GoKawiilPsychAD study maps single-cell gene activity in human brain across full lifespan
Researchers analyzed prefrontal cortex tissue from 284 neurotypical donors aged 0 to 97, drawn from the NIMH HBCC and Mount Sinai NIH Neurobiobank collections, to build a single-cell transcriptomic atlas. Donors were screened using neuropathology criteria such as CERAD and Braak scores to exclude Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and cognitive impairment, and were grouped into developmental, young, middle and late adulthood categories.
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A reference atlas spanning the entire human lifespan could give scientists a baseline for how gene expression in brain cells normally changes with age, which may help distinguish healthy aging from early signs of neurodegenerative or psychiatric disease. The dataset's demographic skew toward European and African ancestry donors suggests findings may need validation in more diverse populations before broader clinical application.
- 284 neurotypical donors aged 0.2–97 years were profiled from two major U.S. brain banks
- Strict neuropathological screening excluded donors with AD, Parkinson's, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or cognitive impairment
- Samples were grouped into developmental, young, middle and late adulthood stages to track lifespan changes
Source: nature.com — Yang, 2026-09-23
Published there as: “Lifespan single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the human prefrontal cortex”
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