Stem cells

Recent articles

Research image of human cortical neurons xenotransplanted into a mouse brain for months.

In vivo veritas: Xenotransplantation can help us study the development and function of human neurons in a living brain

Transplanted cells offer insight into human-specific properties, such as a lengthy cortical development and sensitivity to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease.

By Pierre Vanderhaeghen
7 April 2025 | 9 min listen
Research image of an assembloid.

Organoids and assembloids offer a new window into human brain

These sophisticated 3D cultures reveal previously inaccessible stages of human brain development and enable the systematic study of disease genes.

By Sergiu P. Pasca
31 March 2025 | 7 min read
Research image of brain scans.

Impaired molecular ‘chaperone’ accompanies multiple brain changes, conditions

Rare genetic variants in a protein-folding complex contribute to a spectrum of phenotypes that encompass brain malformations, intellectual disability, autism and seizures, according to a new “hallmark” study.

By Holly Barker
12 December 2024 | 5 min read
Black-and-white research image of brain organoids.

Brain organoid size matches intensity of social problems in autistic people

Overgrown organoids could point to mechanisms underlying profound autism.

By Holly Barker
18 July 2024 | 5 min read
Neural progenitor cells in a culture medium, color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph (SEM).

Autism subgroups converge on cell growth pathway

Faulty mTOR signaling, implicated in syndromic forms of autism, also hinders cells grown from people with idiopathic autism or autism-linked deletions on chromosome 16.

By Angie Voyles Askham
2 April 2024 | 5 min listen
An illustration of a gold circle and wavy blue plants.

Building a brain: How does it generate its exquisite diversity of cells?

High-throughput technologies have revealed new insights into how the brain develops. But a truly comprehensive map of neurodevelopment requires further advances.

By Tomasz Nowakowski, Karthik Shekhar
18 March 2024 | 6 min read
A scientist looks into a microscope

Raising the bar for stem cell research: Q&A with Jack Mosher

New quality benchmarks for basic research involving stem cells promise to improve rigor and reproducibility, says Mosher, who helped develop the standards.

By Lauren Schenkman
10 October 2023 | 7 min read

Autism’s ties to the cell skeleton

Many genes related to the condition play a role in the internal scaffolding of cells, and cytoskeletal disruptions can affect neurodevelopment and behavior.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
22 June 2023 | 7 min read
Research image of neurons and astrocytes.

Astrocytes fuel erratic firing in fragile X neurons

A shift in astrocyte secretions may explain the atypical firing patterns of neurons derived from people with fragile X syndrome.

By Lauren Schenkman
10 May 2023 | 5 min read
Adapted research image of immunofluorescence staining of primary cortical neurons showing expression of PTBP proteins and reduced level of the protein SYNGAP1.

‘Splice-switching’ strategy boosts SYNGAP1 expression

The approach improves the function of SYNGAP1-deficient neurons in vitro, but whether it will work in people remains unclear.

By Angie Voyles Askham
21 March 2023 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

John Beggs unpacks the critical brain hypothesis

Beggs outlines why and how brains operate at criticality, a sweet spot between order and chaos.

By Paul Middlebrooks
21 May 2025 | 94 min listen
Photograph of the BRIDGE team and students visiting a laboratory.

Sharing Africa’s brain data: Q&A with Amadi Ihunwo

These data are “virtually mandatory” to advance neuroscience, says Ihunwo, a co-investigator of the Brain Research International Data Governance & Exchange (BRIDGE) initiative, which seeks to develop a global framework for sharing, using and protecting neuroscience data.

By Lauren Schenkman
20 May 2025 | 6 min read
Research image of neurite overgrowth in cells grown from people with autism-linked PPP2R5D variants.

Cortical structures in infants linked to future language skills; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 19 May.

By Jill Adams
20 May 2025 | 2 min read