Why human brain cells grow so slowly
Published in Brain Activity, Brain/Neurology.
Some human neurons take years to reach maturity; an epigenetic ‘brake’ could be responsible.
Growing human neurons in the lab can be a time-consuming process. Some cortical cells take years to reach maturity – many times slower than the equivalent cells in a mouse. Researchers have been exploring some of the mechanisms that could be behind these very different timescales of growth – and have found a kind of epigenetic ‘braking’ effect that slows maturation. Manipulating this ‘brake’ could allow scientists to speed up the study of older brain cells in a dish.