Groundbreaking Cell Maps: Human and Nonhuman Primate Brain Revealed by Scientists
An international team of scientists has created comprehensive maps of the genetic, cellular, and structural components of both the human brain and the nonhuman primate brain. This mapping, made possible by funding from the National Institutes of Health’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® Initiative (The BRAIN Initiative®), provides a deeper understanding of brain structure at the cellular level.
This knowledge is crucial for advancing precision therapeutics for individuals with mental disorders and other brain-related conditions. The outcomes of this research are presented in a collection of 24 papers published across Science, Science Advances, and Science Translational Medicine.
Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, emphasized the significance of mapping the cellular structure of the brain. He highlighted that this crucial step is essential for comprehending the brain’s functionality in both health and disease. The newly created comprehensive cell atlases of the human brain and the nonhuman primate brain lay the groundwork for developing targeted therapies directed at specific brain cells and circuits implicated in various brain disorders.
Brain cell maps revealed: The 24 papers
The 24 papers within the recent BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) collection delve into the intricate diversity of cells within the human and nonhuman primate brains. These studies uncover both commonalities and distinctions in cell organization and gene regulation between the two, providing valuable insights, such as:
- Three papers in the collection present the inaugural atlas of cells within the mature human brain, meticulously charting the transcriptional and epigenomic aspects of brain composition. The transcriptome encompasses the comprehensive set of gene expressions within a cell, carrying the instructions for generating proteins and other cellular components. Meanwhile, the epigenome encompasses the chemical alterations to a cell’s DNA and chromosomes, influencing how the cell’s genetic information is expressed.
- Another paper conducted a comparative analysis of the cellular and molecular attributes in the human brain and various nonhuman primate brains, including chimpanzees, gorillas, macaques, and marmosets. This examination unveiled marked resemblances in cell types, proportions, and spatial organization in the cerebral cortex between humans and nonhuman primates. Furthermore, when scrutinizing the genetic activity of cortical cells across species, it was revealed that minor variations in gene expression within the human lineage led to modifications in neuronal connectivity and synaptic function. These changes likely contributed to increased brain adaptability in humans, supporting their capacity for adjustment, learning, and change.
Brain cell maps revealed:Cell diversity
A study exploring cell diversity across different brain regions in marmosets established a connection between the characteristics of adult brain cells and their attributes during development.
This connection suggests that cells imprint developmental programming during their formation and maintain it into adulthood. Certain observable properties in adult cells may have their roots in early life. This discovery has the potential to yield fresh insights into brain development and function across the entire lifespan.
Therefore, an investigation into the anatomy and physiology of neurons in the outermost layer of the neocortex, a region involved in higher-order functions like cognition, motor commands, and language, unveiled variances between the human and mouse brain. These distinctions suggest that this region may represent an evolutionary focal point, with human adaptations reflecting the demands of regulating more intricate brain circuits.
The principal objective of the BICCN, a pioneering endeavor aimed at comprehending the brain’s cellular structure, is to establish a comprehensive inventory of brain cells, encompassing their locations, development, interactions, and activity regulation. Consequently, this initiative seeks to enhance the understanding of the origins, progression, and optimal treatment of brain disorders.
The human brain at the cellular level
John Ngai, Ph.D., director of the NIH BRAIN Initiative, expressed, “This suite of studies marks a momentous achievement in elucidating the intricacies of the human brain at the cellular level. The scientific collaborations fostered through BICCN are propelling the field forward at an exponential pace, and the progress, along with the possibilities, has been nothing short of astonishing.”
The comprehensive catalog of brain cell types in both the human and nonhuman primate brains outlined in this compilation plays a pivotal role in advancing future brain treatments. These discoveries also lay the groundwork for the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network, a groundbreaking initiative that, alongside two other extensive projects, the BRAIN Initiative Connectivity Across Scales and the Armamentarium for Precision Brain Cell Access, aspires to transform neuroscience research.
This transformation aims to shed light on the fundamental principles governing the neural circuits underlying behavior, offering insights that can guide innovative strategies for addressing human brain disorders.
Read the original article on sciencedaily.
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