a discussion about the promises of stem cell technologies veered from the intriguing into the bizarre.

Scientists have grown the first working'mini-brains' in a dish which could provide future treatments for autism and epilepsy. The lab-grown organs have their own brain cells, formed into circuits similar to those of a two-month-old baby in the womb. Described as'thrilling science', it is the first time a human forebrain has been seen in action outside the body. Scientists hope to use the mini-brains to watch in real time the triggers for epilepsy, when brain cells become hyperactive, and autism, where they are thought to form bad connections. Scientists have grown the first working'mini-brains' in a dish which could provide future treatments for autism and epilepsy.

It is striking just how little we know about human development, especially given we are now decades into the modern era of biology. How is it possible that we understand exquisitely well how worms, fruit flies, and rodents develop, but our own species' development remains a black box? Paul Knoepfler (@pknoepfler) is a stem cell biologist at UC Davis and writes about science at The Niche. His most recent book is GMO Sapiens: The Life-Changing Science of Designer Babies. One big reason is that for a long time, the politics of doing science on human embryos and fetuses have been radioactive.