GoKawiilStudy maps how the developing human brain removes genetically abnormal neurons at birth
Researchers analyzed single-nucleus whole genomes from human prenatal and postnatal cortical tissue obtained via the NIH NeuroBioBank, using a tagmentation-based whole-genome amplification technique to profile individual neurons. The work, titled 'Perinatal elimination of genetically aberrant human cortical neurons,' examines how cells carrying genetic abnormalities are cleared from the cortex around the time of birth.
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Understanding how the brain naturally culls neurons with genetic defects could clarify normal brain development and help explain why some neurodevelopmental disorders arise when this elimination process fails. The single-cell genomic method described could also be broadly useful for studying mosaicism in other tissues and diseases, suggesting wider applications beyond this particular study.
- Researchers used single-nucleus whole-genome sequencing on human prenatal and postnatal cortical tissue.
- The study focuses on elimination of genetically aberrant neurons during the perinatal period.
- A Tn5 tagmentation-based amplification workflow was used to generate single-cell genome libraries.
Source: nature.com — Shao, 2026-10-28
Published there as: “Perinatal elimination of genetically aberrant human cortical neurons”
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