Scientists have succeeded in an ambitious initiative to determine how different types of brain cells originate and mature from early embryonic and fetal stages through to adulthood. This knowledge could point to new ways of tackling certain brain-related diseases such as autism and schizophrenia.
Modern.az reports, citing Reuters, that researchers have announced the completion of the first draft of atlases of the developing human and mammalian brain. The study focused on human and mouse brain cells, with some work also conducted on monkey brain cells. In their initial drafts, scientists mapped the development of various types of brain cells, tracking how they are born, differentiate, and transform into different types with unique functions. They also studied how genes are turned on or off in these cells over time.
Scientists have identified key genes that control brain processes, some commonalities in cell development between human and animal brains, as well as previously unknown cell types. Thus, some unique aspects of the human brain have been discovered.
The new discovery is described in detail in a collection of studies published in the journal “Nature”.
The research is part of the US National Institutes of Health's BRAIN Cell Atlas Network, or BICAN. This is an international scientific collaboration to create a comprehensive atlas of the human brain.
“Our brains contain thousands of cell types with extraordinary diversity in cell properties and functions, and they work together to create diverse behaviors, emotions, and cognition,” said Honkui Zeng, a scientist at the Allen Institute in Seattle.
Researchers have discovered more than 5,000 cell types in the mouse brain. At least as many cell types are thought to exist in the human brain. “The developing brain is an incredibly mysterious structure because it is difficult to access, consists of many different cell types, and changes rapidly. While we know the general landscape changes that occur during brain development, we now understand these processes in more detail thanks to this atlas,” said Aparna Bhaduri, a US neurologist and another participant in the study.
The research has shown that a subgroup of cells in human brain tumors resembles embryonic progenitors, which contributes to the formation of these malignant tumors. Researchers have identified some unique aspects of the human brain. One example is related to the prolonged differentiation process in cortical cell types due to the long developmental period of the human brain from fetus to adolescence, compared to a faster developmental timeline in animals. Among the newly identified brain cell types are those belonging to the neocortex and striatum regions, which control movement and some other functions.
