Neuropsychiatric disorders linked to changes in stem cells in the fetal stage

A group of researchers has confirmed that the action of certain genes on stem cells that influence the formation of the fetal brain can cause neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism or bipolar disorder.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and Yale University (United States), was published in the journal Nature Communications . According to these institutions, the work opens a window into understanding the origin of these diseases and developing treatment options through gene therapy.

3,000 genes linked to neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative pathologies have been studied

Research places the origin of some neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism, bipolar disorder, and depression, and of certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, in the very early stages of fetal brain development, earlier than previously recognized.

To reach this conclusion, the researchers studied a list of nearly 3,000 genes linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative pathologies, and cortical malformations, and simulated the effect of their alteration on cells involved in brain development.

During the study, regulatory networks specific to each cell type involved in brain development were simulated. This allowed them to observe how the activation or deactivation of the analyzed genes affected progenitor cells at different stages.

The study places the origin of diseases such as autism, depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

The list of diseases ranges from microcephaly and hydrocephalus to autism, depression, bipolar disorder, anorexia, and schizophrenia, but also includes Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. All of these conditions contain genes involved in the earliest stages of brain development.

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The results indicate that, during the early stages of fetal development, many of these genes are already functional in stem cells—the progenitors that build the brain—so they participate in the creation of neurons and their supporting structures.

According to researchers, understanding the role of each gene in each disease can help develop targeted therapies, opening up opportunities for gene therapy and personalized treatments.