The Hebrew University of Jerusalem recently issued a communiqué saying that a recent study involving researchers at the university revealed the genetic mechanism of early brain development and discovered a previously unknown causative gene for neurodevelopmental disorders in children. This helps to deepen understanding of the causes of such disorders, including problems such as abnormal brain volume, autism, and slow development. The study was completed by the Institute of Life Sciences of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in collaboration with the French National Institute of Health and Medicine. Using CRISPR gene editing technology, the research team systematically “shut down” nearly 20,000 genes during the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into nerve cells and observed the effects of these genes on neuron formation one by one, thus drawing up a “functional map” of genes necessary for brain development. Research results show that a total of 331 genes are essential for the normal formation of neurons, and quite a few of them have never been identified as being related to early brain development.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem recently issued a communiqué saying that a recent study involving researchers at the university revealed the genetic mechanism of early brain development and discovered a previously unknown causative gene for neurodevelopmental disorders in children. This helps to deepen understanding of the causes of such disorders, including problems such as abnormal brain volume, autism, and slow development. The study was completed by the Institute of Life Sciences of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in collaboration with the French National Institute of Health and Medicine. Using CRISPR gene editing technology, the research team systematically “shut down” nearly 20,000 genes during the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into nerve cells and observed the effects of these genes on neuron formation one by one, thus drawing up a “functional map” of genes necessary for brain development. Research results show that a total of 331 genes are essential for the normal formation of neurons, and quite a few of them have never been identified as being related to early brain development.