Scientists โฃCreate First-Ever Map ofโ developing Human Brain, Offering Newโ Hope for Treating Neurologicalโค Disorders
SEATTLE, WA – Novemberโ 5, 2024 – Researchers at the allen Institute have unveiledโ the first extensiveโค map detailing the formation of the human brain, a breakthrough poised to reshape understanding of neurological conditions and โpossibly unlock โnew treatmentโฃ avenues.โ The landmark achievement, published โขtoday, charts the dynamic changes occurring in the brain as itโค develops in โutero, revealing โคhow experiences after birth considerably influence it’s architecture.
Thisโ detailed atlas focuses on the firstโข trimester of brain development, a period critical for โestablishingโ the foundationsโฃ of โneuralโ circuitry. The findings challenge previous assumptions aboutโ the rigidity โof brain development, suggesting that experiences -โข such as sight, sound, โand interaction – exert a far greater โinfluence than previously understood. This opens a window for potentialโ interventions during crucial developmental periods, offering hope for treating conditions once thought to beโ immutable. Theโ Allen Institute estimates thisโฃ research could impact โthe 1 inโค 54โฃ children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, andโข also those affected โฃby schizophrenia, epilepsy, and intellectual disability.
The researchโฃ team meticulously โtracked the expression of genes across thousands of individual cells as the brain evolved from its earliest stages. This revealed that the โขbrain isn’t simply “hardwired” at birth, but rather continues to be sculpted by external stimuli.โ “This โคfinding suggests โคthat experiencesโฃ after birthโฆcan โขinfluence brain development much more than we thought,” explained theโข Allen Institute in a statement. “Developmental disorders could remain treatable after birth, during these โฃcritical periods.”
The map provides โขan unprecedentedโ resource for โscientists investigating theโค origins of โขneurological disorders, allowing them toโ pinpoint โwhenโ and where developmental processes go awry. Researchers can now compare the gene expression patternsโค of healthy developing brains toโฃ those of โindividuals with neurological conditions, potentially identifying targets for therapeutic intervention. โขThe Allen Institute plans to โขmakeโฃ the data publicly โฃavailable, accelerating research and collaboration across theโฃ scientific community.
