Mini Brains in a Dish: Organoids and the Future of Personalized Rare Disease Medicine

02/10/2025 38 min
Mini Brains in a Dish: Organoids and the Future of Personalized Rare Disease Medicine

Listen "Mini Brains in a Dish: Organoids and the Future of Personalized Rare Disease Medicine"

Episode Synopsis

In this episode of Once Upon a Gene, Effie sits down with Dr. Maya Gosztyla

from Brainstorm Therapeutics to explore one of the most exciting frontiers in rare disease research - organoids. These “mini brains in a dish” are clusters of real human brain cells grown from a child’s stem cells. They’re giving researchers and families new ways to study disease, test drugs, and imagine personalized treatments.

Effie and Maya talk about:



What organoids are and why they matter for rare diseases




How organoids could replace traditional mouse models, speeding research while reducing reliance on animal studies




The potential for organoids to accelerate drug development and get treatments to clinical trials faster




How these tiny models might unlock personalized medicine, tailored to each child’s unique mutation




Why this shift from “watching and waiting” to testing and acting could be transformative for families




Maya brings not only her scientific brilliance but also her heart and connection to the rare disease mission. This conversation will expand your sense of what’s possible for the future of research, treatment, and hope for our kids.

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