UCLA Studies Show 2 Signals Steer Human Brain Stem Cells Before Birth
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Sep 4
UCLA Studies Show 2 Signals Steer Human Brain Stem Cells Before Birth
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Sep 4
Summary
Two UCLA studies found that radial glia—stem cells that build much of the cortex—change which brain cells they produce in response to nutrients and direct thalamic contact.
In Cell, researchers mapped metabolism in donated fetal tissue and stem-cell organoids, showing glucose use through the pentose phosphate pathway actively guides cell fate rather than merely fueling growth.
Lowering glucose or disrupting that pathway pushed the cells toward more inhibitory neurons and other later-appearing cell types, linking metabolism to developmental timing.
In Science, thalamic projections in human brain assembloids physically touched radial glia and drove production of more excitatory neurons, especially upper-layer neurons expanded in humans.
NRXN1-mutant patient-derived models altered that signaling balance, offering a new way to study how early developmental disruptions may contribute to autism, brain disorders and possibly cancer.