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Brain May Have Evolved from Two Merged Primitive Nervous Systems
Key points
- Brain regions develop from two distinct cell types.
- OTX2 gene for forebrain/midbrain, GBX2 gene for hindbrain.
- Explains past difficulties in growing hindbrain tissue.
- Functional human hindbrain motor neurons grown in a dish.
Dual Origin of Brain Regions
A study indicates that the front and back regions of the brain in humans and other species originate from two distinct types of progenitor cells during embryonic development. This finding contradicts the long-held belief that the entire brain develops from a single type of progenitor cell.
Researchers observed that one cell type, expressing the OTX2 gene, forms neurons in the forebrain and midbrain, while another type, expressing the GBX2 gene, develops into neurons of the hindbrain.
Implications for Lab-Grown Tissue
This dual origin explains why attempts to grow human hindbrain tissue in laboratory settings have been challenging. Previous efforts often used progenitor cells destined for the forebrain and midbrain, which are unsuitable for hindbrain development.
By identifying the correct progenitor cell type, the research team successfully grew functional human hindbrain motor neurons in a dish for the first time.
Significance of the Hindbrain
The hindbrain controls essential life-sustaining functions such as breathing, sleeping, eating, and heart rate. Conditions like ALS and spinal muscular atrophy affect the hindbrain, leading to speech and swallowing difficulties.
Recent discoveries also link GLP-1 drugs to appetite suppression via their action on the hindbrain in mice.
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How outlets covered it
New research led by Stanford Medicine indicates the human brain consists of two independently evolved organs, challenging the long-held view of the brain as a single, unified structure. This discovery could facilitate the study of brain stem diseases like SMA and ALS by enabling the growth of hindbrain neurons in laboratory settings.
New research suggests the human brain developed from two distinct progenitor cell types, challenging the previous understanding of a single developmental origin. This discovery explains difficulties in growing hindbrain tissue in labs and enabled the first successful growth of functional human hindbrain motor neurons in a dish.