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ScienceQuiet 10d · day 12

Nature Study: Human Brain Purges Billions of Genetically Flawed Neurons at Birth

Single-neuron sequencing finds over a quarter of fetal cortical neurons carry major chromosomal defects, nearly all cleared by the time of birth.

newest coverage 10d agosummary written 8d ago15 pieces69 likes & upvotes4 comments NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodonHacker NewsRedditBluesky

What to know

  • Single-neuron sequencing of 2,357 neurons across fetal-to-elderly human brains found ~26% of prenatal cortical neurons carry widespread chromosomal copy-number variations, versus only ~6% after birth.
  • The drop suggests a newly identified developmental 'quality control' process that eliminates genetically flawed neurons around the time of birth, roughly paralleling known periods of programmed cell death.
  • Neurons with heavy mutation burdens showed abnormal synaptic gene activity, offering a possible clue to how the brain identifies cells to cull.
  • Researchers say understanding this elimination process could inform study of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy.

“Elimination of defective neuronal genomes might represent an important developmental genome quality-control process that may be vulnerable in neurodevelopmental disease, and suggests purifying selection during human neurodevelopment.”

Diane Shao et al., Study authors · Nature (paper abstract) ↗ · Oct 27

Diane Shao Paediatric neurogeneticist, Boston Children's HospitalChristopher A. Walsh Study co-authorChristos Proukakis Neurologist, University College London

Nature Study: Human Brain Purges Billions of Genetically Flawed Neurons at Birth
nature.com

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 6 pieces in 3h at Oct 28, 4 PM; 15 pieces over 12 days (11 articles · 4 posts) Oct 27, 7 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 2Oct 27, 10 PM — quietOct 28, 1 AM — quietOct 28, 4 AM — quietOct 28, 7 AM — quietOct 28, 10 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Oct 28, 1 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 2Oct 28, 4 PM — 6 pieces · 6 articles — Google News 6Oct 28, 7 PM — quietOct 28, 10 PM — quietOct 29, 1 AM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Hacker News 1, Mastodon 1Oct 29, 4 AM — quietOct 29, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Reddit 1Oct 29, 10 AM — quietOct 29, 1 PM — quietOct 29, 4 PM — quietOct 29, 7 PM — quietOct 29, 10 PM — quietOct 30, 1 AM — quietOct 30, 4 AM — quietOct 30, 7 AM — quietOct 30, 10 AM — quietOct 30, 1 PM — quietOct 30, 4 PM — quietOct 30, 7 PM — quietOct 30, 10 PM — quietOct 31, 1 AM — quietOct 31, 4 AM — quietOct 31, 7 AM — quietOct 31, 10 AM — quietOct 31, 1 PM — quietOct 31, 4 PM — quietOct 31, 7 PM — quietOct 31, 10 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 3 AM — quietNov 1, 6 AM — quietNov 1, 9 AM — quietNov 1, 12 PM — quietNov 1, 3 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 9 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — quietNov 2, 3 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 9 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — quietNov 2, 3 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 9 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Nov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 9 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 3 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 9 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 3 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 9 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 3 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 9 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 3 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 9 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 3 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 9 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 3 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 9 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 3 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 9 AM — quiet 123
Oct 28Oct 29Oct 30Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6now · 11:26 AM ET
  1. 3

    Reddit and social users amplify the finding

    The study spreads on Reddit and Mastodon, with posts describing the brain as quietly discarding billions of 'faulty' neurons around birth.

    “Your brain quietly gets rid of billions of faulty neurons around the time you are born: scientists studied over 2,300 brain cells and found over 1 in 4 neurons in fetuses had huge chunks of chromosomes missing or duplicated, but only about 6% did after birth, so only the healthiest ones get to stay.”
    — u/mvea, Reddit poster · source
    1. 2 outlets The brain liquidates billions of mutant neurons around the time we’re born

      first by Nature, 10d ago · also Nature News

    • astropierre.com

      Plus d’1/4 des neurones prélevés sur des fœtus humains présentent une anomalie chromosomique. Seuls 6 % subsistent dans le cerveau des nouveau-nés. Il y aurait donc un mécanisme permettant de réguler le nombre de neurones déficients et déterminer lesquels sont autorisés à subsister dans le cerveau

      astropierre.comBluesky5d ago65▲view on Bluesky ↗
  2. 2

    Science outlets republish the neuron-elimination findings

    Medical Xpress, Neuroscience News, Harvard Medical School, GEN, News-Medical and others summarize the Nature paper for general audiences, framing it as discovery of a 'quality control' mechanism in brain development.

    1. 5 outlets Developing Brain Has Mechanism to Eliminate Abnormal Neurons

      first by Mirage News, 11d ago · also DongA Science, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, Harvard Medical School, Medical Xpress

      4 more headlines
    2. 1 outlet Brain development eliminates flawed neurons to ensure genomic integrity - News-Medical

      first by Google News · Health, 10d ago

  3. background

    Outside expert calls it evidence of a genomic filter — Christos Proukakis, a UCL neurologist not involved in the research, said the pattern suggests the neurons that survive are those that kept the most intact genomes during development.

  4. background

    Team links neuron culling to abnormal synaptic genes — Analysis of 44,861 nuclei showed neurons with high mutation burdens had abnormal synaptic gene expression, suggesting the brain may flag and eliminate defective neurons based on faulty connection-forming genes.

  5. 1

    Nature publishes human neuron quality-control study

    Researchers led by Diane Shao report sequencing 2,357 single neurons from brains ranging from 14-week fetuses to nonagenarians, finding that roughly 26% of prenatal cortical neurons carry widespread copy-number variations versus about 6% after birth.

    “It suggests that the neurons that survive may be the ones that have kept the most intact genomes during development…”
    — Christos Proukakis, Neurologist, University College London · source

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Perinatal elimination of genetically aberrant human cortical neurons

    first by Nature, 10d ago · also Nature News

and 1 smaller piece