Riken Centre for Development Biology researchers have created functioning cerebral cortex tissues from induced pluripotent stem cells, a world first that has raised new hopes for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and for developing vaccines.

The tissues showed neural activity, such as generating electrical signals. The team also succeeded in making cortex tissues from the embryonic stem cells of mice. Using mouse tissues, they formed a network of neurons that properly respond to stimuli. The tissues can also be selectively induced to different cortex types controlling memories, visual sensation and other tasks.