Scientists reveal the hidden instructions that build the human brain
Researchers have identified how radial glia stem cells make developmental decisions to build the human cerebral cortex. By studying metabolism and physical signals, scientists hope to better understand neurodevelopmental disorders and brain cancers.
Why it matters
Understanding these cellular mechanisms is crucial for unlocking the origins of complex human brain development and various neuropsychiatric conditions.
Before birth, the human brain is assembled through an enormous series of cellular choices. At the center of this process are radial glia, a special type of stem cell that helps create many of the features that distinguish the human brain.
These cells produce large numbers of the neurons and support cells that make up the cerebral cortex, the brain region involved in thought, memory, and language. Radial glia are also believed to contribute to the unusually large expansion of the human cortex compared with that of other species. Although most disappear before birth, similar cells can later appear again in brain cancers for reasons scientists still do not fully understand.
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