The discovery of a new type of stem cell in the brain could usher in better treatments for the deadliest brain tumor. UCSF scientists have discovered a stem cell in the young brain that's capable of forming the cells found in tumors. The breakthrough could explain how adult brain cells take advantage of developmental processes to instigate the explosive growth seen in deadly brain cancers like glioblastoma.
They made the discovery while taking a broad genomic survey of human brain cells from the first two decades of life. The findings appear Jan. 8 in Nature .
Many brain diseases begin during different stages of development, but until now we haven't had a comprehensive roadmap for simply understanding healthy brain development. Our map highlights the genetic programs behind the growth of the human brain that go awry during specific forms of brain dysfunction." Arnold Kriegstein, MD, PhD, professor of neurology at UCSF and co-corresponding author of the paper The study measured gene expression in cells taken from donated brain samples.
The researchers kept track of the original location of each cell to help explain how the brain creates connections. In addition to the discovery of an early stem cell that could explain the genetics of glioblastoma in adulthood, the data contained hints about the origins of autism. The researchers have published the data as a resource for the field to use for understanding a wide range of other brain disorders.
"Our study paints one of the most .
