Scientists Draw the Most Complete Map of Human Brain Cells to Date

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 13 (Xinhua) -21 papers published in the new issue of Science, Scientific Progress, and Science Translational Medicine in the United States have published and explained the most comprehensive human brain cell atlas to date. This series of studies involving scientists from multiple countries has revealed the characteristics of over 3000 types of brain cells, which will help deepen the understanding of the uniqueness of the human brain and advance research on brain diseases and cognitive abilities

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 13 (Xinhua) -21 papers published in the new issue of Science, Scientific Progress, and Science Translational Medicine in the United States have published and explained the most comprehensive human brain cell atlas to date. This series of studies involving scientists from multiple countries has revealed the characteristics of over 3000 types of brain cells, which will help deepen the understanding of the uniqueness of the human brain and advance research on brain diseases and cognitive abilities.

According to the website of the British journal Nature on the 12th, the entire study is part of the National Institutes of Health's "Promoting Innovative Neurotechnology Brain Research Program - Cell Census Network". The report cites Anthony Hannan, a neuroscientist at the Flory Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Australia, as saying that this series of studies has for the first time mapped the human brain at the single-cell level, revealing its complex molecular interactions, laying the foundation for a better understanding of the human brain.

Currently working at the University of Utrecht Medical Center in the Netherlands, neuroscientist Kimberly Siletti and her team conducted RNA (ribonucleic acid) sequencing on over 3 million cells covering 106 locations in the human brain, analyzing and recording 461 brain cell categories, including over 3000 subtypes, laying the foundation for drawing the entire map.

Research has shown that neurons, as the cells that send and receive signals in the brain and nervous system, have significant differences in different parts of the brain, especially in the brainstem area connecting the brain and spinal cord, which contains a particularly diverse type of neuron. This difference reveals different functions and developmental histories.

Molecular biologist Joseph Eck and colleagues at the Salk Institute of Biology in the United States used epigenetic techniques to analyze chemical markers of switch genes in over 500000 brain cells, and identified nearly 200 types of brain cells based on various molecules acting as gene switches. Accurately locating switches that activate or block gene expression in brain cells can aid in the diagnosis of brain diseases and the development of new therapies.

Molecular biologist Ren Bing and his team from the University of California, San Diego analyzed how over 1 million brain cells acquire and use genetic information, and used relevant data to predict how some gene switches affect gene regulation, as well as their association with the risk of developing neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

It is reported that researchers participating in the "Cell Census Network" will next sequence more cells from various parts of the human brain and study more tissue samples to construct a picture of how the human brain changes with population and age group. (End)

Disclaimer: The content of this article is sourced from the internet. The copyright of the text, images, and other materials belongs to the original author. The platform reprints the materials for the purpose of conveying more information. The content of the article is for reference and learning only, and should not be used for commercial purposes. If it infringes on your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us promptly and we will handle it as soon as possible! We respect copyright and are committed to protecting it. Thank you for sharing.(Email:[email protected])