Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
10:47
Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells (NPCs)
Published on: March 2, 2018
Reversing neurodevelopmental disorders in adults.
Dan Ehninger1, Weidong Li, Kevin Fox
1Department of Neurobiology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Psychology and the Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1761, USA.
Neuron
|December 27, 2008
Summary
Neurodevelopmental disorders may not be irreversible in adults. Animal models show reversing molecular deficits can improve function, even with late-stage treatment, changing treatment perspectives.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Background:
- Neurological and psychiatric symptoms in neurodevelopmental disorders are often linked to presumed irreversible brain development abnormalities.
- Traditional views hold that these developmental deficits are permanent in adulthood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential for functional recovery in neurodevelopmental disorders.
- To challenge the assumption of irreversibility of brain development abnormalities in adult models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Focused on reversing underlying molecular deficits.
Main Results:
- Reversing molecular deficits led to significant functional improvements.
- Improvements were observed even when treatments were initiated in adulthood.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that abnormalities in brain development underlying neurodevelopmental disorders may be amenable to intervention later in life.
- This paradigm shift opens new avenues for therapeutic strategies in treating neurodevelopmental disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue
In the CNS, neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from stem cells, is limited to the hippocampus in adults. In other regions of the brain and spinal cord, neurogenesis is almost non-existent due to inhibitory influences from neuroglia, especially oligodendrocytes, and the absence of growth-stimulating cues. The myelin produced by oligodendrocytes in the CNS inhibits neuronal regeneration. Furthermore, astrocytes proliferate rapidly after neuronal damage, forming scar tissue that physically...
01:30Neurulation
Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the anterior...