Spring 2026 Medical News In Brief
Written By Theodore Spaliviero-Shaw
Biotech startup teaches human brain cells to play cult classic video game ‘Doom’
On 25th February, Australian biotech startup Cortical Labs announced that it had taught a “biological computer” to play the first-person shooter game ‘Doom’.1 Whilst it won’t win any professional gaming tournaments any time soon, this cluster of 200,000 human neurones mounted on a silicon chip may represent a milestone in researchers' ability to control and train living neural systems that could one day have practical applications, such as to control robotic limbs.2 It is still early days for both the research and its ethical regulation, but the results are promising.3
Endometriosis finally gets its own fertility pathway in the NHS
After consultation with patients and advocacy groups, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the national body responsible for NHS clinical guidelines, has revised its fertility guidelines for patients with endometriosis who are trying to conceive. The guidelines, published on 31st March, delineate a staged approach to care that aims to support patients and clinicians to make informed decisions based on a patient's specific situation.4 Patients will be supported to conceive naturally or considered for surgical treatment, depending on their situation. After up to 2 years of this approach, fertility options including intrauterine insemination (IUI) or IVF will be discussed. This change is part of a general strategy to reduce the barriers to care and confusion experienced by many with endometriosis, a condition affecting approximately 1.5 million people in the UK, many of whom remain undiagnosed.5 In the UK, receiving an endometriosis diagnosis takes over 9 years on average, a delay that has grown since 2020 and carries real consequences for fertility, as the condition can progressively damage reproductive function in the interim. Even with a confirmed diagnosis, patients have then faced a “postcode lottery” for fertility access and the frustration of being grouped with “unexplained infertility.” This guideline revision sends a clear signal that once endometriosis is diagnosed, patients should no longer face additional barriers when trying to start a family. One step towards dismantling the years of delay and confusion experienced by many patients.
Researchers preserve the entire microscopic structure of a pig brain
Researchers at the US company Nectome have developed a new technique for cryopreservation of the entire mammalian brain with very high fidelity.6 Using a modified form of aldehyde-stabilised cryopreservation, researchers were able to maintain almost the entirety of a pig brain’s physical architecture, which could open the door to mapping the human brain’s neural network in the future.7 The paper is yet to be peer-reviewed, released to preprint on 4th March, but could support further understanding of neural circuits, the progression of neurological disease, and the biological basis of memory.
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References
1 Cortical Labs. Doom [Internet]. Melbourne: Cortical Labs; 2026 [cited 2026 Apr 12]. Available from: https://www.corticallabs.com/doom.html
2 Wilkins A. Human brain cells on a chip learned to play Doom in a week [Internet]. London: New Scientist Ltd.; 2026 Feb 24 [cited 2026 Apr 12]. Available from: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2517389-human-brain-cells-on-a-chip-learned-to-play-doom-in-a-week/
3 The Economist. Why a startup is teaching human brain cells to play 'Doom' [Internet]. London: The Economist Newspaper Limited; 2026 Mar 30 [cited 2026 Apr 12]. Available from: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/30/why-a-startup-is-teaching-human-brain-cells-to-play-doom
4 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE recommends new dedicated fertility treatment pathway for endometriosis [Internet]. London: NICE; 2026 Mar 20 [cited 2026 Apr 12]. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/nice-recommends-new-dedicated-fertility-treatment-pathway-for-endometriosis
5 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Our updated guideline to improve the diagnosis of endometriosis [Internet]. London: NICE; 2024 Nov 11 [cited 2026 Apr 12]. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/nice-updated-guideline-to-improve-the-diagnosis-of-endometriosis
6 Song A, LaVergne A, Wróbel B. Ultrastructural preservation of a whole large mammal brain with a protocol compatible with human physician-assisted death. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Mar 7 [cited 2026 Apr 12]. Available from: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.04.709724v1.full
7 Future Timeline. Brain cryopreservation takes a notable step forward [Internet]. Future Timeline; 2026 Mar 31 [cited 2026 Apr 12]. Available from: https://futuretimeline.net/blog/2026/03/31-brain-cryopreservation-pig-brain-study.htm