Researchers at the University of Exeter have made a fascinating discovery about how our brain develops and ages.
They’ve created a detailed timeline of chemical changes to DNA that happen as the human brain grows and matures. These findings could help explain why some people develop conditions like autism and schizophrenia.
The scientists focused on a process called epigenetics. This is how chemical tags attach to our DNA and affect how our genes work. These changes don’t alter the DNA itself, but they control which genes are turned on or off. That’s important because these switches help brain cells grow and do their specific jobs.
One key epigenetic process the researchers looked at is called DNA methylation. This is where a small chemical group is added to the DNA. They studied almost 1,000 human brains that had been donated for research.
These brains ranged in age from only six weeks after conception to 108 years old. The focus was on the cortex, a part of the brain responsible for thinking, memory, behavior, and how we see the world.
The study, published in the journal Cell Genomics, showed that DNA methylation changes a lot before a baby is born. This reflects important biological processes that are needed to build the cortex.
The researchers also discovered that neurons—the cells that send signals in the brain—start to develop their own special DNA patterns early on. These patterns are different from other brain cells.
Crucially, they found that genes related to autism and schizophrenia change a lot during this early development. This suggests that problems in how these DNA changes happen might lead to these conditions. It means that the roots of these disorders could start very early in life, possibly before birth.
Alice Franklin, one of the study’s authors, said their research gives important clues about why neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and schizophrenia may happen. She said the changes to DNA they found play a big role in how the brain is shaped over time.
Professor Jonathan Mill, who led the study, said the research helps paint a clearer picture of how our brains are built and how different types of brain cells are formed. He believes that in the future, these insights could bring us closer to understanding what causes neurodevelopmental conditions.
In short, this study shows that tiny chemical changes to DNA play a big role in shaping the brain—and that when these changes go wrong, they may lead to serious mental health conditions. Learning more about these changes might eventually help scientists find better ways to prevent or treat these disorders.
The study is published in Cell Genomics.
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