UCLA Scientists Identify Two Key Mechanisms Behind Human Brain Development Before Birth
New research from UCLA has uncovered two fundamental mechanisms that guide the construction of the human brain before birth. The study focuses on radial glia, specialized stem cells responsible for generating much of the cerebral cortex, the brain's outer layer responsible for higher cognitive functions.
The first mechanism involves how radial glia process glucose. Depending on their metabolic state, these cells alter their behavior, suggesting that energy availability plays a previously underappreciated role in brain development.
The second mechanism involves physical contact with signals arriving from the thalamus, a brain region that acts as an information relay station. These thalamic signals can directly influence what types of neurons the radial glia produce—including upper-layer neurons, which are especially abundant in the human cortex compared to other species.
The findings shed light on the cellular and molecular instructions that shape early brain development, potentially offering insights into neurodevelopmental disorders where cortical formation goes awry.