Media release

From: Springer Nature

Neuroscience: Mapping the developing brain over time 

Draft atlases of the developing brain of humans and other mammals are presented in a collection of papers from the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN), published in Nature. These resources combine single-cell and spatial technologies to track how brain cell types emerge, diversify, and organize during development, offering insights into the origins of certain neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions.

The human brain contains thousands of distinct cell types that form through complex developmental processes. Understanding these processes has been challenging because many stages are difficult to investigate and because cell states change rapidly over time. Recent advances in single-cell genomics and imaging now allow researchers to capture these dynamics at a higher resolution.

Using advanced genetic and computational tools, researchers from the BICAN traced how stem cells become specialized neurons and glial cells, how gene activity is regulated during development, and how sensory experiences and environmental factors influence brain cell identity. They find that cell types emerge in overlapping waves, not in fixed stages, and that some developmental processes can be reactivated in adulthood or in disease. Key findings include the identification of a human progenitor cell that may be linked to glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, and to specific time windows in which genetic risks for psychiatric disorders are concentrated.

“Taken together, this collection from the BICAN turns the static portrait of cell types into a dynamic story of the developing brain,” writes Emily Sylwestrak in an accompanying News & Views article. She adds, “These data lay the groundwork for future studies to identify which developmental windows and transcriptional profiles are causal for the assembly and function of neuronal circuits, or for susceptibility to disease.”

The collection helps to establish a foundation for comprehensive developmental brain atlases. The findings could help scientists to pinpoint when and where conditions such as autism and schizophrenia originate, improve the design of brain organoids and animal models, and could also inform strategies for targeted therapies. Although challenges remain in sampling all brain regions and integrating diverse datasets, ongoing efforts by BICAN aim to fill these gaps and deliver a complete picture of brain development.