Scientists Create First Atlas of Developing Brain, Over 5,000 brain cell types mapped
Source: credit Getty Key Points: Developing brain atlas maps over 5,000 brain cell types, revealing how the brain forms and matures. Shows gene activity timing, clarifying how genes shape brain function and cognition. Offers insights for treating neurological disorders and studying brain diseases like autism and schizophrenia. Scientists have produced the first detailed developing brain atlas, a landmark achievement that could transform understanding of how brain disorders such as autism and schizophrenia emerge. The research, published Nov. 6 in Nature and related journals, marks a major milestone in mapping how brain cells form, mature, and function through different stages of life. The work is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN), a global effort to chart every cell type in the human brain. Researchers examined human, mouse, and monkey brain tissue to trace the genetic and cellular changes that occur as the brain develops from ...